Romans 2 v 12-29 sees Paul take us further in considering just how impartial God is when it comes to his judgement of sin. We each, whether Jew or gentile, have God's law. For the Jew it is written before them. For the gentile it is imprinted on their hearts. Each use conscience to determine how to live by God's standard and so each will be judged by law. But it is one thing to hear the law and another thing to do it. God's judgement will not be on outward appearances, but on the inner change through faith in Jesus Christ. We are called to live by God's word and demonstrate our love for him in how we act to those in the church and those outside of it.

Romans - The heart of the Gospel is a teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. Find our more at www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

You would be surprised and probably amused at the

2

stories that teachers get told as

to why homeworks aren't completed.

3

I wish I had written down the

numerous excuses that I received

4

in my short career as a teacher.

5

All I remember was that they were highly

amusing and unbelievable, even though

6

the pupil was giving quite literally

an Oscar winning performance to try

7

and convince me that it was the truth.

8

I can remember hearing one surprising one.

9

A pupil came to tell me why they

hadn't been able to complete their

10

homework and were deeply sorry.

11

Well, first of all, you don't

normally get many, I'm deeply sorry I

12

haven't been able to do my homework.

13

But their excuse formed around a

discussion that happened the morning

14

before at home, where the mum of

the house complained to the dad

15

that there was a noise with the car.

16

The father brushed it off, only for the

mother, having picked up the children

17

from school, proceeded to visit a

grandparent in the next town, and the

18

car then breaking down on the way home.

19

The pupil went on to tell me of

the furious anger of the mother.

20

And the sheepish looking father,

when he turned up to rescue them, he

21

tried to say that it wasn't really

a big issue, and that the mechanic

22

had looked at it just a few months

ago, and it should have been fine.

23

He saw that he wasn't getting anywhere,

and the mother's only words reported to

24

me, probably the only ones that could

be reported to me, were, I told you so.

25

The story alone, whether true or

made up, was worth a homework pass,

26

and nothing more was said about it.

27

And you know, humans know

when things go wrong.

28

We know when laws are broken.

29

We know when we excel at shifting

blame and excusing ourselves,

30

even over undone homework.

31

Does a teacher tell off a

child for laughing in class?

32

Yes, but the child will protest.

33

But he made a face at me.

34

Does someone miss an appointment and try

and make excuses that they can either

35

get seen there and then or quickly

get another one and the excuse comes,

36

oh, I lost my keys and it delayed me.

37

The common thought is, I did nothing

wrong, so you can't condemn me.

38

Well, I wonder what you thought when we

read Romans chapter 2, verses 12 to 19.

39

If you could make your way through it.

40

I did warn you, Paul

doesn't make it easy for us.

41

He, he talks in a very

legalistic language of his time.

42

He was a Pharisee.

43

He was a lawyer.

44

And so that's how he goes about

communicating the truths of the gospel.

45

He poses one argument, assumes

the response, and then goes on to

46

oppose, to propose another argument.

47

So he's really arguing against

himself about what he believes

48

and how he believes people will

respond to what he's just said.

49

And Paul knew that people

try to evade responsibility.

50

It hasn't changed in over 2, 000 years, in

fact it probably hasn't changed as we've

51

seen in Genesis, for all of human history.

52

But Paul knew particularly that people

try to evade responsibility for sin.

53

So he devotes most of Romans chapters

2 and 3 to the task of refuting their

54

excuses as why they're okay people,

why they're simply good people,

55

and there's nothing to worry about.

56

And the first half of Romans

chapter 2, that's verses 1 to

57

16, develops several themes.

58

People with a moral compass think

they are free to condemn others,

59

and we read that in verses 1 to 3.

60

The status of Jews as God's people

will not excuse them from his

61

judgment, and we were told that

in verses 3 and then in verse 5.

62

You see, they have a knowledge of

the law, but that's not sufficient.

63

Knowledge is not enough,

verses 12 to 16 told us.

64

In fact, those who know the law,

Paul says in verse 1, have no excuse.

65

When they agree with God's judgments,

they condemn themselves, since

66

they commit the very sin that

they denounce and protest against.

