 Welcome to class, everyone. Good to see some of you, I think. The number of the 30 years have dwindled down considerably, right? You were more than number in the first year than I thought you, right? Yes? Now there are only 10 of you. Not sure what happened to the others. But you were more than number when I was teaching you all in the first year. Someone had joined the e-learning. OK, so let's begin with Romans. We were looking at chapter 1 on Wednesday. And verses 1 to 6 in Romans chapter 1, we see who Paul was. He mentions that he's a born servant of Jesus Christ. He's called by God. He's separated. Then he goes on to share what he's proclaiming, that the message that was proclaimed by the prophets in the Old Testament, which is the holy scriptures, which is a message about Jesus Christ, who was declared to be the son of God with power and by the resurrection is the message that Paul says he is proclaiming. Paul also says that he is doing this by the grace and by the commission that God has given him. And then he goes on to talk about his objective. What is his objective is to bring people in all the nations to be obedient to the faith. And verses 7 to 17, he goes on to mention why he's writing to the Romans. Now till verse 17, which we looked at in the last class of Wednesday, it's like the introduction. Now Paul is getting down into more serious things. He's talking about God. He's talking about the wrath of God. He's talking about he gives proof of the existence of God and how man denies that existence of God and how man denies the existence of God and how he continues in sin. And then he goes on to talk about the judgment for sin. So this is what he talks about after he gives introduction, which is verses 1 to 17. And now he gets down to a little more serious things. So we look at verses 18 till the end of the chapter, which is verse 22. So can somebody read Romans chapter 1 verses 18 and 19, please? Romans 1, 18 and 19. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness because what may be known of God is manifested in them, for God has shown it to them. Thank you, Tarun. So here we see that God is not ignoring sin that is going on in the world. God is angry, he is opposed to sin. And we see how man ended up in sin or in the situation that he is in. How would man end up in the sin or how did he end up in a situation that he is in present? So Paul says that men have suppressed the truth instead of acknowledging the truth. And he says in verse 19 that God has made it plain. He's made this truth plain. He's revealed the truth to us. So how has God made this truth plain, simple? How has he revealed the truth to us? He goes on to point around in verse 20. So again, somebody read verses 20 and 21 and 22, please. Verse 20 up to 21, for his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made so they are without excuse. Verse 21, for although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. Amen. Verse 22 as well, Charles, please. Thank you. Oh, verse 22, claiming to be wise, they became fools. Thank you. So here we see in how does God make this truth plain or reveal this truth to us, Paul points out to creation. He says, in creation, we see the invisible attributes of God. So creation, the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen, it's being understood by the things that are made. So when you look at creation, when you see there is order, there is perfection, there's beauty, there is design, we cannot but know that or understand that there is a God behind this who brought about this perfect order, this beauty, this grandeur, this magnificence, this perfect design, everything which is being put in display in creation actually reveals the invisible attributes of God. So God's invisible attributes of God can be clearly seen, can be clearly understood by the things that he has made or God's invisible attributes has been revealed to us through creation. Now, take an example, one of God's invisible attributes is God is infinite. He's infinite, his wisdom is infinite. And we see this in the universe that he has created. There's so many millions of stars, millions of galaxies, there's so many different, also it can be so many different universe that other than the universe that we have in the planets, so many different planets in the solar system, which we have and man hasn't even seen or known, but when we look at the vastness of God's creation, the greatness that we're so limited even in our understanding of it, we just see God's invisible attributes, infinite wisdom. So also other attributes of God are seen through nature, through creation, through the things that he has created. So many people say, if there is a God, let him reveal himself to me, if there's a God, let him reveal himself to me and then I will believe that there is a God. But the Bible says God has already given us enough evidence and that evidence is in the things that he has made and creation reveals the invisible attributes of God. So people are without excuse. So Paul says, people are without excuse. You can't say that they do not know God because creation is a big sign post that there is a God. So God makes himself known to man through his creation and creation is an evidence that, and it's an enough evidence or a good evidence that there is a God and that he exists. Verses 21 and 22 all goes on to say that even though people looking at creation, they know that this cannot come out, this whole creation, the way that it's created, there's so much of brilliance in this. It's so great, it's so perfect. There has to be, it's such a masterpiece. There has to be a creator behind all of this creation. There has to be a creator