BIBLE STUDY – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018
THEME FOR THE YEAR: UNLIMITED RICHES OF GOD’S GRACE
TOPIC: We are counted Christians by our obedient not by keeping traditions
TEXT: Romans 2:17-29
AIM: To remind us, as believers, that what makes us a true Christian is not the fulfilment of tradition, but true obedient to the word of God; and that we should at all times and in all place walk the talk.
INTRODUCTION
In our last study, we looked at Paul the apostle as he admonishes us as children of God never to judge others, especially in what we are guilty of. According to Luke 6:37, Jesus ultimately taught His disciples, and by extension, every Christian that we should not judge so that we won’t be judged. However, Paul applies God’s standards of judgment directly to His chosen people. They claim to be instructed in God’s will and thus able to distinguish right from wrong. They aspire to teach others (Rom. 2:17-20), yet their inconsistent conduct contradicts their knowledge (Rom. 2:21-24). Their covenant of circumcision has been made useless by their faithless conduct (Rom. 25). The uncircumcised Gentile is made acceptable to God by His righteous conduct (Rom. 2:26, 27). God looks at the attitude of a person’s heart (Rom. 2:28, 29).
Hypocrisy – carefully presenting one appearance on the outside, while clinging to another on the inside -is declared by Jesus to be like a white washed tomb.
Such houses for the dead look great, however, even impressive on the outside, but… and you know how the rest of that goes (cf. Matt 23:27). In Romans 2:17-29 Paul lands squarely on the issue of hypocrisy.
Though he talks specifically about the Jews of his day, we would do well to pay close attention to what he says lest we fall into the same error of “claim without conduct.”