67

And as we move into Romans chapter

2 in the second half, the first half

68

of this second half, verses 12 to 16,

argues that God's judgment is just.

69

Because he judges people by the

light that they enjoyed while living.

70

Jews have the written law, but even those

who don't have the written law have a

71

conscience, so that they are a law to

themselves, as it says in verse 14, and

72

we'll think about that in a few moments.

73

And verse 15 goes on to tell us

that God wrote the law on the heart

74

of everyone, not just the Jews.

75

And he granted everyone a conscience,

not just the Gentiles, that accuses.

76

So, God can truly judge the secrets

of men, as verse 16 tells us, because

77

he has left us without excuse.

78

So let's go into the first part of

this, and we're looking at God's

79

impartial judgment in verses 12 and 13.

80

And we begin in these verses quite

literally where we left off, because

81

if you look, if you have your Bibles

there, verse 11 simply states for

82

us that God shows No partiality.

83

The Jews thought that they

had one up on everyone.

84

They thought that they were okay.

85

But Paul says you're not.

86

And why does Paul say you're not?

87

Because he was the most zealous

and devoid Jew you ever met.

88

And on meeting Jesus on the route to

Damascus, he knew that for all his Jewish

89

credentials, and they were good, They

were worth nothing, absolutely nothing,

90

compared to the glorious riches of Christ.

91

So Paul warns the Jews not to think

higher or better of themselves,

92

because God shows no partiality

when it comes to his judgment.

93

And that's what this chapter is all about.

94

We have to remember, it's all

about God's judgment of sin.

95

And Paul continues in verse 12.

96

So remember, he's just said,

God shows no partiality.

97

And he immediately says, For all

who have sinned without the law

98

will also perish without the law.

99

And all who have sinned under the

law will be judged by the law.

100

And you can understand why he said it

this way because the Jews will think,

101

well, the Gentiles who don't have a

law, well, they're already condemned.

102

There's no hope for them.

103

But what the Jews are saying in saying

that is they're condemning themselves

104

because what were they supposed to be?

105

They were supposed to be

the light to the nations.

106

They were supposed to tell the

Gentiles about the goodness of God.

107

And under the law, they would have

been received in to be part of

108

God's inheritance, because God's

inheritance was not about ethnicity.

109

God's inheritance was about people who

would worship him in spirit and in truth.

110

That has always been the way of

salvation, as Paul confirms this evening.

111

So, since God is impartial, his judgement

will be fair for both Jews and Gentiles.

112

And Romans chapter 2, verses 14 to 15

explains how this is fair to Gentiles.

113

And verse 13 describes judgement for Jews.

114

So when Paul says that doers of the law

will be justified, he knows that he will

115

soon declare in verse 20 that by works of

the law no human being will be justified.

116

He says you can try to be good

all you want, but it's never going

117

to save you, because it turns

out you'll never be good enough.

118

A believer does the law, is a doer of

the law, because good works and deeds

119

and good words proceed from a good heart.

120

The fruit is the evidence of the root.

121

But it's the same, just as wicked

deeds proceed from an evil heart.

122

And this is what Jesus talks about

in Matthew 7, verses 17 to 18.

123

So every healthy tree bears good fruit,

but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

124

A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit,

nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

125

And we know what Jesus is talking about.

126

He's saying, what is the demonstration

of how good your fruit tree is?

127

The fruit tree is, is your spiritual life.

128

If you're loving God and living for

him, then you will produce good fruit.

129

If your spiritual life isn't good, if

it's diseased, then your fruit will be

130

diseased, and your fruit will be rotten.

131

How are you living?

132

How are you living?

133

Because that communicates what your

saviour means to you, and it is noticed.

134

You know what's hurled against Christians.

135

We're all hypocrites, apparently.

136

And maybe sometimes that's a fair point.

137

But it's nothing new.

138

Because that's what Paul goes on to say.

139

That it is in fact the Jews who have

made God's name a name not to be

140

trusted among the Gentiles because

they have acted in such a way.

141

So they're condemning themselves

because they are diseased.

142

In your spiritual life, are you healthy?

143

Are you diseased?

