Please open your Bibles to Romans 2:12-16 which we will read in a few minutes.
The Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth also created humanity.
In the beginning two people, Adam and Eve, made up the totality of humanity and they had one law, one command; “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” – Genesis 2:17
That was it. That was the law. There was only one law, only one command.
Obeying that one command kept them in right standing with God.
This was a position of righteousness.
Disobeying that one command was an act of rebellion resulting in an unrighteous standing with God.
This is important; when they rebelled by sinning God did not reject them, they rejected and moved away from God resulting in a broken relationship with God and a loss of innocence which then resulted in feelings of guilt and shame.
How did they know not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?
God told them and He also told them the consequences of such an action.
With that in mind let’s go ahead and read: Romans 2:12-16
OK. So, let’s take this apart verse by verse and try to understand what the Lord is telling us here …
Romans 2:12 NIV
“All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.”
Now, what is this law that is being talked about?
The most basic set of laws for the Jews was the Ten Commandments.
No other God
No idols
Do not take the name of the LORD in vain
Remember the Sabbath
Honor your father and mother
No murdering
No stealing
No adultery
No false testimony
No coveting
We as Christians have two overarching commands that not only include the ten commandments but they also define our motivation for keeping all of the commandments and these commands (quote Matthew 22:37-40)
But … what is this perishing thing?
Eternal separation from God in a place the Bible refers to as hell.
With that understanding let’s return to verse 12 …
Now, we can understand why someone having the law would be judged by the law.
Right?
If the speed limit sign says 30 and you’re going 60 you’ll probably get at ticket but if you go 30 you’ll be fine.
If the “law” at work says that you will get fired if you’re late to work more than twice a month and you come to work late five days in a row, you’ll probably get fired.
If your wife says to put your dirty underwear in the hamper and instead you leave them on the floor you’ll probably be wearing dirty underwear that you find on the floor.
That’s being judged by the law. But what about being judged apart from the law?
That doesn’t seem fair does it? And, no, it’s not. But, the Lord is not unfair; He is just.
Look at verses 14 and 15
Romans 2:14-15 NIV
“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.
“They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.”
The Lord is faithful! Even to those not having the Law of Moses He has written the law on the hearts of everyone so that they are without excuse.
Where do we see this in Scripture?
When Adam and Eve started having children there was no law, no Ten Commandments.
Even so, do you think that Cain knew it was wrong to murder Abel his brother?
Of course he did.
Do you think that the man who murdered 59 people in Las Vegas last Sunday knew that what he was doing was wrong? Of course he did.
But if you harden your heart against the Lord and pour your life into evil and hatred that is where it will take you.
Instinctively everyone knows it is wrong to commit murder, robbery, adultery and deception; that is why they try to hide it!
Now, why are we looking at this? It is to establish that there is such a thing as sin and that sin moves us away from God.
Sin separates us from God and that is a terrible thing.
The Bible says that everyone has sinned. Romans 3:23
And the Bible says that the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23
That’s the BAD NEWS!
Do you want to hear some GOOD NEWS; some GREAT NEWS???
The Bible refers to God as God the Father.
Now, I don’t know what kind of father you had or have.
I don’t know whether he was a great dad or a monster.
Whatever your earthly father was or is like, God the Father is a GREAT Father.
He knows the awful scars that sin leaves in a life.
He knows that, spiritually speaking, without Him, we are like a toddler chasing after a ball that has just rolled out into a busy street. Without Him we are doomed, we will perish.
Do you think the God the Father wants His children to perish?
Do you think that God the Father wants His children to have to endure eternal destruction and separation from Him?
Absolutely, positively not!!!
He will allow it but He does not desire it.
It is not His will that ANY should perish but that all should come to repentance!
In the deepest recesses of your heart you may feel that you have messed up your life more than anyone else in the world. You may think you are hopeless.
You may feel in your spiritual life that you’re like that toddler chasing the ball out into the street with a speeding truck inches from crushing you but God the Father is watching you and ready to rescue you if you’ll only call on Him.
The Bible tells us that – John 3:16-18 - That is GREAT NEWS!
The Bible tells us that – 1 John 1:9 (If we confess) – That is GREAT NEWS!
The Bible tells us that – 2 Corinthians 5:17 - (Therefore, if anyone is in Christ) - That is GREAT NEWS!
The Bible tells us that – John 1:12 – (but as many as received Him) - That is GREAT NEWS!
The Bible tells us that - Romans 6:22-23 - That is GREAT NEWS!
Romans 6:22-23
“Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This is GREAT NEWS – the wages of sin is death and we can be set free from slavery to sin so we don’t need to collect those wages! PTL!!
This is GREAT NEWS – the gift of God is eternal live through Jesus Christ our Lord once we have become slaves of God.
A lot of people stumble over that phrase, “slaves of God”.
Being a slave of God is not like having a slave master over you with a whip ready to punish you for the slightest offense.
Illustration:
Being a slave of God is more like the relationship Pastor Karenlee has with our grandchildren.
They love her with an unquestioning loyalty and she loves them with a protective, nurturing love.
They will do whatever she asks because of their great love for her and because they trust that she would never do anything to harm them.
She only asks them to do things that will help them to grow into godly young people and would never ask them to do anything that would bring spiritual, emotional, mental or physical harm to them. Why? Because of her great love for them.
When we become sons and daughters of the God the Father our outpouring of obedience is driven by our consuming love for Him.
And, by His great love for us God the Father only ask us to do things that will grow us into spiritually stronger individuals and will benefit the kingdom of God here on earth.
Final comments and invitation
Closing prayer
