Romans 2

CHAPTER 2THEME: God will judge self-righteous and religious peopleIn this chapter Paul is showing that God will judge self-righteous and religious people. There are many people like the man on the top of the hill who looks down at the man at the bottom of the hill and says, “Something should be done for that poor fellow. We ought to start a mission down there. We should start giving him soup and clothes and a shower bath. I am living on the top of the hill, and I do not need anything.” The hurdle to meet the demands of God is just as high on top of the hill as it is at the bottom of the hill. The only difference is that the man at the bottom of the hill will probably see his need sooner than the man at the top of the hill.

Religious people, self-righteous people, and so-called good people need a Savior. In chapter 2 Paul sets down certain principles by which God is going to judge “good” people. Chapter 1 reveals the unrighteousness of man, and chapter 2 reveals the self-righteousness of man.

Romans 2:1

This puts before us the very important issue of this chapter. It’s well to keep in mind here that Paul is not talking about salvation. He is talking about sin and the basis on which God will judge men. These principles of judgment are not the basis of salvation; they are the basis of judgment. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to be judged by them. I thank God for a Savior today, and Scripture presents the gospel as the only means of attaining eternal life.

To reject the Son of God immediately brings upon a person the judgment of God, and the only verdict here is guilty. “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1Jn_5:12). And He says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (Joh_5:24). And then listen to the Lord Jesus after that marvelous, wonderful Joh_3:16we generally stop therebut He continues: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (Joh_3:17-18). Also, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (Joh_3:36). So today these folk who do not have Christ are lost.

You may be a religious person, you might be a good person, but without Christ, my friend, you’re lost. “Thou art inexcusable, O man"“man” is the Greek anthrope, a generic term meaning both men and women. It includes both Jews and Gentiles and refers to mankind in general. “Whosoever thou art that judgest.” He passes now from the general to that which is specific, from the masses to the individual person. And he addresses any person of the human race, but he limits it to those who judge others. Now, the word here for “judge” carries the thought of judging with an adverse verdict. It can be translated, “Whosoever thou art that condemnest another.” Therefore this raises the question: What should be the attitude of a believer today toward this awful, horrible group who are mentioned in Romans 1? It should be this: We should want them to get saved; we should try to get the gospel to them; they are poor, lost creatures. It should be as the hymn writer, Fanny Crosby, expressed it: Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying, Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; Weep o’er the erring ones, Lift up the fallen, Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save. This should be our attitude, while making it clear that they need to be saved and delivered from perversion and immorality. “For thou that judgest doest the same things” may give a wrong impression. “Same” is the Greek auta, and the meaning is not identical things, but things that are as bad in God’s sight as the awful, depraved acts of the heathen which are offensive to the cultured and refined sinner. Let me illustrate this. I heard a man who is not saved say that he didn’t believe that hell could be heated hot enough for Hitler. My friend, he is sitting in judgment. He is taking the place of God. And you and I are sitting in judgment on those who are not on our plane. We use society’s standards today, and it varies.

If someone does not measure up to the standard of your little group, you condemn him. I know some churches where members can get by with lying, with being gossipers, and with being dishonest, but they couldn’t get by with smoking a cigarette! They would be condemned for that. My friend, when you judge other people, you are assuming the position of judge. God is saying that by the same token that you have the right to judge other people by your standards, He has the right to judge you by His standards. If we could see ourselves as God sees us, we could see that we are obnoxious; we are repugnant!

What contribution can you and I make to heaven? Would we adorn the place? I get the impression from some people that heaven is going to be a better place when they get thereyet the earth has not been a better place since they have been here! My friend, you try to deny God the same privilege you have of sitting in judgment on others. Well, God is going to judge you, and He won’t judge you by your standards, but by His standards. Does that begin to move you?

It ought to, because I have found that we don’t come up to God’s standards. Now Paul puts down the principles by which God will judge the refined and cultured sinner. Here is the first great principle.

Romans 2:2

In other words, he says, “We know that the judgment of God is according to reality.” There are so many folk today, including church members, who live in a world of unreality. They do not want to hear the truth of the gospel. Now, I hear a great many pious folk who say, “Oh, I do want to study the Bible.” And then when they get into the Word of God, they find what John found in the Book of Revelation when he began to see the judgments of God. When he first started out, it was thrilling, it was “sweet in his mouth.” But when he ate that little book, it gave him indigestion, it was “bitter in his belly” (see Rev_10:9-10). And there are a great many Christians today who say they want Bible study, but they don’t want reality. They do not want to hear the truth. “We know that the judgment of God is according to reality [the factual condition of man] against them which commit such things.” Now keep in mine that these are principles of judgment, not principles of salvation. Man has an inherent knowledge that he must be judged by a higher power. The coming judgment of God is something every man out of Christ either dreads or denies. The Scripture is very clear on judgment. Paul said to the Athenians, “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Act_17:31). And Paul reasoned, you remember, with Felix about righteousness and self-control and judgment to come.

