Romans 2:1-11
Looking at the list of sins in chapter 1, we feel pretty good about ourselves, don’t we? We’re not at all like that, are we? Those are bad people, aren’t they? But what is this we read in Romans 2?
1) When you judge another, you condemn yourself.
• The judgement of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Who you are does not matter. What you do matters. This is not a question of how "good" you are, but what do you do?
• It does not matter how or when you die. War heros go to hell, if they are lost. Jews go to hell if they are lost. Baptists go to hell if they are lost. You will go to hell if you are lost.
• God’s judgement in this is according to the truth, not according to popularity or ethics, but God’s certain knowledge of what is true. 1 Samuel 16:7; truth is that which corresponds to reality.
2) Kindness, Tolerance & Patience.
• Preaching this sounds negative, but there is much positive here: the Kindness, Tolerance & Patience of God. All of these things should lead us to repentance, turning away from sin, turning to God.
• It is our stubbornness and the harness of our hearts that causes God to go forward with judgement, because He must do so.
• Our stubborness & hardness of heart actually store up wrath for the day of wrath. Evil people make things worse for themselves, saints store up blessings for themselves on judgement day.
3) Jew first & also for the Greek.
• These were the major categories of people in the NT world, especially for the church. Civilized & uncivilized. Our categories would be rich, poor; black, white; American, other.
• Based on our works, we will receive either judgement & condemnation, or judgement & glory, honor & peace; depending on whether we have done good. Good by God’s standard, not ours.
• It’s not enough to hear and see it, understand and know it, possess and profess it, proclaim & teach it.
4) No partiality with God.
• John 12:48, 14:24, 1 John 3:23; Ecc 12:14; Matthew 7:21.
• God’s impartiality in other things can be seen in His impartiality in judgement. God wants one thing. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
• God is impartially good to those who are His, God is impartially severe to those who are not His. The question is not evel how good you are, but are you His? The evidence is in the doing, the proof is in the pudding.
