“How God Judges”
By Pastor Rich Paradis
Romans 2:1-16
As we open chapter 2, we will be continuing the argument that was began along with its results in chapter 1. But we will also be taking a moment of “parenthesis”, a pause in part of the argument, to discuss the judgment of God. What has been discussed thus far is the need for the gospel, in the first 17 verses of chapter 1. What followed was a look at the gentile (non-Jew) sinner and the trajectory of his or her sin. It would seem that the Jew would be discussed next in the argument, but Paul takes a moment to discuss the need for all people to look at God, not just the sinning gentile or the supposed moral Jew. This look will be followed by the discussion of the Jew in more specific ways.
I. A brief discussion on judgment itself Romans 2:1
a. Before jumping into a discussion on how God judges, the chapter opens with some connecting remarks to the previous one. Chapter 1 ended with an explanation of the trajectory of the mind and actions of the gentile sinner. There is a specific “they” to most of the discussion. “They” is the person who does not embrace the gospel and continues to live for himself or herself. That person will be “given over” by God to their own ways and their results. Are those that chose this way somehow victims of a mean God? No, they have chosen their way and even celebrate it in their hearts and with others that have chosen the same plan.
b. Romans 2 will ultimately discuss the Jew and his or her situation before God beginning in Vs. 17, but that discussion is preceded with an overall reminder that all of us were and at times continue to be like the persons discussed at the end of chapter 1.
c. Our desire is to make a 3rd column of people; sinning gentiles, sinning Jews, and some other group of moral onlookers to all of this mess. This 3rd group does not exist in Scripture. All of us need the provision of the gospel, whether Jew or gentile (non-Jew). There are no exceptions to this need.
d. There would have been huge cultural pressure on the part of the Jews to see themselves as “the exception” to this need. Because they were God’s people and had the God-given Law for their compass, it would have been easy for them to have fallen into the trap of judgment of these “others” that were not under God’s authority or plan. But Vs. 1 is not just applicable to the Jew. It is a “not very subtle” reminder that anyone can fall to the temptation of self-righteousness, which will have its results both in harshly judging others and not judging yourself.
e. Judgment in general assumes that you have the information and knowledge necessary for this activity. That person would have to possess both knowledge of right and knowledge of wrong to judge adequately. And if you have this information or knowledge necessary to judge others, logic would say than you must also have the information and knowledge necessary to judge yourself rightly. But this rarely happens amongst the self-righteous.
f. The phrase at the end of verse 1 is particularly stinging. It says that those that are involved in this self-righteous condemnation of others are, in fact, practicing the same thing! Not only that, but will also be condemned just like one of “them”! What a hypocritical and ignorant response for a person that supposedly has the information and knowledge necessary to judge rightly!!
g. So, in light of this indictment against the Jew and the “Jew” in all of us, we now need some insight into how God judges. The balance of the passage will give us insight into this important matter before continuing our discussion regarding the sinning Jews.
II. How God Judges: Truth Romans 2:2-4
a. The first thing that is said about God’s judgment is that it is done from truth. It is done “rightly”, according to Verse 2. To help these that are mired in self-righteousness and self-deception, Paul offers the fact that God’s judgment is done from a platform of truth instead of these former non-virtues.
b. This person that is seeing themselves as auditor and judge of another is reminded in this passage that he or she should, because of their “ability” to judge, be able to see their own predicament. But they don’t! This person somehow sees themselves as the exception from the judgment of God.
c. Verse 3 asks a question that has to hurt. Do you think that you will escape the judgment of God? The self-righteous and self-deceived one would initially say that they aren’t in that “sinner” column like these others and that they don’t deserve the same indictment or judgment.
d. Verse 4 even makes it worse on this self-righteous and self-deceived person. It accuses him or her of “thinking lightly” of the reason for God’s kindness, tolerance and patience: repentance. God’s seeming “non-judgment” of sin in the moment is neither a sign of the Jews lack of security or a sign of His weakness to do it. It is an opportunity for the offending one to repent and go another direction.
