Romans 2:6-16: "God's Judgment Pt. II"

Paul continues his discussion on God's judgment and what's to come for both the believer and unbeliever. Paul has told us that the unbeliever will receive the wrath that has been stored up by God on the day of wrath and judgment. On this day, we are told God "will render to every man according to his deeds." In vs. 7 and 8, we can see the works of the redeemed and unredeemed. The redeemed are characterized by "perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life." As Christians our whole life is lived in opposition to the world. Because of this, we will constantly be faced with hard choices and trials. The Christian who lives by the spirit will continually be persevering through these trials to what is right and good. The redeemed will not do this for their own good, but to ultimately bring honor and glory to God. This should be the goal of the Christian. As a Christian, I must think through all I say and do and ask myself, 'will this honor and glorify God?' Often times we forget to think through our decisions in this way and we bring dishonor to God through poor decision making. As Christians we are also seeking immortality as we live with God in eternity. This is the ultimate joy and gift to the believer. After living a life of trials and perseverance we are ultimately looking for the prize: which is perfect communion w/ God in heaven. MacArthur writes, "[Paul] is describing what the life of a true believer is like, pointing out that those divinely-bestowed qualities will eventuate in the final glory of the divinely-bestowed eternal life."

On the other hand, Paul also explains what the life of an unbeliever will look like to God on the day of judgment. They are described as "selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation." MacArthur commentates, "Here Paul contrasts those who prove by their good deeds that they belong to God with those who similarly prove by their bad deeds that they do not belong to Him." They are first described as "selfishly ambitious". Nothing describes our world better than selfishly ambitious. We are groomed by the media and influential people around us all our lives to strive to be the best we can be for ourselves because we deserve it. Everything that is done by a non-believer is for self. They seek at whatever cost the fame and fortune they so crave. They are also described as those that "do not obey the truth, but obey righteousness." God has clearly set out that we are either righteous or unrighteous. That we are either of the truth or full of lies. Those who do not obey truth, by nature obey their sinful desires. All they know is unrighteousness because they are a slave to their sin. Matt. 6:24 says, "no one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other". Man who is unregenerate will obey unrighteousness and have no truth in him.

In the previous verse where we saw the righteous will one day seek and attain immortality and eternal life, the unrighteous man will receive wrath and indignation. MacArthur helps us better understand indignation as it "represents an agitated, vehement anger that rushes along relentlessly. The root meaning has to do with moving rapidly and was used of a man's breathing violently while pursuing an enemy in great rage. It is used by the writer of Hebrews to describe Pharaoh's murderous fury at Moses". Paul goes on further to tell us that not only will they receive "wrath and indignation", but "there will be tribulation and distress for every should of man who does evil." Often times as Christians we can look around and wonder why the wicked seemed to go unpunished. They get to 'have all the fun' but don't seem to have consequences. Although this may seem the case on the outside, normally these individuals are lonely and depressed. But even worse than this, we should understand are eternal futures and see the horrible end that God has set up for them full of tribulation and distress.

The Jews were used to being called God's chosen. They knew they had a special place in history as God set them apart as His chosen people. With this they understood they had special benefits and treasures and were the first to receive salvation. But what we also must understand is that they will be the first to receive punishment as well. With greater knowledge comes greater accountability. In regards to the judgment to come Paul states, "of the Jew first and also of the Greek". This may have been a shock to the Jews, but all along Paul has been building a case for the Jews to understand that they cannot rely on their heritage, or works righteousness for salvation, but rather, they must know that they will be held accountable for all their deeds.

To show the Jews that their "being chosen" will not be able to save them on the day of judgment Paul states "For there is no partiality with God". God does not show favorites when it comes to salvation. Only those who have Christ's righteousness will escape his wrath. To show the Jews that apart from Christ all men are looked at the same regardless of their heritage or good works on earth. Paul continues "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". Those "without the Law" would be the Gentiles and those "with the Law" would be the Jews. Paul is basically saying what he later states in Rom. 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Every Gentile who has sinned and does not have Christ will perish in hell, and all Jews who have sinned and does not have Christ will perish in hell. God is not partial as many of the Jews falsely believed. To further convict the Jews, Paul says "for not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified." The Jewish people had grown up with the Law and they knew it backwards and forwards. They had heard about God their whole lives. However, this only held them more accountable. In fact, this situation held the Jews who did not believe in a worse position than the Gentiles who had not grown up with the Law. The would be held in stricter judgment because of their ample opportunity to come to Christ through His word. God is looking for those who will hear His word and then respond with heart obedience. To hear of God means nothing, to believe in God means nothing (for even the demons do that), but to respond to God's word in humility and repent for your sins, and glorify God as He deserves is what God will reward. Only when we do that will we be justified before Him as we are clothed in Christ's righteousness.

In this next section, Paul seems to answer the often asked question, 'how can those who have not heard His word or been given the truth, be held accountable?' Or as Paul states it how can those who have not been given the Law, be held responsible for what they have never heard? Paul answers this in verses 14 and 15. Paul writes, "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 in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them". Paul had already established the fact that we are all held accountable because we have been given the clear understanding and testimony of God's existence in his creation and in our consciences. When those who do not have God's Word to live by, but respond to the little light they have received by obeying their God-given consciences and believing that their is a God by trusting in His beautiful creation, God will honor this and give them the knowledge they need to be saved. In fact, it is their own consciences and their obedience to it that is looked at as the same as knowing God's Word and obeying it. God looks into our hearts and knows our every thought. Paul was emphasizing to the Jews that God is not interested in following a set of rules or laws, but a heart that sought after God and desires to obey it. It is in fact our "thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them." Paul was continually helping the Jews understand that they all must stand before God and the more they knew, the more they were held accountable to. The Jews must have been frightened with all the knowledge they had received. God was using Paul to show them this and help them repent.

All this culminates on the day of judgment. Paul explains, "on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus." This is not when we get rewarded because we went to church or read our bibles or sang some worship songs. This is where God looks deep into us, knowing everything we have ever done, and judges us. The key to this verse and the amazing truth it reveals shows that all the judging will be done "through Christ Jesus". This is quite reassuring to believer's as they know they will be ashamed standing before a holy and perfect God with all they have ever done laid out before them. Knowing that God will see Christ in their hearts, and knowing their wrath has already been poured out in Christ. MacArthur states, "Because the Lord infallibly know every person's motives for doing the things he does, He can infallibly judge whether or not those deeds are truly good or bad, whether they come from the flesh or from the Spirit ." Paul again hammers at the point that "religious behavior" does nothing for you when you face God the judge. You will be stripped of every work you have ever done because it is tainted with sin and only those that have Christ Jesus in their hearts will live in eternity with God. May this be terrifying to those who are not saved and encouraging to those who know Christ.