“The God Who Judges Justly” Romans 2:1-16

Romans 2:1–16 — “The God Who Judges Justly” (Week 3: The Universal Need for the Gospel)

Introduction: Turning the Mirror

If you’ve got your Bible, turn with me to Romans chapter 2.

Up to this point, Paul’s been talking about them — the world out there. Chapter 1 painted a dark picture: people suppressing truth, exchanging God’s glory for idols, and God handing them over to their desires.

And you can almost hear the moral or religious person nodding along — “That’s right, Paul. The world’s a mess. Those people need judgment.”

Then Paul does something brilliant. He turns the camera. He goes from them to you. From the streets to the synagogue. And he says: “You, therefore, have no excuse.”

It’s as if Paul holds up a mirror.

Illustration: The Mirror and the Museum

A few years ago, a museum in New York displayed an unusual art piece. It was just a large mirror mounted on a white wall with a single caption underneath: “The face of the person responsible for most of your problems.”

At first, people laughed. But then they stepped closer. They looked — and realized they were staring at themselves. And the laughter stopped. Because it’s always easier to critique everyone else’s reflection than to face your own.

That’s exactly what Paul is doing here in Romans 2. He’s saying, “Before you nod at the sins of the world, look in the mirror. The same rebellion that wrecks culture lives in your own heart.”

We live in an age of outrage. We carry mirrors in our pockets — little glass screens we use to magnify the flaws of others. But Romans 2 is a different kind of mirror. It’s not for vanity; it’s for repentance.

Philosophical Reflection

This isn’t a new idea. For centuries, believers have seen Scripture as the mirror of the soul.

The Reformer John Calvin opened his Institutes with these words:

“Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God.”

He meant that you can’t truly see God’s holiness until you’ve seen your own sin — and you can’t see your sin until the mirror of God’s Word confronts you.

And Søren Kierkegaard, centuries later, wrote that the Bible is “the only mirror that shows us as we truly are.” He said it’s not a mirror for admiring your reflection — it’s one that demands you act upon what you see.

That’s what Paul’s doing here. Romans 2 is the divine mirror — held up to our pride, our self-righteousness, our quiet moralism. It’s God saying, “Before you start pointing fingers, take a look at your own heart.”

This is one of the most surgical moments in the entire letter. Paul’s not speaking to pagans anymore — he’s speaking to people who go to church, who know their theology, who can quote Scripture, who think they’re fine.

And he’s about to show us that it’s possible to have religion without regeneration, morality without mercy, and law without love.

Douglas Moo writes:

“Romans 2 is Paul’s devastating analysis of religious hypocrisy — people who judge others for sins they secretly commit themselves.” (NICNT Romans, p. 126)

This is the danger inside the church: the belief that because we know truth, we are righteous. But the gospel says the opposite — we need grace every day, just like the people we’re tempted to judge.

Historical and Contextual Background

The early Roman church was a mixed community — Jewish believers and Gentile believers worshiping together. The Jewish Christians knew the Law, the covenants, the promises. They were confident in their moral superiority to the pagan Gentiles.

But Paul, himself a former Pharisee, exposes their blind spot: knowing the Law doesn’t make you righteous. Having religious heritage doesn’t give you immunity from judgment.

Paul’s argument mirrors Amos 1–2, where the prophet pronounces judgment on Israel’s neighbors — until suddenly, he turns and condemns Israel herself for the same sins.

That’s what Paul is doing here: leveling the playing field.

Linguistically, verse 1 begins with the strong connective dio (“Therefore”) — linking back to 1:32. Paul’s saying: Since you agree that sin deserves judgment, how do you escape when you do the same things?

Main Point

God’s judgment is perfectly righteous — it exposes hypocrisy, measures impartially, and reveals the heart.

God’s Judgment Exposes Hypocrisy (vv. 1–5)

Paul opens with a mirror:

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.”

The word “judge” (krinō) implies moral superiority — looking down on others. Paul’s not condemning moral discernment, but self-righteous condemnation.

This hits religious people right between the eyes. It’s the danger of knowing truth but not being changed by it.

R.C. Sproul said:

“We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. The root of sin is deeper than behavior — it’s in the heart.” (The Holiness of God)

Verse 3 asks: “Do you suppose, O man, that you will escape the judgment of God?” The Greek logizē (“do you suppose”) implies a false assumption — that God grades on a curve.

Paul dismantles that idea: God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance, not self-congratulation (v. 4).

Historical insight: Jewish teachers of the time believed that simply possessing the Law guaranteed favor with God. The Mishnah records sayings like, “All Israelites have a share in the world to come.” Paul says, “No — God doesn’t save by ethnicity or morality. He saves by grace through faith.”

