“1 Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.”
The opening section of chapter 2 will explain the basis, scope, and purpose of God’s judgment. But first, verse 1 answers an objection that Paul anticipates may be coming. If the law of God was given to the Jews, what about the Gentiles who did not have the law? How are the Gentiles to know that they are living in sin? How can God condemn people for breaking a law they did not know existed? Paul maintains from Chapter 1 that all are without excuse. God has clearly revealed Himself through His natural revelation. But here in 2:1, Paul introduces a new principal. Paul tells us that we prove our own guilt of transgression when we violate our own standards. Forget God’s standard for a moment, we don’t even hold ourselves to the same standard that we hold others to! We even transgress our own law, which proves our guilt. We prove that we know our own shortfalls when we judge others for doing the very same things that we do.
Is Paul telling us, then, that we should never judge anyone? He does begin verse 1 with a warning about how we judge others. Before we answer that question though, let’s try to gain a better understanding by seeing how the whole of the Bible defines judgment.
In the book of Acts, we can determine that, for His elect, God gives an opportunity to repent and avoid judgment.
“‘Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.’” — Acts 17:30-31
Notice that it is in righteousness that God judges. God’s judgment is right and just. If our unrighteousness goes without judgment from God, that would be wrong. God is calling upon the unrighteous to repent because it is already fixed that His righteous judgment is coming. Paul, in Acts, tells us that, in Christ Jesus’ resurrection, we have proof that those who have repented will be saved, and those who have not, will face God’s righteous judgment.
The Bible does not hold back on pronouncing God’s judgment upon the unrighteous. Here are a couple of examples.
“God is a righteous judge and a God who shows his wrath every day. If anyone does not repent, he will sharpen his sword; he has strung his bow and made it ready. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he tips his arrows with fire.” – Psalms 7:11-13
“For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries. Anyone who disregarded the law of Moses died without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, who has regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know the one who has said, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” — Hebrews 10:26-31
God’s judgment is terrifying, but that does not mean it is bad. On the contrary, God’s judgment is not only necessary, God’s judgment is good.
“Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; let the whole earth tremble before him. Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. He judges the peoples fairly.” Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and all that fills it resound. Let the fields and everything in them celebrate. Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for he is coming — for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his faithfulness.” — Psalms 96:9-13
God’s judgment is good, but it won’t seem that way for the evildoer. God’s judgment is sure, it is coming. We may not know exactly when or how, but the evildoer will face God’s righteous judgment.
What does this mean for Christians right now? What is Paul telling us about how we should or should not judge others? We’ll cover this in the next devotion. For today, let’s focus on God’s judgment, and what that will mean for those who are still in their sins. Let’s consider two things: (1) Are you going to be subject to God’s wrath and judgment? It’s a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Almighty God. If you are living for yourself, enjoying your sin, and living contrary to God’s will, you will experience God’s judgment. It is not a matter of if, only of when. Let God’s coming judgment be a warning for you! Repent now! Turn from your sinful ways and have faith in Jesus who will save you from God’s judgment, because Jesus already took that judgment for you! Live a life that is in obedience to God, which is the proper response of a redeemed life. Let’s consider another thing: (2) If you are already saved in Christ Jesus, praise the Lord for the salvation we have from the coming judgment of God! Let’s take this a step further, pray for, and evangelize to, those who are lost in their sin and have not come to Jesus. They will face God’s just judgment, and who better to tell them of the way they can be saved from the judgment than us?