behind this brilliance, behind this great vastness of this universe, behind the perfection, the order that is there, the design that is there. And that is, there should be a creator and that is God. So people, even though they knew this, they knew that creation is so great and so brilliant as a work of God, but in verse 21 he says, they knew God but they did not glorify him as God. And because they did not glorify him as God, they became, their thoughts became very futile, became very vain and their foolish hearts were darkened. And they profess to be wise because they tried to find different scientific reasons to prove how creation came about, different theories, different things that were there. But professing to be wise, they actually became foolish in their understanding. Okay, they knew, but they chose to become foolish and they're thinking they chose to become fools. Yes, Shreya Kumar. Thank you, Pastor. Pastor, I just want to know the 21st word when he says that, when they knew God and so is he speaking about Jews or is he speaking about the whole humanity that they knew God? Because the God was never revealed to, or that's my understanding, that God has in that true manifestation, how we reveal to the Jews, he has never revealed it to the Gentiles. So how they will come to know that when they see the creation that it is a true living God, how they will come to know that there's a truth. When that truth was never spoken to them or they were not knowing that, so they found that every creation is God. So why the Paul is saying that even though they knew God, but they have not pulled it? Is he speaking to the Jews or is he speaking to the entire humanity? That's my question. Thank you. Good question, Sri Kumar. Yeah, coming, I've come to your chance. Good question, Sri Kumar. So here we know that the Roman church, the church at home comprises of Jews and Gentiles. And of course, you know, Paul goes on to talk about specifically the Jews and Gentiles in chapter two, where he's talking, you know, the Jews have the law, you know, but they will be judged according to the law, but what about the Gentiles? You know, they did not have the law. So how will they be judged? So Paul says, you have your conscience. You know, your conscience is a law within you, but God has put in your heart to know what's good and bad or to know what is good and evil. And, but he's saying, you know, you don't be judged with your conscience and with the law, but you will be judged according to the gospel. Now we look at it. So he's basically writing to both Jews and Gentiles. And he's saying that, you know, for anyone, you know, maybe even speaking to the Gentiles, they did not know God, they did not have the law, they did not have a Torah, but for anyone, people are without an excuse. They cannot say, and we know that, you know, Paul is basically addressing this whole letter to some problems that are happening in the church at home. It's a very gentle letter where he's talking about doctrines, which is, you know, which is more specific to any group of people, not specifically to a church, like he addresses in Galatians, Ephesians, Corinthians to specifically to the churches, but here he's talking, you know, he's writing about doctrines. And he's saying that, you know, people are without an excuse. They don't have an excuse that there is no God, because when you look at creation, you can't say that came out by a big bang. Can't just say that, you know, who gives scientific reasons or, you know, you can't, you know, worship these created things because in themselves, they are, you know, cannot give, you know, they cannot sustain themselves. They cannot come to life themselves, but there is a creator who has created them. So creation itself, and I think it's not the wisdom that, you know, is getting them to think about it. It's God himself, or, you know, the Holy Spirit speaks, whether you are a believer or an unbeliever, the Holy Spirit speaks about it. The Holy Spirit uses a conscience in an unbeliever is to convict them of what is right and wrong. So it's God who also reveals to them through creation that there is a God, that there is, you know, God who created everything in such perfection, such beauty, and it just cannot come, you know, naturally or automatically, you know, there is somebody who has created it and that is God. Thank you, Pastor. Thank you. Okay. Charles says, Pastor, what could be the vivid examples of verses 18 to 23? Can you give me more clarity on your question, Charles? Yes, I am looking at the word of God being revealed at that time through Paul to the church in Rome, but could there be some examples? For instance, on verse 21, for although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts, were duck and claiming to be wise, it became full. So could there be some vivid examples today where they have, they showed, maybe the church or the people are showing foolishness as if they are thinking they are wise. That's what I meant, Pastor. Okay, good question, Charles. He actually goes on to speak about things in specific. He's spilling on, it's like a logical reasoning that he's bringing, first talking about that there is a God who's proving the existence of God. And then he goes on to actually talk about how mankind became more sinful is because first of all, he says that God revealed Himself through creation, God revealed Himself through creation, but they refused to accept Him as God and hence their foolish hearts were darkened. And because their foolish hearts were darkened, it led them into more spiritual or degradation or into more evil, into more corruptible behavior, which he goes on to talk about in verses 