Ever caught yourself keeping score of other people's sins?
Well, you might think, at least I'm not that bad. But today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindahl reminds us that our sinful nature is the ultimate equalizer. His bold claim comes from Romans chapter 2, where the Apostle Paul levels the playing field. When we judge others, Paul declares, we condemn ourselves.
So how do we overcome the temptation to inflate our self-importance? It starts with an honest look in the mirror. examining our own hearts before pointing out the faults in others. Chuck titled today's message, Judgment for the Judgmental. Let me read for you, please, the first 16 verses of Romans chapter 2.
If you have brought a Bible with you and You will find the outline for today's message in your worship folder. Just place it in Matthew chapter 7. and have it available there. But I'll not read from Matthew, but from Romans chapter 2, beginning at verse 1. Therefore, you have no excuse, every one of you, who passes judgment.
For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this Oh man. When you pass judgment on those who practice such things, and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God.
Or do you think lightly of the riches of his kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you? to repentance. But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds. To those who, by perseverance and doing good, seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life, but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth. But obey unrighteousness, wrath, and indignation, there will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man.
who does evil the jew first also of the Greek. But glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good to the Jew first. And also to the Greek, for there is No partiality. with God. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
For it is not the hearers of the law who were just before God, but the doers. of the law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the law do instinctively the things of the law, these not having the law are a law. to themselves. in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness.
and their thoughts alternating between accusing or else defending. Them. On the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men. True. Christ Jesus.
You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into the Book of Romans on your own, be sure to purchase Volume 1 of our Searching the Scriptures Bible Study Workbook. by going to insight.org slash offer. Chuck titled today's message, Judgment for the Judgmental. All of us have heard or sung the old spiritual, it's not my brother nor my sister, but it's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.
It's not the preacher or the deacon, but it's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer. It's me. It's me. It's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer. Truer words were never spoken or sung.
Then those words. But how much easier it is to sing or speak them. than to really believe them. I mean, with our whole heart, believe it isn't the other person. with the greater need.
It's me. It's me. This is never more obvious than when we fall into the. Sin of judging other people. One of the Christians' favorite indoor sports, I might add.
We get away with it, unfortunately, without being reproved. Though every time we do it, someone should say to us: stop that. You need to break that habit. If Jesus were living today, that's exactly what he would do. In fact, he would add a word that we rarely use when we talk to anyone else: you hypocrite.
In fact, that is the word he used when he preached his sermon on the mount. Recorded for us in Matthew chapters five, six, and seven. And as preachers often do, he seemed to save the best toward the last. And he said when we get to chapter seven. Do not judge so that you will not be.
Judged.
Now wait a minute. Wait. You and I know that there are times that judgment is not only necessary, it's essential. Jesus himself said in Luke twelve, verse fifty-seven. You, on your own initiative, should judge what is right.
He's the one who calls those Pharisees to task. For their Hypocritical lifestyle. That's judging. But it wasn't the kind of judging that is wrong, it was the kind of judging that was essential. It's part of discernment to judge.
In fact, the term used in Matthew 7, verse 1 is a word that really does mean to separate, to determine, to discriminate. By that We mean right from wrong. Truth from error. You don't judge someone when you call error error. You don't judge someone when you say that.
That's not the truth. This kind of judging that Jesus is condemning is an attitude of self-righteousness. That cares nothing for the soul of another, but puts them down to elevate oneself. It's the idea of viewing someone without mercy, condemning them for what they have done or said. No concern for their souls.
Only engaging in unmerciful Kind of criticism. Please observe it isn't diplomatically stated. It might be nice if, on occasion, you'd just sort of watch what you say. He doesn't say that. He says, stop the judging.
It's a present imperative. Break the habit. Don't do that anymore. It's a command. In fact, He also offers an alternative to judging.
He says in verse 3, why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? It's okay to smile. There's some humor there. It's a contrast of absurdity. The word for log is the word for plank.
It's a big beam, a timber that went under a house, and in the first century formed part of the foundation of a house. A guy's got a big beam in his own eye. And he's looking at somebody else as he bumps him around and says, Wait, let me get the speck out of your eye. It's designed to be a little humorous for the purpose of getting the point across. Stop nitpicking, start plank pulling.
is another way of putting it. The reason we're not qualified to deal with the splinter in another's life is because we got the logs in our own. Until you've managed to get rid of them, Um remember Saying what you are saying about the speck in their life. is altogether inappropriate. Worse than that, it's downright sinful.
It's wrong. And you're a hypocrite when you do it, and so am I. Jesus says it. Verse four. How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, a log?
