Rom_2_1-11

Romans 2:1-11

God's Impartiality

Have you ever noticed how easy it is for us to look down upon others? Listen to your conversation and notice how quick and often we despise other people, especially the kinds of people that Paul has described for us in Romans chap. 1. What is it in our own hearts that causes us to think that we are better than others, especially when we know that we have been saved by God's grace alone? It is this judgmental attitude that Paul pierces this morning with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In chap. 1 of Romans, the apostle Paul made the point that God has clearly revealed Himself, His invisible attributes, His eternal power, and His divine nature through everything He has made so that all humanity clearly knows God and are therefore fully accountable to Him and are without any excuse.

But we have all alike suppressed that clear knowledge of God by choosing not to honor God or to be thankful to Him for what He has made. We have exchanged the truth of God for a lie and have sought to be fulfilled through worshipping and serving the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen! (Rom. 1:18, 20-21, 25).

But what about those who have received special revelation from God?

That's what Paul seeks to answer this morning in chaps. 2-3, where he takes out his microscope and focuses all of our attention on just one nation, one people out of the whole world and human history so that we can see more carefully how that one nation handled a fuller, more special revelation of God.

Israel was given God's specific, unique commandments to guide that one people to see how they would react. If the whole world rebelled, what if God narrowed down the whole human race to just one family, on tribe and then gave them specific commandments that they were to keep?

What would they do? How would they fare? Would they do any better than the rest of us? Would they prove to be better than the rest of humanity?

If the whole world has suppressed the knowledge of God written in nature what would happen to these folks to whom God revealed Himself more fully in a way no one else in the world has known? Can the children of Israel with greater knowledge pull this off and redeem himself to God?

This is the focus of Romans chaps. 2-3 and Paul will conclude in the end that like Adam and Eve in the Garden, Israel in the Promised Land, who had made a covenant with God at Mt. Sinai, and was instructed to obey the law written on tablets of stone, did not better:

We know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:19-20).

The prophets of the Old Testament looked forward to a day when God's righteousness would intervene in Israel's history and bring about the last days. The Jews in Paul's day were still looking forward to this promise of God, hoping that it would soon come in their lifetime. But Paul reveals that God's righteousness has already come in the gospel of Jesus Christ:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH” (Rom. 1:16-17).

Paul realized that God's righteousness came in ways the Jews were not expecting. First, God's righteousness has been revealed as a completely gracious act of God and would be theirs only through faith. Second, God's righteousness can belong to anyone, Jew or Gentile, and it can theirs through the same means for all people, by God's grace alone, through faith alone, and on account of Christ alone.

But not only is the offer of the kingdom now being opened wide for all humanity to enter through faith in Christ, but as we will see today, Paul sees all humanity equally in need of God's righteousness. In chap. 1 Paul's stress was on the Gentiles in their rebellion to God, but now Paul says that the Jews are in the same fallen condition as the Gentiles and therefore equally under the wrath of God. Just because the Jews have the law of Moses (2:12-16) and are circumcised (2:25-29) in no way guarantees them of forgiveness for their sins on the day of judgment. As the Gentiles have turned away from God's general revelation in nature so the Jews have equally turned away from the special revelation of God given to them through the law of Moses and therefore all are equally guilty before God:

for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:22b-33).

Contrary to popular belief among the Jews, God will not treat the Jews any differently from the Gentiles in their rebellion to God's revelation. God is impartial and He judges fairly every person according to their works -- as to whether or not they live up to the revelation they have at the time, whether it is the law written upon their hearts or the law written on tablets of stone.

Belonging to the covenant people does not ensure acceptance with God. Neither mere possession of the law nor circumcision (and we might add baptism for us today) assures a person that they truly belong to God. Only faith in Jesus Christ, trusting in the perfect obedience of another, is what exclusively saves, but equally saves all those, whether Jew or Gentile, who trust in the work of Jesus Christ alone.

And Paul will show in chap. 4 that this is not a new thing God is doing but that God has always saved His elect the same way through faith alone in the promises of God. In other words, anyone can belong savingly to God -- anyone can fully possess God's righteousness -- if they rest in the work of Jesus Christ alone.

