Is God Fair?

Romans 3:1-9

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. (Romans 3:1-2 ESV)

The question, “What advantage has the Jew?” comes from the preceding discussion in Romans chapter two.  The author has made the case that being a Jew, having the Law and being circumcised does not make a person right with God.

"What advantage has the Jew?" The answer is straightforward. The advantage of the Jew is that they have been entrusted with the very words of God, the oracles of God. They were given something that no one else in the world had. They were given a great gift.

However, the ancient people of Israel serve to illustrate the problem Romans is addressing, namely “How can a person be right with God?”  We have come to a point in Romans where the question is asked, “Is God fair?”  The exact words of the text are:

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) (Romans 3:5 ESV)

In other words, the text is asking, “Is God fair?”

I want to take you to a period in Israel’s history, before they had a king, when the people promised they would follow the Lord God.  After Moses led the people to the Promised Land, Joshua led the people in the conquest of the land.  When he was old and knew that his time on earth was drawing to a close, Joshua called all Israel together and gave an impressive speech.  When you have time, you should read it.  The speech is found in Joshua 23 and 24.  It is at this time that Joshua made this famous statement:

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15 ESV)

At this time, the people promised to serve the Lord.  This is the exchange according to the book of Joshua:

Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God." But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good."

Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel." And the people said to Joshua, "The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey." So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God." (Joshua 24:16-20, 22-27 ESV)

Do you see how Joshua warned them that they were not able? Do you see how strong the people were in their promise and determination?  Well, that determination died with that generation.  In the book of Judges, we find a pattern.  Here is how the book of Judges describes the circumstances:

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress. Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. (Judges 2:11-19 ESV)

Do you see how the people treated God?  Do you see how unfaithful they were?  The promise of God did not fail.  It happened just as God said it would.

As we go back to Romans 3, we see the statement:

What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar... (Romans 3:3-4 ESV)

As Romans 3:2 states, the Jews had the very great advantage of having the word of God. They had the truth. God had reached out to them and blessed them out of all the people on earth, but they were unfaithful.  But their accusation was that God was unfair.  This is the accusation or objection that is brought out by Romans 3:5.

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) (Romans 3:5 ESV)

This objection comes out in a different way in our modern world.  One of the most common arguments against the existence of God is, “If there is a God, how can there be so much evil in the world?”  I have heard variations on this argument from those who say they believe in God and Jesus but they cannot believe in a god that would send anybody to hell.

First, let's consider briefly the question of evil in the world.  How do we know what evil is? In his book, "Mere Christianity," C. S. Lewis said:

My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?

The chief problem with arguments against God based on evil in the world is that it assumes a standard of righteousness.  It is akin to calling God unfair, and it assumes that the person is more just than God.  When Job complained about God being unfair, God answered:

“Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right?" (Job 40:8 NLT)

Second, let's consider briefly the question of a God who would send a person to hell.  The Bible is clear:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)

In another place, it says God is not willing that any should perish. So, why does the Bible warn us about hell?  John 3:18 says:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:18 ESV)

God has done everything to keep people from hell, and He pleads with us to come and be right with Him.  The two questions I have brought up cancel each other out.  One accuses God of not dealing with evil while the other complains that God is too harsh in dealing with evil.  Both questions assume that the questioner is more just than God. 

This assumption of superior justice is what God addressed with Job and it is this assumption that is addressed in Romans 3:4 when it says:

By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged." (Romans 3:4 ESV)

Apparently, God knows that we will judge Him.  Because we do not want to take responsibility for our own sin, we blame God.  We accuse Him of unfairness.

Romans 3:9 brings us to the conclusion:

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin... (Romans 3:9 ESV)

The Bible teaches that every person is a sinner.  No one is perfect.  Morality, law and effort will not make a person right with God.  It is no use saying, "Well that is just not fair." Salvation is and always has been a matter of the heart.  This is why Romans 1:17 says:

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17 ESV)

Along the same lines, Romans 2:29 says:

But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. (Romans 2:29 ESV)

God is not unfair or unfaithful.  His promises have not failed.  However, God knows that a person can outwardly keep the letter of the law but have a heart that is far from Him.  The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart.  God looks at the heart. He knows.  And He promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 ESV)  He knows our weakness and He is not unfair. He has made being right with Him the simplest thing any of us will ever have to do.  Romans 10:9 sums it up when it says:

...because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 ESV)

Are you trusting in Christ alone for your salvation, or are you accusing God of being unfair?

