The Principles Of God's Judgement - Part 2 Series

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.