Part 3
Romans 2:1"Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things."
There's no escape; living according to the law for righteousness equals being judgmental. Anyone with a hint of self-awareness knows they sin, and judge/condemn others for sinning. What we're not aware of is that our addiction to judging/condemning others is the direct effect of living according to present day Christian/Catholic doctrine. It's the "tell" we're living according to the law, not grace, wherein our self-righteous hypocrisy is laid bare.
Romans 2:1 - Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
There are myriad "most important" texts in the NT: this is one of them!
Now, the ways we demonstrate this inexcusable judgment of others are infinite, but the most obvious and widespread one is our belief that sinners suffer torment forever in hell for their sins. (Sidenote: This might be the most anti Christ doctrine in the church today. Sin, and judgment for sin are real things, however, what that means, in the context of God's plan for humanity, is grossly misrepresented. I indirectly speak to this in You Have Nothing To Do With It, and by the grace of God, plan to address it directly in future writings. For a touch of insight into what it means see 1 Peter 3:19-20, 4:6 and ask yourself...who were the spirits in prison Jesus preached the gospel to, and why did He preach to them?)
Our zealous, dogmatic embrace of hell for anyone who has , or has not , (fill in the blanks based on your specific laws/belief) is the indisputable evidence of living according to the law for righteousness.
Allow me to explain:
In God's primary revelation to us - the mystery hidden from the foundation of the world - God redeemed and reconciled ALL of humanity to Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus. God accomplished (past tense) everything for everyone in/through Christ, and we had nothing to do with it causally.
The "church," on the other hand, declares God accomplished redemption for those who choose to believe, (which is not everyone), or the elect, (which is not everyone.) Although they differ regarding who can be saved and how, the common denominator between these two thought systems (Arminianism and Calvinism) is their shared belief in the law for righteousness. How so? Because both teach and insist billions will suffer torment forever in hell because of what they've done (their sins), and that belief is a product of, and can only exist under, the law for righteousness. (Please, by the grace and mercy of God, think these concepts through.)
Romans 4:13-15 – Where there's no law, there's no transgression, and therefore no wrath.
In the context of human experience and awareness, transgression (sin) only exists under the law. If there's no law, there can be no violation of the law. If there's no violation, there's no wrath. Now, what happened on the cross? God wiped out the law; He nailed it to the cross. (The Scriptures state this unequivocally and often.)
Colossians 2:13-14 - And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven (sent away) you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements (the law) that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
(Notice the remission/forgiveness of all your trespasses is directly connected to the wiping out of the law. Notice also, God nailing the law to the cross took place when you were a sinner, not when you repented.)
Ephesians 2:14-16 - For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
(See these texts as additional references: Romans 7:1-3,4-6,10:4, Galatians 2:19-21, Hebrews 7:18-19, 8:10-13, 10:3-4, 10:9-10, 10:16-18.)
Volumes could be written explaining the above two texts, but I want you to notice that God wiped out the law (past tense) through the cross/death of Jesus.
Paul's point is this; Because Jesus died, humanity is no longer under the law for righteousness. The sole causal factor is the death of Jesus; freedom from the law and sin is because of Him! (You/They Have Nothing to Do With It.) To suggest our obedience, or "decision to believe," is required (which is the current Christian/Catholic position) places us back under the law for righteousness where being right with God depends on us.
Romans 7:1-4 explains this perfectly. Because Jesus died, we're free from being under the law, just as the woman is free from the law of marriage because her husband died. While her husband lives, she's bound by the law of marriage. If her husband dies, she's free from the law of marriage. Her freedom from the law of marriage is the result of her husband dying. His death resulted in her freedom; she played no causal role. With that in mind, we understand we're free from the law for righteousness because Jesus died, and where there's no law, there's no sin, and where there's no sin, there's no judgment/wrath for sin.
Conclusion: Only those living according to the law for righteousness believe in eternal condemnation and punishment. There can be no wrath for sin where there's no law, and the law was wiped out on the cross. Therefore, the concept of never-ending hell for sin contradicts the cross of Christ and is anti Christ.