Death Could Not Keep Him

Matthew 27:62-66

Jesus died on the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:43)

Let’s start with this dark reality.  We all die.  With very few exceptions in recorded history, everyone has died.  All preceding generations are in the grave.  However, the promise of Easter is that it will not stay that way.  We will all be raised.  1 Corinthians 15:25-26 says:

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:25-26 ESV)

Today, we are going to consider the defeat of this last enemy, death.  We are going to consider the defeat of death by looking at the means death uses to keep its victims. First, we will consider the lies death uses to keep its victims.  Second, we will consider the guard death uses to hold its victims.  Finally, we will consider the authority death uses to keep its victims.

First, we will consider the lies death uses to keep its victims.

We see the lies in the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate in Matthew 27:62-64:

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." (Matthew 27:62-64 ESV)

In this passage, the chief priests and Pharisees show that they know the truth.  They call Jesus an “imposter,” and thus reveal that they do not believe what Jesus said and taught.  However, they do know what He said and taught.  When Jesus was on trial before the high priests, they asked Him a very telling question.  They said, “...tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” (Matthew 26:63). With this question, they show that they know who Jesus claimed to be, and with the word "imposter" (or deceiver), they show that they do not believe what He said.  In their unbelief, they take steps to stop the spread of what they are calling deception. They express their fear in the words, “...and the last fraud will be worse than the first.”  They were willing to go to great lengths to stop the spread of this “fraud.”  They held an illegal trial. They pushed for the crucifixion of an innocent man.  They asked for the release of a known criminal. And even now, they were violating the Sabbath by coming to make this request of Pilate.

It is important to remember that these men were pawns in a spiritual battle.  The Bible pulls back the curtain in certain places to give us glimpses of what is going on in the spiritual realm.  Such is the case in Job, where Satan is shown in his operations of trying to destroy Job.  Ephesians 6:12 tells us:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 ESV)

The high priests and Pharisees were responsible for their unbelief and therefore Jesus reasoned with them daily in the temple and in Jerusalem during His ministry. Because they were not willing to accept the truth, they exchanged the truth for a lie and became prey for the devil.  2 Corinthians 4:4 says this about unbelievers:

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV)

Our enemy will stop at nothing to keep us in darkness, but lies are His main weapon.  When you are persecuted for your faith, remember that they persecuted Jesus also.  Satan’s lies are designed to keep us from coming to the truth that we might have life.

Lies are not the only thing death uses to keep its victims.  Next, we will consider the guard death uses to keep its victims.

It was not enough for the chief priests and Pharisees that Jesus was put to death on that cross.  They asked Pilate for a guard, not a single soldier, but a detachment of soldiers.  Matthew 27:65 says:

Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." (Matthew 27:65 ESV)

In this verse, we see that Pilate supplied a detachment of Roman soldiers to guard the tomb.  In the next verse, we are told that they “...sealed the stone and set the guard.” This had the effect of making the escape or rescue of Jesus a physical impossibility.  First, because He was dead.  Even if the disciples could have stolen the body, a corpse would eventually be found.  Second, the disciples were not fighting men.  They fled in the garden when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus.  Now they would have to face armed guards.  Third is the stone.  While not impossible to move, this stone could not have been moved while fighting with soldiers, or if the soldiers were sleeping, without waking them up.

Like the lies the enemy uses to keep people from the truth, he also places guards.  These guards are obstacles.  I think about the former Soviet Union that systematically removed every possibility of anybody hearing the gospel.  They did not succeed but not for lack of trying.  Their efforts made it almost impossible for a normal citizen to read a Bible.  Have you ever heard the question, “What about those who have never heard?”  Organizations like Wycliffe are making every effort to make sure everyone has a chance to hear, but the physical barriers are immense.  In addition, Jesus has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church.  Obviously, hell has set up many gates to keep those who are lost from being saved.  Gates with guards can be anything from attitudes to physical barriers like distance or mountain ranges.  The enemy uses movies, television, radio and even laws to set up barriers in the hearts and minds of people so that they are unable to hear the truth.  The lie is told that the Bible is archaic and full of fables and this lie acts as a guard or barrier set up in the hearts and minds of many people who stop listening as soon as they hear, "the Bible says."

Along with the physical barriers, death used all the authority it could muster to keep Jesus in the grave.  Verse 66 of Matthew 27 says:

So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. (Matthew 27:66 ESV)

Sealing the stone was a way of making sure the stone was not moved or tampered with.  It did not increase physical security, but rather made tampering with it an offense against the Roman government.  The seal was simply one or more ropes strung across the stone and sealed to the tomb on either end.  It would be similar to putting police tape across a crime scene that reads “Do Not Cross.”  Such barriers do not present much of a physical barrier but they represent the governing authority.

