Romans: The Need for Righteousness, Pt. 2
Romans: Righteousness Set Forth • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Study of Romans: Message Three
Wednesday Nights MFBC
Romans 2:1-11.
ETS: Paul established God’s judgement is one of impartiality.
ESS: We are all subject to God’s judgement.
OSS: [MO: Devotional] {SO: I want the hearers to recognize that they are also subject to God’s judgement and repent of their sins.} Cognitive: I want the hearers to know that God judges impartially. Affective: I want the hearers to feel the great weight of their sinfulness. Psycho-Motor: I want the hearers to repent of their sins.
PQ:
How does Paul establish God’s impartial judgement?
UW: Ways
Intro.: [AGS]: Have you ever heard the saying, “It’ll never happen to me!” ? Perhaps you have even thought that about a specific situation; maybe you have even said it. Regardless, it is clear that the Jews adopted this mentality regarding the judgement of God. McArthur recorded, “In his Dialogue with Trypho, the second-century Christian Justin Martyr reports his jewish opponent as saying, ‘They who are the seed of Abraham according to the flesh shall in any case, even if they be sinners and unbelieving and disobedient towards God, share in the eternal kingdom.” (John McArthur. “Romans 1-8” in The McArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1991, 112.; also in William Barclay. “The Letter to the Romans” in The New Daily Study Bible. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2017, 48.) [TS]: Yet, this passage establishes the judgement of God as one of impartiality, even towards to Jews. [RS]: Maybe you have been guilty of a judgmental attitude towards others. “I would never _____” or “Wow! That person deserves ______ for that.” In reality, we must realize that we are guilty just as the others are. Furthermore, no matter our status with God, none are exempt from the judgement of God apart from repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
TS: Let us examine together a few ways Paul establishes God’s impartial judgement:
Paul establishes that none were excused from judgement. [vv. 1-4]
The word therefore is important. It functions to connect the former passage in ch. 1 to this passage. Albert Barnes wrote, “The design of this and the following chapter is to show that the Jews were no less guilty than the Gentiles, and that they needed the benefit of the same salvation.” (Albert Barnes. “Romans” in Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Ed. Robert Frew. London: Blackie and Son, 1884-1885, 50-51)
The Jews would have delighted in Paul’s condemnation of the Gentiles in chapter 1- his explanation of all of their pagan characteristics; yet, this chapter functions to also condemn the Jews. They would have been less cheerful about this portion of his letter.
Though not explicitly stated, Paul called out the Jews on their double standard, their hypocrisy. “For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things” (1a)
God’s judgement is based on truth.
“He does not have one standard for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. One who reads the list of sins in Rm. 1:29-32 cannot escape the fact that each person is guilty of at least one of them…When they condemned the Gentiles for their sins, the Jews were really condemning themselves. As the old saying puts it, ‘When you point your finger at somebody else, the other three are pointing at you.” (Warren Wiersbe. “Romans” in Be Right. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2008, 35)
“Not only are they not excused, but they face greater judgement because they are judged for the practice of evil and the judgement of others.” (John McArthur, “Romans” in The John McArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1991. 244.)
The Jews took advantage of God’s mercy, love, and patience not recognizing the goal of repentance rather than an excuse to sin.
William Barclay paraphrased this verse, “You think that you are safe because God’s judgement has not yet descended upon you. But what God is giving you is not complete freedom to sin; he is giving you the opportunity to repent and to amend your ways.” He further wrote, “No one can sin forever without facing the consequences.” (William Barclay. “The Letter to the Romans” in The New Daily Study Bible. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2017, 49)
The intention of God’s mercy and patience is to lead us to repentance; not to cause us to live careless, sinful lives.
See 2 Pt. 3:9 and Gal. 5:13.
APPLICATION: No one is excused from the judgement of God- not the Jews, and not Americans. No matter our “status” with God, we should strive to live righteous lives; not careless ones.
Paul establishes that judgement is a result of an unrepentant heart. [vv. 5-11]
Works do not grant faith in Christ or salvation, but genuine faith in Christ always results in works.
Barlcay wrote, “To Paul, a faith which did not lead to action was a travesty of faith; in fact, it was not faith at all. He would have said that the only way in which you can see people’s faith at all is by their actions…There can be no such thing as faith which does not result in works, nor can there be works which are not the product of faith. Works and faith are inextricably bound up together.” (Barclay, 51)
Paul is not teaching a works-based theology, here. Rather, he is establishing that God’s interest is in the totality of the character and actions of one’s life. (Wiersbe, 36)
The question that must be asked is this: Do the actions of my life support my faith or deny that I have faith at all?
The person who hardens his hard towards God’s goodness, grace, mercy, patience, and love by living a careless life because of a disregard or a low-view of God’s patience brings about God’s judgement on himself.
It is careless and unbiblical to think that because we prayed a prayer one time that we can live according to the flesh for the remainder of our lives and yet have eternal salvation rather than condemnation.
Salvation is always accompanied by a life of repentance.
There are two destinations based upon one’s life: eternal life or eternal wrath (hell)
Application: Judgement is the result of the unrepentant heart, for all people.
Takeaways:
(1) Does my life support faith in Jesus through a lifestyle of repentance?
(2) If not, what needs to change?
Mentality?
Belief in God?
Low regard for God’s judgement?