And it frightened this fellow, Felix. In fact, he didn’t want to hear another sermon. The judgment of God is in contrast with man’s judgment. Man does not have all the facts and his judgment is partial and prejudiced. God’s judgment takes in all the facts. God knows the actual state of manjust what he is.

And on that basis He will judge him. As a boy, I used to pick cottonand I wasn’t very good at it. I’d bring in a sack of cotton to be weighed, and they only weighed what I brought in. The man weighing the cotton didn’t ask me where I picked it or how I picked it or to whom it belonged; he just weighed it. “…Thou art weighed in the balances …” (Dan_5:27), is God’s word to every man that boasts of his morality. I think the great delusion of the cultured person is that the depraved person must be judged, but he’s confident that he will escape because he’s different. Most people believe Hitler and Stalin ought to be judged, but they think they should escape. God will judge man for what he is in His sight. Do you want to stand before God on that basis? I don’t.

Romans 2:3

Robert Govett has called attention to the four ways of escape which are open to the man who breaks human laws:

1. His offence will not be discovered.
2. He may escape beyond the jurisdiction of the court.
3. After arrest, there may be some legal technicality which will cause a breakdown of the legal procedure.
4. After conviction, he may escape from prison and stay under cover. None of these avenues of escape are open to man in regard to divine judgment. Your offenses will be discovered. You cannot go beyond God’s jurisdiction. There will be no legal technicality. You will never be able to escape from prison. The writer of Hebrews asked, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation …?” (Heb_2:3).

Romans 2:4

We ought to recognize today that the goodness of God is something that ought to bring us to our knees before Him. But instead of that, it drives men from God. David was disturbed by the way the wicked could prosper. God didn’t seem to do anything to them. In Psalms 73, David says, “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men…. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth…. Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end” (Psa_73:3-5, Psa_73:9, Psa_73:17). They will face God’s judgment, my friend. And, by the way, if you’re a lost man, don’t think I am the sort of preacher that tries to take everything away from you. If you haven’t trusted Christ and your only hope is in this life, brother, you had better suck this earth like it is an orange and get all you can out of it. Drink all you can, sin all you can, because you won’t have anything in the next life. You had better get it while you are here if that’s the way you want to live. Eat, drink, and be merry. Tomorrow you die. My friend, you need a Savior. And the goodness of God ought to lead you to Him.

Romans 2:5

If you are not saved, let me say this to you: you know God has been good to you. God has blessed you. Think of the multitudes of folk on this earth who have nothing, who are literally starving to death. And here you are, a wicked man, living on top of the world. Do you think God is not going to judge you? Do you think that you are going to escape? My friend, the very goodness of God ought to lead you to repentance. As we come to verse Rom_2:6, we see the second great principle.

Romans 2:6

He shall reward every man according to his works. Absolute justice is the criterion of the judgment or rewards. Man’s deeds stand before God in His holy light. No man in his right mind wants to be judged on this basis. Remember Corneliushe was a good man, but he was lost.

Romans 2:7

Let’s keep in mind that under this second principle, a way of life is not the subject. Rather, a way of life is the basis of judgment. The “do-gooder” will be judged according to his works. John said, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Rev_20:12). The man who wants to work for eternal life may do so. He will be judged according to his deeds, but he is warned that they will avail nothing. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into that lake of fire” (Rev_20:15). Trusting Christ as Savior puts your name in the “book of life.” Eternal life is not a reward for effort; it is a gift to those who trust Christ. Now notice the third principle of judgment.

Romans 2:11

This was also a great principle of the Old Testament. “For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward” (Deu_10:17). Simon Peter, discovered this when he went into the home of Cornelius. “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respector of persons” (Act_10:34). God plays no favorites. He has no pets. All men are alike before Him. Justice is blindfolded, not because she is blind, but that she may not see men in either silk or rags; all must appear alike. Church membership, a good family, being an outstanding citizen, or having a fundamental creed give no advantage before God at all. Do you have a Savior, or don’t you? That is the all-important issue.

