Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 14

January 14;   Romans 2:4;   14/260(II);   ‘The Goodness of God’

Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Paul begins chapter 2, warning against judging others.  He is teaching that when we judge another, we condemn ourselves, because we are usually doing what we are judging others of. He goes on to say that since judging is wrong, if we continue to judge, the Lord will judge us and deal with us.  Now, in this verse, Paul teaches why we are not to judge.  He tells us that the Lord does not deal with us in a critical, judgmental manner.  Far from that, it’s God’s goodness, His tolerance of us when we are less than perfect and His infinite patience, that caused us to repent, turning from our former ways, endeavoring to live a life that pleases our Lord.  A great danger of judging others is that it is a common trait of religion, and it deceives the lost, causing them to think that that is what the Lord is like.  Thus making it harder for them to be saved.  Since almost everyone gets saved because they are taught and believe that the Lord loves them and that they are included in the plan of salvation, they need to hear the Good News that God’s Word is, not a critical tongue that they are all too used to.  It is the goodness of Jesus Christ, as they read of Him in the gospels, seeing His compassion in the way He treated and ministered to others, that opens their spirit allowing them to be saved.   Additionally, when we as Christians, do not judge others and treat them with the kindness that the Lord treats us with, we get their attention, helping them to believe that the Bible is true.   God is a good God.  That is what drew us to Him and it is what will draw others to Him through us.  Judging is religion, loving is Jesus.