Romans 2:6-11 - God Judges Without Partiality

Introduction

Outline

Romans 1:1-17 - Introduction

Romans 1:1-7 - Introduction

Romans 1:8-15 - Paul's Thankfulness and Desire to come to Rome

Romans 1:16-17 - Our Eschatological Hope in the Gospel

Romans 1:18-3:20 - The Unrighteousness of Humanity

Romans 1:18-23 - The Wrath of God Upon the Unrighteous

Romans 1:24-32 - The Unrighteous Give over by God

Romans 2:1-5 - The Judging Jew is Unrighteous

Romans 2:6-11 - God Judges Without Partiality

Romans 2:6-8 - Judged According to Works

Romans 2:9-11 - God is Impartial

Purpose of Book

The purpose of Romans is the righteousness of God

Main Point

Regardless of ethnicity, God will judge all impartially

Summation & Diagnosis

In the previous passage, the judging Jew is condemned as unrighteous. While he openly agrees that the Gentiles are guilty, he proves to be guilty as well because he practices the same sins he judges. The judging Jew is self-deceived and he treats God’s kindness with despise. Whether he realizes it or not, the Jew is just as guilty as the unrighteous Gentile. Both sit under the wrath of God because they are not declared as righteous.

In Romans 2:6-11, Paul will continue his argument that it is not just the Gentiles who are guilty before God, but also the Jew. The judging, unrighteous Jew will be counted as guilty because God does not show unrighteous favoritism to the Jew. This Jew will not simply be counted as righteous because of his ethnicity. The Jew is just as guilty as the Gentile because he fails to trust in the work of Christ Jesus. So, his end is not eternal life, but eternal death.

Our passage here can be broken up into two sections. In Romans 2:6-8, God judges all people according to their works. In Romans 2:9-11, God judges both Jews and Gentiles impartiality. When we look at this passage we actually see the same argument listed out twice and it is in the form of a chiasm. Paul’s thesis is written twice in Romans 2:6 & 2:11 - God judges all without partiality. Then in Romans 2:7 & 2:10 the righteous are granted eternal life. Finally in 2:8 and 2:9, the unrighteous are destined for wrath, fury, and tribulation.

Romans 2:6-8 - Exegesis

Let us turn to our first section where God will judge according to works:

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

The He in verse 6 is referring to God. God will render. Let’s stop here and look at “will render.” This is a future tense verb. This is speaking to the last day - the day where God will judge all. Render means to “pay back”, “reward”, or “punish” based upon a person’s actions. The belief that God would repay a person was nothing new. The Jew Paul is writing to accepted this reality. Furthermore, a person will be payed back based upon their works. Paul most likely has in mind Proverbs 24:12 and Psalm 62:12:

For you will render to a man according to his work.

God, as the righteous judge, will repay a person, whether in rewards or punishment, for their works. This sentence does not mean that salvation is by works. Paul writes in Romans 4:1-3:

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

However, the Old Testament teaching found in Proverbs 24:12 and Psalm 62:12 is not retracted - works still do matter - but the ultimate work is fulfilled in Christ! The work of salvation is found in Christ and only in Him alone. Thus, Paul’s teaching that each person will be rewarded or punished for their works is not a contradiction to Ephesians 2:8-9:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

In Romans 2:7-8, Paul reveals the works he is referring to in verse 6 and their eternal outcomes. The first type of works - to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality. Another way this could be translated is - To those who by perseverance in good works. Walking with God in godliness will always produce good works. Paul speaks to this reality in Colossians 1:10:

so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God

There is a correlation between those who are God’s and their works. Glory and honor and immortality are the end goal of a life truly lived for God because their identity is in Him. What specifically is the end destination? Eternal life given by God. How is this all done? With patience in well-doing. This speaks to the overall lifestyle of a believer. Their lives are patterned after God with steadfast endurance. They don’t waver. They persevere to the end and are given eternal life. And notice that eternal life is not earned by good works. Instead, it is given to them by God. God’s righteousness given to humanity from regeneration to glorification is an entire gift from Him. Those who are found as righteous and walking with God will have complete victory over death!

In Romans 2:8, the other destination is revealed - eternal damnation. These individuals reveal their hearts are against God. They are not seeking glory, honor, and immortality, but instead are self-seeking or hostile to God. Furthermore, they are disobedient to the truth and obey unrighteousness. Being disobedient to the truth and obeying unrighteousness draws us back to Romans 1:18-32. The judging, unrighteous Jew should now clearly see that he is just as guilty as the unrighteous Gentile. In living an unrighteous life, he is just like the Gentile he previously judged. The end for these individuals is not eternal life, but God’s personal wrath and fury. They will face not the “hands-off” God, but the active God who pours out His wrath on those who have rejected Him.

Paul’s message to the judging Jew is rather simple - those who persevere in godliness will receive eternal life from God. Those who persevere in unrighteousness will receive eternal fury and wrath from God. He is judged as guilty. Currently, his end is God’s eternal and personal wrath.

