Self-Focused or Christ-Focused?

 Mat_16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Deny Himself.

Albert Barnes Commentary-

'Let him, deny himself - That is, let him surrender to God his will, his affections, his body, and his soul. Let him not seek his own happiness as the supreme object, but be willing to renounce all, and lay down his life also, if required.'

Deny YOURSELF.

SURRENDER YOURSELF to GOD.

Give God your WILL.

Give God your AFFECTIONS.

Give God ALL of yourself- hold NOTHING back from God!

SEEK to live for God in ALL things over and above any thought of SELF.

God in ALL THINGS OF OUR LIVES, OUR ENTIRE LIVES, LEAVE NO PART OF OUR LIVES OUT!

Focusing upon ourselves seems inevitable all the time, right? When we do this self-focusing we recognize our state of existence and how we are feeling at any given moment of self-assessment. Are we content- note I didn't say happy, because most of us have already figured out happiness is a fleeting state of being while being content is more of a constant. If we feel even slightly off from the contented constant, the accepted constant of our being, then we determine we are possibly sad, mad, anxious, pained, disturbed, distressed, any number of other states of being. We label this as something we'd rather not be experiencing, we want to return to our accepted constant state of determined contentment (my idea of contentment will not be the same as yours, no two people have the exact same expectation of what gives them their personal state of contentment).  We do this sort of self-evaluation all the time, unendingly throughout our lives, each day. Our self-focus demands this even on a subconscious level. However, we can be particularly conscious of our self-evaluation every single time something disrupts our desired contentment. Our accepted mental, emotional being. Even amidst severe chronic conditions- we have an accepted state of being. A normal for ourselves. Each time we recognize a disruption to our state of being we are focused primarily on self to the exclusion of most other things.  We have these self-determined negative feelings and we do not like them, or want them. We believe whatever has caused these negativities is infringing upon our right to self-contentment. We want the cause to change so we can return to our contented acceptance. Sometimes the cause is within our ability to alter, other times it is not. If we can't get rid of the cause for our self-distress we made a call to either resume our contented state in spite of the distress it causes, or to allow ourselves to spiral deeper into an undesired state of being. 

SELF ABSORPTION. We are obsessed with our SELF and our state of contentment.                                            

As we begin each day we do so with an expectation of what the day's events will be, all the while knowing that more often than not, our expectations are not going to be fully met. Seldom is the day, for many people, perfectly predictable. Note, I said 'for many people', there are those who live their lives under a strict monotony of expectations with rare interruptions to their even-keeled lives.  As the day progresses and we immerse ourselves in our expected tasks- deviations may start to creep in, unexpected happenstances that take us from our expected tasks. Our reactions to these interruptions are most often self-focused inner distress, anywhere from minor to major turmoil. We had expectations- those expectations were not met. Self determines that this must be a cause for distress. We don't want distress, so we label the interruption as being negative. 

We seldom embrace the interruptions with positivity, as opportunities to live Christ's peace in all things. We don't take the interruptions of our expectations as a chance to deny self when we need to do just that! 

Often, even as we extend ourselves towards focusing on others we will find various self-focused thoughts creeping in. Our feet may be aching, our backs paining us, mentally we may feel drained, emotionally we recognize that we are spent, having given so much of ourselves to others and self demands we give ourselves at the very least a mental pat on the back for our sacrifices. 

Self-focused or…

Christ-focused.

Christ-focused means NOT being obsessed with self-focus.

Christ-focused means constantly questioning ourselves to determine what our focus is in the moment.  

When we feel the first twinge of distress because something has disturbed our accepted contentment we need to quickly ask ourselves HOW we can live Christ in this moment. In living Christ we switch our focus to how Christ would desire us to handle the situation. Remember, Christ is all about turning the other cheek, of divesting ourselves of our very garments to another in need, to place ourselves upon a cross so that others may live. You read that right. DENY SELF- TAKE UP OUR CROSS-  recognize the need to sacrifice self-contentment that exists from a core of self-centeredness and not God-centeredness. 

Prayer is a constant must in our lives. Entreating the Holy Spirit to work in us constantly. Recognizing that the power to detect self in need of denying stems from God, and the power to deny comes from God, our need of God's power working is a constant, forever and always!

All by the grace and mercy or our LORD and SAVIOR, now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

Christian Appearance.