Some NT scholars today have coined the phrase "covenantal nomism," which basically means we enter into a saving relationship by grace but we stay in that saving relationship through our works. Or to put more precisely, that God's people are saved initially by God's grace in redeeming them and bringing them into a covenantal relationship with Him. But that is no guarantee of their salvation. Now that they are in a covenant relationship they must stay in that relationship with God through their sincere intention to obey the law of God and only at the judgment at the last day will they know if they are truly saved if they have obeyed.

But such a way of thinking about salvation completely contradicts everything Paul says in chaps. 2-3. Salvation has always been by God's grace from beginning to end. If we truly understand man's sinful heart and rebellion to God, man will never be able to keep God's law, even after he has entered into a covenant relationship with Him. Israel proves this fact. Salvation in the OT, as it is in the NT, comes only through faith alone in the promise of God and not through the law. It is only by grace, through and through, that God saves the sinner.

Paul begins our passage this morning by exposing those who stand in judgment over the people he has just described in chap. 1. While Paul could be focusing on any moralists or legalists who thinks he or she has achieved or is achieving their righteous standing with God through their good works, Paul specifically turns his attention upon the Jews.

You can imagine the Jews standing behind Paul as he writes chap. 1, on their feet and cheering Paul as he indicts all the Gentiles world for their rebellion against God, thinking they themselves are far superior to those heathen idolaters. But Paul reveals to them their arrogance in thinking that they are safe from God's wrath when they are guilty of doing the exact same things as those whom they despise. In other words, Paul tells the Jews that they are equally in danger of God's wrath because we are all, Jew and Gentile, in the same boat as sinners.

The Jews were acting like they were set up by God as the judge and jury of the Gentiles when in fact Paul shows that they are equally standing before God's judgment seat, declared guilty by God.

In v. 1, the "therefore" connects chaps. 2-3 to the theme of chap. 1:18-32 that the wrath of God is poured out upon all unrighteousness of men. Just as the Gentiles are under the wrath of God because they suppressed the truth of God revealed to them through nature, so the Jews, who are judging the Gentiles, are equally without any excuse before God (cf. 1:20).

While Paul is specifically focusing upon the Jews, Paul certainly has in his aim everyone who usurps the place of God by standing as a judge over another, condemning other sinners in matters of the soul. When someone stands in judgment of another human being in regards to their spiritual condition we must often wonder if that person thinks he or she has figured out a way to be saved apart from grace. If we are saved only by God's grace, then how can we look down at our neighbor who is in fact in the same condition we are?

Why does such a person think that while he or she judges another fellow human being that he or she is safe from God's wrath? Paul says that such a one is without any excuse before God himself?

In fact, Paul says in v. 1 that in the very act of judging another human being that you are condemning yourself because if you were honest with yourself you do the same things as they. Jesus warns us all:

Do not judge lest you be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. (Matt. 7:1-2).

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 “And do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned . . . For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return” (Luke 6:36-38).

The "self-righteous" are always guilty of doing the same things they accuse others. That's why they are so thunderous and quick to point out the faults of others.

But Paul wants to stress here the equal, level playing field that we are all standing on, both Jew and Gentile, before God's righteous judgment. In v. 2 Paul says that God's judgment is always right or just in that it is always in accord with the facts. While all would agree, Paul goes a step further and declares that because of God's righteous judgment that this means that the Jews themselves are equally guilty and therefore under God's judgment on the same basis as the Gentiles.

The Jews believed that they had a special dispensation with God because they possessed the law of Moses. They are the corner market on God's special grace because they were the children of Israel, God's chosen nation.

While Paul does not deny this special relationship that God has with Israel, he is pressing upon their hearts that they are in no way shielded from God's judgment just because they have been given these special gifts. Rather, with greater privilege some an even greater responsibility to God (cf. vv. 6, 11, 13, 16). Jesus said:

From everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more (Luke 12:48).

Paul is focusing on God's fairness or truthfulness in judgment. Paul wants the person who stands in judgment over others to know that they too will not be able to escape the judgment of God. No one can stand in the place of the righteous judge except the only One who is righteous alone: God. And since the self-righteous also do the same things that they judge others for, Paul stresses that they too stand under God's judgment.

