Lessons From Romans – Lesson 3
In this section of scripture we have contrasted before us the faulty judgment of man and the righteous judgment of God.
Man’s judgment is often faulty. We see this in our everyday lives. We all have seen bosses give out different treatment for the same offence. For example I have seen one person come in late and the boss goes ballistic and another person does the same thing and nothing is even said. The boss judges differently for the exact same offence.
We see man’s faulty judgment in our legal system. From no cash bail to letting illegals commit crime and then releasing them to corrupt judges who rule according to their political ideology.
But we also see the faulty judgment of man in a much more serious area. The area of judging who is right before God. Man is very guilty of judging others one way and often harshly and then judging himself totally differently. Many men will use one standard for judging others and a different standard for judging himself.
Rom 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
The chapter breaks that we have in our Bibles was not given when God gave the scriptures. They are not inspired by God. Some man centuries later added the Chapter breaks and the verse numbers.
And don’t get me wrong. I am thankful for them. It is a very good thing to be able to say turn to Romans Chapter 2 and verse 1, and everyone can quickly turn there and find it. But whoever did it many times made a chapter break right in the middle of a matter being discussed.
Verse 1 starts with the word therefore. That means that what is being said in chapter 2 verse 1 is based on what was said in the ending verses in Chapter 1. You cannot understand the beginning of chapter 2 without looking back at the end of Chapter 1.
For example verse 1 says thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. What things? That is an important question that is answered in Romans 1:29-31.
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Paul starts out chapter 2 by teaching that when you judge others for doing these things you are condemning yourself because you are guilty before God for doing the same things.
There are a few things in that list that you might not be guilty of like fornication. But there is plenty of things in that list that you are guilty of. Everyone is guilty of many of the sins in that list.
Paul basically says that they are inexcusable, because they do the same things. We will not take the time to go thru all of the items in the list but only a few to show that all are guilty.
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness,
Stop that is enough right there. Everyone has done something that was not right in their life. Everyone has lied. They might try to justify it by saying that it is just a little white lie but it is still a lie it is still not right.
Covetousness is also in the list that Paul is referring to. Covetousness is simply desiring something that is not yours. I think everyone has broken that one before they could walk and talk.
Debate is in the list. Have you ever agued with anyone. Whisperers is in the list. Have you ever told any gossip? Proud is in the list. That is a hard one to avoid.
How about envy or deceit. I will just mention one more disobedient to parents. Every child has disobeyed their parents at some point. If you are honest you will admit that you did not do everything that your parents told you to do exactly when and how they said to do it.
There is no one that is not guilty of several things in that list.
That is why the Bible says that Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
The Jews were judging the Gentiles for not obeying the law but they were doing the same things they were judging others for. They were judging the Gentiles for not keeping the law but this is faulty judgment because they were not keeping the law themselves. In fact it is impossible to keep the law.
Jam 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all.
You break God’s law in one little point and you are guilty of all. And we have already proved that everyone has offended the law in at least one point. Thus all are guilty.
Trying to get to heaven by following rules does not work. The reason that the law was given was to prove that man can’t live up to God’s holy law. The law was given to show man that he cannot work his way to heaven. The law was given to get us to realize that we cannot depend on our work. It was given to point us to Christ.
The law was to show us that we need the grace and mercy of God. To get us to cry to God, admit that we are a sinner and ask Him to save us because we cannot save ourselves.
Paul is clearly calling out man’s faulty judgment.
And now he is going to go thru 6 characteristics of God’s righteous judgment.
First God will not make a mistake in His judgment because His judgment is according to truth.
Rom 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
His judgment is always according to truth.
Another reason man’s judgment is faulty is that man can only judge what he sees. Not so with God. A man might appear righteous on the outside, but God searches the heart and sees the open as well as the secret deeds of sinful man.
God does not judge according to appearance. God judges according to truth.
There is never any error with God’s judgment. God cannot be tricked or deceived. He sees all and He knows all. There are no secrets with God. He knows what the truth is.
And His judgment is according to the truth. It is not according to feelings or mood swings or any other such things that often corrupts man’s judgment.
It is according to the truth against them which commit such things. You sin and do wrong judgment is according to your choices. It cannot be swept under a rug, or hidden, and you can’t say but…
The second thing is God’s judgment is unescapable.