Application: This is us too. The temptation in the church is to compare ourselves to the world and feel justified. But sin doesn’t stop being sin because it’s in a Christian’s life.

Paul’s warning is clear: the judgment we pass on others will expose our own hearts.

OT Connection: This echoes 2 Samuel 12, when Nathan confronts David after his sin with Bathsheba. David burns with anger at the rich man in Nathan’s story — until Nathan says, “You are the man!” That’s what Paul is doing in Romans 2. He’s saying, “You’re the man.”

God’s Judgment Is Impartial (vv. 6–11)

Verse 6: “He will render to each one according to his works.” That’s a direct quote from Psalm 62:12 and Proverbs 24:12.

Proverbs 24:12 ESV

If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?

Psalm 62:12 ESV

and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.

This doesn’t contradict justification by faith — it clarifies it. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, but the evidence of true faith is good works. Works reveal what kind of heart you have.

John Murray puts it this way:

“Judgment according to works does not mean justification by works, but it does mean that works will be the criterion of judgment because they reveal the genuineness of faith.” (Epistle to the Romans, Vol. 1, p. 57)

Verse 9 says there will be “tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek.” That’s radical in Paul’s world. Jews assumed they were exempt from God’s wrath because of covenant privilege. Paul says, “No — God is impartial.”

The word aprosōpolēmptos (v. 11) literally means “without face-taking.” In ancient courts, judges often favored the wealthy or powerful. Paul says God doesn’t do that. He doesn’t see status, ethnicity, or appearance — only truth.

Application: The gospel eliminates boasting. There are no “insiders” and “outsiders” in God’s courtroom.

We don’t get to hide behind church attendance, baptism, or theological pedigree. God will not ask for your membership card — He will look for evidence of new birth.

OT Connection: Deuteronomy 10:17 says, “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.” Paul’s echoing that here: divine justice is incorruptible.

In Brampton terms — God’s not impressed by what neighborhood you live in, what job you have, or how long you’ve been in the church. He’s after your heart.

God’s Judgment Reveals the Heart (vv. 12–16)

Now Paul draws a final distinction:

“All who have sinned without the law will perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.”

Here’s the logic: Gentiles who don’t have the Mosaic Law still have the moral law written on their hearts (v. 15). Jews who have the written Law are accountable for obeying it. Either way, everyone falls short.

This is a profound hermeneutical moment — Paul’s invoking the universal moral conscience. Even those outside of Israel’s covenant have enough revelation to know right from wrong.

Verse 15 says, “They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness.” That’s syneidēsis — the inner awareness of moral responsibility.

Tom Schreiner notes:

“The conscience is not an infallible guide, but it is a divine witness implanted by God to testify that we are moral beings accountable to Him.” (Romans, BECNT, p. 121)

This links directly to the Old Testament promise of the New Covenant, where God said He would “write His law on our hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33)

So even Gentiles show the faint echo of that promise — but only in Christ is it fulfilled fully.

Verse 16 ends powerfully:

“On that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

Notice — Paul calls it “my gospel.” He’s not ashamed of it. The same gospel that saves will also judge. Jesus Himself will be the judge (John 5:22).

Application: This means the gospel doesn’t just inform our Sunday worship — it will define our eternity. The hidden motives, the private sins, the secret thoughts — all of it will be laid bare.

But for those in Christ, that judgment has already happened — at the cross.

At Calvary, our secrets were exposed, our guilt was placed on Him, and the verdict “Guilty” was turned into “Righteous.”

OT Connection: Ecclesiastes 12:14 says, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Paul echoes this — but through the lens of Christ’s finished work.

Gospel Resolution

If Romans 1 exposed the rebellion of the world, Romans 2 exposes the hypocrisy of the religious. Both are lost without Jesus.

We need more than moral reform — we need new hearts. We need more than good works — we need grace. We need more than the Law written on tablets — we need it written on our hearts by the Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26–27).

The gospel is not “try harder.” It’s “trust deeper.”

Conclusion

Paul’s message is clear: God’s judgment is righteous, impartial, and penetrating. There’s no hiding behind religion or morality. But the beauty of the gospel is that the Judge became our Savior.

The One who will judge the secrets of men took the judgment of sinners.

So today, if you’ve been trusting your performance, your religious background, or your moral record — Paul would say, “Stop.” Repent. Rest in Christ’s righteousness, not your own.

And if you’re weary from self-righteous striving, hear this:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Conclusion (with Reformation Day Note)

Paul’s message in Romans 2 is clear: God’s judgment is righteous, impartial, and penetrating. There’s no hiding behind religion or morality. But the beauty of the gospel is that the Judge became our Savior.

