Rom 2:1-16 – “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10. But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11. For there is no respect of persons with God. 12. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13. (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves. 15. Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”
The moral man is condemned by God’s judgment. Vs. 2-16 – “But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10. But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11. For there is no respect of persons with God. 12. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13. (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves. 15. Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16. In the day when For there is no respect of persons with God.
Paul has shown that the moral man is self-condemned and now he is going to show that he is God-condemned. Man may be moral, but unless he see himself as a lost sinner on his way to hell he will forever be condemned. He must judge himself as the Holy Spirit convicts him and repent of his sinful condition and call upon the Lord to save him.
Now in these verses Paul gives us four great principles of judgment which constitute the four features in this section of Scripture.
God will judge according to truth. “But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth…” Vs. 1 There are some who would say that Paul teaches salvation by works. But we must remember that he is not trying to tell people here how to get saved. He is dealing with a crowd of men who stand off and say, “We are righteous in ourselves.” He is trying to show men why they are lost, not just how to get saved. He is trying to sweep away their refuge, to cut the foundation from beneath them.
God is talking about judgment. Listen, the moral man will have to face the naked and awful truth when he comes before God. Just because God has not broken through the heavens and struck men down does not mean He will overlook sin. Yes, God is good. God will do everything in His power to bring you to Himself by being good to you and by blessing you.
How long has it been since you thanked God for the clothes you wear? You did not choose the place to be born; you could have been a naked pagan in the jungles. God has been good to you. Are you serving Him? Are you saved?
I would like to call your attention to Rom. 11:22 – “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” How long has it been since you stopped and “beheld” the goodness of God?
If you are not saved, God is trying to win you by being good to you. But if you will not come to God because of His goodness, God can lower the boom on you. And when God lowers the boom, it is terrible: heartaches, heartbreaks, sickness, tragedy, loss of health, loss of money, loss of employment, friends and home.
Listen, when God hits, He hits hard. You better believe it, God plays hardball. So please, I beg of you, do not wait on the severity of God. Oh yes, the wicked are laying up the wrath of God. To think that every thought, word, deed of man, out of Christ, is laying up God’s wrath.
According to 1:18, the wrath of God is being revealed, but a time is coming when it is going to be fully revealed.