“DOING THE RIGHT THING” “GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT”

Services

Sunday
10:30 AM Worship Service

Wednesday
6:30 PM Bible Study

Jan. 22, 2023

“DOING THE RIGHT THING”

“GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT”

ROMANS 2:1-16


So Paul now places us the reader on trial:


  1.   God’s Judgment Is Inescapable.


Romans 2:1-4


God’s judgment is according to truth. He does not have one standard for the Jews and another one for the Gentiles.


vs.1 “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man…”- “man” includes both Jews and Gentiles and in the Greek is a generic term meaning both men and women, so it refers to mankind in general. 


Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.”


“The judgment of God is according to the truth” (vs.2)


Acts 17:31 “Because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Daniel 5:27 “…you have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting.”


God will judge man for what he is in His sight.


Romans 2:4 “…the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”


In other words, “grace.”


Exodus 34:5-6 “Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.”


2.   God’s Judgment Is Impartial (God’s Blessings)


Romans 2:5-11


Although God doesn’t usually punish us immediately for each sin, His eventual judgment is certain.


John 12:48 “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.


Paul is not teaching salvation by character or good deeds. He was explaining another basic principle of God’s judgment: God judges according to deeds, just as He judges according to truth.


Psalm 62:12 “Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.”


Proverbs 24:12 “If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?”


Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.


The reward of righteousness is eternal life- vs.7 “eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality.”


The penalty of unrighteousness is wrath- vs.8 “but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath.”


Paul’s point is simple: 


Romans 2:11 “For there is no partiality with God.”


Deuteronomy 10:17 “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.”


Acts 10:34 “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.”


3.   God’s Judgment Is Universal


Romans 2:12-16


vs.12 “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.”


That hardly seems fair, how can someone be justly punished for breaking rules they know nothing about?


Have we cultivated a superior attitude that condemns others for the sake of selfish gain?


Jesus warned us:


Matthew 7:2 “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”


Matthew 7:3-5 “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.


Do you know Christ as your Savior? If not why not today.