23 to 27. So in the, if you ask me of examples in our present world, homosexuality is such a big, which he talks about this in the verses, to verse 32, the end of this chapter. He's talking about homosexuality, okay? And how people have beginning to see this beginning to see this as natural and they are kind of impressing it upon the society, impressing upon the church, that this is how God created them. This is how naturally they're created and hence they need to be accepted. Hence they, gay or homosexual marriages have to be accepted in churches. They can become leaders, they can become pastors of the churches. So this is one way that is corrupted the hearts and minds of people. So that is what he goes on to build on and talk about in the upcoming verses. Did that help for Charles or did I understand your question? It did, it did, thank you so much. Okay, so we'll talk about homosexuality, even there's a lot of living relationships where you, it's okay for us to live with that person and know if the person is compatible with that person. We can get along with that person and then we get married. Also, there is a lot of premarital sex that is happening and it's acceptable because people say it's okay. What about abortion, which is a big thing that's happening in the U.S. And churches have accepted it and divorce is another thing. And people have exchanged the truth of God's word and they're finally believing the lies because they're saying if you're not able to live with that person, it's okay for you to divorce and to live with somebody that you're happy with. If you don't want this child, abortion is totally okay. And that's why Paul actually begins this whole section is talking about the lot of God as being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in their unrighteousness. They suppress the truth, they know what is right, they know what is wrong, they know what is good, what is evil, but they suppress the truth because they want to live that unrighteous life. And God is not ignoring sin, Paul says, he's angry to it, he's opposing to it, he opposes sin. And how does, and I asked this question, how would man end up in the sin and the situation because they have suppressed the truth instead of acknowledging the truth, they have suppressed the truth. That means they leave God out of the whole picture. They leave God out of the whole equation. They leave God out of their own whole life. So God, I want you to just be that provider, I want you to help me, I want you to heal me, but these certain aspects of my life, I wanted to be left out. So also in the church, there are some aspects that we involve God in, there are some aspects in church life where we leave God out of the picture. And hence Paul is saying that when we do that, we are in the danger of suppressing the truth. And when we suppress the truth, we continue to live in unrighteousness and we indulge in every wrong deed. Would that help, Thomas? Yes, it did, yes it did. Thank you. So we see that creation reveals that there is God with evidence enough that he exists. And then Paul goes on to talk about how they worship corruptible things instead of worshiping God and glorifying him. So he talks about that and the consequences of them refusing to glorify God, refusing to acknowledge that he is God. How did it end up, it ended up in a very sinful, very evil lifestyle, which was, which led them to all wildly passions and to dishonoring God with their bodies. So verses 20 to 27, can somebody read that please? Romans chapter one verses 20 to 27. Romans chapter one, 23, 27. And change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and burge and forfeit animals and creeping things. Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lust of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves. We exchange the truth of God for the lie and worship and serve the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever, amen. For this reason, God gave them up to wild passions for even the women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men leaving the natural use of the women burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of the error which was due. Thank you, Christopher. So here we see in this verses Paul is saying that even though they knew that there is a God and they did not glorify him and instead of worshiping him and glorify him, they looked to corruptible things, corruptible things means things that would pass away and in the process they likened God to a man, to animals and to creeping things. And what did God do? God chose to give them up to their own simple ways because man chose to do this. He knew God knew that they did not want to glorify him as God. So two times in this passage that we just read in verse 24 and verse 26, it says God let them go. God is actually saying that if this is what you want to do, this is what you think, fine. Okay, even though this was not what God's plan for them was, this is not what God wanted for them, this is not what God expected or desired for them, but God knew that this is what they like, this is what they were going after. And God said that this is what you want to do, this is what you think, it's fine. And God gave them up and he let them go. Okay, yes, Elisha. Yeah, Pastor, my question is God having given up on them, should it also be a case for us to also give up on them and not preach the gospel to them and not pray for them? Because we think that God himself has given up on them, should that be our position? Okay, it's a good question. You know, it's not that God gave them up in the sense that God wanted them to, you know, eternally be destined to hell. The word would be always