The One who will judge the secrets of men took the judgment of sinners.

So today, if you’ve been trusting your performance, your religious background, or your moral record — Paul would say, “Stop.” Repent. Rest in Christ’s righteousness, not your own.

And if you’re weary from self-righteous striving, hear this:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Church of the City, let’s be a people who judge less and repent more — who rest not in moralism but in mercy — and who live as a family of missionary disciples transformed by grace.

A Reformation Reminder

As we stand near Reformation Day, we remember that it was this very book — Romans — that set a monk named Martin Luther on fire with gospel truth. While studying Romans 1 and 2, Luther saw that the righteousness of God was not something we achieve, but something we receive by faith. He wrote:

“Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates.”

Context: Luther, the 95 Theses, and the Spark of the Reformation

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. That act is often seen as the spark of the Protestant Reformation — a protest against the sale of indulgences and a call for reform within the Roman Catholic Church.

But the theological engine behind those theses — what made them more than a protest — came from Luther’s deep wrestling with Romans 1–2. It wasn’t a political act first. It was a personal awakening.

Luther’s Personal Struggle with Romans 1–2

Before the Reformation, Luther was a devout monk tormented by guilt. He believed God’s righteousness in Romans 1:17(“The righteous shall live by faith”) referred to God’s punitive justice — the righteousness by which God punishes sinners.

Here’s how Luther himself described that moment of breakthrough (from his Preface to the Latin Works, 1545):

“I greatly longed to understand Paul’s epistle to the Romans, and nothing stood in the way but that one expression, ‘the righteousness of God’ … I hated that word, which I had been taught to understand as the righteousness by which God is righteous and punishes unrighteous sinners.

Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the righteousness of God and the statement, ‘the righteous shall live by faith.’

Then I grasped that the righteousness of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith.

Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise.”

That moment — in Romans 1:16–17 — gave birth to the theology that shaped the 95 Theses.

What Specifically in Romans 1–2 Shaped the 95 Theses?

The Righteousness of God (Romans 1:17)

This is the cornerstone. Luther realized that “the righteousness of God” isn’t something we earn by works or penance, but something God gives to us by faith.

This revelation directly confronted the medieval system of indulgences and works-righteousness. In the very first thesis, Luther wrote:

Thesis 1: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

That thesis reflects Romans 2:4 — “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” Repentance is not buying indulgences; it’s responding to mercy.

God’s Impartial Judgment (Romans 2:1–11)

Luther’s reading of Romans 2 revealed that no human being — priest, pope, or peasant — stands righteous before God apart from grace.

In the medieval church, grace was mediated through the sacraments and the clergy. Romans 2 shattered that idea: God shows no partiality.

This truth lies underneath Thesis 62, where Luther wrote:

“The true treasure of the Church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.”

That’s Romans 2 in action — God’s impartial judgment exposes human pride and magnifies divine grace.

Hypocrisy and False Security (Romans 2:1–5)

Luther saw in Paul’s words a mirror for the religious leaders of his day — those who claimed to represent God while exploiting people’s fear of judgment.

Romans 2:1–5 warns religious people who “judge others and yet do the same things.” That’s the spirit of many of Luther’s middle theses (e.g., 27–32), which attack the false assurance offered by indulgence-sellers:

Thesis 32: “Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.”

Luther’s tone there sounds like Paul’s: You have no excuse. You’re judging others and practicing the same deceit.

God’s Judgment and True Repentance (Romans 2:4)

Romans 2:4 became one of the most liberating verses for Luther. It says:

“Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

That verse convinced him that repentance wasn’t about punishment or payment, but about grace. In the medieval church, repentance was treated like a transaction — you confess, pay, perform penance, and earn grace. Romans 2 says repentance is a response to grace — the fruit of God’s kindness.

That’s the theology that threads through the entire 95 Theses.

The Reformation wasn’t just about protesting error; it was about rediscovering grace. It was the moment the mirror of God’s Word was held up to a prideful church — and light broke in again.

So as we hear Paul’s words today, let’s remember: we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone.

That’s the gospel that reforms hearts, churches, and cities — including ours, right here in Brampton.

Church of the City, let’s be a people who judge less and repent more — who rest not in moralism but in mercy — and who live as a family of missionary disciples transformed by grace.

Duscussion

How can we cultivate a culture in our church family where confession and repentance are safer than self-righteous comparison?

What does God’s impartial judgment reveal about His character? How does understanding that truth change the way we see our neighbors, coworkers, or family members who don’t yet know Jesus?