Romans 2

Romans 2
God's Righteous Judgment
 1You, 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. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
 5But 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. 6God "will give to each person according to what he has done."[a] 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.
 12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For 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. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
The Jews and the Law
 17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; 18if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."[b]
 25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the[c] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
 28A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

In Romans 1 Paul directed his words to the Gentile crowd who was coming into Christianity from a secular or pagan background.  Romans 2 Paul addresses his other audience, the Jews.  The pious and righteous, God’s chosen people.  Those who knew God and the 613 commands that he gave for right living.  

Here is a question that always comes up?  What do we have to follow since we are New Testament people?  One person told me their guideline was if showed up in the New Testament as a command then it is for all people, however if it was just in the O.T.  Then is was for the Israelites and pertains to Jewish faith.  What do you think?

It was fun working in a Lutheran church, because the entire focus of Lutheran teaching is through faith you are saved or “sola fida” to borrow a Latin term.  Which is true, salvation is God’s gift for us and his action not ours.  The rub is this people took advantage of this and said since salvation is up to God then I do not have to do a thing.  So there is no accountability to live a holy life.  The opposite of this has been my experience in the evangelical church.  Alliance and Pentecostal churches that are based in a holiness movement.  The whole idea was that we give our lives to Christ and pledge to make him Lord and Savior of our lives.  Our actions validate our confession and authenticate our Salvation.  The problem we were always worried that our sin would disqualify us from God’s grace.  People would ask if I lived like a Christian.  That is a loaded question, can you define in 50 words or less what living like a Christian really looks like.  Without resorting to the phrase, “living out WWJD”.   On the extreme edges of Christian faith we have a group saying, it doesn’t matter what you do, God’s grace covers it all and on the other side if you don’t change your lifestyle you will burn in hell.  Or that the better you live the higher rank of Christian you become.  This is what Paul had to address with the Jewish Christians who wanted special recognition of their piety.  See verse 17 – “… if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God”… He makes the point later in the chapter that if they use the Law to justify themselves that they will be judged by the law’s standards.  
Reading between the lines you get the picture that Paul is warning the Romans that no one is able to stand under the full scrutiny of the law.  That everyone is a law breaker and that religion cannot save them.

Verse 29 Paul talks about a circumcision of the heart.  This helps bridge the gap between the two extremes of the Christian faith community.  The grace based vs. works based foundations.  “…circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.”  The Spirit of God is imparted to us and changes our heart.  That there isn’t a written code of Christian and non-Christian behavior but that as we sincerely seek God and open our lives to him, that the changes in our heart are visible to the world around us.  I grew up in an era where behavior was more important that our heart and we created a generation of Christians who are the great pretenders.  I feared what others thought of me so much that I never really understood that God saw my heart and actions.  He was the one that mattered, not the people in my church.  It is essential that we inspire young people to give their hearts to God and not try to live as a Christian but to be one.