Romans 2:1 “Yup”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹Wherefore, you, O man, are inexcusable, everyone judging, for you condemn yourself in what you are judging the other, for you, one judging, are practicing the same [thing].

This has to me always been an amazing verse. I believe it is patently obvious what the Lord is doing. His goal of course is to convince all of us that we need Christ, that we are in fact sinners, that the only hope for any of us will have to be a salvation by faith through His grace. Our deceptive hearts tell us way down deep, under it all, really we’re okay because, in fact, there are a lot of people out there way worse than us. We’re actually “the good people.” Oh, yes, I’m a sinner, but I’m not that bad a sinner!

So the Lord first gives us chapter 1. In the first chapter, He shows us that we’re right --there are some really wicked people out there! Why, they worship idols, and commit the worst of sexual sins, and invent ways of doing evil and not only do all of these evil things, they also actually approve of others who do!

I would suggest practically the whole world (if not all) can read that first chapter and feel as if they are standing right beside the Lord Himself. “That’s right, Lord! You’ve certainly got them pegged. Those people are wicked and deserve judgment! If they’re to be forgiven, it’s going to take some kind of miracle on Your part!”

As we stand there shaking our heads in righteous disgust, the Lord actually has us right where He wants us. He turns to us and says, “Oh, so you have a keen sense of right and wrong? You are capable of making moral judgments, of deciding what is and is not sin?”

Then He lowers the boom on us. “Then you certainly have no excuse when you sin. If anything you are doubly guilty – you not only sin yourself, but you have just proven that you are a person who knows better.” So it isn’t just the wicked people in chapter 1 who need a Savior. So do I! It may be true that I don’t outright do many of the things they do, but I sin plenty of my own part. If anything, the truth is my sins are the more culpable precisely because I do know right from wrong. “To whom much is given, much will also be required!”

Anyone who would read these words and truly understand what the Lord has just done should be at this point deeply humbled. That is precisely why the verse amazes me. If I can use the words affectionately, I would observe the Lord is very sneaky. He knows how to trick us into seeing who we really are. And that is what He just did for anyone who is willing to genuinely listen. In chapter 1, we like David jump up and shout, “That’s wrong!” only to hear these words in 2:1, “You’re the man.” As painful as that may be, it is an eternal kindness if it brings us, like David, to repentance.

Incidentally, I think we should also observe that this passage isn’t particularly condemning the judging itself. The Lord addresses that subject in many other places, like James 2:4, where He called us “judges with evil thoughts.” That is an entire subject in itself worthy of study. However, here in Romans 2, His point is for us to see that the very fact we can judge only seals our doom. Rather than standing beside the Lord issuing judgment, the fact is we stand beside the “sinner” being judged. Does he or she need a Savior? So do I!

If that is where these words lead you and me, then we’re hearing the Lord, and that is a good place to be!

He Himself told us many times, even in the OT, that He is “gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great love.” The realization of our sinfulness need not cause us to run and hide from Him, but rather to run to Him, like toddlers to wrap our little arms around His big strong leg, look up into His loving eyes, and trust that He will somehow do us good. Of course He does. He has and He will. His name is Jesus. He came expressly “to save His people from their sins.”

We all need the Lord – not just “those bad people out there,” but also the bad guy who lives in here. Yup. People need the Lord!

Psalm 145:21 “Praise and His Presence”

Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

²¹The praise of the LORD my mouth will speak and all of flesh will bless the name of His holiness to ages and always.

And so, as seems always the case, I come sadly to the end of this Psalm. What a ride this has been! As I study, I leave each psalm, each book and turn expectantly to the next Scripture portion, hoping the Lord will teach me, change me, show me Himself in new lights. I’m of course never disappointed and this Psalm has certainly been no exception.

Wow. What a God He is! What a Savior, King, Friend! As I related earlier, I’ve never seen Him so close. This verse 21 is such a fitting conclusion! What else can we say?