need to look at interpret one scripture in the light of other scriptures. The other scriptures tell us that it's good, God's good pleasing and perfect will that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, okay? And even if you look at it in Romans in the other chapters where Paul is discussing, it looks like he talks about, you know, God choosing us. And, you know, it's not, and then we can think about, you know, God chose certain people who certain does, certain people for salvation, certain people to be destined to hell. But that's not the truth because the word of God says, God is not a partial God and he wants all men to be saved. So how do we explain what Paul writes in the other chapters, you know, that certain people were chosen for certain things and certain people were not, is we need to interpret that in the light of who God is that he's not a partial God, he wants everyone to be saved. But also we see that, you know, it's a choice of men. It's not God choosing us, but God knew even before the foundations of the world, who will choose him and who will not choose it. So he already knows who is destined for salvation, who is destined for hell. So it's not a choice that God makes, but even before he created the world, even before we were formed in our mother's womb, God already know the choices that we will make. And, you know, he gives us up to our own will and choice. That is why it says in Genesis one that he created us in his image. He created us in his image means that, you know, God is perfect, he created us perfect. God is sinless, he created us sinless. God never dies, he created us never to die. God has a mind, he gave us a mind. God has a will, he gave us a will and he respects our will. Okay, that is what we see here. He respects that we are free moral beings, that we have a will, that we've chosen. It's because he created us in his image, and does God guide us, instruct us what to choose? Yes, he guides us and instructs us. Does he let us just, you know, you know, be destined for hell, no. When Paul is writing to Timothy, he says, you know, give them up for him. I think it's even in Corinthians, he says, you know, put them out of the church, you know, such people who are doing immoral, living immoral lives. And in one passage, I think in Corinthians, he says, you know, give them up to Satan. What does it mean? It's not that, you know, okay, throw them out to church, you know, give them up to Satan so that they can end up in hell. It's, you know, when we sin, God actually basically removes, we learned it in healing and deliverance class, if you remember, God removes his hand of protection over us because we don't want to be under his protection. He removes his hand of protection over us, but for a reason. So loving God is a good God, is a compassionate God. And what is the reason why he removes his protection is because we chose not to be under his guidance, his leadership, his protection. But when we are out of his protection, you know, we go through this, that's when Satan, you know, brings in all troubles and difficulties. And so when we go through troubles and hardships and difficulties, we then realize, oh, why is it happening to me? Oh, it's because of my sin is because I've gone against God. And that will bring us back to repentance. That will bring us back to God. But Paul also talks about this in Romans chapter two, where he's, you know, he's saying, he's talking about, you know, yes, we have the truth. We have to, you know, confront people with the truth. We have to condone sin. But he says in chapter two, that, you know, God is good. The goodness of God leads to repentance. Okay, so the goodness of God leads to repentance. Second, Romans chapter two verse four, he says, you know, don't despise the goodness, patience, and the long suffering of God because the goodness of God leads to repentance. So even when God is correcting us, if he removes his hand, he's doing it for a good reason. So that, you know, that can lead us to repentance. So what do we do with homosexuals? You know, when he's talking about homosexuality here, you know, do we throw out people who are indulging in homosexual behavior from our church? No, we don't do that because we, how do we deal with it? Love and truth. We love them for who they are, but we don't love the sin. Just like God loves the sinner, but hates the sin, and he deals with the sinner and deals with his sin, wants them to come to repentance. So he also loved the person. And what do we do? We show them the truth. But we show them the truth. We don't force the truth upon them. We have to be, you know, they are free moral beings. Just like God treats, respects us as free moral beings. He gives us up. We also give them the opportunity whether they want to listen to God's word, what God's word says, and if they want to, we show them the truth for God's word. And we show them the truth from God's word. And we don't impose God's word upon them. We don't impose the truth because it's the Holy Spirit who works in them. Now salvation in a person's life is not because you and I preach so beautifully or it's the power of the way we preach or it's our power, but it's a work of the Holy Spirit in their life. So we just take them to the truth, we show them the truth, and we let the Holy Spirit and we let Jesus work in their lives and minister with them. So did I answer your question, Elijah? Yes or no? Thank you very much. Thank you for your question, work of the question. Okay, so we'll move on. So here we see that, you know, God let's them go. And it, you know, even though it's not his desire, it's what he wants or he expects from them. And this shows us