Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Last week we ended the sermon with the point that God’s Judgment is impartial.

This week we are picking up in Romans 2:12-16.

Let’s read that text together.

Paul is honing in on this aspect of God—His impartiality.

And friends if God’s word is taking a deeper dive on this topic then so will we.

Main Point: God is impartrial to sin, but not indifferent.

“Man, have’nt we covered that?”

Remember, that Romans is a treatise on the gospel.

Paul puts forth an argument—questions it—answers the question.

Then he raises another question and looks at the gospel from another angle.

And each time we see this--- the gospel become clearer and clearer.

And as the the gospel becomes clear to us our lives are formed around it.

This is the aim of scripture to not only be hearers of the word, but also doers.

Amen?

So how can we best understand this passage so we can apply it?

I. Major on the Main Thing (12), God’s Impartiality (12-13a), The Fairness of God (14-15), and What Really Matters (16)

I. Fair Judgment Considers the Individual (12)

Romans 2:12 “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.”

In our passage there are two sets of people under the judgment of God.

Those who have been given God’s law.

And those who have not been given God’s law.

How does God judge these people—surely he doesn’t judge them the same.

Let me put you at rest and let you know that God is fair—but it probably doesn’t look like you think it should.

There are varying degrees of punishment in God’s judgment of sinners.

Let’s look at Luke 12:46-48 “the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.

And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating.

But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating.

Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

What do we see here?

The servant who knows the Master’s will but does not do it is beaten severely.

The servant who does not know the Master’s will and does not do it—will receive a light beating.

There is a variation in the punishment.

The amount of knowledge one has about God’s law influences the severity of punishment a person receives when they reject it.

If you ingest mushrooms that you know are poisonous—that’s worse than ingesting mushrooms that you don’t know are poisonous.

Do you see the difference?

Both folks are throwing up.

But for the one who was told— “Hey, don’t eat those mushrooms, they’ll make you sick!” —>Condemnation is worse for them because they should know better.

They are the bigger fool.

And this is the line that Jesus is drawing with this parable.

And this is the line that Paul is drawing in Romans.

There is greater condemnation for those who have the law than those who don’t have it.

There is greater condemnation for the Jew who knows God’s law and the promises and curses of God’s covenant with His people—than there is for the Gentile who does not know this law that was given.

There is varying degrees of punishment.

Luke isn’t the only place we see this.

Matthew 12:36-37 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.””

Hebrews 10:29 “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”

God is fair—he doesn’t judge every sinner the same.

There are varying degrees of punishment.

But friends, all these degrees take place in Hell.

God is fair in that all sinnners will go to Hell and God is fair in that not all sinners will experience the same suffering in Hell.

Here’s where I don’t want us to get mixed up.

I don’t want us to miss what really matters here in v.12.

Here’s the simple formula of 2:12:

Sin without the law=perishing outside of the law.

Sin within the law=judgment by the law=perishing.

All the lost will suffer for their sin and for some sinners the suffering will be worse.

But both are in Hell.

That’s the main point.

Two criminals are judged for bank robbery—they both robbed the bank but one was more heinous in his robbery than the other—he caused more hurt.

He receives a triple life sentence in solitary confinement.

The other guy receives life in prison.

He’s in gen.

pop.

Friends, they are both going to spend the rest of their lives in prison.

They will die in prison.

It can be theologically beneficial to think through and discuss the varying degrees of God’s justice and punishment—but let us not miss the main point.

People perish without Jesus.

Perish with the law.

Perish without the law.

One will be worse than the other, but they are both bad.

Transition: Fair judgment considers the individual and ...

II.

Fair Judgment is Impartial (12-13)

God is impartial in his judgment of sin.

As he looks at sinners and judges them he is not influenced or swayed.

And we see this in at least 3 ways in our passage.

1. God is not influenced by race.

The divide between those who received the law and those who have not received the law is the divide of Jews and everybody else in the world.

Where you come from—the people that you come from do not influence God in anyway.

He is not leanient with the Jews and harsh with the Gentiles.

The standard by which all people are judged is the same.

Why?

Because the image of God is the same in every person from every nation of every skin color of every tradition.

Therefore, the sin of every person from every nation of every skin color of every tradition is an affront to the image of God in that person.

No person is more or less valuable in God’s eyes.

Application: Don’t be a racist.

—If this is your first time with us, “Hi, I’m pastor Jacob and I don’t like to mince words.”

Brothers and sisters let there be no person on this earth that you judge based on anything but their conduct.

And sometimes this is very difficult.

Sometimes you are raised with prejudices.

Sometimes your life experience has helped you with your prejudices.

Sometimes we are unaware of our prejudices.

But none of these things are an excuse for partiality in us.

Here’s a test for you to test whether or not you are impartial, like God is, when it comes to race.

—>Imagine that your son or daughter says, “Dad, Mom—I want you to meet someone really special.”

Is there a type of person that you really hope doesn’t walk through that door.

Is there a certain color or culture you just can’t deal with?

Well you might have some prejudice.

Listen, if Rebekah brings home a man or Noah brings home a woman—I have one main prejudice—are they following Jesus?