OK, back to Romans. Today will be: Romans 2:1-11.
One of the things I've really noticed in reading Romans again is that it's dangerous to isolate passages. Paul's reasoning is so circular (addressing a certain topic and then re-approaching it from a different/contrasting angle) that it becomes really important to make sure that we grasp the bigger context of the letter before drawing conclusions from a specific passage. Because of this, Romans is really easy to "proof-text."
It is because of this greater context that I think we need to make sure that when we read these verses at the beginning of Romans 2 that we see ourselves as being the ones addressed. I think there is the temptation to read the end of chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2 as addressing other people. In contrast, I think the full context of Romans tells us that God's judgement falls on all people; these passages are talking about me.The problem is that, in at least some sense, we are all hypocrites. Of course, this theme is developed further in chapter 7 but I think we see the beginnings of this thought process here in verses 6-8. Unfortunately, I see both vs. 7 and vs. 8 at work in my life. I strive to "...by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality..." but all too often it is vs. 8's "self-seeking" that is lived out in my life.
So in this passage Paul continues to lay the foundations for his letter: there is not a single person upon whom judgement does not fall. (it's not until later on in chapter 3 that Paul really starts talking about the solution to this predicament)
This brings to my mind our tendency as North American Evangelicals to dwell so much on forgiveness and freedom that we lose the sense of the enormity of our failure to live as true, image-bearing humans. Our (ie. my) inability to live holy lives is nothing less than catastrophic.
I think that this is something many of us need to spend a bit more time meditating on... I know it might not be "fun" to dwell on such thoughts, but that's not the point is it?
I'm not sure how to segue that into something to spark comments so I suppose I'll just leave it there! I guess maybe the upside to this post is we're not alone; we're all in the same boat (vs. 11)!
3 comments:
Tim you are correct, this is a good passage for us to dwell on today. We live in a culture/time where the common man is so privileged that it is very easy to be self-seeking...buy now, pay later...you deserve it...you are worth it. Justifying our actions to the world around us is a pretty weak argument...a world that knows little of self sacrifice and self denial. Unfortunately/Fortunately I live in that world and find myself very influenced by it some days.
Dennis
P.S. Thanks for the reminder.
I often think of the enormity of my failure to live a holy life. Sometimes I figure it'd just be easier to give up and realize that God will likely forgive me in the end, but when I think about the consequences in the meantime... well it's just extremely difficult. I am not holy, I don't know how to be, and I fail a lot. Paul said at one point, did he not, that he was the worst of sinners. I suppose he did kill people, but sometimes I feel I do the same in my mind all the time. Why is it so hard to follow with all of who God created us to be? You'd think that if he wanted us to be holy, he would have given us a bit of a head start on that one or a leg up or some other bodily hyperbole. I just pray all the time that I will be able to teach the youth to be better, more spiritually capable people than I.
Anyway, I'm actually just writing to say that I like your new background. It looks lovely. But I think you should have a new post. Just an observation.
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