that God respects that we are free moral beings. That is what he did even at Adam and Eve in the Garden of, I suppose the Garden of Gethsemane, in the Garden of Eden, you know, God gave them up and he let them go. So what did he give them up to? He gave them up to their uncleanliness, you know, uncleanness and how unclean man can get or goes on to talk about that, illustrate that. He said, they dishonor their bodies among themselves. I mean, God let them go. They went all the way to an extent of extreme, you know, extreme thing of dishonoring their bodies among themselves. The extent, what was the extent was the extreme of dishonoring their own bodies among themselves. So it was 25, he says what he actually, it was 25, he says, we exchange the things of God for the life and worship himself, the creature, rather than the creature who is blessed forever, he's actually, you're talking about what he meant in verse 23. Do you remember when, when he said they're studying the Book of Romans, we have to have the forward look and the backward look. So it was 25, what he's talking about here is what he actually meant in verse 23. So what did they do when they changed the glory of God for incorruptible things? Verse 25 says, you know, they exchanged the truth of God for a life and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator. Okay, so they worshiped the created things rather than the creator of God. And in verse 26, he says, for this reason God gave them up to violent passions for even the woman exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. So he goes on to explain what he meant by saying that they were dishonoring their bodies among themselves. He says in verse 27, that women exchanged, you know, passions, sinful passions or lustful passions with women and men with men. Now this was the climax or the high point of being wild in their passions and dishonoring God in their bodies, the ultimate of uncleanness and being wild. Now we know that the, you know, this whole thing about homosexuality is such a big issue in our day and time, but we also know it was back in the time of Noah, also in Paul's time. And the Bible is very clear about it, that this is wrong. Okay, many churches are accepting this, accepting these people as natural. There are many, such people who are even leaders of the church, pastors of the church, but we go on into what the word of God says, what the word clearly says that this is wrong. Verse 26 says, wild passions and it's against God's natural design. These people are actually trying to prove that, you know, they're very natural in the way they are, it's how God created them. So we need to accept them as the way God created them. But, you know, the word of God clearly says that this is not God's natural design, okay? So there's a demand all over the world for homosexuality to be normal, but here we see in the holy scriptures, just as Paul mentioned that these are holy scriptures, that this is not normal, this is not God's design. This was not his plan, this was not what he intended. And it is dishonoring our bodies and our bodies are the temple of the living God. We need to honor God with our bodies. And this is basically dishonoring our bodies, okay? Can we move on to verses 28 to 32? So can somebody read verses 28 to 32, please? Verse 28 to 32. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, what gave them up to a debased mind to do? What ought not to be done? They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness, the agossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faceless, heartless, ruthless. Though they knew, though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them, but to give approval to those who practice them, amen. Thank you, Charles. So here we see that people chose not to retain God, they chose not to worship God, and we see that God gives them up to their own desires to what they think, what they want to do. We see this even in our day and time, and here, for the third time, God says, He gave them up, it was 34, we see that God gave them up, He gave them up to their own uncleanness, in verse 26, we see again that God gave them up, He gave them up to wild passions, and we read here in verse 28 again that God gave them up, He gave them up to a mind that is corrupt and that is going in the wrong way, and then because God gave them up to their own uncleanness, to their own wild passions, He gave them up to a mind that is corrupt and going in the wrong way, we see how they lived, how sinful they lived in, in verses 29 to verse and to verse 31, Paul lists out all the things that the wild passions, the corrupt mind, the uncleanness, that sinful nature that people were involved in, and Paul goes on to say that all goes to indulge in this kind of sinfulness and wild passions and who are living a corrupt mind and living unclean lives, Paul says they will face judgments, they will face judgment, and there is eternal consequences for all of this and that is eternal, okay, so that is how he ends this chapter, he first talks about God, the wrath of God, he talks about that God has revealed himself, then he talks about the proof of God's existence, how man denies that existence and how because he denies the existence of God, he doesn't want to worship God, he doesn't want to glorify God, how he ends up with such a sinful situation, such an unclean situation, such in such wild passions, and then he goes on to talk about the sin and the judgment for sin and that is how he ends this chapter. Okay, any questions on chapter one? First, I don't have a question, but I am looking closely on the last part of the chapter one, verse 24, Paul writes, therefore God