Sharing my Vices

I have embarked upon a study of the book of Romans in the bible. This is our new project in house church. We finally finished the very long book of Isaiah, which was very long. Have I mentioned Isaiah's excessive length?

I've studied Romans before, but I am trying to avoid the commentators and notes from the last time I studied, so as to look at it from a fresh approach. I could spend a month on the introduction alone.

This morning, I was looking at the last verse of chapter one, and the first verse of chapter 2. Basically, it teaches in the end of ch 1 that if I sin and encourage others to also, that's bad. In Chapter 2, it teaches that if I sin, but pass judgement on others who do likewise, that's bad too. It's kind of a drag, because I am both an enthusiastic ringleader, and a judgemental hypocrite.
I suppose that admitting the problem is the first step, huh?
You're judging me, aren't you?

It's funny, if you think about it. If I'm going to get drunk, or gossip about you, I really don't have much fun doing either alone. Join me! And basically, I will either approve of what you are doing, or disapprove.
Both are wrong.
All this is a heart issue. When I applaud your sin, or pass judgement on you for it, you may never even know what I've done.
But God knows.
And I know.
The stuff in my heart matters so much. The way I think about others, and the way I treat them matters immeasurably. There's so much of relationship in all of this.

In Romans 1:5, Paul is talking about what he does as an apostle. He says that he has the job of showing to others a faith that results in obedience. This is the effect that we are supposed to have on one another.
What an effect that would be!