 We are all humans with many faults. Christians remain humans even once they've chosen to unite with Christ, submitting themselves to Christ, letting Christ live in them, wanting Christ to live in them, guiding them, saving them. The faults remain, and those faults must weigh heavy upon the Christ follower, and they must seek forgiveness for the faults- not accepting sin as being inconsequential. All sin has the consequence of separating us from Christ. We ask for forgiveness, knowing Christ wants to forgive us, wants us to have nothing separating us from Him. The outward man- the person we present to all around us, the person we reveal could appear righteous but not be righteous at all. Inwardly we must have truth! Inwardly we must belong wholly to Christ. Our struggle to be Christ's, to run this race, to live as Christ's must be true. If other's point at your failures to appear in a manner they deem Christ-like, know that it's not because you are not Christ's, but because you are fighting this spiritual war. It is much better to be struggling- seeking forgiveness - acknowledging our desperate and constant need of Christ, than to appear as one who is Christ-like while inwardly filled with unrepentant, unrecognized sin.

Please Lord, help us, keep us as YOURS, wholly Yours!

(Excerpt - EJ Waggoner)

"The Law Is Spiritual." 

In the fifth chapter of Matthew the Saviour has set forth the spirituality of the law. He says that unless our righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, we can not enter the kingdom of heaven. What was their righteousness? He said to them, "Ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Matt. 23:28.

Therefore, unless we are righteous inwardly, we are nothing. 

God desires "truth in the inward parts." Ps. 51:6. 

Following on in the fifth chapter of Matthew, the Saviour shows that one may break the sixth commandment,  which says, "Thou shalt not kill," by the utterance of a single word. He also shows that we may break the seventh commandment which says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," by a look and a thought. The same principle of course obtains with all the commandments. This being the case, it becomes one to be very careful about saying that he has perfectly kept the law.

Some have said that the Ten Commandments are a very low standard, and that a man might keep them all and still not be worthy of admission into respectable society. Such know nothing about the law. As a matter of fact, a man may break all the commandments, and still figure as a shining light in the "best society."

The Name of God Blasphemed.

"The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written." Who has done this? The one who teaches the law, and who says that one who teaches the law and who says that one should not take the name of the Lord in vain. When David sinned in the case of Uriah's wife,  God said to him, "By this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme." 2 Sam.  12:14. That is, he was a professed follower of the Lord, and by his violation of the law of the Lord he had given unbelievers a chance to say, "There, that is a specimen of Christianity."

Who is there that can say that as a professed follower of the Lord he has always correctly represented the truth?  Who is there that must not admit to himself and God that either by his words or actions he has very often misrepresented the truth which he professed? Who is there that has not by his failures, either in teaching or acting, given people a miserably inadequate idea of what true godliness is?

In short, who is there that must not say yes to the apostle's question, "Through breaking the law, dishonorest thou God?" And since thus the name of God is blasphemed through professed Christians, who is there that can declare himself guiltless before God's law?

In these verses we have had some sharp questions to those who are "called Jews," that is, who profess to be followers of the Lord. Mere form and profession do not constitute one a proper teacher of the truth of God. He who does not exhibit in his life the power of that which he professes, is only a detriment to the cause. In the verses now before us we have a brief but explicit statement concerning - Circumcision and Uncircumcision Romans 2:25-29.

25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law; but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill 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.

Definition of Terms.

The two terms "circumcision" and "uncircumcision" are here used not only to indicate the rite and the absence of it, but also to designate two classes of people. "The uncircumcision" evidently refers to those who were called Gentiles, those who worshiped other gods. This use of the terms is very plain in the following passage: "When they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter (for he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles); and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision." Gal. 2:7-9. 

Here we find that the terms "uncircumcision," "Gentiles," and "heathen," all refer to the same people.

Just what was the profit of circumcision, we are not told in this chapter. The statement of the fact was enough for this place, for the only point in the mind of the writer was to show what circumcision is, and who are the really circumcised. A great deal depends upon these few verses. They should be studied carefully, because upon them depends the proper understanding of a large portion of the prophecies of the Old Testament.

If these verses had received the consideration that they ought to have by professed Bible students, there would never have been any "Anglo-Israel" theory, and the unprofitable and misleading suppositions about the return of the Jews to Jerusalem before the coming of the Lord would never have been made.

The Heart Matters.

 As I was reading the following excerpt I came across this verse--

2Co 10:10  For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. 

Man looks on the outward appearance ALL the time… ALL THE TIME. We are constantly judged even in tiny ways. Our weight, our hair, our clothes, our words, and so on. Paul is speaking in the above verse saying that people talking about his written word say that written word is WEIGHTY and POWERFUL. Those same people say that Paul's presence in person is one of a weak person, whose speaking is not good.

