“If your beliefs offend someone or hurt their feelings, it is wrong.” Summit/Barna Survey
• Evangelicals over 45 – 8% agree strongly • Evangelicals under 45 – 29% agree strongly
How can anyone read Romans chapters 1-3 and not be offended, not feel hurt, not feel guilty before God? That is why it was written. To give us the bad news of sin and judgment, which makes the Good News of grace and forgiveness so good!
• In Romans 1, the Gentiles and pagans are described as those who are suppressing the truth, exchanging the truth, and being turned over to their own lusts in order to experience God’s present wrath. They are without excuse.
• In Romans 2, another group of people comes under God’s judgment. They are the group that has the truth, but they believe they are better than others. These self-appointed judges will be judged by God too.
Romans 2:1 (NASB), “Therefore you have no excuse, you foolish person, everyone of you who passes judgment; for in that matter in which you judge someone else, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”
• THIS IS NOT: A ban on good moral judgment. • THIS IS: A diatribe against the foolish, judgmental, self-righteous hypocrite. • SEE: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18) • Romans 1, is about God’s judgment on unrighteousness. • Romans 2 is about God’s judgment on self-righteousness.
Romans 2:2 (NASB), “And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
• Contrary to the hypocrite, God judges rightly and truly. • KJV, “...the judgment of God is according to truth.” • God’s judgments are based on truth v. 2. • God’s judgment is inescapable v. 3. • God’s judgment is delayed because God is patient and kind, giving tome for the sinner to repent v.4. • What does repentance mean? It means to change your mind. It means to agree with God. It means to change your direction
Romans 2:5, “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will repay each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life; 8 but to those who are self-serving and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, He will give wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of mankind who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek, 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
• God’s judgment is righteous v. 5 • God’s judgement is based on deed done or not done v. 5-6. • For those who refuse to repent and continue to do wrong: there will be the repayment of God’s future wrath, indignation, tribulation, distress. • But, for those who repent and persevere in doing good: There will be the repayment of glory, honor, peace, and eternal life.
Romans 2:11, “For there is no partiality with God. 12 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; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.”
• God’s judgment is without partiality v. 11 • Jewish people go first in judgment, because they were first in receiving God’s law. They have the special revelation of the law of Moses – the OT. Did they obey? • For the Gentiles without the law, they will be judged by the law written on their hearts – meaning their conscience (Romans 2:15). They will also be judged by the light of creation, that speaks to them about a Creator (Romans 1:20). Judgment will be based on rejecting the light that God sent them.
GRAPHIC: Natural Revelation and Special Revelation
Jesus is God’s Final Judge
John 3:18 (NASB), “The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
