Romans 2:12-16 - None Have an Excuse

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 2:12-16 - None Have an Excuse

Romans 2:12-13 - The Doers of the Law will be Justified

Romans 2:14-16 - Gentiles Given the Conscience

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, Scripture reveals that God shows no partiality. He judges both the Jew and the Greek according to His righteousness. Furthermore, their works reveal their heart. An individual who does good works is truly saved. However, a person who does evil works reveals a heart that does not know God. Ultimately those who do good works are given eternal life by God.

In Romans 2:12-16, Paul elaborates on the truth he wrote in Romans 2:11 - God shows no partiality. A person may hear this, but ask - how can you say God is impartial when only the Jews have had the Torah? God only gave one people group His Torah and only they know what deeds are to be done - so how is that impartial? How does He not judge according to ethnicity when only one ethnicity received the Law? Paul, it doesn’t seem like God is truly impartial! In these verses, Paul answers that very question - God is impartial because His judgment rendered against humanity at the Last Day will not be in regards to the Law, but whether or not a person has sinned against Him.

Our passage can be broken down into two sections. In Romans 2:12-13, the doers of the Law will be justified. In Romans 2:14-16, God reveals He’s given the Gentiles the conscience.

Romans 2:12-13 - Exegesis

Let’s now turn our attention to our first section, Romans 2:12-13:

12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

You probably noticed that “the Law” is mentioned 10 times. The question is what does “the Law” mean here? Before I answer that question specifically, I think it’s important to note that Paul’s view/use of the Law is entirely complex. To quote a few scholars:

There is nothing quite so complex in Paul’s theology as the role and function which he attributes to the Law ~ James Dunn

Paul’s understanding of the Law is currently the most debated topic among Pauline scholars ~ D. A. Carson

So, we enter into a conversation that is highly complex and highly debated. Sometimes Paul will say the Law is good (Romans 7:12) and also he is released from the Law (Romans 7:5-6). What makes the conversation even more complex is 1 Corinthians 14:21:

21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”

What book does this come from? Paul quotes Isaiah 28:11-12. How can Paul quote Isaiah and say it comes from the Law! Though Paul’s use of the Law is complex, it does not mean it is not able to be understood. No, it is able to be understood. However, we must slow down, seek the Lord, and do our due diligence to ensure we understand the Scripture.

Now focusing back in on our passage - what does “the Law” mean here? There are numerous views on what “the Law” means. The most accepted options are - 1) A reference to the OT as a whole, 2) A reference to the entire Mosaic Law, or 3) A reference to the 10 Commandments. What will ultimately give us the answer here, as well as the rest of the book, is context. What Paul means here by “the Law” is not what he means by “the Law” every time he mentions the Law. Context determines what Scripture is speaking to specifically. Based upon our context, which is Romans 1:18-3:20 where Paul deals with God’s judgment on the unrighteousness of humanity, I believe Paul’s use of “the Law” refers to the entire Mosaic Law.

So we should understand Romans 2:12 as such, For all who have sinned without the Mosaic Law will also perish without the Mosaic Law, and all who have sinned under the Mosaic Law will be judged by the Mosaic Law. Now that we have “the Law” figured out let’s move on to figure out the issue at hand. Notice the issue is all have sinned whether they had the law or not. God is impartial because He judges sin based upon a person’s circumstances. If a person was aware of the Mosaic Law, then they are judged accordingly. If a person was not aware of the Mosaic Law, they perish. Regardless of starting point, which was determined by God Himself, a person either perishes or is judged based upon sin - not an understanding or lack of understanding of the Mosaic Law. Both sin and both will not be judged as righteous in the Last Day. Truly, God is impartial and right in judgment.

In Romans 2:13, Paul really cuts the judging Jew in his heart. The one who merely hears the Mosaic Law is not righteous, but it is the doers of the Mosaic Law who will be justified. Paul’s point is clear, it is not enough to simply hear, listen, know, study, and reflect on the Law - this does not lead to righteousness. Instead, the one who does the Law will be justified. This justification is eschatological. The one who will be declared as righteous and innocent on the Last Day. Now, here is where we need to carefully follow Paul’s argument so we entirely avoid works-based righteousness/salvation. If a person entirely keeps the Mosaic Law, they would be declared as righteous and justified. However, as Paul already noted - the judging Jew is already guilty because they judge the Gentiles while they sin. This judging Jew, and every Jew, is guilty. None of them have perfectly obeyed the Mosaic Law. None. Zip. Zero! Thus, the judging Jew is not a doer of the Law, but is mere hearer of the Law and will not be declared as righteous. God’s end time wrath and fury will be poured out on the judging Jew. He’s unrighteous - guilty.