The devil is called the prince and the power of the air, and he has many of the governments of the world under his thumb.  In more than half of the countries of the world, it is illegal to proclaim the gospel.  Laws against the proclaiming of the gospel, the reading of the word of God or public preaching of the word of God are all examples of the use of authority to keep people in darkness.  As laws in the United States get more restrictive, we see the darkness making advances.  In some countries where the Church first started, it is illegal to preach the gospel.  The darkness seems to be winning the battle by the use of authority.

However, the battle is not over.  Just when the chief priests and Pharisees thought they had won the battle, Matthew 28:1-10 tells us:

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." (Matthew 28:1-10 ESV)

Death could not keep Him.  All the powers that the devil had arrayed against the son of God failed to keep Him in the grave.

Jesus won the victory over death and the grave. Therefore, this is why 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 says:

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:25-26 ESV)

The victory He won is for those who believe in His name.  Romans 10:9 tells us:

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 ESV)

Part of being saved is being saved from death and the grave.  We too will be raised from the dead.  We will have a new imperishable body, and we will be forever with the Lord.  This is what 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 tells us.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58 ESV)

Jesus defeated the lies because he is the way, the truth and the life.  He defeated the guards because as creator of all things no physical barrier can stop Him. He defeated the authorities arrayed against Him because all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him.  He is our hope and salvation.  

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.  (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV)

Never Alone

What is a Christian?

The world has many qualifications for what makes one a Christian.  Being born of Christian parents, being baptized or being a part of a church are all interpreted as making one a Christian.  However, the Bible has its own definition, and as the final authority for Christian life and practice, the Bible's definition is what counts.

In Romans 10:9, we find this statement:

“…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 ESV)

This is a statement of what it takes to be saved.  According to the Bible, this is the starting point.  Three points stand out in this statement.  First, a Christian believes that Jesus is God.  Second, a Christian believes that Jesus died.  Third, a Christian believes that Jesus rose from the dead.  Using almost the same words, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 gives these same points as being the most important.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV)

Here the author is saying that what he delivered is of “first importance.”   In this statement, he adds that Jesus’ death was for our sins, and that all this was done in “accordance with the Scriptures.”

First, let’s consider the statement “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.” In and by this statement, the Scriptures are calling Jesus “God,” and also making the acknowledgement of this fact a requirement for salvation.  John 8:58 says:

Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." (John 8:58 ESV)

By using the words “I am” to describe Himself, Jesus is claiming to be God.  The Old Testament Scriptures speak of the coming Messiah and use terms like Psalm 110:1 which says:

The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." (Psalms 110:1 ESV)

Jesus used this passage where the Psalmist says, “…the Lord said to my Lord” to argue that the Old Testament Scriptures foretold that the Messiah would be God.  This is the God of the Old Testament.  This same God brought plagues on Egypt when they would not let the children of Israel go.  This is the same God that slew 70 of the men of Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the Covenant. (1 Samuel 6:19). This same God instructed Moses to take off His shoes because he was standing on holy ground when he approached the burning bush.  The Jews could not accept that this God became flesh and dwelt among us, but to those who did accept this truth, He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).  

God sent His Son into the world with a purpose.  John 3:17 tells us:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:17 ESV)

God’s purpose in sending His son was the salvation of the world, and this involved suffering and death as a means of paying for the guilt of our sins. God made this clear even in Old Testament times.  In speaking of the work of the Son of God, Isaiah 53 says:

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:3-9 ESV)

In taking on flesh, it was the mission or purpose of the Son of God to die for our sins.  God became man in order to die.  Isaiah 53 and other Scriptures speak of this. As we saw from Romans 10:9, Christians believe Jesus died. 

The historical fact of Jesus’ death on the cross is essential to our Christian faith. As Christians, we remember the death of Christ on the cross not out of a morbid interest in death and suffering, but because on the cross Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sins.  Colossians tells us:

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:13-15 ESV)

Death on a cross is said to be one of the most horrible ways to die.  The suffering Jesus went through physically was something that others experienced. Thousands of people were and have been crucified.  However, the difference is that Jesus did not deserve to die. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. Jesus had no sin so the penalty He paid was not for Himself. What took place on the cross is summarized for us in the words of 2 Corinthians 5:21:

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

Jesus was different from all others who died on the cross because He had no sin for which to die and therefore death had no claim or right to take Him.  He also was different from all other men because He rose from the dead.  This is the third essential we mentioned, “…a Christian believes that Jesus rose from the dead.” We remember the death of Jesus on the cross because death could not hold him.  

