Series: The Judged
Message: You Idiot
Preacher: Damian Chandler
Reflection: Sam Millen
Live Wonder: Zan Long
Live Adventure: Zan Long
Live Purpose: Jessyka Albert
Editor: Becky De Oliveira
Refresh: Begin with prayer. Ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to new understanding and for God’s character to be revealed.
Read: Romans 2:1-11 in the New Living Translation (NLT). Note 1–3 insights or questions.
Reflect: Whenever I hear about victims of heinous crimes not getting the justice they deserve, it makes me angry. It’s a twofold setback. There is the initial injury, and then the added agony of discovering perpetrators may have only received a "slap on the wrist." There is so much injustice in this world. I am very impressed with the immense courage demonstrated by Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse Larry Nasser of sexual abuse. This story received a lot of media coverage in America because of the large number (over 250) of young female gymnasts this doctor abused, including Olympic gold medalists. Denhollander, a Christian, is “guided by an unwavering pursuit of justice and a hope in a God that will one day make all things right.”
N.T. Wright refers to this section in Romans (specifically 2:1-16) as “one of the fullest descriptions of the final judgment in all early Christian writing." He also point out that “generations of eager exegetes, anxious to get to the juicy discussions that surround [Romans] 3:19–20, 3:21–31, and so on, have hurried by Romans 2, much as tourists on their way to Edinburgh hurry through Northern England, unaware of its treasures.” (p. 438)
What treasures do we find here? Did you notice how in addressing an imaginary Jewish interlocutor, Paul is giving a solemn warning to those who feel they will be spared God’s wrath because of a special status? This is a false sense of security. Paul makes a case that both Jews and Gentiles are guilty of breaking God’s law and deserve condemnation equally. Yet, even in this bleak analysis, we see how just and fair God is. God does not show any favoritism. Regardless of an individual’s religion, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, etc., everyone is treated the same.
This may not be good news for those who are currently enjoying a privileged status, but for victims of injustice, knowing that God’s judgment is coming can bring some relief. In the end, no one will get away with anything. God has the last word. Currently those with resources and connections are often given preferential treatment or not punished at all for their crimes. But one day God will make all things right.
Recalibrate: Have you ever thought of God’s judgment as very good news from the standpoint of those who have suffered injustice?
Respond: Pray for those who are suffering because of injustice.
Research: Listen to Rachael Denhollander’s story here.
Remember: "For God judges all people in the same way" (Romans 2:11, ICB).
Sam Millen is an Australian whose self-imposed exile in North America started 20 years ago. He has been a school chaplain, Bible teacher, youth pastor, associate pastor, and district pastor in conferences across the United States and Canada. As the current pastor at Anacortes Adventist Fellowship, Sam is utilizing the Washington State Ferry system to commute between Orcas Island (where he lives with his wife, Angie, and their three kids) and Anacortes.
Tip out all the toys. Sit in the middle of them with your little one and talk about each toy. Remember who gave it to you or where it came from and finish with “I love this toy." Your child may have a favorite toy that doesn’t get put back in the toy box at the end of play but spends every minute within reach of your child. God longs to be your favorite. He is always within reach and promises to spend every minute with you. Know that we are all His favorites, loved uniquely by the One who made us.
Collect some things from around your house that will fit on your table. Cover them up with fabric so that no one knows what is underneath. Ask your friends or family to try and guess what is underneath the cloth. Does the shape give clues to what the object is? If they cannot guess, they can touch the items to help them decide what it is. God knows what we have hidden in our hearts. While other people can only guess by the shape we are in, God knows for sure.
There's a quote that goes something like this, "We judge others by their actions and we judge ourselves by our intent." What do you think that means? Have you ever messed up big time when you were trying to do something good? It happens. One really important reason why we should leave all the heavy lifting and judging to God is because he knows what's going on inside of our hearts. He knows if we made a mistake while trying to do something good, if we made a mistake big time and feel really bad about it, or if we made a mistake and want to just ignore it until it goes away. Unlike you and me, He knows everyones hearts so when he judges he can judge fair.