What the Jews or any self-righteous individual doesn't realize that when they don't show mercy to others in their sin then by their own unmerciful attitude they are showing contempt for God's mercy (v. 4). They are taking lightly or presuming upon God's mercy, which Paul describes here in three words: God's goodness or kindness, God's forbearance or tolerance, and God's patience. In other words, the self-righteous legalist does not realize that if they are going to be saved, then it will only be by God's mercy. And they cannot presume to be shown mercy by God if they themselves are guilty of the very things they judge others for. What they don't understand is that if they truly understood God's mercy or kindness that it would lead them to repentance, not doing the same things as others and judging them for it.

Paul shatters here any hope or false security that mere birthright or possession of the law protected the Jews from God's judgment. The Jews are no better off than the Gentiles. And the self-righteous moralist is no better off than the poor, despised sinner. We are all in the same boat together.

In v. 5, Paul warns the Jews that God's day of judgment is coming and even as they are judging others while doing the same things that instead of God's mercy, they will certainly not "escape the judgment of God." These judges of others are storing up or depositing for themselves not blessing or life, but wrath. God's judgment will not, as the Jews believed, be confined solely to the Gentiles.

In v. 6 Paul quotes Ps. 62:12 to remind us that God will render his judgment according to each man's works. As all mankind was under the covenant of works in Adam, so Israel too was under a covenant of works in Moses. And each man and woman will stand before God one day and give an account of their works before God.

In vv. 7-10, Paul tells us that there are only two possible outcomes of God's judgment according to our works:

In v. 7 Paul says to those who persist in doing good in seeking God's glory, honor, and immortality that God will render to them eternal life. In v. 10, Paul repeats himself that God will give glory and honor and peace to all who do good, to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. Paul goes out of his way to stress that the works that God rewards with eternal life is the persistent lifestyle of godliness. Only as man stands before God perfect in his good works has any hope of gaining eternal life at the end judgment.

Equally in v. 8 those whose lives are characterized by selfishness and disobedience to the truth of God will suffer God's wrath and indignation. While not obeying God's truth, those who give themselves in obedience to unrighteousness will stand condemned and experience tribulation and distress at God's righteous judgment (v. 9). But again, just as Paul said of the Gentiles in chap. 1, so the Jews also with the Gentiles will be the subjects of God's wrath. There are only two destinies in store for every person, Jew and Gentile, at the time of God's righteous judgment. Those who do not receive eternal life, will certainly face the punishment of God's wrath, which applies equally to both Jew and Gentile.

God will judge every person on the same basis -- by their works -- and not be religious heritage or national identity. If anything, that religious heritage of the Jews only intensifies their responsibility before God. Only perfect, persistent obedience will be rewarded with eternal life. God treats all people equally -- for there is no impartiality with God (v. 11).

So what's Paul doing here? If we are all saved or condemned by works then what hope is there for any of us? Who among us has persisted in perfect obedience? Even the most self-righteous among us would have to readily admit that they fall short of God's glory at times. As Paul says in Rom. 3:23:

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

And to make matters even worse, as Paul says in Rom. 5 that we are all born in sin. From the very start, the moment we are conceived, we are sinners.

If we are all judged by our works, is their any hope for us? Paul concludes this section in Rom. 3:

Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin as it is written,“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE” . . . Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:9-12, 19-20).

Paul is leveling the death blow to all who are self righteous and stand in judgment of others. No one can stand in judgment of another human being in regard to eternal salvation because we are all in the same boat of sin and condemnation. If we are to be judged by works, then none of us will make it. From the very beginning we were born sinners and none of us ever seeks after God . . . there is none who does good, there is not even one.

Beloved, that is why Jesus had to come and take your place. That is why there was One who came upon us and did good -- perfect good. And that is why Jesus willingly laid down His own life in your place -- so that your sin debt would be paid in full. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ. We must flee to Him alone for safety. That's why Paul started this letter with the exclamation:

And because our salvation is from beginning to end by the grace of God we must always be careful about how we look upon others. It is not our place to usurp God's authority to stand as judge over another. Our Creator and Redeemer will deal justly with all humanity. And that's why our message to the world is always "seek the Lord and live." For whoever will:

confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; 10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; 13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD will be saved” (Rom. 10:9-13).

Amen!

-SDG-