Romans 2

Goodness toward others leads them to Godverses 1-4

Therefore you art inexcusable – O man – whosoever you art that judges

for wherein you judges another – you condemn yourself

for you that judges does the same things

BUT we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them

which commit such things

AND think you this – O man – that judges them which do such things

and does the SAME – that you shalt escape the judgment of God?

OR despise you the riches of HIS

goodness – forbearance – long-suffering

Not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Judgment day is coming to all: Jew and Gentileverses 5-11

BUT after your hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto yourself

wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the

righteous judgment of God

WHO will render to every man according to his deeds

to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for

glory – honor – immortality – eternal life

but unto them that are contentious

and do not obey the truth

but obey unrighteousness – indignation

wrath – tribulation – anguish

upon every soul of man that does evil

of the Jew first

and also of the Gentile

but glory – honor – and peace – to every man

that works good and also to the Gentile

FOR there is no respect of persons with God

Conscience bears witness to our sinfulnessverses 12-16

FOR as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law

and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law

(FOR not the hearers of the law are just before God

but the doers of the law shall be JUSTIFIED

For when the Gentiles – which have not the law

do by nature the things contained in the law – these

having not the law – are a law unto themselves

which show the work of the law

written in their hearts

their conscience also bearing witness

and their thoughts the meanwhile

accusing or else excusing one another)

In that day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ

according to my gospel

Jews think they have special relationshipverses 17-24

BEHOLD – you art called a Jew – and rest in the law

and make your boast of God – and know HIS will

and approve the things that are more excellent

being instructed out of the law

and art confident that you yourself art a guide of the blind

a light of them which are in darkness

an instructor of the foolish

a teacher of babes – which hast the form of knowledge and

of truth in the law

You therefore which teach another – teach you not yourself?

you that preach a man should not steal – do you steal?

you that say a man should not commit adultery

do you commit adultery?

you that abhor idols

do you commit sacrilege?

you that make thy boast of the law

through breaking the law dishonor you God?

FOR the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles though you

as it is written

Paul deals with proper circumcisionverses 25-29

For circumcision verily profits – if you keep the law

but if thou be a breaker of the law

your circumcision is made uncircumcision

Therefore – if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law

shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

and shall not uncircumcision which is by nature

if it fulfill the law – judge you

who by the letter and circumcision

do transgress the law?

FOR he is not a Jew – which is one outwardly

neither is that circumcision – which is outward in the flesh

but he is a Jew – which is one inwardly

and circumcision is that of the heart – in the spirit

and not in the letter

whose praise is not of men – BUT of God

COMMENTARY

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whosoever you are that judges: for wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you that judge does the same things. (379 “inexcusable” [anapologetos] means without excuse, without defense, or indefensible)

DEVOTION: Every human being is a sinner. We sin from the time we are born until the time we die. There are differences in the frequency, extent and degree of sin in each of our lives. These differences still show our need to become a follower of Jesus Christ.

It is thought that the Jews were judging the Gentiles who were condemned in chapter one for all of their sins. The list of sins is long. Each person doesn’t commit all of the sins but the Jews thought the Gentiles were worse sinners than them because they had the Old Testament and the sacrifices.

Paul is stating that if anyone judges someone else as a sinner but doesn’t think that they sin or that they don’t sin as much as others are only deceiving themselves.

They are without defense when they stand before a holy God. HE will look at their self-righteous attitude and judge them on that basis. We are not to look at others to find fault but to encourage them to first become a believer and then to instruct them by our example and the Word of God as to what a genuine believer acts like during their stay here on this earth.

We have to first admit that we are sinners too. There is no place for respecting of persons in the church of Jesus Christ.

Each person has their gift given at the point of salvation and is to use their gift for the furtherance of the kingdom of God through the local church. Some have gifts that put them in the public view more than others but that doesn’t mean that they are better or less sinful. It means that they are held more accountable to God and should keep short accounts with God regarding confessing their sins.

