Good Judgment Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Good Judgment ------------------- Date: 2/21/2001 Keyword: "judgment" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Romans 2:1-11* 1. You, 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. 2. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4. Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? 5. But 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. 6. God will give to each person according to what he has done. 7. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10. But glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11. For God does not show favoritism. Questions 1. Who is most qualified to judge right and wrong?   2. What is the reward for doing good?   3. What is the punishment for doing wrong?   4. Does your struggle with sin have consequences?   Practical help Yesterday we looked at a class of people who reject the knowledge of God, and we found the picture to be pretty ugly. Today we discover — surprise — we're right there in that class. Maybe even at the head of the class. This is one class you'd prefer not to graduate from with honors. There's little room in this passage for being judgmental. Though the word "judgment" appears no fewer than six times, the exercise of judgment by humans, as in one person judging another, is disapproved. When it's God doing the judging, however, it's righteous. Make no mistake, there will be a judgment day, but fortunately none of us will be in charge of it. If you have trouble confessing your struggle with porn for fear that those to whom you confess will judge you, take heart in knowing that they are in no position to do so. They themselves all sin, except maybe in a different way. We're all in the same boat, headed down the same river, rowing frantically in different directions to no avail. This picture is pretty ugly. I hate to leave you here, but after all, this is only a three-minute Bible study. Tune in the next two days for the rest of the story. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2001 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."