Death is a dark and terrible thing.  The cross is a picture of the suffering that is in the world because of sin. Before going to the cross, Jesus’ soul was in anguish as He took on the weight of the world’s sin and God’s punishment of that sin.  His anguish was such that the Bible tells us He sweat drops of blood.  He asked His three closest friends to pray with Him, but as He prayed and cried out to God, His three closest friends went to sleep.  Twice He went back to them and encouraged them to pray with him and each time they went back to sleep. The third time He came and woke them was when the soldiers came to arrest Him.  Humanly speaking, Jesus fought this battle alone.  However, Luke 22:43 tells us, “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:43 ESV)

Even as He faced the anguish of dying in our place, Jesus was not alone, but as He came to the final moment on the cross He cried out, “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?”  Then He was truly alone.

He did this so that we would never have to be alone like He was.  A Christian is one who has confessed with his or her mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed in his or her heart that God has raised Him from the dead.  But this is only the starting point, because a Christian is one who is never alone.  Jesus has promised He will never leave us or forsake us.  In our darkest night when all our friends, even our three closest friends, have abandoned us, He never will.

Whatever anguish of soul you are facing, Jesus can identify with you and He can understand.  Whoever has abandoned you and left you alone, Jesus never will.  If you have confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the grave, that makes you a child of God and a Christian, and you will never be alone.

Judgment

Romans 2:1-16

We all must repent.  We must admit that we have been wrong, God is right, and then appeal to His mercy for salvation.  Romans 2:1-16 teaches us of our need to repent.

Romans 2:1 says:

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.”  (Romans 2:1 ESV)

We all judge others.  

We know instinctively that murder is bad, that we ought not to lie or steal or cheat.

We saw in Romans chapter one the terrible state humanity has fallen into because of their/our rejection of God.  Chapter one ends with a list of things humanity has become.  When we look at the list of things that God says we have become, we say, “Oh my, yes, these are bad things and I am glad I am not like that.  The list is as follows:

“They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”  (Romans 1:29-31 ESV)

When we say, “Oh my, yes...” we agree with God’s righteous judgment that these things ought not to be done.  Romans 1:32 says that we “know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die.”  

As Romans 2:1 points out, when we agree with God’s judgment, we condemn ourselves.  It is no use saying, “I have not done all of these things.” The question is not have you done all of these things, but have you done any of these things?  Have you ever gossiped or spoken ill of another person?  Have you ever boasted?  Did you ever disobey your parents?  Have you always acted with pure motives?

James 2:10-11 explains:

“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.”  (James 2:10-11 ESV)

One may say, “Wait a minute; that is an impossible standard!”  However, the point we started with is that when we condemn the behavior of another person, we agree with the righteous judgment of God that these things should not be done; and therefore, condemn ourselves.  We cannot escape without applying a different standard to ourselves.  This is why verse three takes us to the question of whether or not we think we will escape God’s judgment.  It says:

“Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?”  (Romans 2:3 ESV)

The implied answer is “Of course you won’t.”  In the course of discussing judgment, Romans 2:11 says, “For God shows no partiality.”   We are talking about God’s judgment.  God is absolutely perfect.  The Bible teaches this in many different ways.  1 John 1:5 says:

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”  (1 John 1:5 ESV)

Jesus taught:

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  (Matthew 5:48 ESV)

Because of God’s perfection, He will leave no wrong deed unrecompensed.  Perfect justice will be meted out.  However, it does not seem like this to us.  This is where verses four and five come in.  There is a process of presumption that happens in our hearts.

This process is seen in verse 4.  Romans 2:4 says:

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”  (Romans 2:4 ESV)

The process of presumption starts with God’s kindness and forbearance. God is kind and forbearing toward all of us.  His purpose in this is to lead each person to repentance.  Where this translation says “the riches of his kindness,” the word “riches” means “abundance.”  In other words, the verse is pointing out that God pours out benevolent kindness on us in an abundant manner.  He is kind in countless ways.  Second, where it says “forbearance,” it is pointing out the fact that God does not immediately deal with us as our behavior and attitude deserves, but instead “forbears.”  He holds back.  The problem is that since God continues to be kind and does not strike us when we sin, we presume that we will not be judged.  We presume that there are no consequences with God.  However, if God dealt with our sins immediately, we would all be dead because as the Bible says, “those who practice such things are worthy of death.”  Dead people cannot repent or change their minds.  Therefore, God forbears, and in response, we presume.

The result of this process is seen in verse 5, which says:

“But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.”  (Romans 2:5 ESV)

The hard heart mentioned in this passage is referring to the heart that, although it receives God’s kindness, is not moved by this kindness nor does it respond.  This heart is also described as “impenitent.”  This means that this heart admits no change of mind.  To change one’s mind is the definition of repentance.  God is forbearing and kind, but He is also just and holy.  Every sin will be paid for.  Every unkind, malicious or unrighteous deed will be accounted for.  Forbearance does not mean He will not act.  Therefore, Romans 2:5 says, “...you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day or wrath.”

