Romans 2

Last time in the Romans 1 we learned because of all of God’s creation humanity is without excuse.  We should not doubt God, the truth, or who He is.  We learned because of men’s wickedness God gave them over to their desires and depraved minds.  They suppress the truth and don’t give Him thanks.  They know what is right, but choose to exchange truth for lies.  This time we will see that God will cut through our excuses and the truth about our stubborn unbelief will come out. 

Romans 2:1-16 – Impartial Judgment

Therefore you have no excuse.  You pass judgment on others and the things you pass judgment on is the exactly the same things you do yourself.  You are condemning yourself.  You know that God’s judgment is based on truth.  When you pass judgment, how can you yourself escape God’s judgment?  You show contempt of the riches of His kindness, His tolerance and patience and don’t realize God’s kindness leads toward repentance. (Rom. 2:1-4)

Are you self-righteous?

Are you prone to judge others?

Principle:  God’s judgment will be according to truth.

Paul is again saying that mankind has no excuse.  His repetition is dramatizing the truth that we as humans can’t seem to admit when we do wrong and are always making excuses.  God will cut through those excuses and the truth about our stubborn unbelief will come out. 

Do you make excuses?

Do you blame other instead of admitting you are in the wrong?

To pass judgment is condemning others for sin when it’s God’s job not ours.  Being self-righteous is a sin we find it hard to see in ourselves.  It tells others that we are good enough in ourselves to qualify for heaven and don’t’ really need a Savior.  A self-righteous person is quick to accuse others and doesn’t want to think about his own sin.  When you condemn other sinners for the same sin you do, on judgment day God’s says you will be without excuse.  It isn’t wrong to judge those in the church who profess to be believers, but are living in sin. (1 Cor. 5:9-13).  Paul is talking about self-righteously judging.  “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” – Matt. 7:1-2         

I think we are all a little self-righteous.  Maybe we don’t act immorally or practice impurity, but what about how we fill our minds with TV and movies filled with profanity, violence, and sexual immorality?  Sometimes we pick parts of the Bible we like that condemns others and ignore other parts that condemn us.  This makes us hypocrites.

How are you a hypocrite?

Do you pass judgment on your spouse, but fail to look at your own failures?

God is tolerant and patience.  He doesn’t strike us dead instantly when we sin.  If that were the case, we would have been dead long ago.  God is slow to anger and gives us every opportunity to repent so we won’t face His judgment.  Just because He is tolerant, kind, and patient don’t think you will escape His final judgment.  He is all that so you will repent.  He is just giving you more time.

Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath.  God will give to each one what he has done.  Those persistent in doing good and obeying seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life.  Those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, will experience God’s wrath and anger.  There will be trouble and distress for everyone who does evil – Jews and Gentile.  All those who do good will have glory, honor and peace.  God does not show favoritism. (Rom. 2:5-11)

Our biggest problem is unrepentant hearts.  Yes, we are all stubborn to a point.  To repent means to have a change of heart and mind and turn away from sin and turn to God.  It’s being sorry for our sins enough to stop sinning and turn to God.  If you have not come to Jesus and confessed your sins and turned from them, He is waiting for you.  He will forgive you no matter what you’ve done.  Spend time in His Word for guidance as to how to live the way He wants you to live.

What do your actions reveal about your heart attitude toward God?

Paul says that Jews are God’s chosen people, but they don’t get special favors when it comes to judgment.  If fact, they will be first in line.  He will judge everyone according to his deeds.  He will judge everyone impartially.  All will stand before God is judgment.

If you are not a believer, you will see God’s wrath.  There will be trouble and distress for you.  There will be eternal punishment for you.  You will go to hell and that’s not a place where you want to be.  God will judge each person individually and will be impartial. 

If you believe in Jesus, He gives you eternal life.  To have eternal life means after your earthly death, your life will go on forever.  You will be in the very presence of God forever and ever.  Eternal life really begins the moment you come to know God through faith in Jesus.  Paul says eternal life is glory, honor, immorality and peace.