144

How you live your life, how you interact

one with each other, as followers of

145

Jesus Christ, as well as the world out

there, will communicate how deep your

146

root in Christ goes, because you're fruit.

147

We'll display it.

148

So as Paul talks about doers of the

law, and I appreciate every time I say

149

doer, it sounds Scottish like doer.

150

I'm not saying doer of the law,

but doers of the law are justified

151

because God declares them righteous,

or he justifies them when he sees the

152

works that demonstrate their faith.

153

Notice that.

154

It's not they're justified because

of their works, but it's their works

155

that demonstrate And in this case, in

Paul's context, it is one thing to be

156

doers of the law and another to try

to gain merit through law keeping.

157

For Paul, the law brings awareness

of sin to unbelievers and grants

158

Believers opportunities to express

their justification by actions born

159

of love for God and for neighbour.

160

You see, we can try and keep all

the laws as if that's how we get

161

into heaven, but no one, no one who

ever kept the law got into heaven.

162

It's only by justification.

163

By God's mercy that we are received into

the kingdom through his son Jesus Christ.

164

And so when Paul commends doers of the

law in verse 13, he echoes James who

165

urged in chapter one and verses 22 to

25 be doers of the word and not hearers

166

only deceiving yourselves for if anyone

is a hearer of the word and not a doer.

167

He is like a man who looks intently

at his natural face in a mirror.

168

For he looks at himself, and goes away,

and at once forgets what he was like.

169

But the one who looks into the perfect

law, the law of liberty, and perseveres,

170

being no hearer who forgets, but a

doer who acts, he will be blessed.

171

This passage has always grabbed

my attention, because it describes

172

something that we each do every day.

173

For both James and Paul, Scripture

is a mirror for the soul.

174

We peer into a physical mirror to inspect

and amend our physical appearance.

175

And we should gaze into Scripture

to inspect and amend our heart.

176

and our behavior.

177

We so easily scrutinize our

face, occasionally asking,

178

is that a new wrinkle?

179

Is that another gray hair?

180

Do I need a haircut?

181

But time rushes on and we

quickly turn to the day's tasks.

182

And quite literally, we forget our

moment peering into the mirror.

183

We should take more time

examining our thoughts.

184

Our deeds, in the light of

Scripture, so that we can truly

185

become full doers of the Word.

186

Not part doers, but full doers.

187

Paul tells us that Gentiles have

enough light to be responsible

188

to appraise themselves.

189

How much more do we have with the

Word of God so that we may live and

190

be a hearer and doer of the Word?

191

We have this book freely given to us.

192

We can access multiple commentaries

to help us understand what it means,

193

yet for many of us it simply goes

on a shelf and comes down the very

194

next week because we don't look into

it intently to see what it says.

195

We have God's gift to us.

196

We are to look into it and

to understand how it changes

197

us to live better for Christ.

198

But Paul goes on in verses 14 and

15 to talk about certain provisions

199

for the Gentiles because this

was the big issue for the Jews.

200

Well, it's okay for us.

201

We can look down our noses at those Dirty

Gentiles, and it seems unfair for God

202

to judge Gentiles and other outsiders.

203

Can judgment be fair if Jews have the law

and the covenants and the Gentiles don't?

204

How can God condemn people who have

no knowledge of Jesus or the Bible?

205

And Paul answers that Israel had the

written law, but that Gentiles had

206

the law inscribed on their hearts.

207

In verse uh, 14, he says, for

when Gentiles who do not have the

208

law, But look at this next word.

209

By nature, by their nature,

do what the law requires.

210

In other words, they have something

within them written on their heart.

211

They are a law to themselves, even

though they do not have the law.

212

Now, don't communicate, don't

understand this by saying that they

213

are, they are a law onto themselves.

214

No, they're not.

215

They are a law to themselves.

216

In other words, they will be judged by

what God has imprinted on their heart.

217

Paul basically says that although

Gentiles don't have the written

218

law, they do what it says naturally,

because God has equipped every

219

human being with moral capacities.

220

So, unbelieving Gentiles follow

large portions of the law.

221

And even today, none of us would deny

the existence of moral reprobates.