Paul, made an apostle by Jesus Christ was not much in physical appearance, but the power he had was from God. He didn't need to be physically stunning, his words were the power of God given to him by the Holy Spirit. Satan corrupts our minds starting when we are very young- to look upon ourselves and others- outward appearance as if this is what is most important. Is it any wonder that we grow up with feelings of inadequacy when all along we are praising and worshiping outwardly beautiful people? Their numbers are few compared to the great multitudes and yet the great multitudes spend a lot of time and millions and millions of dollars striving to be as beautiful as they possibly can be. 

Weak and contemptible- judged to be so, yet so incredibly mighty through the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

May we be nothing outwardly and all things inwardly in CHRIST! May our hearts belong to our LORD, our LIVES belong to the LORD.

*******

Excerpt - EJ Waggoner-

'The Form of Knowledge and Truth. 

Although the Ten Commandments contain a statement of the will of God,  which is the perfection of wisdom and truth, they are only a statement, and not the thing itself, just the same as a picture of a house is not a house, although it may be a perfect picture. Mere words written in a book or graven in stone have no life; but we know that the law of God is life everlasting. Only in Christ can the living law be found,  since he is the only manifestation of the Godhead.

Whoever has the life of Christ dwelling in him, has the perfect law of God manifest in his life. 

But he who has only the letter of the law, and not Christ, has only the form of knowledge and of truth. 

Thus, the law is often rightly said to be a photograph of the character of God. But a photograph or other picture is only the shadow of the reality; it is not the very substance. He who has Christ has both the form and the substance, since one can not have a thing without also possessing its form. But he who has only the statement of the truth, without Christ who alone is the Truth has the form of godliness without the power thereof.

Rom 2:19  And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 

Rom 2:20  An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 

Rom 2:21  Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 

Rom 2:22  Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 

Rom 2:23  Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 

Hard Questions. 

In verses 21-23 the apostle asks some hard questions." Let each soul that has been wont to pride himself upon the correctness of his life answer these questions for himself. It is easy and natural for a man to pride himself upon his "morality." Men who are not Christians comfort themselves with the thought that they live "moral" lives, and that therefore they are as well off as though they were Christians. Let all such know that there is no morality except conformity to the law of God. Everything that is in any respect below the standard of that law is immorality. Knowing this, let them see if they have perfectly kept that law.

"Dost Thou Steal?" 

Most people will say, "No; I am honest in all my dealing." Very well, but let us not decide the case offhand. Let us examine the Scripture. It says, "The law is spiritual." Rom. 7:14. "The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb. 4:12. No matter how correct we are in our outward acts, if in spirit or thought we have transgressed, we are guilty. The Lord looks at the heart, instead of the outward appearance. 1 Sam. 16:7.

Again, it is just as wrong to steal from God as to steal from man; have you given God his due? 

Have you dealt in a perfectly honest way with him? Hear what he says: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say,  Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." Mal. 3:8, 9. Does this mean you? Have you rendered to God that which is his due in tithes and offerings? If not, what will you answer when the word of inspiration asks, "Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?"

Will of God.

 The Will of God.

Joh_6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

We believe and once we believe on Jesus Christ, we believe in what our Lord believes, and our Lord believes in the law of God and states that the law - the entire royal law - the ten commandments- are summed up this way--

Mat 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment. 

Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

Loving God, loving each other- on these two principles encompass all the laws- all.

The law contains the WILL of God for us. 

When we DO the will of God we are living as He would have us live as outlined in His word, in His law. We see the perfection of the law and realize our inability to keep the law of our own accord. We MUST live in Christ- this is the WORK of God, BELIEVING in Christ. When we believe we trust the HE has kept the law perfectly for us, He has lived the will of God perfectly. He wills to live in us, Christ in us our hope. 

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

Christ is forever our hope. We know God's will for us is to be His, now and always.

(Excerpt - EJ Waggoner)

Rom_2:17  Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God

Boasting of God.

This is something different from making one's boast in the Lord. Ps. 34:2. 

Psa 34:2  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 

Instead of rejoicing in the Lord's salvation, the Jews boasted over their superior knowledge of God. They did indeed have more than others, but they had nothing that they had not received, yet they boasted as though they had not received it.  They glorified themselves, rather than God, for the knowledge that they had; and therefore they put themselves in the condition of the heathen who "when they knew God, glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations." 

