God's Impartial Judgment

Title: “God’s Impartial Judgment” Script: Romans 2

Type: Expository/series Where: GNBC 2-8-21

Intro: Chuck Swindoll told of being at a California Christian camp pastor’s retreat. 1st day there a man approached him and said how greatly he had looked forward to hearing Dr. Swindoll speak. That evening Swindoll noticed the man sitting near the front. But only a few minutes into the message the man was sound asleep. Swindoll thought to himself that perhaps he was tired after a long day’s drive and couldn’t help himself. But the same thing happened the next few nights, and Swindoll found his exasperation with the man growing. On the last night the man’s wife came up and apologized for her husband’s inattention. She then explained that he had recently been diagnosed with a terminal cancer and the medication he was taking to ease the pain made him extremely sleepy. But it had been one of his life-long ambitions to hear Dr. Swindoll speak before he died, and now he had fulfilled that goal. Swindoll is a very humble man to tell that story. We are often guilty of judging the sinfulness of others w/o considering our own.

Prop: Romans 2 we’ll see 3 Points Paul made in relation to God’s Impartial Judgment.

BG. 1. Point of Romans 1&2 is to demonstrate both Jews and Gentiles under sin.

2.. In Rom. 2 Paul goes to great lengths to demonstrate the spiritual hypocrisy of those w/Law.

3.

Prop: Examining Rom 2 we’ll see 3 Points Paul made in reference to God’s Impartial Judgment.

I. The Responsibility of Privilege vv.1-11

A. Paul begins this section by demonstrating that there is Responsibility assoc. w/Spiritual Priv.

1.The Jews were the most spiritually Privileged people. Law. Covenants. Prophets.

a. Illust: I got my license on my 16th birthday. That next Saturday night I asked my dad if I could have the keys to my mom’s car so I could go out cruising with some friends at the mall. It was 1982, and my mother had a white, 1979 Z-28 Camaro with a 350hp 4 barrel. As my father handed me the keys he said: “Privilege requires responsibilities.” I knew what he meant. I was being given the keys to beautiful car. Don’t wreck it, and don’t get into trouble with it.

b. Paul lays out an important spiritual principle in the first 11 verses of this chapter. Privilege requires responsibilities. Last week we looked at Romans 1. Reading Romans 1 would not have disturbed a Jew. In fact, it might delight him. At that time period they relish the thought that Gentile pagans would get their due in spending eternity separated from God in punishment. Actually, in chapter 1, Paul is demonstrating the condemnation of Gentiles outside of Christ but he is also secretly setting a trap for the spiritually smug and complacent Jew as well. Yes, it was true that pagan Gentiles deserved God’s wrath for their rejection of His revelation (I:18-20), but now in Romans 2, the Apostle is demonstrating that his own countrymen are equally deserving.

2. What was the emphasis of Paul’s writing?

-Paul was addressing a sinful mindset that blinded ethnic Jews to their true spiritual standing. “The Jews had always considered themselves in a specially privileged position with God. God, they said, loves Israel alone of all the nations of the earth. God will judge the Gentiles with one measure and Jews with another. One of the early church fathers, Justin Martyr, was arguing about the position of the Jews in Dialogue with Trypho, wherein the Jew made the following comment: ““They who are the seed of Abraham according to the flesh shall in any case, even if they be sinners and unbelieving and disobedient towards God, share in the eternal Kingdom.”” (Barclay, Romans, p. 41) .

B. Paul Responded to this Spiritual Blindness and Arrogance with 4 Key Thoughts:

1. Paul Warns the Jews they were taking for granted the mercy of God.

a. v. 4 – Paul asks his countrymen a critical question. (Read v.4) We see three great words used by the Apostle in condemning the spiritual complacency of the Jews: God has demonstrated: kindness, forbearance, and patience in a special way to the Jewish people, and the Apostle says that they have ignored it! Kindness- chrestotes – Greek had two words for kindness agathos and chrestotes. Agathos – a man’s kindness might be mixed with judgment. Chrestotes- the goodness of a man is always demonstrated in kindness. Forbearance – anoche – word for truce. Cessation of hostilities. But that cessation has a limit. Jews thought was Carte Blanche to sin, whereas Paul was saying is your opportunity to repent. Patience – makrothumia – patience w/people. Was used of a man who had the power to avenge himself and chose not to. Paul was telling the Jews: “Don’t think just because God does not punish you that He CANNOT punish you.