222

And no unbeliever truly loves God.

223

But many, many unbelievers

do honour their parents.

224

They do respect life.

225

They do love their spouses.

226

They do respect property.

227

And they do tell the truth.

228

They can truly be a good

person, but good isn't enough.

229

We could say that Gentiles are without

the law, but they are not without law.

230

They may be without the

law as given to Moses.

231

But they're not free to

do whatever they want.

232

They have been given, as it were, a

restriction of how far they can go

233

of what is right and what is wrong.

234

Because God has created us that way.

235

Many societies, as we know,

have helpful normalities.

236

And even sub Christian faiths have ethical

systems that are parallel to scripture.

237

So Gentiles are a law

to, or for themselves.

238

Now this does not endorse the

secular follow your heart mantra.

239

It means that gentiles at least

partially know God's standards.

240

When God created humans he planted

a moral compass within them.

241

So Paul challenging the Jews but making

it known to gentiles that God is at

242

work and has been at work and we cannot

deny who he is because he has he has

243

made us not only in his own image

But he has put an imprint on our very

244

hearts that we may understand who he is.

245

So there are provisions for the Gentiles.

246

But the next thing that Paul moves on

to in verses 15 and 16 are about acts

247

of obedience that the law prescribes.

248

And so we need to keep moving on

and verses 15 and 16, Paul takes the

249

observation of verse 14 a step further.

250

By work of the law, Paul

is referring to the acts of

251

obedience that the law prescribes.

252

What the law requires is written on

the Gentiles hearts, even though they

253

do not have the law before their eyes.

254

And here conscience is the key.

255

It's why those who have rejected

God are without excuse, as Paul

256

wrote in chapter one in verse 20.

257

And in verse 21, he said they knew

God, but they defied him anyway.

258

They went against the witness of

their own conscience, as verse

259

15 now also affirms for us.

260

Verse 15 says they show that the

work of the law is written on their

261

hearts, while their conscience also

bears witness and their conflicting

262

thoughts accuse or even excuse them.

263

Either way, they bear guilt based

on the law like innate knowledge

264

of God's righteous standards that

is common to all of humanity.

265

And verse 16 serves to sum up the argument

for Paul that Jews and Gentiles alike

266

with or without the law are, what he

says later in, uh, in verse 25, storing

267

up wrath for the day of wrath when God's

righteous judgment will be revealed.

268

The promise of such a day of destruction

is not new or it's not unique to Paul.

269

It's very prominent in the Old Testament

scriptures that make up the law, so

270

visible in this portion of Romans.

271

One example is what Isaiah writes

in chapter 66 and verse 15.

272

For behold, the Lord will come in fire

and his chariots like the whirlwind to

273

render his anger in fury and his rebuke.

274

with flames of fire.

275

See Romans chapter 2 and verse 16

relates this judgment specifically

276

to Paul's gospel and to the judgment

by Christ Jesus that it includes.

277

Paul has set forth what is a compelling

case, but he wants to make sure that

278

Jewish readers or Roman readers with ties

to Jews, who may seek to reach out to

279

them with the gospel message, understand

their doubly precarious position.

280

So in the next section, what he does is,

he, he goes on to argue with those who

281

would count themselves the observant Jew.

282

And this is where we go into the second

half of this, and we're simply going to

283

look at it in one big chunk, under sins,

excuses, and cures, because that's the

284

argument that we get in these verses.

285

In this last section of the

passage, Paul addresses legalists

286

in these verses 17 to 29.

287

You know what a legalist is?

288

Lives by the letter of the law.

289

No grace, no mercy.

290

The law is black and white.

291

What is said is done.

292

And what Paul does is he calls

out the pious, who proclaim

293

God's law as they trample it.

294

He calls out the devout, who make

outsiders recoil from the church.

295

And he calls out the ritualists,

who love the signs, but completely

296

miss the meanings of the signs.

297

And so throughout, legalists suffer from

bloated self, false self confidence.

298

And although the word repentance appears

just once in verse 4, Romans 2 is an

299

extended plea for the Israelites to

repent of their faith in religion.