Romans 2:12-13 - Conscience

Paul’s argument begins to tighten on the judging Jew. He has already proved the judging Jew is guilty. This Jew has proved unable to be a doer of the Law and will find himself as unrighteous on the judgment day - just like every other Jew who has lived. God does not show favoritism in anyway. All who have sinned stand before Him as unrighteous, with or without the Mosaic Law. Proverbs 20:9:

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?

Every person who has ever lived falls within the scope of Proverbs 20:9. Every person has sinned, with or without the Law. This judging Jew is left with an unpleasant reality - I am guilty. I have sinned. I will not be counted as righteous on the day of judgment. Psalm 130:3 states:

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

Those who worship Yahweh in this Psalm realize they stand guilty before Him. If God kept a record book of works for these faithful worshippers, they would be undone. Their guilt would be before God and they would be counted as guilty. Even these faithful worshippers know they cannot stand before God. He is too holy, too majestic, too glorious. He is altogether too righteous. People cannot stand before this God! Yet the Psalm doesn’t end there. In the following verse, Psalm 130:4:

But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

We cannot stand before God in our own power, but God… but God provides a way - forgiveness. The sweet oil of forgiveness allows us to be with God. His forgivness leads His people to walk in reverent fear with Him for their whole lives. The goodness of forgiveness leads to a life lived in faithful obedience to Him.

Though at one time we stood before God guilty, we now stand forgiven. We were the Gentiles who who would have perished without the Mosaic Law, but now we have been brought near to the throne of God by the blood of Christ!

How often do you reflect on this? Do we ever remember that our previous standing with God would have led to a declaration of unrighteous on the day of judgment? Do we ever think about what our future would have been apart of Christ? Or have we taken it all for granted? Should we not rejoice that our great God has saved us from His wrath? One day, publicly, He will declare us as righteous!

Romans 2:12-13 - Use

Ephesians 2:12-13:

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Do you recall the guilt, the shame, the weight of God’s wrath? Yet, now! Now, we have been brought near because of the blood of Christ Himself! We have access to God because of the work of Christ. Our foolish and puny lawless works were leading us to eternal death without access to the throne of grace. Now, we have access to God freely because of Christ Jesus! As John Bunyan stated:

Forgiveness is according to the riches of God’s grace, wherein He has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Grace can continue to pardon, favor, and save—from falls, in falls, and out of falls. Grace can comfort, relieve, and help those that have hurt themselves; and grace can bring the unworthy to glory. This the law cannot do; this man cannot do; this angels cannot do; this God cannot do, but only by the riches of His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Through the redemptive work of Christ the guilt, shame, and weight of God’s wrath disappears. All of that is applied to Jesus. His work on the cross is what we point to for our forgiveness. We were the Gentiles who would have perished without the Mosaic Law! But now because of the work of Christ, we are the doers of the Law who will be justified!

So first, let us rejoice that Christ has delivered us! We are no longer destined for eternal damnation. We will not perish at the Judgment Day, but instead will be saved as Christ claims us as His! Our hearts should continually be thankful to God that He saved us in Christ Jesus.

Second, seek to be a doer of the Law. This does not mean that we live in accordance to the Mosaic Law. No, but we are all called to live a full life of obedience to God. Thus all our lives must be given over to Him. All actions, words, and thoughts must be submitted to our great God. This does not mean we give ourselves to works-based righteousness. Scripture is clear here that righteousness is a gift given by God. However, those who have been declared as righteous will live as righteous. This righteous living permeates every aspect of our lives. No part of our live escapes total dependence and obedience to God. We live this way because of His saving work in our lives! We gives us righteousness and justification!

Romans 2:14-16 - Exegesis

Now let us turn to Romans 2:14-16:

14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

As you can see the Mosaic Law fills these verses as well, but here Paul speaks to how it applies to Gentiles not Jews. Paul now explains how the Gentiles will perish without the Mosaic Law. Though Gentiles, who are not in Christ, have not been taught the Mosaic Law, they still live, at times, according to the Mosaic Law. They do not murder, lie, steal, engage in gross sexual immorality, etc. They would honor their parents, live a life according to morality, generally act in kindness toward others. Furthermore, most religions have rules for moral living, communal living, purification, and religious activities/service. Thus, it is not required for Gentiles to have access to the Mosaic Law to live according the Mosaic Law. They do, at times, live according to the Mosaic Law because of the moral imprint of God put into their hearts. Every person is created in the image of God. So by nature, Gentiles do what the Mosaic Law requires.

