Feb. 02, 2025

Series: Transformed   2-2-25

The Slippery Slope of Judging Others

(Romans 1:22-2:16)

  I. NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO JUDGE OTHERS. 

(Rom 2:1-5)

• KEY WORD = “Judgment” (v.1) as in “Passing Judgment”

(Greek “Krino” = “to Sentence” “Pass a verdict” “condemn”)

Characteristics of a Self-Righteous person:

1. They accuse others & _________________ themselves. (v. 1)

Romans 2:1 ¹ You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

• A Common Word for this is “HYPOCRISY”.

Luke 18:11-13 ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector... ¹³ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” 

            HOW DO WE EXCUSE OUR OWN SIN? 

            A. Re-___________→           

            B. Conveniently ________________ our own sin.

Matthew 7:3 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 

2. They measure others by the wrong ________________. (v.2)

Romans 2:2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.

God is the standard for absolute ____________, not you, your thoughts or your feelings!

Romans 1:24–25 ²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie…

If there’s no absolute _____________, as found in the bible, then everything is relative!

3. They think judging others puts them in a ______________

            position. (v. 3)

Romans 2:3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?  

When you point a critical finger at somebody, you’ve got three _________________ pointing back at you!

Romans 1:25–28 ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie… ²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷ In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed (or burned) with lust for one another.,, ²⁸ Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain (hold onto) the knowledge (recognition) of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 

Genesis 2:18-31 ¹⁸ The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him...” ²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh… ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Living unnatural is not the unforgivable sin; but, it is a _____ and should be dealt with like a sin.

1 Cor. 6:8-11 ⁸ You yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. ⁹ Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral (Gk. “Pornos”) nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

¹¹ And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

• ORIENTATION = What I am ____________________ to do.

• BEHAVIOR = What I ____________________ to do. 

Jude 7 (ESV) ⁷ just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Luke 17:28–30 (ESV) ²⁸ Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot… ³⁰ so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Leviticus 18:22-23 ²² " 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman;  that is detestable. ²³ " 'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.’” 

[Leviticus 18:22; Gen 13:13; Gen 18:20; Gen 19:4–5; Gen 19:24–28; Ezekiel 16:40–50]

1 Cor. 5:1-2 ¹ It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. ² And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?

1 Cor. 5:9-13 ⁹ I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- ¹⁰ not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. ¹¹ But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.  ¹² What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³ God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?

    1. To hopefully bring them back to reality & submit to God’s authority!

    2. Not to contaminate the body of Christ with heretical, relativistic teachings.

What solves my identity issues is getting closer to ________________, not my desires!

4. They misinterpret God’s ______________ on their life. (v.4)

Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

            THE RESULTS OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS: (v. 5) 

Romans 2:5 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.

II. ONLY GOD HAS THE RIGHT TO JUDGE OTHERS.

(Rom 2:6-16)

HOW WILL GOD JUDGE PEOPLE?

   ** _______________! (v. 2) God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.

   ** __________! (v. 6) God will give to each person according to what he has done.

   ** _________________! (v.11) For God does not show favoritism.

WHAT WILL WE BE JUDGED FOR? (vs 13-16)

      1. Our _______________________! 

Rom 2:13 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.

      2. Our ______________________!

Romans 2:14-15 ¹⁴ Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the (Jewish) law (from God), do by nature things required by the (Jews) law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, ¹⁵ since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness…

• The Jews had God’s Law in a ____________.

• The Gentiles had God’s Law on their _________________!

      3. Our ______________________!

Romans 2:16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ.