The Judgment of God will be according to our deeds, impartial, and will expose the things hidden in darkness. It is an fearful and awesome thing to consider standing before the living God to give an account of our lives!
[powerpress]
The Judgment Of God – Part 2
Romans 2:1-16
Romans 2:1-16 is Paul’s address to the Roman Jews, as he describes the Judgment of God. Last Sunday, we began an exposition of Romans 2:1-16, and today we will continue and finish that section.
The Judgment of God, when you really take the time to meditate on it, must be the most fearful, awe-inspiring, and powerful event you and I will ever face. Older theologians referred to it as the Great Assize, and the Great Divide. This day of judgment, will divide history into the temporal and the eternal. Only those who are approved at this judgment, will survive and be welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom. Those who are condemned at this judgment will be cast into everlasting Hell. Will you survive that judgment? If so, what will Christ say to you? Will you receive words of praise and commendation from His lips?
I told you last Sunday, that Biblical holiness is gained when we train ourselves to live each moment in light of this judgment. Only as we learn to live in the light of eternity, are we really ready to live in this present world. How much do you consider your eternity?
Well, in Romans 2:1-16, Paul is teaching the Roman Jews all about this coming judgment. He speaks of the judgment of God in verses 2, 3, 5, and 16. He lays down seven principles concerning the judgment to come. Since many of you were not here last Sunday, I will review the first four, and then we will look together at the last three principles.
The Judgment of God will be just. Verse 5 speaks of “the righteous judgment of God.” The word “righteous” means “just.” That is to say, that God’s judgment will be regulated according to absolute justice. We know that because verse 1 tells us that the Jews who judged the Gentiles and yet did the same things themselves will have no excuse. If they had no excuse in the judgment, then their judgment will be absolutely just. Deuteronomy 32:4 describes God in this way, “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” Sometimes the decisions handed down by our human courts are not just. Sometimes the guilty go free, and the innocent are condemned. That is unavoidable when you have fallible humans making judgments on others. However, that will never happen when Jesus Christ presides as the judge of the living and the dead! His judgment will be perfectly just.
The Judgment of God will be inescapable. In verse 3 Paul asks, “But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?” Of course, the obvious answer is “No!” No one will be able to escape God’s judgment. Here and now, guilty criminals are able occasionally to escape punishment. Sometimes, criminals have been able to escape from prison. On other occasions, they are never caught. Sometimes when they are brought to trial, they get off on a technicality. Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor who performed hundreds of cruel and sadistic medical experiments on prisoners, like sewing twins together, castrating others, performing needless amputations, and deliberately injecting diseases into their bodies, was never caught. He was able to escape Auschwitz before the Red Army liberated that prison camp. He fled to Argentina and then Brazil and so was never punished for his horrendous crimes. However, at the Judgment, he will not escape. God will summon him before His strict tribunal, and mete out a sentence that is perfectly just according to his deeds.
The Judgment of God will be severe on the unrepentant. That’s exactly what we are told in verse 5, “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” The first thing to notice from verse 4 and 5, is how crucial repentance is. Those that are unrepentant will face the righteous wrath of almighty God. It is shocking to me that any Christian teacher would teach that a person can be saved without repentance. Verse 4 and 5 make it absolutely clear that the unrepentant will face God’s wrath.
We are all familiar with the atomic bombs that we released over Hiroshima to bring World War 2 to an end. Well, God’s wrath is like an atomic bomb, and He has already released it. It is falling from heaven to the earth right now, and it is only a matter of time until it hits. There is one and only one bomb shelter that can save people from this bomb. That bomb shelter is called “Jesus Christ our Refuge.” We must get into Christ, if we are to be saved from God’s wrath. And the only way to get into that bomb shelter is through repentance. Repentance is what unlocks the bomb shelter and allows you entrance into Christ. My friend, have you repented? Have you turned from your wicked ways to Christ as your only hope for eternal salvation?
The Judgment of God will usher us into eternal joy or eternal misery. That’s what we read of in verses 7-10. In verses 7 and 10, Paul describes eternal life as glory, honor, immortality, and peace. In verses 8 and 9 he describes eternal punishment as wrath, indignation, tribulation and distress. These are two great realities that every man, woman, and child is rushing headlong towards. Either eternal joy or eternal misery. I told you last week, that we may believe in these realities in our heads, but for most of us, it hasn’t gotten worked out in our lives. Why do I say that? Because if we really believed this, we could never live the way we do. We could not go for weeks and months without telling anyone of the only hope they have of ever escaping the wrath of almighty God. We could not live so self-indulgently, focusing on our ease and comfort, while there are so many needs all around us. If we really believed that all of us are unavoidably heading for eternal life or eternal misery, our lives would be less frivolous and we would live with much more purpose. We would be like Christian in “Pilgrim’s Progress”, who, when his family tried to persuade him to put down the book and stay in the City of Destruction, he put his fingers in his ears and cried, “Life! Life! Eternal Life!”
Well, those are the first four principles that we see here in this passage. Let’s look at a fifth.
5. The Judgment Of God Will Be According To Our Deeds
Paul tells us this explicitly in verse 6, “who will render to each person according to his deeds.” Now, notice who will be judged according to his deeds – each person. So, Brian, are you saying what I think you’re saying? Absolutely – Christians as well as non-Christians will all be judged according to their deeds. Jesus said in Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.” Every man!
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Notice again – “we must all appear.” Every person who has ever lived will be judged, and the standard of this judgment will be their deeds – what they have done in the body. In other words, what you did when you lived upon earth will be the basis of the judgment you will receive then.
Or, if these three passages aren’t enough, listen to the words of the Lord Jesus in Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”
All of these passages make two things very clear: every person will be judged, and our deeds will be the standard by which we are judged.
Now, notice I did not say that we will be saved by our deeds. I said we will be judged by them. In any courtroom, it is necessary to have public evidence that proves that the verdict being given is right and just. Well, it is no different in heaven’s courtroom. It is necessary that public evidence be brought forth so that God’s verdict of “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom!” and “Depart from Me accursed ones, into the eternal fire” will be seen to be right and just. What evidence will God call forth to show who should enter His kingdom, and who should be cast into Hell? The Bible says it is our deeds.
Now, I imagine that many of you are struggling right now. You’re thinking, “Brian, but I thought that my salvation was a gift, and that my works had nothing to do with it!” You are absolutely right. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Well then, if eternal life is a free gift, how then are you saying that our entrance into heaven will be based on the deeds we have done in the body? Listen carefully. I’m not saying that our deeds done in the body are the ground or foundation of our salvation. The ground and foundation of our salvation is Jesus Christ, and Him alone. The deeds done in the body are the evidence that our faith in Christ was real. God will show to the universe the deeds that we have wrought in faith that prove that we really did trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Now, it is true that our deeds will usher in eternal rewards. But, I’m not talking about that right now. I’m saying that our deeds will usher us into heaven or hell. Again, not as the ground of our salvation, but as the evidence of our salvation.
Jesus Christ taught this truth in John 5:28-29. He said, “An hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” Jesus isn’t saying that a man will be saved by his good deeds. He is saying that if a man is saved, good deeds will and must follow, and it is these good deeds that the Lord will display as vindication of His acceptance of them into His eternal kingdom.
Does this truth arise from Romans 2? Absolutely! Let’s look at it. Look at verse 7, “to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, God will render eternal life.” Look at verse 10, “but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” What are these verses saying? God will bestow everlasting joy upon those whose lives were marked by perseverance in doing good. That is what a true Christian looks like. He perseveres in doing good!
But then look at the kind of deeds that receive God’s wrath in verses 8 and 9, “but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, [God will render] wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek.” What kind of life will mark those who are the objects of God’s eternal wrath? Selfishly ambitions – refusal to obey the truth – obey unrighteousness – doing evil. Isn’t that what Jesus taught in Matthew 7:22-23. Many will say on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” It doesn’t matter if you are religious. It doesn’t matter if you can prophesy, cast out demons, or perform miracles. If you have practiced lawlessness, Christ has never known you, and you will be cast out of His presence forever! Your practicing lawlessness is the evidence that your faith was dead. Your practicing righteousness was the evidence that your faith was alive.
Let’s go further. Look at verse 13, “for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.” One common way of interpreting that verse is to say that it is hypothetical. In other words, if a person could perfectly keep the Law, then God would justify him. But we all know that no one can perfectly keep the Law, so verse 13 will never be fulfilled. However, I don’t think Paul is speaking hypothetically. And I don’t think he’s talking about perfectly keeping the Law. I believe Paul is talking about born again believers who make it the aim and direction of their lives to please God by obeying His Word. Those people will be justified (vindicated) by God as His, on the last day.
Most preachers I have heard teach that the judgment for believers is only to determine what rewards they will receive. Now I do believe that this is part of the judgment. However, I don’t think it is all that takes place at this judgment. The Judgment of God is not just to determine what rewards you will receive. The Judgment of God is also to determine whether you enter eternal life or are cast into eternal punishment. That is what we find here in verses 7-10. The evidence displayed in the courtroom will be your deeds. Do you see, now, how important your actions are? Are there deeds in your life that God can bring to light to show the universe that you had living faith in Jesus Christ? When you visited that brother in prison, when you went to pray for that sick child, when you gave that brother money to cover his gas bill, when you drove all the way across town to pick up a brother and bring him to church, when you went out with your missional community and told others about Jesus, when you gave of your money to missions to get the gospel out throughout the world – all of these things will be brought out as evidence at the tribunal of God. They will be evidences that you possessed true and living faith. Do you have these evidences?!
6. The Judgment Of God Will Be Impartial
Paul makes that claim in verse 11, “For there is no partiality with God.” Paul is referring to this coming Judgment Day. God will not be partial to the Jews, even though they were His chosen people. He won’t be soft on the Jews and hard on the Gentiles. God will apply the same standard to every person on that day – do their deeds evidence their faith? Men will not be judged according to their ethnic or religious advantages, or their external appearance. He will judge all men by their deeds.
However, there is a problem here. Only one nation out of all the nations on the earth had God’s Law, and so only the Jews knew what deeds God required of them. So, how can God be impartial in this judgment, if He judges all men according to their deeds, and the Gentiles did not have the Law to teach them what deeds God requires? Paul answers that question in verses 12-15, “For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.”
In verse 12 Paul says that if a man sins outside of Christ, he will perish, no matter whether he had the Law or not. Jews who had the Law and sinned will perish. Gentiles who did not have the Law and sinned will perish. By the way, notice that the reason people will perish is because of their sins. I have heard many people say that the only reason a person will perish is that they did not believe on Jesus Christ. Well, that is certainly a part of it. But this verse tells us that the reason a person will perish is because of their sin. Sin must be punished. Here we discover that Gentiles will not perish because they didn’t have access to the Law. God’s question to Gentiles will not be “How much of the Law did you know?” Instead it will be, “How did you live in view of how much or little you knew?”
You see, God will judge each man according to the light that they possessed. The Jews possessed the Law of Moses, so God will judge them according to that Law. The Gentiles didn’t have the Law of Moses, so God won’t judge them according to that standard. However, according to verse 15, Gentiles have the work of the Law written in their hearts. God has put a basic sense of right and wrong in the heart of every man. Men in every nation and culture know that it is wrong to murder and steal and rape. They know it is right to serve, and help, and give, and show kindness. So, God will judge them according to what they know to be true in their hearts. All men will be judged by their response to what they do have, not what they don’t have. And the truth is that all men have God’s moral law stamped, or etched into their hearts. Not only has God made Himself known to all men in creation, but He has also written His moral law onto their hearts. On Judgment Day, the Gentiles will be judged according to their response to this Law that was stamped on their hearts.
So, what does all this mean for you and me? It means that we will be judged according to the light that we possessed. And the truth is, that we have been given a LOT of light! We have several Bibles in our homes. We attend a Bible teaching church. We read the Scriptures daily. We know the will of God. The question on judgment day will not be “Did you learn what My will was?” Rather it will be, “Did you do My will?” Did your deeds show that you possessed truth faith in Jesus Christ?
7. The Judgment Of God Will Expose The Secrets Of Men
This is what Paul tells us in verse 16, “on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” Sometimes, we think that because we are believers, we are going to get a free pass at the Judgment. In other words, we think that this judgment is just for non-Christians. And if it is for us at all, it is just to see what kinds of rewards we will receive. I don’t believe that is true. As I have already shown, more is at stake than just eternal rewards. Your eternal destiny will be announced at this judgment, and it will be rendered according to your deeds.
Furthermore, our whole life will be reviewed and judged, including those things that we have kept secret from everybody else. Listen to what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Notice Paul is writing to Christians and saying, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” Also, when we do appear, all our deeds, good and bad, will be judged. God is not just going to display our good deeds and reward us for them. He is going to review our whole lives and judge us accordingly.
We find something similar in 1 Corinthians 4:5, “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.” On Judgment Day, God will bring to light the things hidden in the darkness.
Jesus said in Luke 12:2-3, “But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.”
Solomon writes in the very last verse of Ecclesiastes, chapter 12, verse 14, “For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”
Now, this may frighten you. None of us wants God to reveal to all the world our secret and hidden and shameful sins! However, there are two things that will help us here. First, every other person in the world is going to have their own secret and shameful sins revealed too. Second, if you have trusted in Christ, there is no condemnation for those secret sins. They are all covered by His blood and your guilt and shame has been removed by His perfect work on your behalf. We have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous One. He is our Mediator, who has born our guilt and shame. So, then why will God reveal these dark, wicked, secret deeds? Perhaps to show the enormity of what God has saved us from. To inspire a great avalanche of praise and worship from every redeemed soul, when he sees the depth of his depravity and all that God has done to save his soul.
Brothers and sisters, let this truth move us to watch our lives, and strive against secret sin! “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3).
Conclusion
My friends, God has fixed a day in which he will judge the world. Everyone will be there. And you and I will be there too, not just as spectators, but as those whom God will judge. Our eternal destiny will be pronounced by Jesus Christ, as He reviews our lives to see if there is any evidence of saving faith. He will bring to light everything hidden in the darkness, uncover all the secrets of men, and reward each true believer for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad.
Oh, my friends, how will you fare on that day? You and I have a lot of gospel light. Therefore, we are very responsible before God. Take inventory of your life today. How is it between you and Jesus Christ? Is there any known sin in your life that you are ignoring, or winking at? Repent of it today! Is there any known duty that Christ has laid on you, that you are shirking? Take it up today. Is there any area of your stewardship that you are not being faithful in (your time, gift, money, possessions, etc.). Surrender to Christ as Lord this morning, and commit yourself to use those things for His glory.
Remember, biblical holiness is training yourself to live each moment in the light of eternity. Let’s seek to do just that this week, by His grace!
______________________________
© The Bridge
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by The Bridge.
Follow Us!