(Albert Barnes wrote- 'Makest thy boast in God - Thou dost boast, or glory, that thou hast the knowledge of the true God, while other nations are in darkness. On this account the Jew felt himself far elevated above all other people, and despised them. It was true that they only had the true knowledge of God, and that he had declared himself to be their God, Deu_4:7; Psa_147:19-20; but this was not a ground for boasting, but for gratitude. This passage shows us that it is much more common to boast of privileges than to be thankful for them, and that it is no evidence of piety for a man to boast of his knowledge of God. An humble, ardent thankfulness that we have that knowledge a thankfulness which leads us not to despise others, but to desire that they may have the same privilege - is an evidence of piety.')

Rom_1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Whatever reader is inclined to censure the ancient Jews for their vain boasting, let him remember how he himself has often felt on comparing himself with the inhabitants of heathen countries, and with the "lowest class" in his own land.

God's Will His Law. 

Rom_2:17  Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

Rom_2:18  And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law

The apostle says that the Jew knows the will of God, because he is instructed out of the law.  This is sufficient to show that the law of God is his will. 

Indeed, no argument should be needed on this point.  The will of any government is expressed in its law. 

Where there is an absolute ruler, his will is always law.

God is an absolute ruler, although not an arbitrary one, and as his will is the sole rule of right, it follows that his will is law. But his law is summed up in the Ten Commandments; therefore the Ten Commandments contain a summary statement of the will of God.

Dependence Upon Christ.

 

Moses Believed In Christ.

 Jesus said Moses believed in Him, that Moses wrote of Him.

Joh 5:46  For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 

Joh 5:47  But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? 

Moses a Jew, who received the Ten Commandments, the Royal law from God, who saw the Heavenly Temple and then built a Tabernacle that could be moved as they traveled towards the land promised to them, believed in CHRIST!  Believing in Christ makes a person a Christian, right? A Jewish Christian. This is TRUTH.  There are Jews who do not believe, and they are not of God. There are Christians who do not believe and they are not of God.  May we BE GOD'S in ALL TRUTH!

(Excerpt - EJ Waggoner)

"Thou Art the Man" Romans 2:17-24

17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

18 and knowest his will, and approvest 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 teachest another,  teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 

22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 

23 Thou that makest they boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God? 

24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

A Professed Jew. 

Are professed Christians to throw away this portion of the book of Romans as not applicable to them, since it is addressed to a professed Jew? By no means. Professed Christians are the very ones who are meant by the apostle. Read the description: Thou "restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; and art confident that thou thyself 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 the truth in the law."

Whom does he address? Every one who professes to know the Lord, no matter by what name he is called; every one who thinks himself fully qualified to instruct others in the way of the Lord.

"Called a Jew."

It should not be overlooked as a trifling matter that the apostle does not say, "Behold, thou art a Jew," but, "Behold, thou art called a Jew." People are not always what they are called, nor what they call themselves. Beginning with the seventeenth verse the apostle settles the question of who are Jews. Before we have finished the chapter it will seem that by using the word "called" he meant to intimate that the one addressed and described in the following verses is not really a Jew, and is not considered so by the Lord.

Claiming to Be Jews. 

In Revelation 2:9 we read, "I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." And again, "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." Rev. 3:9. From this we see that to be a Jew indeed is so high an honor that many will falsely claim it. Yet the people called Jews have been held in contempt by the greater part of the world, for many hundred years.

At no time and in no part of the world, since the New Testament was written, has it ever been an object for anybody to claim that he was a Jew, in the common acceptation of the term. The Jews as a class have never been in such honor that it would benefit one's prospects to be called one. But it has been and is very often an advantage for a man to be known as a Christian, and very many have falsely made the claim, in order to better their business prospects.

Jew and Christian. It is not straining the text at all to say that when "Jew" is used in these verses, it means what is now known as "Christian." This will be apparent if we consider what a real Jew is. We may quote enough to show that from the beginning a true Jew was one who believed in Christ. Of the head of the race the Lord Jesus said, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad." John 8:56. He believed in the Lord, and it was counted to him for righteousness; but righteousness comes only through the Lord Jesus.  Moses, the leader of the Jews, esteemed "the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." Heb.  11:26 

The rebellious Jews in the wilderness tempted and rejected Christ. 1 Cor. 10:9. 

1Co 10:9  Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 

When Christ came in the flesh, it was "his own" that received him not. John 1:11.

Joh 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

And to crown all, Christ said that no one could believe the writings of Moses unless he believed on him. John 5:46, 47.