III. How God judges: What a person has done Romans 2:5-11
a. From the beginning of this point being made, it is important to note that Paul is not saying that a person is being saved based on what he or she does. He is saying that a person is judged based on what he does. This is important in that it does not teach a “works” salvation, nor does it make Paul the promoter of such an idea.
b. Verse 5 reminds us of the person that God will judge. He or she is one who is stubborn and unrepentant in their hearts. In addition to the wrath of God which is being demonstrated in His “giving over” of this person to their own ways and results, there will also be a final judgment for this unrepentant person where each of their deeds will be exposed and judged by God. When this type of unrepentant behavior is the pattern and lifestyle, than there is a “storing up” of wrath in addition to the rightful trajectory and sorrow of a life lived for self is lived out.
c. This wrath is executed on the individual, as is quoted in Vs. 6. This verse is another clue to the fact that this section is being pointed towards the moralizing Jews in that it is a quote from the Old Testament scriptures, namely Psalm 62:12 and Proverbs 24:12.
d. It is important to note that God’s righteous judgment would require that if a man or woman could live a perfect life than He would be rewarded with eternal life according to Vs.7. But there is none that can do this according to Romans 3:23. There are neither those that can live a perfect life nor are there any that are as bad as they can possibly be. So everyone is living somewhere between the two ends of the continuum.
e. In contrast to those that hypothetically live a life of persevering perfection and are judged righteous and given eternal life, there is another group that is noted in Vs. 8. These who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth by chasing unrighteousness will receive both wrath and the anger of God.
f. Verses 9-10 restate this in an interesting and shocking way to the Jew who might have been convinced that he or she was the exception to this entire argument. These verses say that your destiny is not dependent on whether you are a Jew or a Gentile. Tribulation and distress are the judgment of the evil, while glory, honor and peace are the judgment of the perfect if there were any that were perfect.
g. Verse 11 answers the follow-up question of “why”. The reason is that God is not partial. He does not play favorites in relation to judgment. The same criteria will be used for all, even those that might think that this doesn’t apply them.
IV. How God judges: Insight received Romans 2:12-16
a. God’s righteousness will not allow for a person to be held responsible for what they have never possessed. Paul has already made it clear that every person possesses knowledge of God in 1:19-20. Therefore, everyone will be accountable to God for their response to Him. The Jews would seem to have a distinct advantage in this department in that they were God’s people and did receive the compass for living from God in the Mosaic Law.
b. Verse 12-15 continues the argument by noting again both the Jew and the Gentile. The sinning Gentile who did not receive the Mosaic Law will perish not because of his failure to keep the Mosaic Law, but because of his rebellion to the law written on his heart and conscience. Similarly, the sinning Jew is condemned by holding on to of the Law that he or she did receive, the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law which no Jew can completely obey is their undoing and judgment.
c. But how can the Gentile do the work of the Law without the Law? Because of what God has written on their hearts. But this “natural revelation” has no ability to save him or her. And it is not lasting. This conscience will sometimes defend them and will sometimes condemn them.
d. So, in the end, God will judge based on our response or lack of response to the gospel. In verse 16, Paul says that response to the gospel will “judge the secrets of men”. What the compass of a man or woman’s life is will be measured by the gospel and a person’s reception of it. It will not be our lineage, or our heritage, or our ability or non-ability to adhere to the Mosaic Law or the law written on our hearts. It will be our response to God through the gospel. Note that Paul refers to the gospel as “my” gospel”. Remember in 1:1, where Paul said that he was “set apart to the gospel”. He also noted his obligation to this gospel in Vs. 14. Paul is so connected to this gospel by which God will judge all that he even refers to it as his own. 2 Corinthians 5:19 speaks of this “ownership” of the gospel when Paul again notes that this “ministry of reconciliation” has been entrusted to us by God. WOW!
V. An Application For All Of Us
a. We are kidding ourselves if we think that we don’t sin in the same ways as the “sinners” noted in Romans 1:18-32.
b. All that are outside of the protection of the gospel will be judged by God in 3 ways:
i. According to the truth.
ii. According to the works that they have done.
iii. According to the insight that they have received.
c. We who have received the gospel and are followers of Christ are owners of its truth and are to be “ambassadors of reconciliation”, according to 2 Corinthians 5:19.
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