Romans Chapter 2 Verses 7-8 Messages In Romans – Strong Division Between The Truth And Disobedience (Part 5) Series

ROMANS CHAPTER 2 VERSES 7-8 MESSAGES IN ROMANS – STRONG DIVISION BETWEEN THE TRUTH AND DISOBEDIENCE (PART 5)

Welcome to the next part of Romans chapter 2. Last time we got to the end of verse 6 and what remains in the Chapter is the division of all human beings into two classes, and then the position of the Jew before God’s scrutiny. Let us begin with verses 7 and 8. We will do just those two verses today.

{{Romans 2:7 “to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life, Romans 2:8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious AND DO NOT OBEY THE TRUTH, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.”}}

These two verses portray eternal life and eternal death. It is important that we analyse them because we have to get this correct.

Look carefully at verse 7. In the NIV it reads this way – {{“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life.”}}

Straight away we have a potential problem. We must understand what lies behind verse 7. Just to take the verse at face value means you could go off preaching a gospel of good works for salvation. Being persistent in good works and seeking for eternal life is superficially understood by the verse for salvation, but that would be so wrong.

Paul is very clear that salvation comes through faith and is a free gift as he writes so strongly here – {{Ephesians 2:8-9 “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, NOT AS A RESULT OF WORKS, that no one should boast.”}}

We do not need to labour the point about what produces salvation as we all know it is through faith that accepts the free gift and there is no other way to be saved. Verse 7 does not mention faith but speaks of persistence (perseverance) in doing good and seeking for glory and honour and immortality. For the person who thinks doing good is what is required for eternal life, then he and she is wide of the mark and can not claim verse 7 as their position.

Is SEEKING for glory and honour and immortality then wrong if one is unsaved? No it is not. We have a gracious God, and as I understand the word of God, the one who genuinely seeks will not be left destitute. God is not willing that any should perish and I believe He honours the seeking soul. The following verses I believe support that -

(a). {{Deuteronomy 4:29 “but from there you will SEEK THE LORD your God, and you will find Him IF YOU SEARCH FOR HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND ALL YOUR SOUL.”}}

(b). David spoke to Solomon before he died aged 70 – {{1Chronicles 28:9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. IF YOU SEEK HIM, HE WILL LET YOU FIND HIM, but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”}}

(c). {{Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given to you. SEEK, AND YOU SHALL FIND. Knock, and it shall be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.”}}

Just to end the reward for the seeker we have this – {{John 12:20-24 Now there were certain Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast. These therefore came to Philip who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him saying, “SIR, WE WISH TO SEE JESUS.” Philip came and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip came and they told Jesus, and Jesus answered them saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit.”}}

They sought Jesus and they found Him. It does not seem that they actually met Jesus in person and there is a reason for that I won’t do now. However Jesus gave an answer to their seeking that I am sure would have been relayed to them by Philip. He spoke about the grain of wheat which had its immediate application to the Lord, but then also the application was to these Greeks. They wished to see Jesus; they were seeking Him. What better way to find the Lord than to die to oneself and become alive in the Lord Jesus – the message contained in the grain of wheat. Then you will be with Him forever.