One other thing that this verse points out is that we usually judge others for the same sins we are guilty of. We see it so plainly because we are dealing with it on a regular basis ourselves. Watch out!! You are telling others what is going on in your life.

CHALLENGE: Judging others while not dealing with our own sinfulness is a sin in God’s eyes.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 5 But after your hardness and impenitent heart treasures up to yourself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God: (279 “impenitent” [ametanoetos] means admitting no change of mind, unrepented, characterized by a refusal to abandon any pagan or self-righteous disposition for a new disposition characterized by trust in Jesus for salvation and an accompanying holy life, obstinate, or obdurate)

DEVOTION: Have you ever watched a child that will not give up a toy they want to play with while other children want a turn with the same toy? Have you ever watched an adult who wants to watch a program on television when someone else wants to change the channel to find another program? Have you ever watched someone in church who was in control of a certain program in the church when they find out that someone else is going to get that position?

Human beings want to have their own way in all areas of their life. If someone interferes with their will they will face their wrath.

God wants every human being to yield their will to HIS. HE wants every human being to turn from their sin and follow HIM. If they refuse to turn from their sin and continue to want to do what they want no matter what they will face consequences that the LORD has laid down in the Bible.

This verse states as a fact that those who refuse to turn from their sin they will face a terrible punishment. This is true whether a person is a Jew or Gentile. Paul is warning his fellow Jews that they don’t have a special place with God if they are not willing to turn from their sin. They can’t count on religion to save them. They can’t count on their family to save them. They can’t count on their physical circumcision to save them.

They can only be given salvation on their repentance or turning from sin to HIS provision

of salvation. That was true in the days of Paul and it is true today as well. No one will be

able to say they never heard. They will be given a viewing of their opportunities to

become a believer and they will see that they stubbornly refused to follow Jesus.

CHALLENGE: Don’t let that be true in your life!!!

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (2927 “secrets” [kruptos] means concealed, private, inward, or hidden)

DEVOTION: The Bible warns of a double life. Some people can be one way on Sunday and different the rest of the week. These people go to church every Sunday and say the right words and do the right things but inwardly they are different. Paul was warning those attending church that there are false believers in their midst. The Jews thought at because of their nationality they were closer to God than the Gentiles. They thought that they had physical circumcision they were guaranteed a spot in heaven. Paul told them that there had to be a circumcision of the heart. It was the inward life that was important, not the external appearance. It was great if the inward life was the same as the external appearance. This was not true of some in the church in Rome.

God knows what we have done with our lives. There are no private things in our lives that God does not know. Paul warns us about judging other people. What happens most of the time is that those who speak out against someone else are committing the same sin themselves. We have a tendency to like to look at other people’s sins and feel better about ourselves. That is not something God wants in our lives. He wants us to be those who help others in their struggles through life.

Paul wants us to know that God is rich in goodness, forbearance and long-suffering with his children. We are to practice the same with our fellow believers. Why does God practice these three traits? They lead people to repentance.

Our responsibility is to help other believers to see their need for repentance if they are living in sin. We are to do it in the spirit of meekness, not in the spirit of hardness of heart. Paul tells the Romans that the heart is the real judge of a person. He wants the Romans to make sure that their hearts are right before God. We need to make sure our hearts are right before God on a daily basis, so that, we can help others grow closer to the LORD.

CHALLENGE: Work hard not to lead a double life. Be consistent in your internal and external appearances. Ask a close personal friend to keep you accountable.

: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (2927 “which is one inwardly” [kruptos] means secret, hidden, concealed, not accessible to view, the inmost being, in their secret (room), or concealed)

DEVOTION: Paul is making a distinction between a genuine Jew and one that just looks like a Jew. He states that you can be born into a Jewish family. You can be circumcised in the flesh. You can go to the synagogue. You can eat Jewish meals. You can celebrate Jewish holidays. You can do all these things but not be a Jew in the eyes of the LORD.