Romans 2:6-8 - Conscience

Try to put yourself in the judging Jew’s position. You sit listening to Paul carve up the Gentiles. Yes! They deserve the wrath of God! They are unrighteous and are certainly not a part of God’s covenant family. Thankfully, I am not like them. However, in a matter of sentences, Paul’s scalpel turns towards you. Oh, you really think you are better off than the unrighteous Gentile? You practice the same evil they practice? Your works reveal you do not truly know God. Do you not see that you also are outside of God’s covenant family? You are not in the New Covenant! Your works betray your words!

Contrary to false and even shallow theology - our works do matter in this life. As James 2:26 states:

Faith apart from works is dead.

We are called to walk in the good works that God has prepared for us. Furthermore, there is an eschatological reason for our works - 2 Corinthians 5:9-10:

9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

The ultimate aim of our lives is to please God - whether we are in our bodies on earth or with God. Verse 10 presents the reason why our aim is to please God - because we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The “we” here refers to those who are Christ followers. Why must all believers appear before the judgment seat of Christ? So that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. What does this communicate? Our works on earth do have eternal consequences. We cannot simply ignore doing good works here on earth. If we say, grace has it all covered and I can live however I want - we betray Scripture. Works do have eternal consequences. All Christians will stand before Christ and give an account of what we have done in this life. Our salvation is secured in the work of Christ and given to us as a gift of grace. However, our works demonstrate our salvation.

Furthermore, all unbelievers will stand before God Himself. Revelation 20:11-12:

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

Now moving to Revelation 20:15:

And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Names not found in the book of life are in grave danger. The other books are opened and they are filled with works. The unbelievers works can never met the requirement for salvation. They are not sinless. Their works will not save them and their end will be the lake of fire. Both the righteous and the unrighteous will be judged according to their works. Yet one ends with eternal rewards because their works, enabled by the Holy Spirit, demonstrate salvation while the other in damnation as they trust in their own works.

Do you believe your works are important in this life? Do our works display and demonstrate the salvation we have been given? Do our works reveal a life pilgrimaging toward our eternal home? Do we let the Holy Spirit convict us of our works when they do not glorify God? Do our works glorify God? Is all our life lived to the glory of God?

Romans 2:6-8 - Use

Living out our faith is not easy. For we have enemies - the world, the flesh, and the devil/his minions. Each enemy wars against us constantly. It can be so hard to walk a life of salvation. However, this should not discourage us. We already talked about Ephesians 2:8-9, but let us now add Ephesians 2:10:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Why should we not be discouraged? Because, if we are a new creation in Christ, we are God’s workmanship. We were created to bring God glory (Isaiah 43:6-7)! So, we can be encouraged because the very reason we were created was to perform good works to the glory of God. We do not need to fear the world, the flesh, and the enemy. Our salvation is secured in Christ and the natural outflow is good works. This all depends on God, not on us. From beginning to end, the work of salvation is a work of God!

Now, what does it look like to live a life of good works in Christ Jesus? I can think of no greater place than Romans 12:9-21. In this passage, Paul lists the marks of a genuine/true Christ-follower. These are the works that are our measuring stick, if you will. We are called to:

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Once again, this cannot be done in our own power. We take immense comfort in the reality that this is all done by the Spirit of God in our lives. So, yes works are vitally important for us. Yes, they have eternal consequences. Yes, we should strive to live all our lives to the glory of God. And yes, we are entirely dependent upon the Holy Spirit to make this happen. We pray for Him to help us, we strive to live to God’s glory, and then we thank Him for enabling us to live according to the standard of the Word.

Romans 2:9-11 - Exegesis

Now let us turn to Romans 2:9-11 where we will see the same argument given, but in a different way:

9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

As we mentioned previously, there is a chiasm here. With this in mind you may have even noticed this - verse 9 further explains verse 8 regarding those who do evil and verse 10 further explains verse 7 regarding those who do good. Those who are the self-seekers in verse 8 will receive tribulation and distress. However, notice that Paul explicitly states ethnicity in Romans 2:9. Those who do evil, Jew or Greek, will receive eternal damnation. Jewish ethnicity does not guarantee salvation. This judging Jew is faced with the New Covenant reality - your Jewish lineage does not simply equate to being included in the New Covenant. This truth reiterates the whole point he was seeking to make to this judging Jew - you will not escape the wrath of God because you are unrighteous. Of course the Gentiles are guilty and will also suffer tribulation and distress, but YOUR unrighteousness matches theirs.

Equally important is the one who does good, regardless of ethnicity once again, will receive glory, honor, and peace - or put another way, eternal life. Both the judgment of eternal damnation and the reward of eternal life are seen here. The eschatological realities smack the judging Jew in the face. Regardless of ethnicity, your works reveal your standing before God. Those with evil works receive death, but those with good works receive life everlasting. Again, these works demonstrate a person’s heart before God. A person who has been justified will demonstrate this by their good works.

