This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

Welcome to our drive time devotions. We're in Romans chapter 2. This is day 2.

We're looking at verses 6 to 10. Yesterday you might remember that we talked
about the fact that we all struggle with having a judgmental spirit from time to
time. I fully realize some of us are worse than others when it comes to having a
judgmental spirit, but I sure don't want to be judgmental about that.

I just want to say we all struggle with it. We all struggle sometimes with being
judgmental towards others. So what's the answer?

Well, one answer is for us to try to not make judgments about anything. But that
doesn't work. And you end up trying to do the impossible.

It's impossible not to make judgments. The answer that does work is to accept
and trust God as our ultimate judge. Trust God as the judge.

That sets up an entirely different relationship between me and you. Instead of
me judging you and we're looking at each other with eyes of judgment, we're
sitting together looking up together to God as the ultimate judge. He's the one
ultimately who's going to judge all of our thoughts and actions and words.

You look to God and you trust God as the judge. In Romans 2, we see four vital
truths about trusting God as our judge. The first of these, we want to reach
back to verse 2.

Verse 2 says, "Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things
is based on truth. " We can trust God's judgment. And the first reason is
because God knows the truth.

God's judgment is based on truth. Second Thessalonians 2, verse 12 says, "So all
those will be judged guilty who did not believe the truth, but enjoyed doing
evil. " The fact is, God always knows the truth.

Every single time, every single person, God always knows the truth. Now, it
might be a funny picture, but remember that old television show, Colombo, where
you knew at the beginning of the show who did the crime and you knew that
Colombo, the detective, was going to catch the person who did the crime, but you
watched it because you just sort of enjoyed watching how the circumstances
worked themselves out. Well, that's a funny illustration of the fact that God
always knows who did it.

He always knows what's going to happen in the end. In fact, he knows it a whole
lot better than Colombo. God always knows the truth.

And the other side of that is, I often do not know the truth. I have to say, I
am embarrassed by how many times I get things wrong. I think I know what's
motivating someone or even know what's motivating myself, but I have it entirely
backwards.

You ever get really angry at someone until you learn the one fact that made
everything different? Our judgments are often wrong. God always knows the truth.

And so, the more that I trust God as the ultimate judge, the less judgmental I
will be. God knows the truth, and so we can trust him as our judge. In these
verses, there is a second reason we can trust God as the judge.

God judges by our actions. You see that in chapter two, verses six to ten. He
judges not by our intentions, but by our actions.

Listen to what these verses have to say. Romans 2, six. God will give to each
person according to what he has done.

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he
will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the
truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and
distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew and then for the
Gentile.

But, glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew and
then for the Gentile. Now, as I read those verses, you might have thought,
"Whoa! I thought we were saved by our faith, not by our works.

What is this in verse six? God will give to each person according to what he has
done? " This is important to understand.

Saving faith produces good works, but good works cannot produce saving faith.
Let me say that again. Saving faith produces good works, but good works cannot
produce saving faith.

Ephesians two, verses eight and nine remind us that by grace are we saved
through faith and not of ourselves. It's a gift of God, not a result of what
we've done, lest we should boast. So, faith and salvation come through what God
has given.

But verse ten of Ephesians two says this. After talking about the fact that it's
only through faith that we're saved, verse ten says, "For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared
beforehand. " The saving faith produces good works.

In Romans chapter two, verses six to 11, Paul is not teaching salvation by good
deeds. He's explaining a basic principle of God's judgment. God judges according
to deeds.

Why? Because deeds are the visible expression of our heart. He doesn't judge
according to what we thought we might want to do, but what we actually did, what
our hearts actually caused us to do.

He judges our hearts according to the undeniable evidence. These verses that we
just read tell us that good people go to heaven and evil people experience God's
wrath. But here's the question.

How do you become good? You don't become good by doing good things. Now, that's
sort of a whack in the side of the head.

You do not become good by doing good things. You become good by the goodness of
God shown in Jesus Christ. You become good by depending on his goodness, his
salvation, his forgiveness.

You become good by trusting in Jesus. Persisting in doing good is the fruit of
our relationship with God. It's not the root of our relationship with God.

You trust Christ, and the results that are talked about here will be seen in
your life. By the way, these verses also talk about how to become evil. Truth
is, we don't have to become evil.

We are evil. These verses remind us that to become evil, you just have to be
selfish and reject the truth. Well, who isn't selfish?

That's a description of all of us apart from Christ before we came to know Jesus
Christ. These verses remind us of an extremely important truth. I am personally
responsible to God for my actions.

I'm responsible to God. Daniel Webster once said, "My greatest thought is my
accountability to God. " I'm accountable to God.

That sounds frightening to a lot of people, but it doesn't have to be because
God is waiting to forgive. So when you and I talk about trusting God as the
judge, we can trust him as one who will forgive. In fact, let's take a moment to
do that right now.

Talk to him in prayer. Trust God as the judge. Tell him right now in prayer,
"Jesus Christ, I trust your judgments more than mine.

Forgive me for those times when I acted or felt like I knew the truth and was
dead wrong. And thank you for all those times when even though I didn't
understand the truth, you knew it and were leading me in the right direction.
God, I understand that I am accountable to you.

And the last thing that I want to do is stand before you in heaven with just my
good works that I've done on my effort. I want to stand before you in heaven
knowing that I've trusted Christ and that I have a relationship with you. And
that out of that relationship with you, you began to change my heart and life.

You began to change my relationships. God, I'm the first to admit that I am not
perfect. But Jesus, I want to be growing in you.

I want to become the man of God, the woman of God that you want me to be. And so
I trust you now. In Jesus' name, amen.

" Tomorrow, as we continue through Romans chapter 2, we're going to look at two
more truths toward trusting God as judge in Romans 2 verses 11 to 16.