The Fairness of God's Judgment (Romans 2:12-16)
Rev. David Huffman, August 4, 2024Part of the Series On Romans series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
God's judgment is based on His righteousness. God judges works, but obedience to the law and righteous deeds are not the bases of eternal life. We all, Jews and gentiles alike, need the gospel. God judges fairly, according to the light given each of us. The Jews were under the Mosaic law. The doers of the law are justified. This rules out hypocrisy. Being a Jew or calling oneself a Christian is not enough. What have we done with what we know? The gentiles were without special revelation. They were judged by their grasp of the general revelation of creation. Deep down, all know how God expects us to live. Real morality is God's law written on our hearts. No one can claim ignorance. What about those who have never heard the gospel? No one is innocent, because of what we know written on our hearts. If you are concerned about those who have not heard, what are you doing about it? God will judge the secrets of men. The Son shall judge all the earth. He is loving, yet just. He judges deeds and motives. He sees what is in the heart. This should be a great comfort to believers, however. Despite our failures, He knows our believing hearts. Judgment will come, we must look to the cross. He has borne the wrath for all our iniquities.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « Looking Back, Looking Forward | None | The Problem of Hypocrisy and Pride » |
Romans 2:12–16 (Listen)
12 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. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 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. 15 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 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
(ESV)