Romans 2:17-24
The Jewish Christians were well educated in the things of God and they had the religious aspect of their faith down. But they didn’t respond by changing in submission to all the truth they knew. This caused the Gentile Christians to blaspheme God’s name.
Religion without response hurts people. Spiritual hypocrisy perverts people’s view of God.
Five Implications:
1. It is possible to be religious without responding to God.
There are people hurrying from religious service to religious service while their heart and family crumble. Religious activity is only valuable as an expression or catalyst of genuine response to God. Otherwise it hurts people.
2. To evaluate your relationship with God, ask ‘How am I changing?’ rather than ‘What am I doing?’
When you watch Biggest Loser, the climax is the weigh-in because that’s when you see how much the contestants have changed. All their exercises don’t matter beyond the change they cultivate.
3. Our attitude toward God is affecting people.
The Jewish Christians’ attitude toward God directly caused the Gentile Christians to blaspheme (take lightly) God. How does your attitude affect the people around you? Do people take God more seriously or more lightly as a result of their relationship with you?
4. To change how outsiders view God, start by responding to him.
Don’t underestimate the power of ordinary people responding to God in ordinary ways.
Cultivating an all consuming love for God. Cultivating deep concern for people. Husbands loving their wives selflessly. Wives submitting to their husbands’ leadership. Parents training their kids. People being transformed by the renewing of their minds as they meditate on Scripture. Fruit of the Spirit growing in place of the works of the flesh.
A hand full of changed and changing Christians would do more to create reverence for God in this land than a million church programs.
5. Ultimately, we all respond to God.
We either respond with obedience and submission leading to change; or disobedience and rebellion leading to trouble.
Discussion Starters
1. Share an example of someone who, instead of being hypocritical, genuinely responds to God. What effect has this person had on people? On you?
2. Do you think we (Dulins Grovians) cause people to blaspheme (take lightly) God or honor God? How can you tell?
3. How much energy should we, as individuals, apply toward church programs/activities/responsibilities versus personal response to God? How are the two interrelated? How does this passage shed light on the subject?
4. Read verse 24. Why did the Jews’ hypocrisy have this particular effect?
5. How can we love those around us in light of this passage?
6. How can your group pray for you this week?