God doesn’t look at our outward appearance that we can use to trick people into believing that we are a follower of the LORD. All those outward acts don’t fool the LORD. HE looks someplace else.

HE looks at our inner man. HE looks at our heart. HE is very interested in the motive behind our actions. HE is very interested in whether we want public recognition for any of our actions. HE knows what we are expecting of HIM when we do certain things that we think will get us HIS praise.

God wants us to be genuine. HE wants us to care because HE cares. HE wants us to love because HE loves. HE wants us to give because HE is a giver. HE wants us to be thankful. HE wants us to give glory to HIM instead of ourselves.

Too often we don’t say we love other believers because that is the way we really feel. We don’t even like some of the people we go to church with each Sunday. We don’t talk to others. We go in and go out without really getting to know the people we are supposed to love. The command is to love one another. Did you feel the love the last time you were in church? Did you give anyone some love when you were in church last time? What would happen if every believer really showed they loved one another this Sunday in every Bible believing church in our world? There would be a lot of people running away because they would think we were crazy. God is crazy about us. HE sent HIS only true Son to die for us.

CHALLENGE: What kind of crazy love do we need today to reach our world for Christ?

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

Law verse 12- 15, 17, 18, 20, 23, 25-27

Gospel verse 16

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

God verses 2- 5, 11, 13, 16, 17, 23, 24, 29

Judgment of God verses 2 , 3, 5, 12

Goodness of God verse 4

Forbearance verse 4

Longsuffering verse 4

Righteous verse 5

No respect of persons verse 11

Judge verse 16

Boast of God verse 17

Name of God verse 24

Praise of God verse 29

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

Jesus verse 16

Christ verse 16

Jesus Christ verse 16

Judge verse 16

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Gentile verses 9, 10, 14, 24

Blaspheme name of God verse 24

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Inexcusable verse 1

Judging other while committing same sin verses 1, 3

Hardness and impenitent heart verse 5

Contentious verse 8

Do not obey the truth verse 8

Obey unrighteousness verse 8

Obey indignation verse 8

Obey wrath verse 8

Evil verse 9

Sinned verse 12

False teaching verse 21

False preaching verse 21

Steal verse 21

Commit adultery verse 22

Sacrilege verse 22

Breaking the law verse 23

Dishonors God verse 23

Blaspheme verse 24

Trust in circumcision verses 25, 26

Transgress the law verse 27

Praise of men verse 29

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Truth verse 2

Repentance verse 4

Patient continuance verse 7

Well- doing verse 7

Glory verse 7, 10

Honor verse 7, 10

Immortality verse 7

Eternal life verse 7

Peace verse 10

Works good verse 10

Just verse 13

Doers of the law verse 13

Justified verse 13

Law written on heart verse 15

Conscience bearing witness verse 15

Circumcision of the heart verse 29

Praise of God verse 29

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Jew verses 9, 10, 17, 28, 29

Rest in the law verse 17

Make a boast of God verse 17

Know God’s will verse 18

Confident verse 19

Guide of blind verse 19

Instructor of foolish verse 20

Teacher of babes verse 20

Form of knowledge verse 20

Form of truth verse 20

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

Day of wrath verse 5

Render every man according to his deeds verse 6

Tribulation and anguish verse 9

In the day verse 16

Judge secrets of hearts verse 16

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QUOTES regarding passage

2:5–6 Instead of turning from their sinful ways, those to whom Paul was writing continued to resist God’s kindness. Their stubborn hearts were hardened.⁷¹ Ironically, the delay in divine retribution gave them even more time to accumulate a store of wrath. This wrath will be brought against them on the day when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. The wrath of God spoken of in 1:18 is being revealed in the present time. In 2:5 it is eschatological. It belongs to the end time when God will reward righteousness and punish wickedness. That day of wrath is prophesied in Psalm 110 and recognized as being fulfilled in Rev 6:17. This truth has serious implications. The person who knows but resists truth does not go away from the encounter morally neutral. Truth resisted hardens the heart. It makes it all the more difficult to recognize truth the next time around. Life is not a game without consequences. By our response to God’s revelation we are determining our own destiny.

