Romans 2 - God Judges So We Shouldn't! Judgmental People Don't Understand Grace!

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God’s Righteous Judgment

In chapter 1, Paul described those who suppressed their knowledge of God and turned to all kinds of wickedness by worshipping the created things (idols) rather than the Creator. But lest any of the Jews get judgmental, Paul says that at whatever level you judge someone you judge yourself because you do the same things. Your actions may not be identical, but the nature of what you are doing is the same. I.e. Rebelling against God and choosing to disobey him. 

Being judgmental, or being a "moralist", happens all too often in the church. Christians should be the most forgiving people on this earth. When you truly know how great a debt you owe God, it is absurd to charge someone else for their debt. I.e. The parable Jesus told about the guy who had a large bill forgiven and then went out forced a man to pay a mere pittance.  People who are very judgmental likely need to experience God's grace in a deeper way. 

In reality, God's kindness should lead us to repentance. I.e. Turning from what we know is wrong to obey God. Repentance is not solely negative because it turns you to new life in Christ, which is the life you've always wanted. (Guzik) In this case the Romans needed to repent from judging others. 

The next paragraph is admittedly difficult for me. God says with this stubborn attitude the Romans are storing up for themselves the wrath of God at the judgment day. And then it says, "God will repay each person with the evil they have done." But to those who persist in doing good, they will be given eternal life. What gives? I thought we were saved by works not grace? 

The only explanation that seems somewhat plausible is that Paul is building a case that none of us are righteous, and that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. The only way to get to eternal life is if you did the right thing every time and never did the wrong thing. But clearly the theme here is that if God were judgmental, all of us would be judged by the Law.  First, the Jews, and then the Gentiles. Why the Jews first? Because they were given the Law from Moses and should have been more knowledgeable about what is good and what is evil. 

But Paul makes it clear that the Jews, who sinned because they knew the Law, and those who sin apart from the knowledge of the Law are both sinners. Parenthetically speaking, Paul says that when the Gentiles obey the law it is because the law is written on their hearts. This is what we call "conscience". Every person is born with a conscience which gives them an idea of what good and evil are. But because of our sinful nature, we often have our consciences seared. As Paul will say in Romans 7:19;24, "Though I know the good I ought to do, I do the very opposite what a wretched man I am."    

But the bottom line is that when the judgment day comes, Jesus knows the secret thoughts of our heart. Though we may look decent on the outside as someone said, "Our hearts may be black as coal". 

The Jews and the Law 

I said yesterday that this letter seems to be written to both Jews and Gentiles, but as we move forward, it will become clear that he is writing to the Jews. Paul says if they rely and boast about how they are justified by keeping the Law (generally speaking the Ten Commandments), and teach others how to obey the Law, they are really just "blind guides". At the end of the day, they are guilty of breaking most of all of the commandments. I.e. stealing, adultery, and idolatry.

Paul says that they are especially guilty of dishonoring God, because of this hypocrisy. It is one thing to disobey God, but it is quite another to teach others to obey the law, and then disregard it yourself. Anyone who teaches or presumes to speak for God, should be very aware of what Paul is saying here. In another passage it says teachers are under a higher level of accountability before God. I.e. Not many of you should be teachers. James 3:1 (Note the believers James was writing to had a reputation of faith without works. Faith without works is dead!)

Finally, Paul points to the covenant of circumcision, which all Jewish males were required to undergo. It was a sign that they were part of the promise God gave when he set apart the Jewish nation under Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. Paul says if you are circumcised and disobey the Law, you have become like someone who is not circumcised. Yet, someone who is not circumcised and obeys the law is like someone who is circumcised 

In Galatians Paul says, "Circumcision counts for nothing it is only faith working itself out in love." Galatians 5:16

In conclusion, Paul makes a huge distinction. It is a circumcision of the heart, which is done by the Holy Spirit, that counts for something. 

The overall theme of this chapter is that though we may look good on outside, God looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 Primarily speaking to the Jews, Paul rebukes them from thinking just because they received the Law of Moses it made them right with God. It especially gave them no right to judge others.  They were just as guilty and perhaps even more guilty because they received the Law.

Paul's letter to the Romans is very applicable to us today. When we judge others, we show that we don't really know God, because when don't know his grace or his standard, which is perfection. One of the reasons the letter of Romans is so epic is because it shows us we are not justified by trying to keep the rules but by grace alone. 

The moralist judges others based on their own subjective standard, and then he fails to live up to what they have deemed to be that standard. Among all people, we should be most gracious people toward others. For it is God's kindness that led us to repentance and we should extend that same offer to those who don't yet know God and the grace He has given us in His Son!