The Lord does not discriminate…
There was discrimination in both secular and spiritual Roman Society and it was easy for Christians perhaps to get caught up in spiritual disparities in which some group thought they were more justified than others.
We see Paul mention in his writings to the Christians in Rome that there is no respect of persons with God. In other words, The Lord does not discriminate among peoples. The Lord’s Truth, Justice, and Mercy are the same for all peoples. However, to the Jews first and then to Gentiles…
The Lord in choosing the Jewish peoples first to test of His promises and glories was that they would be a light to all nations; they were called to be vessels of The Lord to display God’s Glory and justice to other Nations. God’s Truth, Justice and Mercy were supposed to shine through them to other peoples. However, Israel and Judah rebelled before God and turned away from that call, thus the warnings in the Books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and other Prophets in the Bible.
Jesus Christ’s, shedding of His Blood, death on the Cross, and resurrection from the dead, gave us salvation, forgiveness of sins, and every Human being of earth has free access to the Throne of Grace and Mercy but only through Jesus Christ. This message did not seat well with some Jews at that time and ended up persecuting Paul.
Socially divided civilizations…
But the Christians in Rome lived in a civilization that was socially divided. You had the elites in Rome, the ruling class, the soldiers; you had Rome’s own religious elites, the Greek Philosophers, Barbarians, Slaves, and Christians.
Just like our own societies today under the mantle of Western Civilization, different social structures exist. We hear the talk about socialist and capitalism, with capitalism being at the forefront of Western Civilization. However, capitalism has its own classes from the poor, middle class, to the upper rich. The current global economic crisis has exposed the ferocious greed that some CEOs in the Upper Rich class have exercised in the Western world at the expense of the poor and middle class.
Working ‘so hard’ to climb social ladders…
One of the ‘corner stone’ philosophies of the Western world is that the upper rich are very rich because they worked so hard. The middle class always strive to work hard to make it if possible into the upper rich class. The poor are often blamed for their plight and condemned as being lazy, not working hard enough, and always living of ‘hand outs’ from the government. However, the current global financial crisis seems to punch big holes in that capitalistic philosophy.
We see that generations have been raised to believe that they must be achievers to be anyone. Western Society justifies those who are ‘great achievers’ and those who ‘work very hard’. If one goes to school, studies very hard, gets a job and works very hard and climbs the corporate ladder, then they are ‘justified’ by society as worthy of attaining a certain degree of social status.
This does not mean that the Bible is against hard work, no, not at all, on the contrary, the Bible encourages hard work and God blesses the works of our hands, the Bible disapproves laziness, yet at the same time approves justice and mercy, the very things that are missing when Western Civilization judges the poor from a capitalistic platform.
The problem is that we turn the works of our hands into an object of worship and self justification before God. This is what God rebuked Israel for if you read the Book of Hosea, they worshiped the works of their hands… Our current Western Civilization is built around such social philosophies, we judge, condemn, justify people based on the works of their hands.
The trouble comes when we use corporate yardsticks to measure spirituality and yet the Bible does not. When one becomes a Christian, some of those worldly philosophies don’t die off. You find that such a Christian will struggle in their relationship with God, thinking that some how they fall short of receiving justification from The Lord because they don’t measure up to worldly standards.
To the Christians in Rome, on the spiritual side, the Jews set standards that unless one became circumcised, they could not be justified before The Lord. Yet even in secular Rome, society was structured in such a way that justification according to Rome’s Elite standards was unattainable. Therefore Paul writes to the Christians in Rome to tell them that there is no respect of persons with God.
Romans 2:11-29Western Civilization, the Church, and discrimination…
(11) For there is no respect of persons with God.
Western Civilization has not escaped racism, prejudice, segregation, discrimination, and other social evils like hate crime. One reason for such discrimination is economical and status. One social group sees another as a threat and if given ‘access’ they would thwart the chances of the threatened group to succeed. Another reason is simply bigotry, self exaltation, conceit, and pure hate.
However, discrimination, racism, and prejudice have found themselves inside the Christian Church. Amazingly, Sunday, which is supposed to be The Lord’s Day in the USA, is the most segregated day in America. The White folks pray alone and Black folks pray alone, the Latinos pray alone… This is beginning to change though as many Pastors and Church leaders move away from such thought. It is common these days to find thriving multi cultural Church congregations.
My point is that the philosophies of the capitalistic Western World of a class cast society have managed to find themselves on many pulpits in many churches. It is very easy to get caught up in the thought that perhaps God has one set of spiritual rules for Black people and another for White people; or perhaps that The New Testament teachings apply differently to Western Christians and African Christians.