God’s wrath is stored up and a day is coming when God will judge all unrighteousness.  The hard, impenitent heart stores up wrath for itself on the day of judgment.

There is no escape.  God is not one to forget or overlook our misdeeds. However, along with our presumption we think of ourselves as separate from others.

It is only natural that we see the world through our own eyes.  Because of this, there is one person whose faults you will overlook.  There is one person who you will always make an excuse for.  That is, of course, yourself.  However, God sees every single person as he or she actually is.  Not what we want Him to see, but as the Scripture says, “He examines the heart.”  (Jeremiah 17:10, Proverbs 21:2). He sees us as we are.

Therefore, Romans 2:6 says:

“He will render to each one according to his works:” (Romans 2:6 ESV)

This is something that each of us knows instinctively.  Each of us will be judged according to what we have done.  This is testified to in several places in the Bible.  Jeremiah 17:10 says:

“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 ESV)

The principle of how this works is straightforward and is explained in verses seven through ten:

“to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.”  (Romans 2:7-10 ESV)

The ancient Hebrews serve as our example here.  The nation of Israel received God’s law through Moses.  This law included the Ten Commandments as well as all the civil and religious regulations that were to control the nation.  If a person could keep the law, they could be saved.  The catch was, like we saw in James, even one transgression of the law made one a law breaker.   The lesson learned was:

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”  (Romans 3:20 ESV)

The world has a picture of a balance.  On this balance are weighted a person’s good deeds against his or her bad deeds.  If the good deeds outweigh the bad deeds, then that person gets to go to heaven.  However, that is not the picture the Bible presents.  First, there is the phrase, “patience in well-doing.”  This could also be translated endures in well-doing.” In other words, if I am doing good deeds and then get tired and kick the dog, have I endured?  Second, there is the phrase, “every human being who does evil.”  Now, we are back to where the chapter started.  We have already established that we who judge, practice the same things. By the standard presented here, we are all condemned.  We have all done things that Romans has classified as evil.

The ancient Hebrews were blessed to have the law and the prophets and to know the Word of God.  Because of this blessing, many of them thought that they had eternal life.  They went to the temple of God, offered sacrifices to God and lived in a very religious society and community.  They were educated in a religious system and even their clothing was shaped to a large degree by their religion.  They worshiped the One true God.  However, according to Romans 2:9 and 10, God’s judgment will fall on the Jew first and then in the same way on the Greek.  The Bible is clear.

“For God shows no partiality.”  (Romans 2:11 ESV)

The standard is found in what happens in the heart.  Because of this, Romans 2:12 says:

“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.”  (Romans 2:12 ESV)

This is explained in the operation of the conscience.  We all judge others, because we know that some things are wrong.  We make excuses for ourselves and are blind to our own faults and view ourselves as special or exceptions, but inside, our conscience condemns us when we are wrong.  We can ignore our conscience.  We can sear our conscience so that what once bothered us no longer bothers us, but there is one truth taught here that becomes inescapable.  God knows our secrets.  He knows our innermost thoughts, the workings of our hearts.  Romans 2:16 says:

“on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”  (Romans 2:16 ESV)

The key phrase here is “...God judges the secrets of men...” 

Hebrews 4:13 develops this thought when it says:

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”  (Hebrews 4:13 NIV)

God’s judgment is right.  We show that we agree with it when we judge.  

God’s judgment is impartial.  

God’s judgment is fair.  He knows all of our secrets.

This is why we need the gospel.  The gospel is given as the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.  (Romans 1:16). Romans is a book about God’s righteousness.  It can be outlined as follows:

Romans 1-3:20 - Sin (We are unrighteous.)

Romans 3:21-5 - Salvation (We are made righteous.)

Romans 6-8 - Sanctification (We become righteous.)

Romans 9-11 - Sovereignty (God’s righteous works.)

Romans 12-16 - Service (Our righteous works.)

We are in the section that speaks of sin and our need for salvation.   The gospel is good news because God took all of our sins and nailed them to the cross with Jesus.  We are saved from the judgment of God that we spoke about today, by accepting Jesus as our Savior.  However, if one chooses not to accept the price Jesus paid, then that person chooses to pay for their own sins, and the wages of sin is death.  If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, please do not let another day go by without making sure of your salvation.  Otherwise, because of God’s kindness and forbearance, you are storing up wrath for yourself.  The point of Romans 2:1-16 is that we all need to repent, change our mind about God and how we are made righteous.