God, whose judgments are absolutely fair and just (v. 5), will render to every person on that day of final reckoning that which is appropriate in accordance with his or her deeds (v. 6). Here we have a basic principle of divine judgment. God will “give⁷⁵ to each person according to what that person has done” (cf. Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; Matt 16:27). But you say, I thought Paul taught clearly that a person is saved by faith. That is true. A bit later he affirmed that a person “is justified by faith apart from observing the law” (Rom 3:18). But in the immediate context Paul was not teaching how we are made right with God but how God judges the reality of our faith. Faith is not an abstract quality that can be validated by some spiritual test unrelated to life. God judges faith by the difference it makes in how a person actually lives. A. M. Hunter is right in saying that “a man’s destiny on Judgment Day will depend not on whether he has known God’s will but on whether he has done it.” That is why Jesus taught that those who respond to the needs of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner will be rewarded with eternal life; but those who fail in these down-to-earth tasks will “go away to eternal punishment” (Matt 25:31–46). (Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, pp. 90–91). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)

5–11 The apostle speaks plainly in order to startle the Jew out of his lethargy of self-deception. What the nation is doing by its stubbornness and impenitence is to invite retribution, which is slowly but surely building up a reservoir of divine wrath that will be crushing when it breaks over the guilty in the day of reckoning. Then the judgment will be revealed, patent to all, in contrast to the indirect working of God’s wrath in the present scene, as depicted in chapter 1. At that time a second principle of divine judgment will become apparent, emphasizing performance: “to each person according to what he has done,” literally, “according to his works.” Profession does not take the place of production. This is very close in sense to the first principle. In view of the comprehensiveness of the passage as a whole, it will hardly do to explain this day of wrath as the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The explicit statement that God “will give to each person according to what he has done” points to the final reckoning. National judgment fits into a temporal scheme, but personal judgment belongs to the frontier of the ages to come. The use of the word “day” is decisive enough to settle the issue. (Harrison, E. F. (1976). Romans. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 29). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

After thy hardness (κατα την σκληροτητα σου [kata tēn sklērotēta sou]). “According to thy hardness (old word from σκληρος [sklēros], hard, stiff, only here in N. T.) will God’s judgment be.” And impenitent heart (και ἀμετανοητον καρδιαν [kai ametanoēton kardian]). See μετανοιαν [metanoian] just before. “Thy unreconstructed heart,” “with no change in the attitude of thy heart.” Treasurest up for thyself (θησαυριζεις σεαυτῳ [thēsaurizeis seautōi]). See for θησαυριζω [thēsaurizō] on Matt. 6:19f.; Luke 12:21; 2 Cor. 12:14. Dative case σεαυτῳ [seautōi] (for thyself) with a touch of irony (Vincent). Wrath (ὀργην [orgēn]). For such a Jew as already stated for the Gentile (1:18). There is a revelation (ἀποκαλυψεως [apokalupseōs]) of God’s wrath for both in the day of wrath and righteous judgment (δικαιοκρισιας [dikaiokrisias], a late compound word, in LXX, two examples in the Oxyrhynchus papyri, only here in N. T.). See 2 Thess. 1:5 for δικαιας κρισεως [dikaias kriseōs]. Paul looks to the judgment day as certain (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10–12), the day of the Lord (2 Cor. 1:14). (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Ro 2:5). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)

2:5–6. Why are people ignorant of God’s intention to be kind? (v. 4) And why do they despise it? It is because of their stubbornness (lit., “hardness”; sklērotēta, whence the Eng. “sclerosis”) and their unrepentant heart (s). So God’s wrath against people’s sins is being stored up like a great reservoir until the day when it will all be poured forth in His righteous judgment. On that day God will give to each person according to what He has done (quotation of Ps. 62:12 and Prov. 24:12). God’s judging will be based on the standard of truth (Rom. 2:2) and it will be impartial (v. 11). (Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 445). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