I want to come back to that thought, but, since this is my blog, I want to record some personal experiences I’m having. I related earlier that I have never seen Him so close. I’m suddenly keenly aware of the totality of His presence, right here with me. It’s not just that He’s available to help me, while He’s busy running the rest of the universe. He’s actually, totally present here with me. He’s so great that in His infinity, He can be the complete, personal God to every single living thing He has created, whether a people or a sparrow or an amoeba – or me!

First of all, I observed that this amazing truth took a sinister twist in my heart. Being suddenly so aware of His immediate presence, I was also aware of all my prayers He’s not answering. Suddenly I am keenly aware that I am here suffering, here I am with what I think are significant questions,  and, though He’s so present with me, He isn’t answering my prayers to do anything about it! Suddenly, in my heart there was a resentment I’ve never ever felt toward Him before. I’ve said for years I’m thankful it hasn’t been hard for me to accept His love, to simply trust Him – and there is no question in my mind that comes from having wonderful parents who loved me and whom I could always trust completely. I’ve known a lot of people for whom that wasn’t the case, and had to sit back and watch them struggle with these very issues. For me, the Lord has always been someone who was easy to love and trust. Then suddenly there is this resentment toward Him and, though I know better, I couldn’t seem to shake it.

It made prayer difficult because suddenly I felt like, “What’s the use? He’s right here and yet again and again not answering my prayers.” I knew faith should conquer such ugly thoughts but it just didn’t seem to be working. Then a couple of nights ago, I was talking to Him and told Him I wished He could just be here and audibly answer my questions. Even as the words left my mouth I realized that is exactly what Job kept saying, “O that the Almighty might come down and I would question Him…” – and he had to put his hand over his mouth and repent in dust and ashes! The Lord of course did come down but what He said to Job was, “Who is this that darkens counsel without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man, and I will question you!” I definitely realized in that moment I needed Him to somehow help me.

Then as I was praying over my disappointments, it occurred to me the reason why I was having a problem was because I don’t want my world to be like this. In a sense, I’m trying to order my kingdom and He isn’t cooperating. Once again, even as those thoughts formed in my mind, I am realizing that is the problem – I think it’s my kingdom. Even as I think those thoughts, this is of course an issue I’ve already settled in my heart – Jesus is Lord. He is the King. I want Him to be King. I want Him to be my King. I want Him to rule over me. I don’t want Him to give me “what I want.” I want Him to wisely, lovingly give me only what He knows is best.

And in that split second, the resentment melted away and I’m back to simply loving and trusting him. Whooosh. That was awful. That was a very dark, ugly little corner of my heart!

Now, still, I’m having trouble adjusting to His very present presence. Nothing negative – I just feel strange. It is strange to me to know just how present He is, yet I can’t physically see Him, feel Him, or hear Him. Hmmmm. It just feels strange to have Him so present and yet so silent. This is all okay – it’s just some kind of transition for me. Probably back to my parents, I long to actually see Him, to actually hear Him speak to me, to crawl in His lap and snuggle with Him – yet there is just this big blank. It feels like something is “missing,” but I don’t know what to do with it. Then again, I do know – I just tell Him about it and wait to see what He will do.

Sure is fun!

My last thought I want to record comes back to this verse, v.21, “My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; and let all flesh bless His holy name for ever and ever.” This, I find, is the end conclusion of life with Him – not asking or crying or wanting, but simply praising. It seems like, and I think this is true of everyone, the longer I live, the more I know Him, the more I find I just want to praise Him. It’s interesting this is where this psalm ends and, in fact, we find that the entire book of Psalms ends with several Psalms of just completely unbroken praise. We can’t necessarily say that the order of the Psalms is itself inspired, and yet, if you take a big overview of the book of Psalms, its order does seem to mirror human experience. The book starts with a simple statement of faith that a good man “delights himself in the law of the Lord,” then progresses through all sorts of Psalms mixing asking and crying and praising to various degrees, with some expressing delight and others deep darkness. Yet the book closes in Psalms of unbroken praise.

I would suggest this order is reflective of life itself and ultimately even of eternity. The courts of Heaven ring with praise.

May our hearts and mouths and minds ring more and more with the music of Heaven – unbroken praise for our wonderful God and Savior and King!