As they, at times, do what the Mosaic Law requires, they become a law to themselves. This means that by their behavior they attest there is a divine moral standard. Though they clearly do not possess the Mosaic Law, they do possess the knowledge that God has a will for them. This goes all the way back to Romans 1. They know there is a God, but they suppress Him and His truth. Romans 1:20-21:

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Though they have not been explicitly taught the Mosaic Law they are on the same ground as the Jew because they attest there is a divine moral law. Gentiles are just as guilty as the Jews even if they do not possess explicit knowledge of the Law.

In verse 15, Scripture presents two reasons as to how Gentiles understand the divine moral standard of God. First, they do the Law which reveals it is written on their hearts. Again, we are not simply speaking of the 10 Commandments. The Law is the Mosaic Law - the Torah. Now, this does not mean the Gospel has been written on their hearts or they have special revelation that would lead them to salvation. Remember, Paul’s overarching theme from Romans 1:18-2:30 is the unrighteousness of humanity. God righteous judgment and wrath falls on those who are unrighteous. Paul is not yet dealing with redemption or salvation. He is arguing that every single person, regardless of ethnicity, is guilty. The Law is written on their hearts. They have no excuse because the Law is embedded in them even if they have not been explicitly taught the Law.

Second, God has given them a conscience. The conscience is a God-given internal compass that alerts Gentiles that they have transgressed moral standards. There is an awareness of wrong doing even though they’ve never been taught the Mosaic Law. Their own conscience bear witness against them continually. This internal compass leads Gentiles to feelings of guilt, remorse, regret, and self-condemnation. There is no relief because the conscience is internal. Gentiles, though without the Law, have a conscience that reveals transgressions.

How do we know this for sure? Well, the answer is in the last part of Romans 2:15 - Their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. Accuse and excuse are both legal words. The conscience of the Gentiles is constantly at work accusing them of transgressions or excusing them. Throughout the day the internal God-given moral compass either says, “You are guilty!” Or “You are innocent!” Paul is clear, a person will accuse themselves or declared innocence. However, their present wrestling does not secure eternal life. Regardless of their standing in the moment, at the end they will all be judged as guilty. Why? Because there are secrets hidden within them that only God knows and only God through Jesus will judge. Christ is the ultimate judge will declare people as righteous or unrighteous. Paul is clear - you Gentiles stand UNRIGHTEOUS before Christ! The Jews have the Mosaic Law and the Gentiles have the conscience. Both stand before God on equal footing and both will be judged as guilty - God IS IMPARTIAL! To the Jew - you are guilty because you do not live fully obedient to the Law. To the Gentile - you are guilty because you do not obey the internal God-given conscience. Both guilty. Both have no excuse.

Now we come to what appears to be an odd statement by Paul - according to my gospel. It can seem baffling to read this - Paul why not write according to THE gospel. Paul does not have a different gospel than the apostles and we know this because of Galatians 2:2, 9:

2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.

9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

Paul did not preach a different Gospel at all. So what does Paul mean here when he says my Gospel. The Gospel to Paul was not theoretical. Paul was overtaken by the Gospel. He had made the Gospel His own because the Gospel owned Him. He is not espousing a different Gospel, but proclaiming the true Gospel that has entirely taken over his life. He wholeheartedly believed the Gospel. The Gospel griped his heart at such a deep level that he can personally say my gospel. Paul loved the Gospel because he understood the depths of the Gospel!

Romans 2:14-16 - Conscience

Both Jew and Gentile stand guilty before Jesus the Righteous Judge. The Jew because he is not a doer of the Mosaic Law. The Gentile because the conscience has accused him as guilty. As Gentiles, we understand this conscience. I’d assume most of us here grew up without being taught the Mosaic Law. However, God is His grace, mercy, loved and providence gave you a conscience. Every Gentile has been given a conscience. Though all our consciences are fallen and distorted, Gentiles who don’t know God still have a gift from Him. The conscience is their moral compass that accuses them and excuses them. This is why we hear stories of missionaries going into unreached people groups and they turn to Christ upon hearing the Gospel for the first time. Their consciences burned within them. They knew they were guilty. They were under the wrath of God feeling the guilt, shame, and self-condemnation of transgression. The conscience, given by God, is the reason we cannot say those who have never heard the Gospel will be declared as innocent.