Joh 5:46  For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 

Joh 5:47  But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? 

Therefore it is evident that no one is or ever has been a real Jew unless he believes in Christ. He who is not a Jew indeed is of "the synagogue of Satan."

All Are Accountable.

 When a person who does not have the law of God- live a life following all of God's ways, they are doing by nature what is in the law given to others- these are God's. Make no mistake, God truly knows the heart of every single human being that has ever lived and that will ever live. No person who has lived their life in God will be lost to Him by the fact they did not have the law of God. Their lives are a testimony to what the law contains. Not a single person will be God's simply because they put a label upon themselves or are given a label by others from birth. You can strut about declaring your Christ following walk as something making you God's, but in truth you could be far from God- your words do not make truth out of a lie. All of us are saved by the grace of God through Christ Jesus, not by any action we take.

Romans 2:14 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

Keeping the law by nature, how pure that love for God must be.

Those who choose to embrace unrighteousness, whether they have the law or not, will be lost to God- it works both ways.  They can't claim ignorance of the law as their excuse for unrighteousness. 

Accountability rests on all of us individually.

May God keep us in Him always! Please, Lord, we would be Yours!

(Excerpt- EJ Waggoner)

'And so the second chapter proceeds to show that all will be subjects of God's righteous judgment, "for there is no respect of persons with God." 

Thus we are brought to a confirmation of the fact that God is impartial, by a comparison of the two classes in the Judgment.

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 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); 16 in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Without Law, and in the Law.

Although it is quite certain that when the Lord comes the second time there will be no people on the earth who have not heard the preaching of the word, it is a fact that thousands and millions have died without ever having seen or heard of the Bible. They are the ones to whom the apostle refers as "without law." Yet it is plainly set forth that they are not absolutely without law, but only without the written law. The fact that they have some knowledge of the law is stated in the verses following, and is proved by the fact that they are counted sinners; but "sin is not imputed where there is no law." Rom. 5:13.

All Sin Punished.

Whether we have had the written law or not, all are alike counted sinners. "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." Rom. 1:18. 

The heathen are declared to be without excuse; and if they who have not the written law are without excuse, they who have the law in their hands are of course far more inexcusable. God is just. "We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things." Yet all who sin, whether in the law or without the law, are to be punished.

This is sufficient to show that "without law" does not mean without any knowledge of God. The first chapter settles that. The trouble with too many who read this statement that all shall be punished, and who think that it does not seem just, is that they forget, or are ignorant of, what is contained in the first chapter. It is a great mistake to take any single verse of the Bible and separate it from its connection.

They Shall Perish.

That is declared to be the fate of the wicked. The apostle Peter tells us that the world is "reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:7. What is meant by "perish?" It means just the opposite of living forever. On one occasion some people told Jesus of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, and Jesus replied, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:1-3. Again we read, "The wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs; they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away." Ps. 37:20. Therefore the statement that those who sin shall perish means that they shall die, that they shall be utterly extinct, that "they shall be as though they had not been." Obad. 16.

Strict Impartiality.

That means strict justice. Sinners will be punished, whether they live in heathen lands or in so-called Christian lands. But no one will be judged by that of which he knew nothing. God does not punish men for violation of a law of which they knew nothing, nor does he hold them accountable for light that they have not had. It is very plain that those who have the law must know many things that are not known to those who do not have it in written form. All men have light enough to know that they are sinners; but the written word gives those who have it a knowledge of many particulars of which those are ignorant who do not have it.

Therefore God in his justice does not hold the latter accountable for many things for which the former will be judged. "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." The man who has rejected light, whether it be little or much, is obviously guilty.

The Root of Sin.

To some it seems unjust that those who have had but comparatively little light should suffer death for their sins, the same as those who have sinned against the greatest light. Their difficulty arises from the fact that they do not consider what sin really is. God alone is good. Luke 18:19

Luk 18:19  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 

 He is the source of goodness.  Whatever goodness ever appears in man is only the working of God in him.

But he is also the source of life. With him is the fountain of life. Ps. 36:9.

Psa 36:9  For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. 

God's life is righteousness; therefore there can be no righteousness apart from the life of God. 

Now it is evident that if a man rejects God, he effectually cuts himself off from life. It matters not that he has had but comparatively little knowledge of God, if he rejects that light he rejects God, and thus rejects life. And by rejecting the little that he has seen of God, he shows that he would reject God in any case. Sin is simply separation from or rejection of God; and that means death.