gave them up in the last of their hearts in purity, and then in verse 26 he says, for this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions, in verse 28 he says, and since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to debased mind. So I'm looking at the way Paul is using the adjectives, the last of their hearts to impurity, they gave them dishonorable passions, but also debased minds. So that's what I was trying to carefully go through and in every part that he is talking about, he is giving examples and is clearly giving how those things are happening. And now I can clearly see the answer to my question, which I had asked earlier. Thank you so much. Thank you, Charles, for summing that up. Yes, verse 28 he says debased mind, which he's talking about a corrupt mind, a mind that goes in evil ways and sinful evil passions. Thank you. Anyone else, any questions? Yeah, there are no questions and we'll just look at the introduction for chapter two and then we can continue on looking at each, topic-wise the different sections that he's dealing with in chapter two. For that we will look at the introduction. Now in chapter two, Paul thinks of the issue of law and conscience, both with the Jews and Gentiles. Now this is like something that Paul is debating in his own mind or he's debating within himself, keeping in mind his readers, okay? The people are going to read this letter that he's writing with the church at home, consists of comprises of both the Jews and the Gentiles. So he's here talking about this whole issue of law and conscience with respect to the Jews and the Gentiles. Now for the Jews, they had the law and the Gentiles, they did not have the law. So the whole question was, how is God going to judge the Gentiles? How the Jews are going to be judged by the law because they have the law? Then how are the Gentiles going to be judged? And Paul says that there is a law that is built inside every person, okay? And there are two things, there's reason and there's conscience, okay? Again, I have to repeat that. Paul says there is a law that is built inside every person, basically those who don't know the law. It's a law that is built in every person and the two things, reason and conscience, which means that within every person, the way God designed us, he has already given us two things, which tells us about God and tells us what is right and wrong and that is the reason and conscience. So those who don't have the law have reason and they have conscience. But Paul says that everyone will be judged according to the gospel, whether you are a Jew or a Gentile. So first Paul raises foundation, yes, the Jews have the law, they'll be judged according to the law. The Gentiles don't have the law, so how will they be judged? They have reason and conscience that is an inbuilt law within themselves. But Paul goes on to say that both the Jews and Gentiles will not be judged according to the law and they will not be judged according to the reason and conscience, but they will be judged according to the gospel. So let's explain that a little more when we are looking at the verses, okay? So can somebody read verses one to four, please? Chapter two verses one to four, anyone? Pastor, can I read? Sure, please, thank you. Thank you. Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man, so about thou art that judges for, wherein thou judges another, thou condensed thyself for, thou that judges does doest the same thing. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to the truth, it gains them which commit such thing and thinkest thou this, O man, that judges them which do such things and it doest the same that thou shalt escape the judgment of God or despise it thou, the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Thank you. So, Mr. Kumar, now in chapter two, Paul is basically challenging the attitudes of true towards gentiles. He's presenting an understanding of God's judgment, how and what, when, he's revealing the work of the conscience and he's presenting what a true is. So in this chapter, we will take a slightly different approach when looking at this chapter, when examining this chapter, instead of examining this chapter worst by worst, we will just look at the main insights being presented in this chapter, okay? So, Paul in chapter one, he says how sinful man is because he has suppressed the truth and he has gone away in his old, wild passions and thoughts of his corrupt mind and therefore he's telling that man who are inexcusable. And then he goes on to talk about that even if you're judging someone else, you are inexcusable. Now, he's basically speaking to the Jews because Jews, they're taking pride or they were taking pride in this fact that they had the law, they had the covenants for the laws that God had given us for them, the covenants was for them. So they knew the laws, they knew the covenants, they also were teaching the laws and Paul is saying, what's the point? You know the laws, you have this pride that you are the only people who have the laws, the covenants, you're also, you know it and you're teaching it to others, but what's the point? Because you're not keeping the laws totally pointless and he says, God is also going to judge you on this. And so he says, we can point to the Gentiles saying that they're doing all of these things but Paul is saying that what you are, how you're living is also inexcusable because when you judge others, you will also be judged by the same standards. And in verse three he says, you're doing the same thing, you cannot escape the judgment of God, he's telling the Jesus. And then he goes on to say that everyone, whether you are Jew or Greek, Gentiles, you