God’s blessing (vv. 4–11). Instead of giving the Jews special treatment from God, the blessings they received from Him gave them greater responsibility to obey Him and glorify Him. In His goodness, God had given Israel great material and spiritual riches: a wonderful land, a righteous Law, a temple and priesthood, God’s providential care, and many more blessings. God had patiently endured Israel’s many sins and rebellions, and had even sent them His Son to be their Messiah. Even after Israel crucified Christ, God gave the nation nearly forty more years of grace and withheld His judgment. It is not the judgment of God that leads men to repentance, but the goodness of God; but Israel did not repent.

In Romans 2:6–11, Paul was not teaching salvation by character or good deeds. He was explaining another basic principle of God’s judgment: God judges according to deeds, just as He judges according to truth. Paul was dealing here with the consistent actions of a person’s life, the total impact of his character and conduct. For example, David committed some terrible sins; but the total emphasis of his life was obedience to God. Judas confessed his sin and supplied the money for buying a cemetery for strangers; yet the total emphasis of his life was disobedience and unbelief.

True saving faith results in obedience and godly living, even though there may be occasional falls. When God measured the deeds of the Jews, He found them to be as wicked as those of the Gentiles. The fact that the Jews occasionally celebrated a feast or even regularly honored the Sabbath Day did not change the fact that their consistent daily life was one of disobedience to God. God’s blessings did not lead them to repentance. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 520). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

2:5 stubbornness. The Eng. word “sclerosis” (as in arteriosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries) comes from this Gr. word. But here the danger is not physical, but spiritual hardness (Eze 36:26; Mt 19:8; Mk 3:5; 6:52; 8:17; Jn 12:40; Heb 3:8, 15; 4:7). unrepentant heart. A refusal to repent (cf. v. 4) and accept God’s pardon of sin through Jesus Christ. storing up wrath. To reject God’s offer of forgiveness and cling to one’s sin is to accumulate more of God’s wrath and earn a severer judgment (see notes on Heb 10:26–30; Rev 20:12). day of wrath and … judgment. Refers to the final judgment of wicked men that comes at the Great White Throne at the end of the Millennium (see notes on Rev 20:11–15). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ro 2:5). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

5. after] according to, in a way traceable to.

hardness] insensibility, whether to love or reason.

treasurest up] Possibly this word alludes to the “riches” of ver. 4; q. d., “the Divine store of loving-kindness is exchanged by the sinner for the Divine store of holy wrath”.

unto thyself] Emphatic; more than merely “for thee.” The wrath is pure retribution, the result of sin. The sinner is the cause of his own doom.

against the day of wrath] Lit. in the day of wrath; a pregnant phrase; “which will take effect in the day.” On “wrath,” see note on 1:18: “The day:”—i.e. the definite time of the Lord’s Appearing, to raise the dead (Joh. 6:39, 40, 44, 54, 11:24); to judge the world (Joh. 12:48; Acts 17:31); and to receive the saints to final glory (2 Tim. 4:8). In one remarkable passage (1 Cor. 4:3) the Greek of the word “judgment” (in E. V.) is lit. “day;” and a probable account of this use of the word is the inseparable connexion of thought, in the early church, between the day and the judgment of the Lord.

revelation of the righteous judgment of God] The “wrath” is as pure, just, and Divine as the mercy. Its “revelation” will be only the revelation of the absolute equity of “the Judge of all the earth.” This deep righteousness of the Divine anger is its most awful element. (Moule, H. C. G. (1891). The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, with Introduction and Notes (pp. 66–67). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.)

