Two of the following scriptures stand out to me in this the second letter of Paul to the church. (Which by the way, includes us today.)
They are verses 11 and 29
In verses 11, God is no respecter of persons. it does not matter what we (whether we are Jew, Gentile, male, female, black, white etc) we have done, or who we are, that once we have asked Jesus Christ into our hearts, God will save us.
In verse 29, At the same time, true believers do not seek praise from anyone or for anything, but from God only.
2 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judges: for wherein thou judge another, thou condemn thyself; for thou that judges do the same things.
2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
3 And thinks thou this, O man, that judges them which do such things, and does the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4 Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.
10 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 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.
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 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:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and retest in the law, and makes thy boast of God,
18 And knowest his will, and approves the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
21 Thou therefore which teaches another, teaches thou not thyself? thou that preaches a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrers idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
23 Thou that makes thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonors thou God?
24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
25 For circumcision verily profited, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keeps the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfils the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
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.
Thanks for coming by today, Friends. Have a blessed Lord's Day today!
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