You are
condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
– Romans 2:1
Paul wrote the letter of Romans
to Jewish Christians who thought they were superior to Gentile Christians. The Jewish Christians had been raised on
God’s holy law, and they looked down their noses at Gentile brothers and
sisters whose lives were still pretty rough around the moral edges. In a blistering argument, Paul nails them to
the wall with this simple fact: having
higher standards doesn’t automatically make you better people. Look at your behavior – that’s what
counts. And, down deep, your behavior is
not better than theirs. You do the same
things they do. Having the laws in your
head doesn’t mean they automatically rule your heart.
I read a book on writing the
natural way. But having that book doesn’t automatically make me a better
writer. It’s the skill that counts, not
how-to manual.
Without the grace of God, we
are all on a level playing field when we find ourselves in conflict. And if we shut God out of our heart, we can
be just as mean spirited and selfish as the next person.
God’s kindness
leads all of us to repentance.
