Overview of Romans 2-Twelve Principles of Divine Judgment
Prairie View Christian Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday July 15, 2007
Romans: Overview of Romans 2-Twelve Principles of Divine Judgment
Lesson # 40
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 1:18.
On Thursday evening we completed a study of Romans chapter one and in particular a study of Romans 1:18-32, in which Paul presents to his readers the unrighteousness of the Gentiles resulting in their need for the righteousness of God, which is received through faith alone in Christ alone.
This morning we will begin a study of Romans 2, which presents the unrighteousness of the Jews resulting in their need as well for the righteousness of God.
In Romans 2, Paul presents twelve principles regarding God’s judgment of men to his readers, which would point out to the Jew his unrighteousness and need for salvation just as the Gentiles were in need of salvation.
Therefore, in preparation for the study of Romans 2, I thought it would be helpful to present an overview of this chapter and discuss these principles of divine judgment in general terms.
Then, beginning on Tuesday evening, we will look at each verse in the chapter in detail and in the process each of these principles as well.
Romans 1:18-32, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
In Romans 2:1, Paul presents the first of twelve principles regarding divine judgment, which is that man is judged according to his own standards.
Romans 2:1, “Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”
Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”
Romans 2:2 contains the second principle of divine judgment, which is that mankind is judged according truth.
Romans 2:2, “And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.”
The New American Standard translation is incorrect since they translate the prepositional phrase kata aletheian, “rightly” rather than “according to truth.”
Romans 2:2, “Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.” NIV
Romans 2:2, “But we know that the judgment (adverse verdict, sentence) of God falls justly and in accordance with truth upon those who practice such things.” Amplified Bible
Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
The third principle of divine judgment is that God’s judgment is inescapable according to Romans 2:3.
Romans 2:3, “But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?”
In Romans 2:4, Paul presents the fourth principle, which is that God’s judgment is delayed because of His kindness, tolerance and patience.
Romans 2:4, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
Romans 2:5 presents the fifth principle, which is that God’s judgment, is measured out according to the accumulation of guilt.
Romans 2:5, “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
Deuteronomy 32:34-35, “Is it not laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries? Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, in due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, and the impending things are hastening upon them.”
Paul teaches in Romans 2:6 that God judges man according to his works.
Romans 2:6, “who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”
Unbelievers will “not” be judged according to their sins at the Great White Throne Judgment since Jesus Christ died for all men, Jew and Gentile and for every sin that they have committed-past, present and future.
The unbeliever will be judged according to their self-righteous human good works, which do not measure up to the perfect work of the impeccable Christ on the Cross (Rev. 20:11-15).
Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.”
The Lord will judge the believer’s work at the “Bema Seat Evaluation” in the sense that He will evaluate the believer’s work after salvation in order to determine if these works merit rewards or not (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
The Bema Seat takes place immediately after the rapture and is not a place and time when the Lord will punish believers for their sins but rather, it is a place where rewards will be given or lost depending on how a believer has lived his life after salvation.
2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
The seventh principle is that man reaps what he sows in the sense that obedience to God on the part of the believer results in rewards whereas disobedience on the part of the unbeliever results in eternal condemnation (Romans 2:7-10).
Romans 2:7-8, “to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.”
Romans 2:9-10, “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.”
Romans 2:11 gives us the eighth principle of divine judgment, which is that God judges without respect to persons because He is impartial.
Romans 2:11, “For there is no partiality with God.”
Deuteronomy 10:17, “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.”
In Romans 2:12-13, Paul teaches that God judges according to obedience and not knowledge, which constitutes the ninth principle of divine judgment.
Romans 2:12-13, “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.”
The tenth principle of divine judgment appears in Romans 2:14-15, which is that God judges man according to the divine revelation man he has been exposed to.
Romans 2:14-16, “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.”
Matthew 11:20, “Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.”
Matthew 11:21, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”
Matthew 11:22, “Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.”
Matthew 11:23, “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.”
Matthew 11:24, “Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”
The eleventh principle appears in Romans 2:16 and teaches that God will take into account the secret motives of men according to the Gospel.
Romans 2:14-16, “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.”
Lastly, the twelfth principle of divine judgment is contained in Romans 2:17-29, which is that God judges according to reality and without regard of racial background or religious profession.
Romans 2:17-21, “But if you bear the name ‘Jew’ and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?”
Romans 2:22, “You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?”
Romans 2:23, “You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?”
Romans 2:24, “For ‘THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,’ just as it is written.”
Romans 2:25, “For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.”
Romans 2:26, “So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?”
Romans 2:27, “And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law?”
Romans 2:28, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.”
Romans 2:29, “But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.”