God’s Truth, Justice and Mercy are the same for all and The Lord shows no distinctions. The so-called Christian Class-cast system is of the flesh and used by the Devil to divide the Body of Christ. When rich and affluent Christians think that the Bible speaks in a ‘special’ way to them and differently to poor Christians, it is a lie and deceit from Satan.
Everyone is welcome at the Cross, the Rich, Poor, Black, White, Latinos, Asians, disabled…all are welcome to confess their sins and receive forgiveness at the Cross and free justification in Christ Jesus. The reason we still have discrimination, bigotry, racism, and hate in some churches, is because the leaders have chosen to think like the world and measure God’s Church according to worldly standards.
No inequalities in God’s Justice to both the Jews and Gentiles…
Romans 2:12-16Paul the apostle writes to the Christians in Rome who were being perturbed by Jewish teachings that The Lord’s justice was uneven; The Lord would judge the Gentiles according to their conscience – without The Law and the Jews according to their Law…
(12) For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
(13) (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
(14) For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
(15) Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
(16) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
In other words, there was no room to boast, the gentiles had a conscience of right and wrong…and their conscience testified that God existed and condemned or excused them according to the deeds done. If a gentile thief stole, his conscience condemned him that he was stealing and it was wrong, if he practiced kindness, then his conscience excused them…
This piece of scripture does not mean that we don’t have to preach the gospel of repentance to the world as some false teachers of the gospel are teaching today. Paul is stating that man has no excuse and escape from the judgment of The Lord. Man cannot give an excuse that they did evil because they had never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ…their conscience bared witness to them…
At the same time this does not mean that one can be justified without Jesus Christ by simply doing good and being kind so as to have a clear conscience. Your conscience is simply testifying that you did good or bad but your conscience does not justify or save you and remove away your evil deeds. It is only Jesus Christ who can do that.
However, today secular humanists have used this as an excuse that they don’t need God and that they can be kind and ‘ethical’ (a replacement word they use for morality) and without help of Jesus Christ.
The Jews on the other hand thought that their works of the Law would attain them justification before God and that they did not need Jesus Christ. This thinking has crept into the Church were some Christians think that they are some how justified before God because of their “Christian Acts”….
Such Christians think that they are the ‘Chosen Ones’ because they do exemplary Christian works in Church, they attend every Sunday Service, meet on Wednesday, tithe, sing in the choir, etc. Such Christian works may be commendable and noble in most cases but they never justify any one before The Lord.
Paul the apostle was rebuking the Jews in Rome for exactly this, that works of the Law could not save them, just like self justification by the gentiles could not save them. With the advent of Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross, Salvation and Justification are by Grace through Jesus Christ and freely, least any man should boast.
I am in no way giving excuse for spiritual laziness, sloppiness, and apathy like many Christians show today. Yes, we are to care for the poor, feed the hungry, give in Church, attend fellowships, etc but these things we do out of love for Jesus Christ and serving His Body, but not to attain justification and spiritual superiority.
We do not labor in love as we feed the poor, give in church, fellowship, sing in the choir etc so as to create different classes in the Body of Christ, no, we do not labor in love to boast and divide the Body of Christ along economical and social lines, we do labor in the love of Jesus Christ to serve Him and minister freely with grace to the saints knowing that our reward is kept safe and awaiting us in Heaven.
Judeo-Christian Hypocrisy Rebuked…
Romans 2:17-24It is evident from the writings of Paul the apostle to the Christians in Rome that the Jews who lived in Rome preached one thing and did another. They lived a hypocritical life; they preached to others not to sin but yet did the exact same thing. If they preached to others not to steal, they stole… They ever practiced what they preached yet took pride in keeping the Law so as to obtain justification before God.
(17) Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
(18) And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
(19) And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
(20) An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
(21) Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
(22) Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
(23) Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God?
(24) For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
Paul goes ahead to tell the Jews in Rome that the Name of The Lord was being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of this hypocritical behavior. To the Jews were given the promises and convents yet they dishonored God by their lifestyle. It is clear that the warnings that Paul gives in Romans chapter 1 were also directed to the Jews who lived in Rome.
The Jews knew better than to act the way they did that warranted such a rebuke from Paul the apostle. They had the Truth in the Law about God yet rejected it and rebelled against The Lord. At the same time they took pride in being keepers of the Law that they did not obey but thought themselves to be spiritually highly superior to the gentiles who even without the Law kept doing some good because of their conscience. Paul rebukes the Jews in Rome that their spirituality was hypocritical and actually a cause for the Gentiles to blaspheme the Name of The Lord.
Fast forward to today’s Church, especially in the Westernized World, we are no different from the Jews that Paul the apostle rebuked in Romans chapter 2. Christians today take pride in reading the teachings of Jesus Christ, yet they never practice what Jesus Christ said or taught. Christians take pride instead in having large Cathedrals, Priests, Bishops, Pastors, and Theologians from Ivy League seminaries.
