Second Verse....Not The Same As The First
"For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who are justified."
Romans 2:13
Two points come to mind when meditating on this verse. First, it is another reminder to me of how easy it would be to twist scripture when not read in context. For example, "but the doers of the law who are justified" could be turned to mean that only those that keep the law earn justification or that one earns it at all. We know this not to be true because Jesus constantly rebuked those who followed the law but built their assurance on "their" effort to uphold the law. There is a constant calling out of the religious pharisees in scripture. This verse in context means those justified are most easily identified by "being doers of the law" even though that is not the only fruit to look for among the saved.
Secondly, I am convicted about how much I am a hearer and often times speaker of the law and not a doer.......yes a hypocrite. Thought subtle and hidden my crimes may be, they are evident to the Lord, myself, my wife, my children and those closest to me. Thankfully there are seasons (I mean daily moments) of repentance and showers of grace. I press on to be a doer and then I press on again.
Romans 2:13
Two points come to mind when meditating on this verse. First, it is another reminder to me of how easy it would be to twist scripture when not read in context. For example, "but the doers of the law who are justified" could be turned to mean that only those that keep the law earn justification or that one earns it at all. We know this not to be true because Jesus constantly rebuked those who followed the law but built their assurance on "their" effort to uphold the law. There is a constant calling out of the religious pharisees in scripture. This verse in context means those justified are most easily identified by "being doers of the law" even though that is not the only fruit to look for among the saved.
Secondly, I am convicted about how much I am a hearer and often times speaker of the law and not a doer.......yes a hypocrite. Thought subtle and hidden my crimes may be, they are evident to the Lord, myself, my wife, my children and those closest to me. Thankfully there are seasons (I mean daily moments) of repentance and showers of grace. I press on to be a doer and then I press on again.
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