Impartially Guilty

I invite you to open your copy of God’s Word with me to Romans, chapter 2. If you don’t have your Bible with you, we will have the text on the screens for you this morning, but we are going to be back in Romans 2. We are continuing, together, in our journey down the Romans Road, and we are going to be picking up right where we left off last week.

Last week, you’ll remember, we were dealing with a tough subject. We were talking about judging a lost and dying world around us for the sin and unrighteousness in their lives and in our society, while at the same time we refuse to deal with the sin issues in our own lives. And I was showing you how the Scriptures clearly tell us that all sin is the same in God’s eyes, and that the only reason that we have a relationship with God at all is because of His loving kindness that made forgiveness possible for us through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Those that are truly the forgiven of God wouldn’t dare to bring judgment against another person, because we know that we deserve judgment as well. And so, instead of judging the lost, we must carry the love of Christ to them, even as others carried His love to us. We need to focus on uprooting the sin in our own lives. Rather than judging the sins of the lost before they even know Christ, you need to focus on the sin that is in your heart, and in walking alongside one another so that the love of Christ can be clearly seen among us, because the proof of your faith in Christ or your lack of it is in the fruit of your life.

We are going to be reading this morning from Romans chapter 2, beginning in verse 9. As wpube read together, I invite anyone that is able to do so to stand with me in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

Romans 2:9–16 NASB95

There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. 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; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

Let me pray for us: Lord, Jesus, Your Word is good for us. Your Word enlightens us and fills us with hope. It exhorts us, encourages us, and convicts us of our sins, that we might turn to You in repentance and find healing. Your Word is good for us, even when it is not easy. Lord, as we open it together right now, would You give us eyes to see and ears to hear? Would You help us to approach this time with open hearts and minds, that we might receive from it what You want us to receive, and that through it we will allow You to change us so that we can be more like Jesus. It is in His Name that we pray, Amen.

Thank you, you may be seated, and as you do so, I invite you to get out your listening guide, either from your program, or from our website this morning. Additionally, if you here in the building and you use Logos Bible study software, you should be able to follow along this morning’s presentation there. But, as we get started, we are going to focus for a moment on something that we see in the first three verses that is going to come back again and again in Romans. Let’s look at verse 9:

Romans 2:9–11 NASB95

There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.

Paul uses a phrase twice here. He says, “To the Jew first and also to the Greek.” But what does he mean by that? You’ll remember that a few weeks ago, in our introduction to Romans, I showed you that Paul used a literary tool called an inclusio; and you’ll also recall that an inclusio is a phrase that uses two extremes as kind of book ends that means “these mentioned and everything in between them.” It’s a way to emphasize who or what is being included in the discussion. And, as you’re taking notes this morning, the group that Paul wants to emphasize is everyone, because what he is saying here, as we take our first point, is that

God does not play favorites, He judges all the same

Everyone is going to face the judgment of God. Every soul will be judged on the fruit of their lives. Your fruit, whether it is good fruit or bad fruit, your fruit will be judged by God. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, you are going to face the judgment of God.

You see, this is crucial for us to understand. The Jews are God’s chosen people. That continues to be true. In fact, as we go through Romans, this issue is going to come up and we’re going to talk about it. There is no doubt that the Jews are chosen by God as His people, and that there is no point in Scripture where that ceases to be true. However, that truth put the Jews in a dangerous spot.

You see, the Jews lost track along the way of what it meant to be chosen. They took being chosen to mean that they were kind of untouchable because they are God’s favorites. They had the law and we didn’t. They They had His blessing and we didn’t. They are the saved and we aren’t. And they base this belief on the Abrahamic covenant out of Genesis 12:

Genesis 12:1–3 NASB95

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Now, it is clear as you look at these verses that God clearly said that He was going to bless Israel. God set Israel apart, and blessed them. But why? What was God’s purpose in blessing Israel? What was His purpose in setting them apart? He tells them at the end of Genesis 12:2 and at the end of Genesis 12:3: God blessed Israel so that they could be a blessing.

God blessed Israel so that, through them, all of the world would be blessed. They were to be the messengers of God, who carried His truth and goodness to the nations. They are the lineage and family of the Messiah. Israel is God’s chosen people; but their selection and their blessing was to a purpose for God’s Kingdom, and it most certainly did not free them from the wrath of God.

And what Paul is saying to them in Romans 2 is look, God doesn’t play favorites. God is a just judge. If your fruit is good, you are a good tree and will be treated as such. If your fruit is rotten, you are a rotten tree, and you will be treated as such. Greek, Jew, it doesn’t matter.

And the reason it is so important for us to see this is that there are a lot of people that call themselves Christians today that act like the Jews. My mom was a Christian, my dad was a Christian, so I’m a Christian. I walked the aisle, and I got dunked under some water by the preacher, so I’m a Christian. My life hasn’t changed. I do what I want six days a week, but I show up on Sundays to complain if I think the preacher looks at his notes too much, if the music isn’t what I like, or if the service is longer than I like. But my ticket is punched. I’m good. I’m going to heaven.

