God views hypocrisy as self-condemning — the one who judges another is guilty of the same sin and cannot escape His judgment.
Scripture says the judge condemns himself because he does the same things (Romans 2:1, 3). Les Feldick reinforces this by showing that Paul lists the moral and religious alongside the immoral as equally guilty before God, so no one stands in a position to look down on another person.
Romans 2:1 — This is the opening indictment against the hypocritical judge: he is inexcusable because he condemns himself by doing the same things.
Romans 2:3 — It asks pointedly whether the judge who does the same things can escape God’s judgment — the implied answer is no.
Romans 3:23 — Les cites this as the capstone of Paul’s argument that all humanity, including the moral and religious, has sinned and come short of God’s glory.
The opening verses of Romans 2 put the hypocrite on equal footing with the person he condemns. Paul asks: “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things” (Romans 2:1). The same chapter warns that the one who judges others while practicing those very things cannot escape the judgment of God (Romans 2:3), because God’s judgment is according to truth (Romans 2:2). Paul’s conclusion covers every person, whatever his moral reputation: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Les approaches Romans 2 as part of Paul’s building of God’s case against the whole human race. Paul begins with the most obvious offenders—the immoral—but Les stresses that the “moral” and “religious” categories are just as guilty (Clip 3). He therefore tells his audience not to look down their noses at people caught in sin; apart from the grace of God, every one of us would be no different (Clip 4). The old human nature is bent to rebel, so any restraint is a matter of grace. In the same context, Les says we are not in a position to judge another person—God alone is that person’s Master (Clip 6). At the same time, he distinguishes this personal judgment from church discipline, where unrepentant gross sin must be confronted (Clip 5). Ultimately, our own righteousness counts for nothing; it is only the righteousness God imputes to us through Christ that He sees (Clip 7).
The hypocrite is judged because he condemns someone else for behavior that is also true of himself. Romans 2:1 says the act of judging another condemns the judge, because he does the same things. Les Feldick makes the same point in his teaching on Romans 1–3: the moral and religious people are just as guilty as the openly immoral, because there is none righteous (Clip 3). So the judgment is not about comparing outer reputations; it is about the reality that all have sinned (Romans 3:23).
Les makes a careful distinction. He says a believer is not to judge another person, because that person belongs to God and God alone is the judge (Clip 6). But when a gross, unrepentant sin exists inside the believing community, Paul’s instruction is not to pretend it doesn’t exist; the church is to take hold of it and point out that the person is living in sin (Clip 5). In other words, “do not judge” in the sense of condemning another person does not cancel biblical church discipline.
Les tells his audience never to look down on the people Paul describes in Romans 1, because the same old human nature that is bent to rebel is in every person. If God had not intervened by grace, he says, you and I would be right in the middle of those very sins (Clip 4). This humility is exactly what removes the hypocrisy from our dealings with others.
Why Even "Good People" Can't Escape God's Judgment — Romans 2
programs. Keith thought that we weren't making enough of the videos and the booklets, so he was good enough to set up a little display that the camera can pan in on. And so we want our television audience to be aware that all of our past programs, lessons, whatever you want to call them, have been made available now on videotapes, and also in the printed, in little booklets.
God’s Case Against All Humanity
Les shows that Paul is building a courtroom-style case against everyone, beginning with the most obviously guilty, so the moral person is not left off the hook.
All Have Sinned
Les takes the capstone from Romans 3:23 — everyone, immoral or moral, has sinned and needs God’s grace.
Three Guilty Categories
Les names the immoral, the moral, and the religious as three categories of humanity, and says all have failed and all are guilty.
But for the Grace of God
Les warns against looking down on people in sin because the same rebellious human nature is in every believer; only God’s grace makes us different.
Church Discipline Distinction
Les shows that when gross immorality is present in the church, believers are not to ignore it but must confront the person in sin.
God Alone Is the Judge
Les teaches that we are not to judge another person, using Paul’s example of another man’s servant: God is the Master, not us.
Righteousness Is Imputed
Les explains that our own righteousness is like filthy rags; God sees the righteousness He has placed on us, not our own.
Romans 2:1: Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
This verse directly identifies the hypocrite: judging another while doing the same thing.
Romans 2:2: But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
It grounds God’s judgment in truth, so hidden and internal sins are not outside His sight.
Romans 2:3: And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
It forces the hypocritical judge to face the question of whether he can escape God’s judgment.
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
It is the capstone Paul reaches after exposing the guilt of the immoral, moral, and religious.
Romans 3:24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
It immediately follows the verdict of universal sin to show the only remedy: justification by God’s grace through Christ.
Romans 2:1 says you are without excuse and condemn yourself because you do the same things. Les Feldick adds that the moral person is just as guilty as the immoral person before God.
No. He distinguishes between judging a person and confronting unrepentant sin in the church. A believer is not to judge someone as his master — God is — but when gross immorality exists in the congregation, Paul’s instruction is to identify the sin and call it out.
Les means that no one is naturally better than the people Paul describes in Romans 1; the same bent-to-rebel nature is in everyone, and only God’s grace has restrained it.
Yes. Les specifically places the religious in the same guilty category as the immoral and the moral. Scripture concludes that all have sinned and come short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).
Watch the Teaching: Why Even "Good People" Can't Escape God's Judgment — Romans 2