The plank, the beam, is still in your eye. You hypocrite. First, take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. When we were rearing our children, they were much smaller, and our older son was reaching the age where he sort of felt like the boss of the kids. You had kids like that.
Don't look at me like that. And he would say things that were a little bossy, and I would say, Kurt. Tell you what, you take care of Kurt. Mom and Dad'll take care of the other kids. But Dad, there you take care of Kurt and Mom and Dad'll take care of Kid.
When we'd leave him to babysit, we'd say, who's going to be the boss without acting like the boss? And he'd say, Uh Maybe. Mm. I will. We all have this older brother syndrome.
Where, because we're not doing something as badly or as overt, or as shameful as someone who is doing that, we Tend to call attention to that. forgetting The specks that are in our own eyes. It's not my brother, it's not my sister, it is me. Oh Lord. Standing in the greatest need of prayer.
All of that provides a perfect foundation for understanding Romans chapter 2. You see, in Romans 1, we've been wading through a sewer. And it's been dark, and it's been ugly, and it's been shameful, and it's sometimes been shocking and scandalous.
So bad are those people that are described by Paul in Romans 1:18 to 32. That he says something he does not say elsewhere in his writings. God gave them over.
Some preferring the creature to the Creator, God gave them over to their idolatry. Preferring same-sex lifestyle to The opposite sex lifestyle, God gave them over to that lifestyle. And all that went with it. Preferring these Atrocious activities mentioned in 29 through 31, God gave them over to that iniquity. Idolatry, immorality, iniquity, God gave them over.
And the great tendency on the part of the reader, who is not in the category of any of that, or at least thinks he or she isn't. Ah my, it's so great. not to have to be like they are. I'm so much better than they are. I mean, uh I may not know God, but I certainly am not a God hater.
I'm a moral person. I don't conduct myself in these immoral ways. I'm not that bad. And Paul begins chapter two by saying, You Or as we say in text, it's ye. In fact, he says you five times in verse 1.
What's so significant about that? All the way through chapter one, he said they. God gave them over.
They do this. They are envious. They are deceitful. They are the ones who carry themselves in this manner, but When you get to chapter two, as he finds the reader thinking, well, I'm not. anywhere near that category.
I'm not that wicked. Paul said, now let's talk about you. Look closely. Look at the Act. You have no excuse.
He says it right off the bat. I like it that Paul cuts to the chase. He doesn't mess around. You have no excuse, every one of you. who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself.
For you who judge Practice the same thing. When do I practice things like in your brain? In your mind, in your dreams, in your imaginations. You are right there with them. The difference in you and them is you're so proud of yourself.
There's no self-pride in what they're doing. But your sin is in your self-righteousness. And the self-righteousness of your life makes you without excuse. Same word used by Matthew in chapter 7, verse 1, is used here by Paul. As he refers to passing judgment.
on others. This is often a blind spot among people. I found Uh that Folks make a habit of deliberately overlooking their own uh wrongs and rationalizing around it. or conveniently forgetting them.
Now Verse 2 tells us we know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. But do you suppose, old man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself? That you will escape the judgment of God. He's back to where he started. You have no excuse, it's inescapable.
God's judgment is inescapable. Or do you think lightly of the riches of his kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you, you, to repentance? It's you, it's you. It's you standing in the need of prayer.
Now, what's the motive behind the act of judgment? A couple of them are mentioned here, verse five. Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart. Heart. Isn't it interesting how God goes to the Very core of the issue by addressing the heart.
He's not referring to the organ that pumps blood, he's referring to the place where we make decisions, to our inner being.
sometimes called the mind. down where nobody's looking. And there is a stubbornness and an unrepentance of heart. Storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath. And revelation of the righteous judgment of God.
Already we've learned two things about God's judgment. Number one, it's inescapable, verses one to four. 5 through 11, we learn it's righteous. It's righteous. It's right.
Another motive is in verse 8, but to those who are selfishly ambitious. And do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath, and indignation, there will be tribulation and distress. This is a good time for me to pause and describe the scene here. A couple of things that I think need to be clarified. First, what's the underlying theme?
Of this section, chapters one and two, it's clearly the judgment of God. The righteous Judgment of God. And in case you haven't thought about it lately, let me teach you a little theology. Can I do that? God is all-seeing.
So he misses nothing, he ignores nothing. God is absolutely just. And right. and fair. And true.
His judgment is all of the above. And third, God is completely, verse 11, impartial. Doesn't favor one over another. As we'll learn next time, not even the Jew is favored over the Gentile when it comes to this matter of depravity. That's the theme of this section.
