And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40.

Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2.

This morning in our Friday Zoom Retreat, we talked about the question of whether there is a real revival going on now in our world and what revival means. And if humility on our part is not being brought forth, can it be a real revival toward Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit? If revival means looking down on others, an “us versus them” attitude, is that not just a revival of all God does not want in us? Or is a revival about loving God and in loving Him, love His children whom He loves? He knows our sins. They are ever before Him. Do we know our need for His love collectively? And our chapter, Romans 2, fit so beautifully with all we talked about this morning. Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? v. 1-4. Can we read that again? Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience…not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? The kindness of God…not our condemnation and judging. But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written on their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. v. 5-29.

Where does that leave us who love God? Are we on a knife’s-edge of knowing how bad sin is and its consequences – and overlooking sin so as to not judge? But that attitude brings us right back to “us vs. them”, and we are not without sin. God knows our sins, mine and yours. He tells me to let His love fill my heart, to let His love in His Law of His Love for Him and others bring me peace. He sees His love bringing healing to all hearts hurting, His love binding all our wounds and wiping away all our tears. Remember in the gospels the prostitute who came where Jesus was and fell at His feet crying and wiping her tears from His feet with her hair? The Pharisee who sat in judgment and scorn of her reputation, a sinner, shrank back. Jesus, the Son, welcomed her and loved her and knew her tears were because of all He had forgiven and healed in her. The Love of Creator God brings newness of joy in our hearts turned to Him. How much more does His Love accomplish that our barren and hardened hearts turned away in scorn and condemnation will never understand? If there is a revival it will be the Holy Spirit guiding us to love God and to love one another in trust that Creator God is Love and His Love is Good. That understanding that our God is Love will not be able to keep people away, who hunger for real hope! He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8.