Dr. Bradford Reaves
CrossWay Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
We are continuing through Romans Chapter 2 in our study of this epistle. Last week, we started discussing the Principles of God’s judgment. In reviewing verses 1-5, we determined that every man stands fully condemned and that condemnation is not based on one’s good works versus bad works. This is going to be a continuing theme in Paul’s letter for the next couple of chapters.
“None is righteous, no, not one; (Romans 3:10)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)
The key point to these arguments is that our understanding or knowledge of sin does not condemn us. Our very sinful nature condemns us. We are spiritually dead and only made alive and justified before God through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.
There is a principle that we need to understand in order to understand the judgment of God, and that is Common Grace. The entire world is the recipient of God’s grace. All sinners live under a measure of God’s goodness. Every person is the recipient of air, sunshine, and all the blessings of this world. The greatest sin we can express is to make light of the chesed of God.
For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew Matthew 5:45)
Paul's point was that no one inherently stands before God justified themselves. Every person is condemned by the very existence of sin in every human being. The human race is fully corrupted by sin. And so, no person can rightly judge another person because we are all equally condemned. As we will learn further into Romans, the Jew is better than the Greek. Likewise, as believers in Jesus Christ, we have no room to look upon ourselves in the greater light, for we are only justified because of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.
Moreover, we should not look at another person who is sinning and hope they ‘get what they deserve.’ For instance, the Hamas terrorists. The fact of the matter is no one is getting what they deserve. If people were to truly get what they deserve, then everyone would be instantly condemned to hell. Even though God is withholding his judgment today, there will come a time when his judgment will come.
But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, (Psalm 9:7)
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:41–43)
But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (2 Peter 3:7)
God is the only righteous judge, and He will judge all men. If that’s true, we need to know the principles of his judgment and that He constantly warns us in the pages of Scripture of that day that is about to come. However, if all men face judgment, what will be the standard for that judgment, and on what basis will men be granted eternal heaven or eternal condemnation?
He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality. (Romans 2:6–11)
So here we have the criteria for God’s judgment on all man before us. Remember, as we look at the second chapter of Romans, we are not looking at these passages in isolation. These verses are part of a larger Scripture segment, and we must practice proper interpretation rules. I believe the first three chapters of Romans are intended to stop every man from attempting to claim he is exempt from God’s judgment.
Starting in verse 16 of chapter 1 through the first part of chapter 3 is all bad news. Then, in Romans 3:21, we begin to hear about the goodness of the gospel. In chapter 1, we saw the condemnation of pagan man. In chapter 2, we focus on the outwardly moral and self-righteous man. Yet, both are condemned, be it pagan or religious.
We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. (Romans 2:2)
The basis of all that judgement, according to the verses we read tonight is based on our deeds. God will judge every man according to his deeds, whether you are a Jew or a Greek. Every man is going to be judged according to his works.
“I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” *Jeremiah 17:10)
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence, earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and opening books. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged according to what they had done. (Revelation 20:11–13)
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. (Matthew 16:27)
He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. (1 Corinthians 3:8)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, he will reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7–8)
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)
So we can see that every man - believer and non-believer - will be judged by our works. Our justification in Christ does not devoid us of our judgment. Christ will judge believers, but since Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us and our names are written in the Book of life, we will be rewarded, but not punished, according to our deeds.
Now you say this sounds like works-based salvation. Not at all, and this is very important to understand. Our judgment and our works are two different things. We (the believer in Jesus) will be judged by our works, and we will rewarded for our works, but our works will not save us.
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (1 Timothy 1:15)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8–10)
So what is Paul saying here? (And this is not a unique verse in the New Testament). He’s not talking about salvation. He's saying that you cannot be saved by works, but you will be saved by works. In other words, if you are truly saved, you will be the workmanship of Jesus Christ to do good works. That is what God has ordained you to do. Therefore, when God judges, he can look at a man and by his works, see the evidence of his salvation. It is not that you are saved by works, it is that you are saved to do good works. A person's deeds and character reveal whether he has been truly saved. One day, our righteous deeds will be a testimony to all of the creation of our salvation through Jesus Christ.
The first word that is used in verse 7 to describe the believer is “Glory.” Anyone who says that our life and our lifestyle in this world are unimportant to our eternity is tremendously deceived. What we have to understand is there is no neutral ground here. Someone who doesn't have the desire to glorify God with his life and his works cannot be truly a Christian because there's not even a basic desire to please God, only to do the works of the flesh. The goal of the true Christian is to reflect God's glory, and if that is true, the Christian life will manifest a pattern of righteousness that God will judge him and say, “That's a true believer.” Why? Because they glorify God with their lives.
The second word Paul uses is “Honor.” To reflect the glory of God is to receive divine honor, is to receive the honor that God gives, the blessedness that God gives. I don’t know about you, but I seek to be honored by God, do you not? I seek that God would be pleased and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
And then ultimately, we seek incorruption when full glory and full honor is realized in the resurrection when we are like Jesus Christ. A true believer patiently continues in doing good works because he seeks after glory and honor and immortality. What he means by immortality is that our works are imperishable.
since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; (1 Peter 1:23)
each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. (1 Corinthians 3:13)
so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Colossians 1:10)
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21)
John MacArthur says, “The road to all is defined as a spirit of antagonism toward the lordship of Jesus Christ.”
So where does that leave us tonight? Hopefully with a better understanding of our salvation. Your salvation is a gift of God. It is by grace and grace alone received through faith in Jesus Christ by his atoning blood paid on Calvary for your sins. The evidence of that faith will be righteous works and righteous living - a burning desire to serve him, honor him, and glorify him with good works. Our judgment will come and we will give full account for our works, which will be the evidence - the fruit - of our faith
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:1–2)
