C hapter 3 sees the apostle defending the Truth against objections by certain Jews who said, “If our Jewish heritage and rituals such as circumcision and following the teaching of the Mosaic law do not make us righteous before God, then what advantage is there being a Jew?” Paul explained there are indeed great blessings bestowed upon the Jews as a people set apart for God. But just being a Jew outwardly does not mean he is saved because he is a sinner unable to obey God’s Law to perfection. The only way to be saved is to flee to the Messiah Jesus with a repentant heart and receive the inward mark of God’s Spirit within his heart (circumcision of the heart). In other words, God is not partial in the way He deals with all sinners, whether Jews or Gentiles. God is the Holy and Righteous Judge. Genesis 18:25 tells us that God is called “the Judge of all the earth”. He is the final Judge of every sinner both living and dead. All men are accountable to Him. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” [Hebrews 9:27]. This knowledge of God the Righteous Judge will have a sanctifying effect upon our lives. We read in Proverbs 8:13: “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate”. Are you trusting the Living and Just God to strengthen you in persecution and the world’s mistreatment because you are living your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you casting your cares upon Him? If you are, you will enjoy the peace of God the Righteous Judge always. That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? – Genesis 18:25
LESSON
God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
THOUGHT
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