are going to be judged by the life you are living because there's no partiality with God. But he says in verse 10, he says, you know, the Jews first, then the Greek. In verse nine, in verse 10, he again says, Jews first, then the Greek. So he says, we're all going to be judged so we cannot point our finger at others because whatever point we are pointing our fingers at others, we're also doing it ourselves. And hence he said, we are going to be judged by the same standards. Now we're just close by looking at verse four, he says, you know, he says, don't despise the goodness of patience and the long suffering of God because the goodness of God leads you to repentance. So we need to think about this. Now we need to think about this phrase, the goodness of God leads us to repentance. The goodness of God leads you to repentance. The goodness of God leads a person to repentance. Yes, God is a God who's a God of justice. He's a just God. He demands judgment for all the sins that they do. But how does God deal with sinful man? Paul says that the goodness of God leads to repentance. God will judge sin, but you know, God is really trying to do this so that he can draw people in his goodness, his mercy, his forbearance and his long suffering. Okay, so even when in his judgment, even by judging sin, God, what God is really trying to do is he's trying to draw people to his goodness, mercy, forbearance and long suffering. So when we're dealing with the issue of sin and sinfulness with people, whether it's in our own family, whether it's in our offices, it's in our workplace, or whether it's in our ministry, or whether it's in our church, we need to extend the goodness of God so that it leads to repentance to people. We must demonstrate the goodness and mercies of God. Having said that, it does not mean that we condone sin, that we overlook sin or we encourage sin. No, that is not what I'm saying, or that's not what Paul is saying. We need to deal with sin, but we also need to demonstrate the goodness and mercies of God because we know that it's the goodness of God that leads to repentance. And that is what he goes on to talk in verses five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 and 11. So Paul is talking about that in chapters, in verses, sorry, one to 11 when he's saying that we're all doing the wrong things. We're all being judged for the wrong things we are doing. But he says, you first and also the great. And then he's saying, so don't point your finger at others because you yourselves are doing things at the wrong. And you yourselves will be judged, so we cannot judge others. Okay? Yes, something at the hand up here, Sree Kumar. Okay, Pastor. Pastor, I just want to know that when Paul is saying about the judgment here, is it the judgment on sin or is this a final judgment? That is one thing because as a man who is in Christ, so the God judge him through, as we discussed that, God use the same measurement or to judge everyone. So that judging is for the same, but especially when we are in Christ, can God judges without Christ because our judgment is already passed or Jesus has already took. If this judgment is in the final judgment, that also how it is going to be different. How it can be the same, that's my question. Okay, thank you for your question. So the first part of your question is, is this the final judgment? Yes, Pastor. If that is speaking about the final judgment or is it speaking about the sin actually? Are we pardoned? No, it's not the final judgment because here it says in verse four that it's a goodness of God that leads to repentance. So God is, and then he also says that God is judging sin so that people, we can bring people to repentance. People can experience a goodness, mercy for parents and long suffering of God. So this is not, he's not talking about the final judgment, but he's talking about that each one of us, all of us are sinful and God deals with that sin and we can't escape the judgment of God. And also, yes, it's also inclusive that, don't think that because you are a Jew, you have the law, you have the covenants, you have the circumcision ritual, which God initiated as a natural covenant, that you will escape the final judgment. No, it's also saying that you can't judge people in the sins that they're doing now, because you will also be judged because you're not keeping the sin. And also these are not the things that this is going to save you because Paul says it's not the law, it's not the conscience, it's not the reason that we will be judged by, but we will be judged by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Pastor. Did it answer your question, Sneekumar? Yes, Pastor. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks a lot. So yes, there is a judgment that happens, the Lord of God that comes even as we sin, but there is also final judgment. And we can't think that because we are saved and we receive salvation just like the Jews, that there won't be that final judgment against us, we will be judged if we go away from the truth. Hebrews says that when we treat the blood of the covenant, it is an unholy thing, and there's no more, I think it's Hebrews 6 or 8 that we get. There's no more forgiveness of sins but a fearful judgment from God. So we don't know what does that extend that we can go to that even as we save, when we go back with all back, we will, yes, we will still be judged in the final judgment. Okay, thank you. I hope I answered your question, Sneekumar. Yes, yes, Pastor. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Thank you everyone for joining class. Have a blessed Friday and a blessed weekend and see you on next Wednesday. Thank you.