Good works do not earn salvation, but are evidence of salvation.  Genuine saving faith results in a life of good deeds.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Eph. 2:8-10.

If you knew you would stand before God tomorrow, how would you live your life differently today?

All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.  Those who obey the law will be declared righteous.  The Gentiles don’t have the law, but do things required by the law.  The requirements of the law are written in their hearts and their consciences, which is defending them.  God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ as the gospel declares. (Rom. 2:12-16)

The Jews relied on the law and bragged about their relationship to God.  They sinned under the law and the Gentiles sinned without the law.  The Gentiles have an inner sense of right and wrong.  They have a conscience.  He is saying that everyone should know it is wrong to mistreat others, to murder, to steal, etc.  No matter who you are there will be judgment of all according to your outward deeds as well as your secrets.

God knows our hidden motives.  He knows all our secrets.  He knows when we outwardly serve Him, but He also knows the lust in our hearts.  He sees everything.  Nothing will escape Him on judgment day.

What are your secrets?

How can you make your conscience more reliable?

The Jews thought they were special, but God is impartial.  Some Christians think they are special and hold themselves with high honor.  God does not show favoritism.  All will be held accountable.  God will judge by the standard of Jesus.  That’s good news.  Jesus knows what it’s like to be a man and He will not punish those who trust and believe in Him.  He has rescued them from sin by His death on the cross.

Principle:  God will impartially judge each person according to his deeds.

Romans 2:17-24 – Hypocrisy

The Jews knew the law and relied on it.  If they know His will and are convinced to be a guide to the Gentiles, then they should teach and as they teach they will also be teaching themselves.  Paul questions them about their attitudes.  Were they teaching it is wrong to steal, commit adultery, rob temples, and dishonor god by breaking the law?  (Rom. 2:17-24).

Knowledge alone is not enough.  God will judge according to what people actually do.

The Jews were privileged people.  They had knowledge about God.  They were God’s chosen people.  They had a special relationship with Him.  They were chosen to serve in His temple.  God gave them the Law to live by.  He protected and provided them for 40 days in the wilderness and throughout history.  He promised them many descendants.  Instead of being grateful they were arrogant, boastful, prideful, self-serving, and even hypocrites.

Are you a teacher in your church?  Do you practice what you preach?  Are you a hypocrite?  Are you setting good examples for your students?  Do you have wrong attitudes?  Do you boast in God, but do not honor Him?  Do you honor yourself instead?  How are you humbled before God?  How are you leading others to worship Him more fervently?  Do you apply His Word to your own life?

Principle:  Hypocrisy dishonors God and damages unbelievers.

Romans 2:25-29 – Ritual VS Reality

Circumcision has value if you observe the law.  If those who are not circumcised keep the law, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?  The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the law and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.  A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly.  A man is a Jew if he is one inwardly and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit not the law.  This man’s praise is from men not from God. (Rom. 2:25-29).

The Jews trusted in their religious rituals.  Circumcision was a sign God gave to Abraham to show a covenant between God and Israel.  It symbolized moral purity and separation from the world.  The Jews said the Gentiles needed to receive circumcision.  But with God it is not a matter of outward appearance.  It is a matter of the heart.  Circumcision doesn’t free anyone from sin or make a good relationship with God.  Many people are circumcised, but refuse to obey God.  True circumcision is not a matter of the flesh, but of the heart.

We can substitute baptism or church member for the word circumcision in verses 25-27.  People today use these are outward signs for their relationship with God.  Just because you are baptized or belong to a church doesn’t necessarily mean you are saved.  God looks at the heart, not the outward appearances.

Churches today have rituals like pastors dressed in special robes, infant baptism, lighting a candle for the dead, making a cross sign over their chest, confession to a priest, etc.  There are really only 2 rituals we should observe.  They are baptism and communion.  It’s not about rituals, but about what is in your heart.

What rituals do you practice?

Principle:  True circumcision is a matter of the heart.

Next time we will study Romans 3.  Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

__________________________________________

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below. 

You can follow me by clicking the “Follow” button or you can "Subscribe by Email".  If you follow by email, you will receive an email every time there is a new post.