Rom 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Many think badly of God’s judgment because they see evil wicked men prosper on this earth. They think what is wrong with God to let this go unpunished. In the end God’s judgment will not be escaped. Just because they get away with it for a while does not mean that they have gotten away with it forever.
God is longsuffering and out of His Grace and mercy he withholds his Judgment for a time. He spares them from day to day and sometimes from year to year to give them an opportunity to repent and be saved. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
I have seen God’s judgment come upon some men in this life and others did not receive God’s wrath until they went to hell. When God decides to punish them is according to His sovereign will. But make no mistake the judgment of God will not be escaped.
No one shall escape the judgment of God.
Third God’s judgment is often delayed and some people despise God’s forbearance and longsuffering.
Some people think that God should meet out judgment right away.
Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
God’s longsuffering with us is an act of goodness. This verse even calls it the riches of his goodness. And yet men will despise it. They sin and instead of repenting they get more bold because they think that they got away with it.
They think that they can sin safely. So instead of turning from their sin they go on in committing it more and more. There is no more decisive proof of the wickedness of the human heart than his disposition to abuse the goodness of God
God has forbearance and longsuffering and keeps trying to work with people to lead them to repentance. So God’s judgment is sometimes delayed for that reason.
Forth God’s judgment is also sometimes delayed so a person’s cup of wrath gets filled up.
God does let man build up wrath against himself. Some call it God letting you fill up your cup for the day of judgment.
Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Wrath is stored up like a treasure for the day of judgment. The man who does not turn from his sin and put his sin under the shed blood of Christ, is just storing up for himself a larger treasure of wrath with each and every sin that he commits.
Stores of wrath are reserved for a guilty world and in due time it will come upon man. Then it will be too late. God’s judgment is unescapable. And sometimes a great deal of it is reserved for hell.
Fifth God will not give more than what you deserve. God’s judgment is according to your deeds that you have done out of a free will.
Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
When you are studying the Bible you always need to keep in mind what the rest of the Bible says. Those that seek for eternal life will find it.
Mat 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Heb 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Deu 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Those who seek him will find him. God does make sure that His truth is revealed to those who seek Him.
You obey God’s truth about salvation. That Jesus was God come in the flesh, that he was sinless and went to the cross and died to pay for your sins, And rose victorious three days later. You put your faith in that, then you are obeying God’s truth and will be saved.
Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
You do the deeds of seeking out the truth about salvation and call upon Him to save you with a repentant heart and your judgment will be eternal life.
But without having Jesus as your savior brings judgment of you being guilty for the sinful deeds that you have done.
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Every judgment of God is right and is based according to your sin. Not your dad’s sin. Your sin. And it is not based in any way on how God is feeling at the time. His judgment is always based according to truth.
Sixth God’s judgment is no respecter of persons.
Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
This means that God will not be influenced in the awarding of eternity. God has no partiality to wealth, office, rank, or the appearance of men.
Contrary to what the Catholics teach, you cannot buy your way into heaven by buying an indulgence. You cannot buy your way into heaven by being a member of a certain church. You cannot buy your way into heaven by being confirmed. You cannot buy your way into heaven by getting last rites.
Or any of the other multitude of things that man thinks up that is not in God’s Holy Word.
All men will be judge on the same standard of truth based on your deeds. This is why it is absolutely critical that you have a savior. Paul is not done pressing this point but it should be already abundantly clear.
Everyone is guilty of sin. God’s judgment is based on truth and His judgment cannot be manipulated. Your judgment will be based on your deeds.
Paul is building the case that your only way out of being judged to go to hell for all eternity is that you need a savior because you cannot save yourself. You are guilty and God judgment is perfect.
We will see Paul keep building on this as we go forward thru Romans.
Today we seen that:
Man’s judgment is faulty but God’s judgment is righteous.
First God will not make a mistake in His judgment. His judgment is always according to truth.
Second God’s judgment will not be escaped.
Third God’s judgment is often delayed and some people despise God’s forbearance and longsuffering.
Forth God’s judgment is also sometimes delayed so a person’s cup of wrath gets filled up.
Fifth God will not give more than what you deserve. God’s judgment is according to your deeds that you have done out of a free will.
Sixth God’s judgment is no respecter of persons.