Romans 2:12

This is another great principle by which God is going to judge. Notice how it is expressed in the next verse.

Romans 2:13

I hear it said that the heathen are lost because they haven’t heard of Christ and haven’t accepted Him. My friend, they are lost because they are sinners. That’s the condition of all mankind. Men are not saved by the light they have; they are judged by the light they have. “For not the hearers of the law are just before God"many folk seem to think that if they just approve the Sermon on the Mount, they are saved. Now here is the fifth principle.

Romans 2:15

God can and will judge the heathen by his own conscience. Some folk think because the heathen do not have the revelation of God that they will escape God’s judgment. But the fact is that they are not living up to the light they have. God will judge them on that basis.

Romans 2:16

We have a false idea today that because we happen to be good folk, that is, we think we are, that we’ll be saved. God is going to judge the do-gooders. And He will judge them by Jesus Christ who said that if a man looks upon a woman to lust after her, he is guilty of adultery (see Mat_5:27-28). This is only one example of the secrets of the human heart. Do you want the secrets of your heart brought outnot the lovely things you have said, but the dirty little thoughts that come to you? This should cause all of us to flee to Jesus to save us! God is going to judge religious people, the Jews in particular, because theirs was a God-given religion.

Romans 2:17

Religion was no longer a crutch for this man. It caused him to be proud and self-sufficient. Light created an added responsibility, which brought a greater condemnation. The Jew had ten advantages over the Gentiles, which are listed in these verses. The first five are what he was: (1) bears the name Jew; (2) rests upon the law; (3) boasts in God; (4) knows the will of God; (5) proves the things which are more excellent, being instructed out of the Law.

Romans 2:19

The last five personal privileges of the Jew are what he did: (1) Art persuaded that thou thyself art a guide of the blind; (2) a light of them that are in darkness; (3) a corrector of the thoughtless or immature; (4) a teacher of babes or proselytes; and (5) having in the Law the outward form of knowledge and truth. Now here is Paul’s question:

Romans 2:21

Paul mentions three common sins: (1) immoralitysin against others; (2) sensualitysin against self; and (3) idolatrysin against God. “Teachest thou not thyself?” In other words, “Do you practice what you preach?” For many of us our preaching is better than our living. “Dost thou commit sacrilege?“or “Do you rob temples?” When the Jew was in Babylonian captivity, he took “the gold cure,” and, as far as I can tell, he was never given to idolatry after that. However, he didn’t mind handling merchandise that came from heathen temples and selling it in his business. Today there are certain Christians who handle merchandise in their business (in order to make money) that they would condemn in their church. Now the three sins that Paul mentionsimmorality, sensuality, and idolatryhe had dealt with in inverse order in chapter 1. Idolatry was the terrible climax for the Jew; he could go no lower than that. I wonder if you and I make a mockery of the person of Christ. Someone has put the question in poetic language: The gospel is written a chapter a day By deeds that you do and words that you say. Men read what you say, whether faithless or true, Say, what is the gospel according to you? Now he deals with something that is extremely vital.

Romans 2:25

Circumcision was the badge of the Mosiac systemand that’s all it was. There was no merit in the rite itself. That badge indicated that the man believed the Mosaic Law. Now for them to be transgressors of the Law brought circumcision into disrepute. That which should have been sacred, became profane. This thought can be applied to our church sacraments. Water baptism is rightly a sacrament of the church, if it is the outward expression of a work of God in the heart. But it is a mockery if the person who is baptized gives no evidence of salvation. This also can be said of church membership. The lives of some church members make membership a mockery. Listen to Paul as he continues:

Romans 2:26

To use another figure of speech, if my wife loses her wedding ring, that does not mean she becomes unmarried. Marriage is more than a wedding ring, although the ring may be the symbol of it.

Romans 2:27

Using again the illustration of a wedding ring, to wear a wedding ring speaks of something sacred. But to be unfaithful to that which it stands for makes the wedding ring a disgrace. On one occasion when I was in a motel in another city, I saw a man who was a deacon in a church, sitting at a table, having a very friendly talk with a very beutiful young lady who was not his wife. The thing that impressed me was that as his hand hung over the side of the table, the light was shining on his wedding ring, making it stand out. I thought, what a mockery! When the man saw me, he was embarrassed, of course. But, you see, the wedding ring was meaningless. The point Paul is making here is that circumcision should stand for something.

Romans 2:29

The Mosaic Law had already stated that circimcision was of the heart. Listen to Moses in Deu_10:16: “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.”