In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul warns believers against judging one another, especially new believers who are coming into the body of Christ. He reminds them that as humans, we are prone to err and therefore have no basis to stand in judgment over another person. Only God is positioned to judge us, and we will not escape His judgment if we create barriers that keep people from coming to Him through our judgmental attitude.
The irony is that sometimes we condemn in others the very same things that we ourselves struggle with in different ways. But mostly, we are comfortable judging sins that we consider abhorrent, such as adultery or murder, thinking that we would never commit such acts, and so we quickly condemn people in these situations. Yet before God, sin is sin. Whether it was Adam’s disobedience that caused him to eat the fruit, Abraham’s disbelief that made him doubt God’s plan for him, or Cain’s hatred that led him to murder his brother, all were acts of sin before God that separated mankind from Him.
Testing God’s Patience
We tend to create categories of sin in our own minds, believing that there are certain sins acceptable for us to tolerate while there are other sins that give us the right to judge, interfere, intervene, and attempt to correct others through our own moral reasoning and prayer.In doing this, we begin applying our own moral code, or the moral code of society, instead of seeing people through the grace of God. When our minds are fixed only on human standards of morality, we slowly forget the grace and mercy that God has shown to us, and we begin depending on our own righteousness instead.
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
Romans 2:4-6 (NIV)
Why do Christians today show contempt for God’s kindness and patience?
Christians today often show contempt for God’s kindness and patience by taking advantage of the mercy and grace that He has shown to us while refusing to show the same mercy to others. Like the unmerciful servant in Jesus’ parable, we gladly receive forgiveness from God but are unwilling to forgive people around us. Many times, we judge others, make them guilty of their sin in our eyes, and then act as though we are gracious for forgiving them afterwards.
We also begin cherry-picking sins, treating some as worse than others while ignoring the sin within our own hearts. Christians start thinking they are special because of their rituals, traditions, or sacraments, looking down on those who do not follow the same practices. In doing this, we slowly stop depending on the grace of God that alone gives mankind hope and instead place our confidence in our outward acts prescribed by our religion. This is the greatest form of blasphemy, when we reduce the power of Jesus’ blood and treat His grace as though it is not enough.
Grace Alone Can Save Us
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
Romans 2:7-8 (NIV)
“Doing good seek glory, honor and immortality” Is this the mantra to gain access to eternal life?
Many people seem to think so. They believe that simply being good is enough to gain eternal life. But Paul himself rejects this idea by saying that no one is truly good, for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards. It is only when a person accepts this truth and begins depending on God’s grace for their life that they can truly walk with Him. In the end, who enters eternal life is not for us to decide, but is solely up to God. By His grace, He can even call a murderer into enteral dwellings, while a righteous and law-abiding citizen may still miss out by God’s standards.
God Does Not Show Favoritism
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
Romans 2:9-11 (NIV)
If God does not show favoritism, then why is salvation offered first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles?
God does not show favoritism because He judges both the Jew and the Gentile by the same standard. Although the Jews were given the privilege of receiving God’s law, promises, and grace first, they were not exempt from judgement when they did evil. In the same way, the Gentiles were also accountable before God. Paul makes it clear that trouble and distress come upon everyone who does evil, whether Jew or Gentile, and glory, honour, and peace are offered to everyone who does good, again whether Jew or Gentile.
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Romans 2:12-13 (NIV)
The Jews were given the first opportunity to know God because the Messiah came through them, but this did not make them superior in God’s eyes. God did not ignore their sin simply because they were His chosen people. Likewise, the Gentiles were not rejected simply because they were outside the Jewish covenant. Through Christ, the same grace became available to all mankind. God does not judge based on status, background, nationality, rituals, or heritage, but according to the heart and the response of each person to Him. His justice and His grace are offered equally, and no one can claim special standing before Him based on outward identity alone.
Having The Heart of God
Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.
Romans 2:14-16 (NIV)
What does it say about religion and religious people when many atheists seem to care for the downtrodden more than those who claim to have experienced the love of God?
We see organizations like Doctors Without Borders and countless others who choose to live among the downtrodden, serving them daily without any religious obligations or expecting any reward for their efforts. Meanwhile, religious people look towards precedence, their rituals, and auspicious days to help the downtrodden in society. They are not led by compassion but by consensus, and it is the atheists who end up doing the very work that reflects God’s heart.
A person who claims no religion can still be moved toward kindness and sacrifice, while a religious person may speak greatly about love yet fail to do good in practical ways. Deep within, humanity naturally recognizes goodness, but over time, selfishness, fear of scarcity, and self-preservation can slowly weaken that desire. For religious individuals, helping others can become an obligation or a ritual act performed on special occasions, such as feeding the homeless during certain seasons or festivals, sometimes more to alleviate personal guilt or absolve sins than to genuinely assist someone in need. In contrast, a person outside of religion may feel compelled to help purely from recognizing a deficiency in society and responding to it.
This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ
Romans 2:16 (NIV)
We must understand that God does not show favoritism, and we must not be quick to judge others based on our own preconceptions and the standards of the world. We cannot fully comprehend how God thinks, for His ways are far beyond ours. He is the God of all mankind—Jews, Gentiles, Christians, those who know Him, and those who do not know Him. Only He can truly judge the heart, and only by His grace can we be saved.
The Jordan Valley 
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