300

The language and visible

manifestations have changed.

301

But the issues are similar today.

302

Humanity loves a good bit of

religion, but it rejects Christ.

303

George Whitefield, the famous

evangelist, gained the friendship and

304

trust of Selina Countess of Huntingdon,

who introduced him to her peers.

305

It was a world that

Whitefield was not used to.

306

But he consistently began his

preaching of grace by describing

307

original, indwelling, universal sin.

308

And Selina promoted this message to

her fellow aristocrats, who objected

309

to its egalitarian implications.

310

Egalitarian means that it

shows no preference, it's no

311

impartiality, that it is to all.

312

And there was one response, one

protest from the Duchess of Buckingham.

313

And this is in the mid 1700s, and

she says, These doctrines are most

314

repulsive and strongly, uh, tinctured

with imperitence and disrespect

315

towards their superiors, in perpetually

endeavouring to level all ranks and

316

to do away with all distinctions.

317

It is monstrous to be told you have a

heart as sinful as common, or as the

318

common wretches that crawl on the earth.

319

This is highly offensive and insulting,

and I cannot but wonder that your ladyship

320

should relish any sentiment so much at

variance with high rank and good breeding.

321

They don't write letters

anymore like that, do they?

322

Don't think you're better,

because you're not, and I'm not.

323

Christ died once and for all so

that the sins of many would be

324

bought back and brought to God.

325

In every century, every single

century, people object to the

326

idea that they are sinners.

327

They'll quickly turn around and say

they're the sinners And so they'll use

328

deflection, much like Lady Buckingham did.

329

Yet, Paul keeps developing the hard but

essential truth of these verses in Romans.

330

And this passage is highly structured.

331

In verses 17 and 18, Paul lists four

spiritual advantages that the Jews possess

332

and that might cause their boasting.

333

Paul says that they rely on the law,

they boast in God, they know his

334

will and approve what is excellent.

335

In other words, they are guilty of

saying that they know it all, that

336

there is nothing more for them to learn.

337

They have been raised on this.

338

I'm reminded of it through the

annual festivals and pilgrimages.

339

So how can they be wrong, they argue.

340

But of course they are.

341

Because they believe that they

have spiritual advantages.

342

And are we guilty of the same?

343

Do we think we know it all?

344

Because we need to be careful that we

don't believe this lie, that we have the

345

full knowledge of what scripture teaches.

346

None of us ever will, because God

reveals to us what we need, when we

347

need it, so that we can grow in faith

and continue to mature, and full

348

maturity won't come until heaven.

349

There is still so much more

to learn, even for the eldest

350

person listening this evening.

351

Never think we know it all,

because we certainly do not.

352

God continues to reveal his truth to us

time and again, and at times, he reveals

353

freshness and newness to us, as we

navigate this life, waiting for eternity.

354

In verses 19 to 20, Paul names the four

teaching rules that Jews give themselves,

355

perhaps prompting them to pride.

356

Building on the idea that they know

it all, they see themselves as guides

357

to the blind, a light to those who

are in darkness, an instructor of the

358

foolish, and a teacher of children.

359

Their reason for being confident in

these teaching rules is because they

360

recognize that the law was given to them.

361

But it was given to them to be a blessing

to the nations, to draw people in.

362

But what they've done is

they've twisted it to keep...

363

Keep people in line, to keep people

out, and to assert their authority.

364

The good news of God's salvation was and

is for all people without discrimination.

365

In verses 21 to 24, Paul asks whether

the Jews heed their own teaching.

366

Ultimately, do they

practice what they preach?

367

Paul knows that they do not and states

that their failure shames God's name.

368

They are the ones who are the hypocrites.

369

And Paul draws in scripture to

clinch his argument and quotes

370

the language of Isaiah 52.

371

In verse 5, Israel was called to be a

light to the Gentiles, or to the nations.

372

Their failure to receive the

Torah as God intended brought

373

God's own name into disrepute.

374

And later Paul will describe their

failure in full detail because in

375

chapter 9 and verse 31 he says, But

that Israel who pursued a law that

376

would lead to righteousness did

not succeed in reaching that law.

