Romans 2:6-11

OK, well, welcome. We’re going to recap here for just a second, and then we are going to dive right into the passage for the evening.

Thank you, Youth for hanging with us. I know I’m not as good as Pastor Nick, but I hope you can bear with my teaching tonight.

So, in Chapter 1 we see Paul introduce himself and give his standard thank-you note. Then, he gets right to the point, noting that God’s righteousness is revealed by faith, which we desperately need, because God’s wrath is revealed in ungodliness and unrighteousness.

He discusses at length what unrighteousness looks like, and how we, in our unrighteousness, exchange the truth of God for the lie, and that those who live in that unrighteousness deserve death.

He is really setting up his argument for the whole letter here. Unrighteousness leads to death. And this isn’t unfair, but it is what we deserve. We see the argument forming about how the unrighteous deserve death, because they reject God. We will ultimately see that the unrighteous person Paul is talking about here is us, because no one is righteous. We see that we have no hope, but that is why the Gospel is so amazing. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Spoiler alert! That’s Rom 5:8)

I hope you see the argument forming, though. Because we see what the unrighteous life looks like, and we see how when we practice sin, even while condemning others of the same sins we are wilfully partaking in, we presume upon the riches of God’s kindness and patience. I talked about in here last week how Romans 2:4 is kind of the preeminent question in all of scripture, and we said we could paraphrase it in more modern terminology like this:

“Do you presume upon God’s gentle benevolence and goodness, his tolerance of your lawbreaking, and his patience in spite of the pain your disobedience causes Him? Do you presume upon that? Because it should lead you to fall on your face and ask for His forgiveness and for Him to change you into what He wants you to be.”

And Paul closes that section from last week showing that the unrighteous turn their back on God, reject Him (that is what impenitent means), and in rejecting God we store up wrath for ourselves.

So, let’s pick up in verse 6:

Romans 2:6–11 ESV

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. 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.

A good summary of Chapter 2 so far might be this:

Acts thru Corinthians Judgment and the Law (2:1–16)

Even though people tend to be judgmental when they shouldn’t be, God is frequently not judgmental when He could be. His mercy allows people to repent. Then, rather than being self-seeking and pursuing evil, they are able to seek righteousness instead. Rewards are in store for such people, but God’s wrath awaits those who continue to reject truth (2:7–10). God will evaluate people’s actions—not their religious affiliations or good intentions. He does not show favoritism (2:11–16).

So, what does that mean that God will “render to each one according to his works?” Does that mean that if I try to be a good person, God will reward me, but if I mess up, I get punished?

No! Calvin says this:

Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans Chapter 2

as he sanctifies those whom he has previously resolved to glorify, he will also crown their good works, but not on account of any merit: nor can this be proved from this verse; for though it declares what reward good works are to have, it does yet by no means show what they are worth, or what price is due to them. And it is an absurd inference, to deduce merit from reward.