November 5, 2025 - Romans 2:1-11 - "God's Just Judgment"

Romans 2:1-11

"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. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 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? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 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; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God."

We all are sinners by nature, but “the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things” (v.2). God does not save anybody because He finds anything good in them, nor does He condemn anybody because of any kind of evil in them per se. He judges righteously according to righteous judgment. It is not based on outward appearance, nationality, or profession. The Jews are no better than the Gentiles. Professions are a dime a dozen; ethnicity and outward works mean nothing. God looks to His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ, as His justification to save those that He gave His Son to save.

The law of God was never given as a means of salvation. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19). How shall we escape? Not by our own righteousness, but “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4). It is nothing in us, but all in His Perfect and completed work at Calvary. Christ came and earned that Righteousness God requires and established it. He laid down His life, and when He cried, “It is finished,” it was finished. Since we are all sinners, guilty before God, there is nothing that can be said of someone else's sin that does not point back to our own. The Spirit convicts us of our own sinfulness. Anyone outside of Christ stands condemned on their own merit. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He is the only Way to be righteous before God.

“Thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” (v.3). The judgment of God is righteous, true, and impartial. Men try to cover themselves with religion, traditions, or outward morality, but none of that can hide sin from God. Just as Adam and Eve were stripped of fig leaves and clothed in the skins of slain animals, so God strips all pretense. All must be judged according to their deeds. There is a set of books called the Books of Works; outside of Christ, there is nothing but condemnation. But the book of the Lamb slain contains the names of those saved by the work of Christ in His shed blood unto death, (Revelation 13:8). The Lamb was slain since the foundation of the world, but the names were written before the foundation of the world, for whom He should come and die (Ephesians 1:3-5).

“Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:33). “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). His very Presence in glory is our Hope. We are hidden with Him in God. “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life” (v.7), that is Christ! Those who trust Christ have already been objects of God's grace from before time, but in God's appointed time are brought to trust in Him as ALL their Salvation. Those who reject Him, who are contentious and do not obey the Truth, but obey unrighteousness (self-righteousness), treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God (v.5).

“Glory and honour and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile” (v. 10). There is no respect of persons with God. The wrath of God will be poured out on all men guilty of sin outside of Christ, but His mercy is on all those chosen in Christ, Jew and Gentile alike, for whom He paid their sin debt (Galatians 3:28). Only what Christ has done will last; only His work on behalf of sinners stands. The sinner is delivered out of condemnation and clothed in the Righteousness of God in Christ. Salvation is not in us, but in Him, for in Christ alone we find Hope, Life, and Glory.