Ver. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, &c.] The apostle goes on to shew, that such persons who promise themselves impunity on the score of prosperity, shall not always go unobserved and unpunished; for there is a day of wrath and righteous judgment hastening on, and will take place after they have filled up the measure of their iniquity. There is a natural hardness of the heart in every son and daughter of Adam; and there is an acquired habitual hardness, which is increased by sinning; and a judicial one, which God, for sin, sometimes gives persons up unto. An impenitent heart is not only an heart which does not repent, but such an one as cannot repent, being harder than the nether millstone. Now men, by such hardness and impenitence, treasure up unto themselves wrath; they are the authors of their own destruction; by which is meant the wrath of God, in opposition to the riches of his goodness, despised by them; and is in reserve for wicked men: and is laid up against, and will be brought forth in the day of wrath; which the Scriptures call the evil day; the day fixed by God, when he will call men to an account for their sins, and stir up all his wrath against them: and revelation; that is, the day of revelation, when Christ shall be revealed from heaven in flames of fire, the sins of men shall be revealed, and the wrath of God against them: and the righteous judgment of God; so some copies read; that is, the day of the righteous judgment; so the Arabic version reads, and of the appearance of God, and of his righteous judgment; for the judgment will be at the appearance of Christ, who is God, and at his kingdom, 2 Tim. 4:1. The Alexandrian copy reads, and of the retribution of the righteous judgment of God; and so the Ethiopic version seems to have read, rendering the words, if so, or seeing thy retribution may come upon thee, and if the judgment of God may befall thee; for when the judgment of God shall come, as there will be a revelation of men’s sins, and of the wrath of God against them, there will be a just retribution according to their works. Or the revelation of the righteous judgment of God; that is, when the judgment of God, which is now hid, shall appear; and which is said to be righteous, because it will be carried on in a righteous manner, and proceed upon, and be executed according to the strictest rules of justice and equity. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 424). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

FROM MY READING:

Has your mouth ever ben stopped? Are you boasting of your own self-righteousness and defending yourself before God? If so, then perhaps you have never ben saved by God’s grace. It is only when we stand silent before Him as sinners that He can save us. As long as we defend ourselves and commend ourselves we cannot be saved by God’s grace. The whole world is guilty before God – and that includes you and me! (The Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren W. Wiersbe)

When iPhones first hit the market in 2007, they were cool but clunky. Since then, they’ve gotten smaller, then sleeker, then bigger again. Then they added a camera, then a better one, now three of them. These things are always changing. They’re always getting better.

But they’re also changing us. And not for the better.

Before the smartphone, Dr. James Dobson used to say that busy schedules were the biggest challenge facing American families. We worked too many hours and our kids were on too many teams, which left us without enough time to just be together.

Today, whatever family time we can find is too often interrupted. At restaurants or even relaxing on the couch with family and friends, our screens are almost impossible to resist.

We’re buzzed and notified, beckoned to leave the world we’re in for another, to choose people far away whom we may not even know over the ones right in front of us. We’re physically together but functionally alone.

According to a recent survey, 70 percent of adults believe they’re addicted to their phones, and 70 percent felt they’d be better parents if they didn’t look at their phones so often. I raise my hand with them.

We have a problem.

Of course, phones, like most technologies can be used for good things too. They can even help relationships.

Therein lies the challenge. Like money, smartphones are an easy scapegoat. We can blame them for our misdeeds, but they are a-moral as a technology. The problem is we are not intentional enough with our technologies to think through how we use them and determine whether we serve them or they serve us.

After all, the biggest tempters in our techno-culture are often those things that distract us. If we were to give an account of how much time we’ve spent sitting and staring at a phone, wasting time that God has given us and we’ll never get back, we’d likely be somewhere between embarrassed and ashamed.

And it’s not just distraction that’s the problem. Social media sites encourage comparison and bragging and bullying. Twitter enrages. Pornography ensnares. The 24/7 news cycle wearies. In other words, it’s not just the phone that’s the problem, it’s all the nasty windows the phone opens to us.

I realize I’m preaching to the choir. I’m preaching to myself. Many of us are trying to break our bad smartphone habits, and not just for our own goods. It’s one thing to bemoan what phones are doing to us. It’s downright terrifying to consider what phones are doing to our kids. Today’s teens are among the first to walk into the world with the internet in their pockets.