In Romans 2:11, Paul wraps up this chiasm with how he started - God shows no partiality. God is the righteous judge and judges rightly. He does not show partiality in how He judges. Therefore, His eschatological judgment on works will be done fairly regardless of race and favoritism. God will judge the Jew and Gentile based on His righteousness, not on any other measurement. God is truly the only righteous judge.

Romans 2:9-11 - Conscience

As most of you know, I love the Puritans - from William Perkins, the founder of the English Puritans, to modern puritans such as JI Packer, John Piper, and Joel Beeke. They have profoundly shaped my life over the last few years. It is widely accepted that the last true Puritan was Jonathan Edwards. Edwards was a force during his day. He was a key leader of the First Great Awakening and wrote many books that still shape Christians. Mark Noll, a Christian historian, wrote this lament regarding the legacy of Edwards:

Evangelicals have not thought about life from the ground up as Christians, because their entire culture has ceased to do so. Edwards’ piety continued on in the revivalist tradition, his theology continued on in academic Calvinism, but there were no successors to his God-entranced worldview or his profoundly theological philosophy. The disappearance of Edwards’ perspective in American Christian history has been a tragedy.

When we speak of God being righteous, we are speaking of something much more than God judging good and evil behavior. God’s righteousness goes beyond Him sitting on a throne judging the works of humanity. Yes, that is certainly included in His righteousness! The righteousness of God speaks to God’s sovereign rule and reign over His creation, all of His creation, as the one true King. Furthermore, God determines what is righteous and unrighteous. He, and He alone, sets the standard for righteousness.

Psalm 97:1-6 beautifully captures the reign of God:

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! 2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around. 4 His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

The glorious presence of God invites the entire earth to proclaim His glory as the true King. These verses call the reader back to Mount Sinai where the Israelites experience God’s presence. It is overwhelming. The call for people to rejoice is not simply for the Jews, but “the earth” and “the many coastlands”. The Gentiles will also be included as God rules over them in righteousness. They will come to know the Lord, the Master of all as their true King.

It is here, God’s righteousness, where we recapture Jonathan Edwards’ theology of a God-entranced life. From the ground up we understand that God rules over all things. Nothing escapes His rule and reign. He is the true King and all should rejoice and be glad! Though this is true, the whole earth does not rejoice and give glory to God. Though this is true, there is a massive chasm between God’s righteousness and humanity’s depravity. Deuteronomy 32:4-5 states:

4 “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. 5 They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. 6 Do you thus repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?

These three verses are packed with truths that echo what we have studied in Romans 1:18-now. In verse 4, God is perfect, just, without sin, and upright/righteous. In verse 5, humanity is corrupt, crooked and twisted. In verse 6, there is no excuse for their rebellion because God is their Father. The depravity of humanity continues today. A loving Father has made Himself and His righteousness known.

When you think of God does His righteousness ever come to your mind? Do we see our great God as ruling over the universe? Do we live a life of good works because He is the righteous one? Or are we prone to corruption rebelling against God’s righteousness like Deuteronomy 32:5?

Romans 2:9-11 - Use

Romans 2:11 presents to us the reason for Romans 2:7-10. Those who do good will inherit eternal life and those who do evil will be damned. Why? For God shows no partiality. The righteous King rules according to His perfect righteousness, not favoritism. So how are we to then live in light of God showing no partiality? We live a life of good/godly works giving glory to God in all things.

Isaiah 43:6-7 states that we were created, formed, and made for the glory of God. This is our ultimate aim. Our lives should be lived entirely to the glory of God. First, because it demonstrates that we are truly in Christ. Those who live an ungodly life have no share in the New Covenant. Our good works that give glory to God can only come from those who are His. We live a life to the glory of God because we belong to Him. Each day, each hour, each minute, and each moment should be lived to the glory of our great God.

Second, our good works are on display for unbelievers to see. Matthew 5:14-16:

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

A life of good works lived to the glory of God will be noticed by unbelievers. We are called to both share the Gospel in word and in deed. In Matthew 5:16, the focus is on deed. What is a result of a life lived to the glory of God? Unbelievers coming to know God through salvation and then joining us in living a life to the glory of God. So, we do not simply live a life to God’s glory for only our own good, but also so that unbelievers can come to know God! They will see Christ’s work in us as we live to God enabled by the Holy Spirit. They will notice we are righteous and they are not.

Our lives are on display before the righteous ruler of the entire universe. He is an impartial judge who gives judgment fairly. The judging Jew in this passage is unrighteous. He is just as unrighteous as the unrighteous Gentile. His works reveal a heart that is not for God, but actively against Him. His end is eternal damnation. However, our good works reveal a life of godliness. This godliness is only a result of the work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

So, let us live a godly life in front of our gracious Father who sits on the throne. Let us live Romans 12:9-21 individually and corporately. Let our love for one another be evident. Let our good works be a light to the unrighteous. God rules over the universe. He rules over all our lives, so let us in obedience from the heart live all of our lives to His glory.