And I’m here to tell you, friend that you need to be careful. Because what we’ve been looking at the last few weeks is here again this morning, God doesn’t play favorites, and he is not fooled by you. The truth is that the fruit of your life will find you out. The things that you say and do, the slander and gossip you speak matters. Those things that God calls you to do for Him with your time and resources matter. God is not fooled, and He doesn’t play favorites. And there are some among us, friends, that are storing up for themselves a harsher judgment than the lost people that have never darkened the door of a church, and they don’t even know it. Look at verse 12 with me:

Romans 2:12–13 NASB95

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; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Friends, the second thing that you should note this morning is this, that

Knowing God’s law only helps those that do what it says

Every sinner dies for their sins. No one that sins can escape death. Even those that live in the remotest part of the earth, who have never heard the Scripture will die because of sin. Why? Because, as Romans 6:23a says,

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 6

For the wages of sin is death

The payment for our sins is death. The penalty that we face for sin is death. Everybody does things that are wrong, and the penalty for that is death. Everybody dies because everybody sins. What did God tell Adam and Eve about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? He told them not to eat of it. Why?

Genesis 2:17 NASB95

but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

And ever since that time, we die. We die whether or not we know the law because down somewhere deep inside of us, we know what we should and shouldn’t do, and yet we choose to do wrong anyway. Now, we’re going to get deeper into that in just a moment, but those without the law aren’t innocent, and we see that is true because they die, just like those that know the law.

But what does it mean that those under the law are judged by the law? If everyone is already going to die, why does Paul change the language so dramatically when he speaks of the guilty among the Jews? And what we find is that not only did the Jews not get out of judgment because they are God’s people, but they are also judged on account of what they know. In other words, if you know the standard, the judgment is even harder when you break it.

In Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus told a parable that illustrates this for us. There was this king whose son was getting married. And the king decided to throw a banquet to celebrate. They sent out invitations, and the king pulled out all of the stops, this was going to be the party to end all parties.

And on the day of the banquet, the king sent out his servants to bring in the guests, but they all refused to come. Confused, the king sent out another round of servants. He said tell them, I’ve butchered the fattened livestock, I have put out the very finest that I have to celebrate with you. Everything is ready, come and join me for the wedding feast.

But the people he had invited paid no attention to the king’s invitation. One went to do work on his farm. One went to do some things for his business. One of them said he was too tired and couldn’t make it, and still others seized the kings servants, and beat them up and killed them. And the news of it came back to the king. And when he had heard what had happened and the excuses of those he had honored with an invitation, and the evil they had done, he burned with anger. The king sent out his army to destroy them, and to burn their city to the ground.

Then, the king told his slaves, “I have a feast all prepared, but the guests weren’t worthy to be here. Go to the highway, and invite whoever you find there.” So, they did it. They went out into the streets, and they invited people good and evil alike until the wedding hall was full with guests.

And so, the king came in to celebrate with his guests. But as he entered, he saw a man that was not dressed for the occasion, he wasn’t dressed like somebody going to a wedding. And so the king came to the man, and he said to him, “friend, how did you come here today not dressed for a wedding?”

And the man was speechless before the king. So the king told his servants to bind that man up by his hands and his feet and to throw him out into the darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Don’t miss this friends. Those that were invited to the wedding knew that it was taking place. It was important to them…it just wasn’t important enough. The ones that killed the servants of the king had been invited to the banquet. They knew the great lengths that they king had gone to for them. They knew what was right to do, and they chose not to do it.

The people on the streets didn’t know that they were coming to the wedding until the heard it on the streets. They didn’t have much time in the way of preparation, And I want you to see that both groups were held accountable. The man who showed up that wasn’t dressed right, he paid for not doing what was right. But those that refused to come, who made a mockery of the king’s invitation? Their punishment was far more severe.

And I want you to see that we have to be very careful, because you and I are in danger of being in that first group. We are in danger of being like the Jews, who are judged by the law. Everyone is going to be judged for their sins. Every man, woman, and child that ever lived and that ever will live will face God’s judgment for their sins, and ignorance of the law is not an excuse to break it. But those of us that know what we are supposed to do, who have studied God’s Word, Who have read and heard and understood the truth, when we don’t do what we know that we should, our judgment is worse. It does you NO GOOD to know what it is that you are supposed to do if you don’t do it.

James 4:17 NASB95

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Let’s say, I took my wife out to dinner, and I told my daughter to watch her brothers, and I said to her, “you three kids need to eat what we made for you, then you need to clean the kitchen and the family room, and do your homework, and don’t play any video games. Now, imagine we came home and found the whole house was immaculate, and my youngest son was sitting at his desk doing his homework, but the other two were playing video games. And when I ask, I find out that my daughter hadn’t bothered to say anything to them about what they were supposed to do, but that the youngest had done all of the cleaning and was doing his homework because he knew that it would be pleasing to us.

