Proverbs 17; Romans 2

Proverbs 17
More wise sayings for today:

• "Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting--and conflict." v. 1
• "Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children." v. 6 The generations should love and support one another.
• "Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends." v. 9 Don't hold a grudge! 
• "A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need." v. 17
• "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength." v. 22
• "A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent." vv. 27-28 I guess it's safe to say that we're all better off when we keep our big mouths shut! :)

Romans 2
vv. 1-16 Paul makes the case that God will judge sin. No one has the right to judge others' sin. We are all guilty before God, and He is patient and gracious to us all. Those who refuse God's grace and forgiveness face His judgement. Everyone knows God's law--the Jews were given God's law, and Gentiles have it written on their hearts in the form of a conscience.

vv. 17-19
Remember that Paul is writing a letter to the Jewish believers in Rome. The Jews tended to be proud because God had entrusted them with the law. But Paul rebukes them because even though they know the law, they do not obey it. He tells them at the end of the chapter that they are not "true Jews" because of their birth or because they kept Jewish rituals. "No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision (keeping of rituals) is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.