Now, another statement that needs to be declared is why does Paul go to such detail to get his point across. It's not just to make us squirm. Donald Barnhouse put it this way: It's necessary at the outset to remind ourselves once again that the purpose of this great first section of the epistle is not merely to show us that all men and women are sinners. For that truth is taken for granted throughout. The object of the chapters It is to go from the fact that all are sinners to the terrible consequences of this fact.
We must see that the inevitable result of our sinfulness is the certainty of God's judgment upon all the all unrighteousness. When we know that judgment and condemnation follow sin as night follows day, We shall be brought to realize that we are in tremendous need of a Savior.
Now he's building toward that climax. You'll read nothing of a Savior in verses 1 to 16. In verses 1 to 16, we're all behind bars. Verses 1 to 16, along with chapter 1, we're all lost, we're all unrepentant. whether our sins are overt or silent.
They're there nevertheless, and my Are they? Are they ever? One lady wrote these words titled envy. Envy went to church this morning. Being legion, he sat in every other pew.
Envy fingered wool and silk fabrics. Hung price tags on suits and neckties. Envy paced through the parking lot. Scrutinizing chrome. and paint.
Envy marched to the chancel with the choir during the processional. Envy prodded plain Jane wives. And bright wives married to men. milquetoast dullards. and kind men married to knife tongued shrews.
Enbethumped widows and widowers. jabbed and kicked college girls without escorts. lighted invisible fires and khaki jackets. Envy conferred often this morning with all his brothers. He liked his Sunday scores today, but not enough.
Some of his intended clients. had sipped an antidote marked Grace. and wore a flower. named love. When your life is characterized by grace, And prompted by love, Judgment flees away.
You're so busy, like our older son, as he was growing up, taking care of yourself. You realize nobody died and left you in charge of other people. You're not the boss. You're not even a qualified judge. Because you don't even know motives.
When you put yourself in the other person's moccasins, it does an amazing thing to you. As you take that journey inside their lives. But if you're self-righteous, you're not all that interested. In fact, you put out of your mind that God sees it all, God hears it all, God Uh knows it all. But the writer here, Paul, says now you've got to face the fact.
You are equally Lost. When we get to the end of the chapter, we'll see that when you add religion, it only makes it worse.
Some people do their cover-up through religious activities, none worse than the Orthodox Jews. who are pointed out in verses 17 to 29. The results. What's the result of living like this? Verse 9.
There will be tribulation and distress. for every soul. Stop right there. See the word tribulation? It's the word for pressure.
It means living under intensified stress and pressure. That is a part of the lifestyle of a person given to judging others. You increasingly become more intense in your negativism. Your attitude increasingly stinks. As the pressure of your life crawls in on you, there's a second word, it's the word distress.
That's a word for narrow as if cornered. being confined. to that way of thinking. How easy to be engaged in acts of sinfulness and at the same time justifying ourselves. By finding someone.
who's doing something we would not do. You know the thought that came to me? David. Not so much his act of adultery with Bathsheba. but the months that followed the adultery.
If you read Psalm 32 and Psalm 51, You read of a man in anguish. He says his body wastes away because of the anguish of his soul. He can't sleep. He can't eat. I'm sure he wasn't much of a leader.
You read nothing of him being involved in warfare as a warrior, which David was so capable of doing. You read nothing of large decisions made on behalf of the state. Because David is so caught in the Justifying of his life, forgetting that everybody in Israel could count to nine. After he got rid of her husband and went through the mockery of a marriage, along with other wives, I count 17 by name. Who knows how many concubines?
This polygamist is living his life in tribulation and distress. Until one day Prophet Nathan shows up. David opens the door of his chamber, and Nathan, haven't seen you in a long time. I know. May I come in?
Come in. Sit down. Nathan frowns and says, I need to tell you a story. David's on the edge of his stool as he listens to the prophet. Tell of them.
Of a man who had a whole pin full of sheep, and he found one who had one little ewe lamb that meant the world to him. And this rich sheep owner took the lamb from the man who had the one. Before Nathan can finish the story, David says, Bring him in! That man deserves death! Remember the next line?
You are the man. You took. Uriah's you lamb. You. Are the man of David's response.
I have. Sin. It's a perfect response to a Romans 2:1 to 16 passage. Guilty is charged. I am wrong.
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Join us when Chuck Swindahl continues his sobering message titled, Judgment for the Judgmental. Tomorrow on Insight for Living. The preceding message, Judgment for the Judgmental, was copyrighted in 2006, 2010, and 2025, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R. Swindall, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide.
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