Yes, there are those in remote villages who have never heard the Gospel. Yet, I am willing to say there are those in America who have never heard the Gospel. There are those in North Carolina who have never heard the Gospel. There are those in Mecklenburg County and Iredell County who have never heard the Gospel. I’m willing to say there are those in our cities who attend a church building every Sunday and they’ve never heard the Gospel. They’ve heard moralism; they’ve heard the prosperity Gospel; they’ve heard the social Gospel; they’ve had their ears tickled and they leave feeling good, but they’ve never heard THE GOSPEL!

The conscience is a glorious gift from the Father that is currently accusing and excusing people in Lake Norman. Each day they wrestle with their God-given conscience. The conscience screams - you are guilty! Yet it also says you are excused in this instance because you did not transgress the Law. However, there will be no excuse on the day of judgment. Each Gentile, apart from Christ, will stand before God and be judged. The verdict - guilty. Are our hearts not burdened by this reality? Do we not see unbelieving Gentiles wrestling with their consciences on a daily basis? Do we not bring the sweet oil of the Gospel to their consciences that accuse them day after day after day? Each night they lay their heads down feeling the weight of the conscience - guilty, condemned, under the wrath of God. Do we really stay silent while this is happening? Do we not know 2 Corinthians 5:17-21?

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We may not have the gift of evangelism, but every single one of us is an ambassador of Christ called to the ministry of reconciliation. How can we idly and sinfully stay silent when God desires us to share the Gospel? Are we all not ambassadors of Christ? Are we all not given the ministry of reconciliation? Doesn’t God desire to make His appeal to them through US? Staying silent when the conscience of an unbeliever is being seared is sinful. Why do we withhold the majestic Gospel and cause them not to experience the glory of God through Christ Jesus?

Romans 2:14-16 - Use

Furthermore, what do we do with our own conscience? First, we must recognize that our consciences are fallen. Though we may be in Christ we still have a fallen conscience. If we think our consciences are pure, holy, and glorious, we have flat out deceived ourselves! Our fallen consciences can tell us something we are thinking or doing is right, accurate, and pure. However, we may read the Word later on and become convicted. Our thought, action, or deed was wrong, inaccurate, and sinful. We will never attain a perfect conscience on earth so let the Gospel of Christ be our foundation. Let us continually come back to the Gospel.

Second, our consciences need to be saturated with the Word of God. It is not enough for us to spend 15-30 minutes with God every day and walk away with the same conscience. If that is our reality, we’ve done nothing but filled our heads with knowledge. This is my great struggle. I love studying the Word to know the depths of theology. However, it is entirely worthless endeavor if my conscience remains the same day after day. This is also a great danger for a class like ours. If we fail to truly answer those back two questions, we walk away with a head filled but a conscience that remains the same. If our theology does not drive us to doxology, we’ve missed the point.

We should spend time with our loving triune God pleading with Him to change our conscience. God, help me to mediate on your Word. Please let your Word transform my conscience. Help me to see hidden sin in my life that I’m unaware of at this time. Let my conscience be more holy, God! Let our consciences be put before the throne of God and let the Holy Spirit work within us.

Finally, let us be encouraged by Hebrews 10:19-23:

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Here is our encouragement - our hearts have been sprinkled clean by Jesus our great priest. Our consciences are no longer evil. Christ has taken your evil conscience and sprinkled it clean with His blood. There is no guilt, shame, or self-condemnation. Our hearts are pure. Yes, the conscience still alerts us of sin and transgression, but our defense is His blood. We don’t take sin lightly. As we become aware of the egregiousness of our sin we, like Paul, come to know the depths of the Gospel and the love of God. Our consciences are not like the unbelieving Gentile consciences all around us. Theirs is still evil. Yet our’s is clean - certainly not by anything we have ever done. Paul’s point is clear in this passage - Gentiles are guilty before God because their consciences’ alert them of transgression against the divine standard. It is only the pleasant work of Christ that brings the refreshing water of God to our conscience.

Today, put your conscience before God. Beg Him to transform your conscience. Even though our consciences have been sprinkled clean, we still need the Lord to transform our consciences daily. God, help us to have consciences that show us our sin and cause us to run to the great throne of grace!