Christians today take pride in brick and mortar buildings, many pastors are proud of their mega church accomplishments, state of the art multi media systems, TV and Radio ministry, yet the Church keeps drifting away from Sound Doctrine and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The sins mentioned in Romans chapter 1, ranging from homosexuality, infanticide, hate, racism, theft, extortion, fraud, can all be found inside the Church in the Westernized world. Yet Christians continue to take pride in the works of their hands; they continue to take pride in church buildings of brick and mortar rather than the Body of Jesus Christ.
What we preach, we do not practice as Christians today. If we preach against adultery, homosexuality, divorce, hate, racism, chances are that many Christians, including Christian leaders continue to practice such vices. The News Media is full of such stories of Christian leaders who intentionally practice sin with no remorse yet they continue to lead God’s people. This is not just a problem in the West but even in poor Africa.
The Name of The Lord is being blasphemed among none Christians today because of our actions and it is high time that we examine our selves before The Lord to see if we still stand in the Faith. Otherwise our boasting that we are Christians is fruitless. Christianity has turned into legalism and the Law because of such hypocrisy.
It is not repentance of sin, forgiveness, salvation, and Justification in Jesus Christ that matter any more but one is a Christian simply because they attend Church, repeated the sinners prayer, tithe, attend every Sunday service, etc – if one does such things, they are ‘Christian’…
Paul’s rebuke to the Jews in Rome goes out to us as Christians in this Westernized world. What we preach, do we practice? Do we steal and yet tell folks not to steal? These are issues of the heart that each person has to do a heart search before The Lord. It is The Lord who knows the hearts of Men, some men appear justified on the outside yet inside they are dying from sin and evil… Each one has to bare their load before The Lord.
Just because you do not do the most out spoken sins like adultery, homosexuality, etc does not mean that your heart might be clear from hidden sins known to no one but The Lord and you. Therefore, let us all go before The Lord and each examine their heart before Jesus Christ.
Is the Name of The Lord being blasphemed among the gentiles because of our sins, behaviors and attitudes? Paul’s rebuke to the Jews in Rome is clearly a message that the Church needs to hear today.
Not a Jew or Christian outwardly but inwardly…
Romans 2:25-29Many Bible students have done the mistake of thinking that Paul the apostle was saying that Christians are the ‘new’ Jews of today…no, Paul was rebuking the Jews in Rome for their hypocrisy and stating that simply being a Jew outwardly yet not practicing the teaching of Yahweh was hypocritical and fruitless.
(25) For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
(26) Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
(27) And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
(28) For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
(29) But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
I know some Christians who have used this verse to suggest that they are the ‘new’ Jews and that God is done with the Jews and has cast his people aside. This is not true as we shall see in the later chapters.
To speak in our contemporary terms, Paul would rebuke the Christians of today and suggest to them that one is not a Christian outwardly but one is a true Christian inwardly. This would not mean that God has cast aside His Church, it would mean that The Lord is rebuking hypocrisy in the Church and calling on Christians to be true Christians from the heart and not just outwardly.
Paul the apostle was rebuking Jewish hypocrisy and telling the Jews in Rome that outside works like circumcision is not what makes one a Jew if they do not practice what the Law teaches. The Jews took pride in circumcision as a mark of justification before The Lord. The Jews in Rome even led astray some Christians in Rome by teaching that they could not be saved until they were circumcised.
The Jews in Rome managed to turn Christianity into legalism and as such Christians thought they could only be justified before The Lord if they kept the Jewish Laws and got circumcised. Yet even the Jews who preached circumcision did not practice the Law, they never kept the Law and continuously broke it and lived a life of duplicity. This is why Paul rebukes them for this hypocrisy and tells them that being a Jew outwardly with signs of circumcision does not justify anyone before The Lord. It is like some Christians who think that going to church every Sunday is what makes one a Christian.
We must remember that these verses are in context of the whole Romans chapter 2 and must be read in that context. Some individuals reject context and instead pick out verse 28 and 29 to suggest that some how they are the “New Spiritual Jews” who have replaced the “Old Jews”…this is a lie from Satan and deceiving oneself.
The Lord is not yet done with His people the Jews. This does not mean that The Lord has a different “special” salvation plan apart from the Cross of Jesus for the Jews, no; there is no salvation for the Jews except in Jesus Christ…more about this later.
Brethren, we see that there is a lot of influences from the philosophies of the world making us think falsely that we are justified because of our works… This thinking has crept into the Church and made Christians think that if they do certain Christian duties, then they are justified before The Lord even if they throw out the teachings and sayings of Jesus Christ and live a life of duplicity.
This ought not to be so Brethren; one is a Christian not outwardly but inwardly whose justification is from The Lord and not man.
Kato Mivule
