Recently I've been watching this older tv show called John Doe. It's about a man who knows everything. Every fact ever recorded. Yet he doesn't know who he is. He has no memory of his life. He doesn't know if he ever went to school, where he grew up, if he likes hot dogs or hamburgers. He is completely colorblind. He sees only in black and white. I tried imagining what it would be like to see only in black and white. It's nearly impossible for me to fathom. Hold that thought.
Romans 2:2
In Romans 2:2 Paul begins to lay out the Four Principles of God’s Judgment by using four separate prepositional phrases. (Romans 2:2 – 2:16)
1. God judges according to the truth (vs.2)
2. God judges according to your hardness and unrepentant heart (vs.5)
3. God judges according to his works (vs.6)
4. God judges according to the gospel of me/Paul (vs.16)
“But we know that the judgment of the God is according to the truth…”
Oidamen. It comes from the verb oida, meaning “to perceive with the eyes” or “to perceive with the senses”
This is the agreement of Paul and the unspecific/hypothetically specific man (for the sake of the argument) to whom he is talking (a Greek diatribe). He is saying, we all agree that the judgment belongs to the God and that it is…(he will go on to say more about it)
The subject is the judgment.
Krima= This is a ma noun. It comes from the word krinow = to jugde, to determine, to separate.
In the 3rd declension, it refers to the sentence/judgment that God has already made. It is His to make, and He has already made it. God's judgment is a done deal.
IS = is the main verb. esteen It means “to be” or “to exist”, presently and continually as a fact.
according to the truth. kata alaytheian.
kata = a preposition with the accusative case, means, “according to the rule of measure”
alaytheian = the object of the preposition. The ah at the beginning of the word is a negative particle, which means “without”. lanthano = means “to be hidden, to be secret”. This translates to our word “truth”. Something uncovered/unhidden. The factual condition of man - who we are is uncovered- exposed before God. This is the truth about us. The REAL us, masks off.
This is the first principle of God’s judgment. It is according to the truth. This TRUTH is the rule of measure. There is no grading on a curve with God. God judges on actual facts, not on our interpretations, intentions, or comparisons of ourselves to others.
“…upon the ones practicing such things…”
epi is translated “upon”. Here it is in the accusative case which literally means “against” or “on” or “to”.
“the such things” refers back to Rom. 1:32. This is the direct object that receives the action of “practicing”.
prassontas = accusative plural masculine present active participle. This verb means continually practicing. A habit. When your habit is sin, you are in bondage to it. Addicted to it. Paul is speaking to the unsaved here. Specifically, the unsaved Jew.
1John 3:9-10 tells us that it is impossible for a saved person to habitually practice sin.
1John 2:1-2 makes an important distinction. A Christian can commit acts of sin. But then John goes on to delineate a clear distinction between a believer committing acts of sin, and an unbeliever living in a habit of continually practicing sin.
Christians can never be habitually practicing sin. Salvation is not just a religious term. It’s not just being delivered from hell. Having fire insurance. Salvation is a literal saving. Being SAVED from the bondage of sin. DELIVERED from the domination or control of Satan. We are ALL filled. A person is either filled with the Spirit or filled with Satan. This is so bold, so black or white. In our pragmatasim we have so many questions! In our estimation, the verdict should alter when the colors of individual circumstances are laid out. How far have we digested situational ethics? It reminds me of the song, Life Boat, by that brilliant lyricist, Steve Taylor. When I read these passages questions flood my mind. Where does this put the one who is called but has not yet responded? The one who is predestined, but hasn't yet received? We want technicolor!!! But Paul is saying, in the courtroom of God, there is only black and white. The judge is colorblind.
7 comments:
I knew there was a reason I liked "I Love Lucy". Black and white.
Stumbled upon you Kari and will be back and back again. I have little time before church this am to read you but I know already I will grow doing so.
Years ago, I had a bible that was so worn out and we had NO money. I covered it with gift wrap paper and then hated that so took it off. I was saving a bit for a new one I had spotted at a book store but it was fifty dollars way back then thirty years ago. One day after looking again, it was on sale for fifty percent off and the only copy. I must have lingered too long as the sales clerk asked if she could help. I asked how long it would be on sale and she told me, beyond my ability to come up with the 25 to buy it. She then told me I could put five dollars down and place it on layaway. Oh how excited I was to do that. I added five and then another five and then birthday money and took my Criswell Study bible home. That next Sunday, sitting in the front row with my new bible, I was happy and deliciously blessed. We had a visiting evangelist that did not know any of our congregation and he opened with a greeting and said " I can tell what strong believers you are in this church by your well worn bibles" and everyone laughed. My heart sank for a moment but the Lord said this is how man judges. I never forgot this lesson and your blog reminded me of it. I believe I will add this incident of my experience to my own. Thank you sister! Juanita
Very interesting blog post.
Nice blog work. I came across your blog while “blog surfing” using the Next Blog button on the blue Nav Bar located at the top of my blogger.com site. I frequently just travel around looking for other blogs which exist on the Internet, and the various, creative ways in which people express themselves. Thanks for sharing.
a deep thought... I am so glad that our God is Truth, and mercy and love, and grace....love your black and white analogy!
Juanita... loved your comment!
Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart... here again is Truth at work! such Mercy!
I came across your blog while blocking. Well written.
I liked your last paragraph.
Amen.
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