Series: The Judged
Message: Being Judged
Preacher: Japhet De Oliveira
Reflection: Japhet De Oliveira
Live Wonder: Zan Long
Live Adventure: Zan Long
Live Purpose: Jason Calvert
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 2:12-29 in the New International Version (NIV). Note 1–3 insights or questions.
Reflect: A couple of decades ago, I worked for Adventist World Radio (I can’t believe how much time has passed!) One of the regular programs that I helped produce was Network Seven News. We researched stories on issues of moral and ethical matters that affected our listeners all over the world. For one story, I drove into London to interview an Egyptian doctor. I don’t recall which agency he was working with, but I just remember that he was reporting about the barbaric practice of female circumcision taking place in certain countries that he had visited recently. While this is most often done in connection with the Islamic faith, there are some examples of Christians and Jews in certain countries who have also taken up the practice. It never was a requirement or expectation from God to the Jewish community (and Islamic scholars have indicated that it is also not required in Islam). Today male circumcision is a common practice, beyond the Jewish community, in several countries around the world. Back in Paul’s time, it was a purely Jewish practice, and any male from a Jewish family would be presumed to have been circumcised. It was therefore simply assumed that if a man were not Jewish by birth, he would need to be circumcised in order to be accepted. Paul understood that he was already accepted by God. That is why Paul had to confront the culture. The text implies that the early Christians (being first of all Jews) had made circumcision a sign of salvation. Paul wanted them to remember that it was always supposed to be a symbol. A symbol of something much deeper in their hearts (Jeremiah 31).
We look at this argument today, and are simply amused that this is what the earlier followers of Jesus were fighting about. Yet today, many people in our local communities have taken it upon themselves to be judges over others. They have made their own list of requirements for being accepted and saved. In fact, they have made membership in a local Church predicated in many cases on a state of near perfection—at least perfection as it is defined in their eyes. God asks that we relinquish our will to Him, living by the grace of God and looking forward to the transforming power of His presence in our lives every single day—for only He is perfect.
Recalibrate: How would you redefine church membership?
Respond: Pray for a heart of grace toward yourself and others.
Research: What is the membership policy of your Church?
Remember: “For it is not those who hear the law who are made righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous” (Romans 2:13, NIV).
Japhet De Oliveira is senior pastor at Boulder Adventist Church in Boulder, CO, and was co-founder of the One project. Originally from southeast London, Japhet served as a pastor and as youth director in the South England Conference for nine years before moving to the United States. He was director for the Center for Youth Evangelism (CYE), chaplain for missions, and university chaplain at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI. Japhet has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Andrews University (Newbold College campus). He has taught youth ministry, coordinated a master’s in youth ministry program, and spearheaded numerous conferences and initiatives. He is married to Becky and they have two sons, Joshua (18) and Jonah (14).
Play your child’s favorite game with them. It may be Peek-a-Boo or Hide and Seek or Memory. Whatever it is ask, how do we play? This may be somewhat difficult for the under twos, but see how the conversation goes. Enjoy the game, the time spent together. While the rules help us figure out the game, what is most important is who we are playing with. Pray with your little one today that Jesus will always be their best playmate.
Today make up your own game. It could be an active outside game or a board game or, if you’re into coding, a computer game. Decide what the purpose of the game is and then make up rules to match the purpose so the players know how to play. Test your game out on friends or family. How did your rules go? Did you have too many or not enough—or did you add some new ones along the way? The most important thing when playing any game is not who won but how you played the game. Did you cheer each other on and help each other out? When you play like that, that is a good game!
Do you like to travel? Of course you do! Who doesn’t? Think about all the reasons you enjoy traveling. Isn’t it true that your reasons probably have something to do with the reality that there is beauty, intrigue, and wonder in variety, difference, and diversity? While human needs are all the same throughout the planet—throughout the history of the planet—how we meet those needs looks, sounds, smells, tastes, and even feels very different. And we love difference!
But have you ever noticed, there are some things—no matter where you are on the planet (and outside of culture, nation, continent, or time period)—that don’t change? While science, history, technology, and logic can explain why we experience so much difference in the world, there are some things science, history, technology, and logic can’t explain. Why the uniformity? C.S. Lewis calls it, “The Moral Law” while Paul, in this week’s part of the letter to the church in Rome, describes it as, “God’s Law written in our hearts.”
Logically, it seems like one mom or dad somewhere on the planet, in at least one culture, at one point in history, would’ve taught their child that taking something that’s “not yours” is actually a good thing. Or that not defending the weak is a good thing. Or that bravery is bad. Or that telling people things that aren’t true is good. But we don’t actually find this anywhere, ever.
It’s easy to think of all the ways humans are different from one another. Try asking yourself how humans are the same. What do we have in common? What do we all share? What’s beautiful about being human?