JUDGMENT OF GOD

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
1. Paul shows in the first three chapters of Romans that both Jews   
  and Gentiles are in sin and in need of the gospel of Christ.
   a. The first chapter reveals that the Gentiles were without       
      excuse. Rom. 1:20-23
   b. Paul gave a long list of the sins of which the Gentiles were   
      guilty. Rom. 1:28-30
2. Chapter two is addressed to the Jews, as is shown in verse 17.
   a. The first part of the chapter reveals much about the judgment.
   b. Such verses, when properly ascertained, will strike terror in  
      our hearts.
   c. Let us examine them carefully.

2:1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who
judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for
you who judge practice the same things.
1. "Therefore" - Wherefore, you Jews, too, are without excuse.
2. "Inexcusable" - Gr. "anapologetos." It means literally, "no       
   apology, no defense."
   a. They had nothing to plead in their defense when they practiced
      the same sins.
3. "Judge" - This includes more than the mere act of judging. It     
   means to pass sentence on, condemn.
4. "Condemn yourself" - If their judgment was good against the       
   Gentiles, it was good against themselves, for they practiced the  
   same things; thus, they stood self-condemned.

2:2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth
against those who practice such things.
1. The Jews might say, "So my judgment is wrong on the Gentiles, but
   what does that prove?"
   a. Paul answers, "Yes, your judgment may be wrong, but God's is
      not."
2. "Is according to truth" - Is just and right - Not according to
   appearance.
3. "Practice such things" - Not just once, but constantly
   reoccurring.

2:3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing
such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of
God?
1. "Do you think you can condemn others for doing exactly what you
   are doing, and escape the wrath of God?
   a. Application: Self-evaluation seems to be a hard endeavor for
      human beings. We need to be careful that the sins we condemn in
      others have not taken root in ourselves. It is very easy by our
      actions to be self-condemned before God.

2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and
longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to
repentance?
1. "Despise" - To look down on; hence, to show contempt for.
2. "Goodness" - Kindness. God had been exceedingly good to the Jews.
   He has been good toward all.
3. "Forbearance" - Patience; to bear with.
4. "Longsuffering" - To suffer long with; denotes a delay of         
   punishment.
5. "Leads you to repentance?"
   a. God's goodness appeals to the best in man and causes him to
      respond. 1 John 4:19
   b. God is good in giving us time to repent. 2 Pet. 3:9,15a
   c. The Jews boasted that they were the object of God's special
      favors; however, by not repenting, they showed they despised
      God's goodness.
   d. Modern man thinks that the goodness of God will cause God to
      overlook his wickedness.
   e. Application: How about us? Do we appreciate God's goodness
      or despise it? We clearly despise it when we do not repent of  
      our sins.

2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart
you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and
revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
1. "Hardness" - "Stubborness" (NASV)
2. "Impenitent heart" - Typical of the Jews and many today.
3. "Treasuring up for yourself" - "Storing up wrath against yourself"
   (NIV)
   a. We can accumulate treasures in heaven by our good works or we
      accumulate wrath by our evil deeds.
4. "Day of wrath" - At the second coming of Christ when all the      
   wicked will be punished with everlasting destruction. 2 Thess.    
   1:6-9
5. "Revelation of the righteous judgment" - The fairness and         
   impartiality of God will be manifested.
   a. God will judge the world in righteousness. Acts 17:31
   b. The righteous judge will preside. 2 Tim. 4:8
6. Application: Our God is a consuming fire and some day we will     
   stand before him to be judged. What an awesome thought! We need to
   ponder it well.

2:6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds":
1. The judgment will be on an individual basis.
2. The judgment will be in accord with our works. "And the dead were
   judged according to their works, by the things which were written 
   in the books." Rev. 20:12
3. This, and the following verses, show that "faith alone" or "grace
   alone" cannot be true. Please notice these remarks on verse 7 from
   the Life Application Bible: "Paul says that those who patiently   
   and persistently do God's will find eternal life. He is not       
   contradicting his previous statement that salvation comes by faith
   alone (Romans 1:16-17). We are not saved by good deeds, but when  
   we commit our lives fully to God, we want to please him and do his
   will. As such, our good deeds are a grateful response to what God 
   has done, not a prerequisite to earning his grace."
   a. Believers of "faith alone" see the need in replying to Paul's
      words.
   b. Paul would be contradicting his previous statement if indeed he
      had taught "faith alone" in Rom. 1:16-17.
   c. Our good deeds are both a grateful response to what God has
      done (1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:14) and a prerequisite to obtaining  
      His grace.
      i.  The labor which endures to everlasting life starts with    
          faith in Christ. John 6:26-29
      ii. Faith by itself is dead. James 2:15-17
      iii. Rahab the harlot did those things in order to be          
           justified.

2:7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good
seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
1. The phrase "eternal life" is at the end of the verse in the       
   original Greek.
2. "Patient continuance" - They are persistent in practicing good    
   deeds. It becomes a way of life to them.
3. "Seek for glory, honor, and immortality" - Their goal and         
   objective is high. Phil. 3:14

2:8-9 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath, tribulation and
anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and
also of the Greek;
1. "Self-seeking" - A desire to put oneself forward, a factious,     
   partisan spirit. This word is found before NT times only in       
   Aristotle where it denotes a self-seeking pursuit of political    
   office by unfair means. (Arndt & Gingrich)
   a. Paul exhorts us to not put self forward or to be selfish. Phil.
      2:3-4
   b. James speaks against having self-seeking or self-promoting in  
      our hearts. James 3:13-16
   c. Many people seek to serve and please themselves rather than
      God. Phil. 3:18-19
   d. A very simple basic of Christianity is to "deny self." Luke    
      9:23
2. "Do not obey the truth" - The truth must be obeyed. 
3. "Obey unrighteousness" - They become servants to it.
4. "Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish" - This is what   
   the wicked will receive.
   a. They will receive outward affliction and inward misery.
5. "Of the Jew first" - Because of his abuse of better opportunities.

2:10-11 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is
good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no
partiality with God.
1. "Glory, honor, and peace" - Refers to the eternal blessings.
2. "Who works what is good" - Again, this shows the importance of
   works.
3. "To the Jew first and also to the Greek" - None are excepted.
   a. The Jews should not have lost sight of the fact that they had  
      been privileged far above the Gentiles.
4. "No partiality" - Proof that God renders to everyone according to
   their deeds.

Concl.
1. As we carefully consider these verses, Rom. 2:1-11, it should     
   strike fear in our hearts.
   a. Prov. 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
      knowledge."
   b. Heb. 11:7 says, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things
      not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the
      saving of his house."
2. There's coming a great day of wrath and revelation of the         
   righteous judgment of God.
   a. Let us respond to God's goodness by repenting of all sins.
   b. The hard and impenitent hearts are storing up wrath against
      themselves.
3. Those who patiently continue to do good will have eternal life.
   a. Those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth will have
      indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish.
4. There is no partiality with God; He will render to each one       
   according to their deeds.