377

They thought that they could establish

their righteousness by keeping

378

the law, the do's and the don'ts.

379

And Paul is arguing that the

righteousness of God is found

380

elsewhere, and that to mistake this

fact is actually to invite his wrath.

381

And then finally, in verses 25

to 29, he says that the Jews

382

miss the point of God's signs and

explains the value of circumcision.

383

Israel's failures should

lead the people to repent.

384

Since everyone feels in similar

ways, we all need to repent.

385

And this is his great

conclusion for this section.

386

Paul wraps up his challenge to the

prideful Jew with whom he has been

387

interacting with since verse 17.

388

The overarching issue goes back to

what he said in chapter 1 in verse 18.

389

God's wrath.

390

Who will avoid it?

391

Who is savingly aligned with

the righteousness of God?

392

One potential answer is the Jews.

393

They have the law, quite literally

the letter of the law, and they

394

preserve the rituals that God had

given to them, like circumcision, the,

395

that mark the Jews as God's people.

396

But Paul says it's not so.

397

Jew, in the highest sense,

is an inward matter.

398

Chapter 2 and verse 29 says

circumcision is of the heart.

399

By the Spirit, not by the letter.

400

Most of all, rather than boasting

in his circumcision, and in keeping

401

God's law, which no person can fulfill

flawlessly, the true Jew receives God's

402

endorsement, and not merely human acclaim.

403

Because as Jesus says to Jews in

his setting in Luke 16 and verse 15,

404

You are those who justify yourselves

before men, but God knows your hearts.

405

For what is exalted among men, is

an abomination in the sight of God.

406

So Paul's inward Jew has dodged

the certain bullet of God's wrath

407

for failing to keep God's law.

408

Rather, without technical compliance

with the law, that is, by not being

409

circumcised, this person, even a

Gentile, can receive God's approval

410

and can avoid his displeasure.

411

It's not ethnicity.

412

That assures survival on the

day of judgment, but those

413

who believe in Christ Jesus.

414

And this is the heart of

the gospel that we proclaim.

415

And I hope these words of Paul

this evening are a challenge

416

to each and every one of us.

417

Because it calls us to live out faith.

418

To not ignore God, not think

that you're ever going to be

419

good enough because you're not.

420

No amount, no amount of good

works will ever save you.

421

Good works should be the

demonstration of what is inside.

422

And so we are called to live out faith.

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If we profess Christ as our

Savior, then we must live His way.

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And that means that we are not

bound to our own opinions, nor

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to our own judgments on others.

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We are to live His way as

we know it in Scripture.

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So ask yourself seriously, are

there things in your life that

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you do And you know deep down you

should act differently, but you

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make excuses like a homework excuse.

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You justify why you are right.

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If you are in this position, you need to

come to Christ and seek his forgiveness.

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You then need to allow the Holy Spirit

to transform you to love Christ more than

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you love your own dogged determinedness

to keep doing things your way.

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This is what Paul is challenging.

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We need to live for Christ,

not for religion, and not

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for self, but for the Savior.

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I wonder this evening, will

you live for Him fully?

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Not partially.

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Not the bits you like and

the bits you don't like.

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Not the bits that make you uncomfortable

and the bits that make you uncomfortable.

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But would you live fully for Him?

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Because Paul will later write in

chapter 12 and verse 2, Do not, do

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not be conformed to this world, but

be transformed by the renewal of

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your mind, that by testing you may

discern what is the will of God,

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what is good and acceptable, perfect.

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Will you allow yourself to be transformed

more and more into the likeness of Christ?

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Not to be conformed by the

anger, the rage of this world.

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But to love purely, impartially, as

God does, so that together we may

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grow in His goodness and His grace.

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Let's pray.

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Our Father, for this Your Word, which

doesn't come easy to us, and if we

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read on, it doesn't get any easier.

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But as we look at Romans

chapter 2 this evening.

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Help us to search our own hearts each

and every one because this is not

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a message for someone else in this

building This is a message for each of

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us individually Let us hear your voice

Loudly and clearly so that we may respond

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well to your truth and your goodness

And we ask all this in Jesus name.

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Amen