Hearers and Doers

Romans 2:12-16

“For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

Can you imagine a nation without laws, where each person did as they pleased, how would you like to drive a car in such a country?  Maybe that is not the best  example, thinking back to the time I spent in Cairo Egypt, I’ve never seen anything like that.  How would you describe a people without laws, maybe it would be of help if we looked back in time?  Do you recall Moses being on the mountain with God and the people became like a mob and demanded an idol, for a large majority had been in Egypt most of their lives and Idol worship was what they had seen, heard, and learned to depend on.  So Aaron did what the mob demanded and this is what Moses saw on his trip down the mountain: “Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies.”  Now that brought this thought into my mind; has the Church become a laughingstock to its enemies because it has changed its Biblical doctrine to please this evil culture.  It has done it on women as pastors, it has done it on marriage, and it has done it on homosexuality, and many of these churches fit this quote; “A church that stands for everything, stands for nothing.”

Do we have other examples from history where the people cast off restraint?  Do you recall Genesis 6, where we have the LORD sorry that He had made mankind and this was the reason; verse 5, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”  And one man saved mankind, for it is written; “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”    This morning I read how one shoe salesman believed God and many years after his demise his life and ministry is impacting the world, he was Dwight L. Moody.  Another man you may never have heard of: “In 1857, an American businessman named Jeremiah Lanphier was sent out by his local church to begin a noonday prayer meeting on Fulton Street, right around the corner from Wall Street in New York City. A simple prayer, a willing heart, and an act of obedience resulted in city transformation throughout the United States.”  (Taken from Os Hillman)

It must be stated again that Romans is not written to outsiders but to the church, are you a hearer of the law or a doer?  It also needs to be stated that no one is going to be declared righteous by obeying the law, for no one can obey the law in all ways.  The law was given to show our flaws it is like a mirror, and to all who look to the Father He will point you to His Son, who is the life giver, now and forever.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice