Romans 2 - "Righteousness Is A Heart Issue"

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All Quotes Are From David Guzik's Commentary "Enduring Word" Unless Noted

God’s Righteous Judgment

Paul then compares God's judgment to our judgement. God's judgment is based on the truth, whereas often ours can be subjective. We might consider another's sin as worse than ours. But, if we look into the mirror of God's perfection, we will quickly find out how far we all are from His glory. 

In Romans 1, Paul pointed out the sin of the most notoriously guilty. He now speaks to those who are generally moral in their conduct. Paul assumes they are congratulating themselves that they are not like the people described in Romans 1.

The Jewish people's stubbornness and refusal to repent of their sin will be revealed on the day of God's wrath and judgment. But then Paul says something which is challenging. He says, 

"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life."

This statement by Paul seems to be directly at odds that we are saved by grace through faith not works, so what is he saying here?

If someone genuinely did good at all times, he could merit eternal life of his own accord – but there is none, because all, in some way or another are, have been, or will be self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness. 

Bottom line is that we cannot build a theology around one verse and Paul will very clearly delineate in chapter 3 (in many other parts of the New Testament) that we are all sinners who have fallen short of God's glory and the only solution is Jesus. 

Paul talks about those who sin under the Law, or sin apart from the Law. He is talking about both the Jews and Gentiles. Even though the Gentiles do not have the Law, when they do what is right they show that the basic requirements of the Law are written on their hearts. This is what we would call a "conscience". All human beings are born with a conscience, though over time human conscience can get "seared", so that they no longer operate as intended. 

In theory, a man might be justified (“excused”) by obeying his conscience. Unfortunately, every man has violated his conscience (God’s internal revelation to man), just as every man has violated God’s written revelation.

People who have never heard God’s word directly still have a moral compass they are accountable to – the conscience.

The Jews and the Law

Paul then asks a question.  Do those who presume to know the Law, and even teach the Law to little children obey the Law themselves? Then Paul directly confronts the hypocrisy of the Jewish people in Rome. 

You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Romans 2:21-24

Every “boast” of the Jewish man in this passage concerns the possession of law. The Jewish people of Paul’s day were extremely proud and confident in the fact that God gave His holy law to them as a nation. They believed this confirmed their status as a specially chosen people, and thus insured their salvation.

Although the Jew should gratefully receive the law as a gift from God, Paul will show how mere possession of the law justifies no one.

Paul then points to circumcision, which was required for all Jewish males eight days after they were born. Crcumcision in itself does not insure that someone will meet all of the righteous requirements of the Law. Then he uses a corollary example to say that if those who aren't circumcized do the things required by the law, their not being circumcised is of less consequence than the circumcised people who don't keep the Law. 

Paul is clearly challenging the assumptions of the Jewish community, where righteousness was all based on meeting external requirements, which had nothing to do with one's heart or desire to obey God. 

Paul then brings in the role of the Holy Spirit in all of this when he says, 

No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

The Jew believed that his circumcision guaranteed his salvation. He might be punished in the world to come, but could never be lost.

All the outward signs of religion may earn us praise from men, but they will not earn us praise from God. The evidence of our rightness with God is not contained in outward signs or works, and it is not assured because of our parentage. The evidence is found in the work of God in our heart which shows itself in fruit.