What do you think would happen? The youngest would get rewarded for doing what they had been commanded to do, even though he didn’t know I had commanded it. The other son would be punished for two things: not doing his chores and homework, and playing video games when he wasn’t supposed to be. He would argue with me that it wasn’t fair because he didn’t know, and I would point out that he should have thought about it. But their sister, not only would she be punished for doing wrong, but she would receive the harshest penalty because she was the only one that had received instructions about what they were supposed to do.

And this is what Paul is driving at here. This is what you and I need to understand. Mark Clifton says that

“The majority of Christians today have out-studied our obedience”-Mark Clifton, NAMB

And what he means is that we have done Bible Study. We have gone to Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. We know the right things to say, and can tell you lots of stories from Scripture. But our big problem is that we don’t obey it. We know what we’re supposed to be doing, but we don’t do it. And Paul is saying that no one has any excuse for sin, but if we know God’s Word and yet we fail to obey it, we are the invited wedding guests, we are the child who received instructions, and we aren’t going to like where that leaves us.

Let’s look at the last two verses here:

Romans 2:14–16 NASB95

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

The final thing that I would have you to write down this morning is this:

Your conscience is your proof, and your thoughts are your attorney in your judgment before God

Paul says your conscience will bear witness as your evidence before God, and, like the attorneys in a trial, your thoughts will accuse you or defend you. What does He mean?

Well, it’s simple really. You think of your thought life as secret. It is closed off. No one can tell you what you know and what you don’t know. No one can tell you what you should and shouldn’t think about. When you feel guilty about not doing what you know that you should do, no one knows it but you. When you sit in here, and you are pointed to the truth of what it means and what it looks like to know Jesus and to make Him known, and you feel that conviction over it, and then you walk out the door and you blow it off and forget about it, it won’t matter because you are the only one that knew it.

And your plan before God is to say “I didn’t know that,” or “nobody told me that,” and what Paul says here is that this excuse won’t work! Remember, last week that we were talking about the fact that God sees your heart. He made you in His image, he gave you a sense of what is right and wrong, and He sees your heart. He knows your thoughts.

And, even when you don’t know the law, even if you had never read a page of Scripture in your life, these things are true about you. So, when you see something that you know you should do, and you consciously decide not to do it, not only have you sinned, but you have provided the evidence and the accusation. You know you should give, but it’s hard, so you keep that wallet closed. You know you should serve in the church, but it is hard or inconvenient, and it takes time from what you like to do, so you don’t do it. You know you should give that girl that waited on you a solid 15 or 20 percent tip, but you’re cheap, so you stiff her, or, almost worse, you insult her with some change, but at least you asked if you could pray for her. It might take personal risk for you to be obedient, so you stay safe instead. And God sees that, and you are bringing judgment on yourself.

When you know that what you are doing is wrong, but you consciously choose to do it anyway, you are sinning and providing the evidence and the accusation to be used against you. You know that moving in with that boy or that girl is wrong, but you do it anyway. You know that Sin, friends, is never an accident. And as we sin, both in the things we do and the things that we don’t do, our conscience tells us where we are messing up, and our thoughts towards following what is right or wrong show the truth about what is in your heart.

See, this is the thing: in your heart, everyone of us knows what is right and what is wrong. Ever since Adam and Eve ate of that tree, mankind has known what is good and what is evil, and so each and everyone of us will be held accountable for the evil that we have chosen. But for those of us who know God’s Word and yet still choose not to do it, the punishment is worse.

It’s ironic when you think about it. We who hear and know the truth believe we are better off because we know the cure to sin and death. But when we do not avail ourselves of the cure, what good is it for us to know about it. Knowing that Jesus can save you from your sins, that He can change your life, and that following Him will cost you everything and bring you an eternity with the Father, that is Good NEWS…but only if you truly choose to turn and to follow Him.

God does not play favorites. When the fruit of your life is judged, what will it reveal about your heart? The altar is open this morning to every heart that longs to bear good fruit. Jesus is waiting to make you a doer of the Word, to free you from the trap you are living in. And whether this is the first time, or the billionth time you have heard His call, it is not too late this morning. We’re going to pray, and then we’ll sing together. And if today you hear Him calling, harden not your heart.

Let’s pray together. Lord, Jesus, You know my heart. You see where, through my conscience, You have called me to obedience and I have sinned against You. You know the things that I have learned about You and Your will for my life through prayer, and study, and the preaching of Your Word. You see, right now, on the heart of each one here, the conviction that each of us is feeling in the things that we are doing or failing to do in our daily lives, even that we have wrestled with this morning, as we continue to sin before You. And we pray for healing, we pray for prosperity, and we ask for Your kindness though our lives are full of sin and rebellion, and we forget that You are the Impartial God of Everything. You judge between the guilty and the innocent. And though we are innocent only by the blood of Your Son, Jesus, You look past what we say and what we claim to the fruit in our lives.

Lord Jesus, forgive me. Forgive me for failing to obey what You have shown me to do. Forgive me for refusing to be changed by You, even as You called me to be. Would You wash me clean this morning? Would You fill me with Your Spirit, that I may become a doer of Your Word, and not just someone who knows about it. I want to be Your tree, a tree that produces good fruit. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.