That’s why I’m so grateful for the new book Smartphone Sanity from my friends David Eaton and Jeremiah Callihan. Smartphone Sanity starts with a refreshingly reasonable premise: Smartphones are here to stay. Rather than offering a tone-deaf prescription to just throw them away – which, I might add, would be the quickest way to ensure your kids tune you out – Eaton and Callihan encourage parents to reason together with their kids, especially to talk about how as parents we’ve abused our smartphones, too. That attitude of humility that will go far with our hyper-vigilant teens, who are always ready to spot hypocrisy.

The book also recommends a series of activities for parents and kids meant to foster honest conversation, like making a meal together or engaging in an activity your kids love. The book offers real solutions. In fact, it is a solution, written so that families can read it and discuss the strategies together.

Along the way, Eaton and Callihan tackle all the major issues: screen addiction. Social media shaming. Sexting. When are kids ready for a phone? How much privacy should they reasonably expect when they have one?

David Eaton and Jeremiah Callihan’s book Smartphone Sanity is a terrific practical resource for parents and grandparents, pastors and youth pastors.

(BreakPoint

Genesis 15
God confirms His covenant with Abraham.

INSIGHT

“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (James 2:23). Faith is central to the Christian experience. In fact, without faith, there is no Christian experience.

Why is faith so important? Because we cannot make ourselves righteous — any more than a cracked window can make itself uncracked.

We have sinned and only God can make us righteous. Faith then is the only thing we can do — and even our faith is a gracious gift of God! (Quiet Walk)

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE CREATION OF THE WORLD
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.Genesis 1:2
We are going to remind ourselves of what we are told in the Scriptures about the activity of the Holy Spirit before the Day of Pentecost. First of all, we start at the very creation of the world. The second verse in the Bible says, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” He was operative in the creation of the world. God the Father has made everything through the Son by the Holy Spirit. The blessed Trinity is operative in the whole work, always, but the labor is divided up. And, of course, you will remember that the Holy Spirit is especially involved in connection with the creation of man.
The second is the work of the Holy Spirit in sustaining or maintaining the creation. Now there are many statements about this; I shall simply quote two. In Isaiah 40:7 we read, “The grass withers, the flower fades: but the spirit of the LORD blows upon it.” But still more strikingly, in Psalm 104 you will find a magnificent description of creation that is perhaps unsurpassed anywhere in the Bible. The psalmist makes the point that if the Lord withholds Himself or His power or His Spirit from creation, it all begins to droop and to wane, to perish and to die. If He puts His Spirit back again, it all revives. It is the Holy Spirit who sustains creation. Now you will find statements in the Scripture that say that the Son does that, and the answer is, of course, that the Son does it through the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit has been active from the commencement in sustaining and maintaining the universe.
A Thought to Ponder: The Son sustains creation through the Holy Spirit.
(From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 23-24, by Dr. Marytn Lloyd-Jones)

The Holy Spirit’s Ministry: Confirming God’s Purpose to Us
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
This power-packed promise is sometimes misquoted, failing to complete the qualifiers that secure the good for which all things work together. Frequently overlooked is the context upon which “all things” are based.

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:22).

“All things which are written may be fulfilled” (Luke 21:22).

“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21).

“Every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:12-13).

The “all things” are promised to those who “love God.” That is defined by obedience to His commandments (1 John 5:3). Further, those who love God are “the called.” That definite article demands all that follows in Romans 8:29-30.
And finally, those who love God and who are “the” called are absolutely and consciously aware that God has “made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. . . . In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ” (Ephesians 1:9, 11:12). (

(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)

So there is no abiding in Christ’s love apart from keeping Christ’s commandments

(John 15:10. Which means there is no fullness of joy apart from the pursuit of holiness

(v. 11. … To hate all rules is to hate God himself who ordained his rules to reflect HIS nature. (p. 54, The Hole In Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung)

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