Romans Week 8, September 4, 2022

Introduction

Last week we walked through the first 11 verses of chapter of Romans. We experienced Paul and Jesus challenging us to the danger of hypocrisy. We talked about the reality that God doesn’t play favorites, He judges according to the truth. And we remembered that this passage is about the Judgement of God in a here and now judgement sense, not in an eternal sense.

God judges people according to light.

I have a friend who is a pastor and was born blind. He is married to a woman who was born with a syndrome that causes you to be very short, I'm not sure of the exact term I apologize. She is only around 3 feet tall. One time Ashley and I stayed at their house prior to our wedding we were participating in. This woman was a fastidious clean freak. She kept everything in pristine condition that is everything that was below about 4 1/2 feet in the air. Beyond that height she couldn't see it and neither could her husband who is my height.

When Ashley and I left the house we felt loved on and cared for and we respected our friends. in a few spots in the house there was quite a bit of dust piled up in areas that we easily saw. But we didn't judge her at all because she couldn't see it and neither could he. They were both very responsible with the capabilities they could had and what they could see. And they are a wonderful couple to this day.

It would make no sense for you to walk into their house and judge them based on how you might evaluate how Ashley and I keep our house. They are a dramatically different couple. And they're different because of what they could see. Among other things :)

Paul is saying that God judges people according to what has been revealed to them. According to what they can see.

Previously Paul has made a couple things clear.

Romans 1:19–20 ESV

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

This is the idea that God universally makes His presence known. This means everyone from your neighbor down the street to a child born to an ancient tribe deep in the Amazon jungle will be responsible for what they see of God in the world around them.

But Paul is writing this to Jews who already had the revelations from God. They already knew God. Paul is about to burst a bubble of pride.

The jews had lived for over a thousand years as God’s people carrying God’s message for and too the world. And yet Paul is about to say that a Gentile who doesn’t have a relationship with God could be judged less harshly than a Jew, part of God’s people.

Let’s read the passage together:

Romans 2:12–16 ESV

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. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

Paul is pointing out that the gentiles who respond in obedience to God's law are in a better place in their relationship with God than Jews who have had the law in their possessions but have not responded with the same level of obedience.

In short Paul is saying that the Jews who have received the law and great knowledge about God will be judged greatly for what they know. And those who have received knowledge about God in different ways will also be judged for the knowledge that they have received.

To quote Spiderman's uncle with great power comes great responsibility. The Jews had great power in the form of a relationship with and knowledge of God. Therefore they had great responsibility.

In order to best understand this passage let's take a look at the Old Testament book of Amos.

The Prophet Amos teaches us about God’s judgement.

In this book God prophecies against Six Nations that surround Israel. He specifically rebukes them for their actions. And what's important here is these nations are not recipients of the law of God. God hadn't specifically told them how they should and shouldn't live. And yet God rebukes them for their actions.

The six nations and why God judges them in Amos

Aram (Damascus)—They brutally attacked Gilead. (part of God’s people-Israel)

Amos 1:3 ESV

3 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.

Phoenicia (Tyre)—They sold Israelites into slavery and broke a covenant.

Amos 1:9–10 ESV

9 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. 10 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds.”

1 Kings 5:1 ESV

1 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David.

1 Kings 5:12 ESV

12 And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

Edom—(He descended from Esau)—attacked the descendents of Jacob with a sword.

Amos 1:11–12 ESV

11 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever. 12 So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.”

Ammon—brutalized the women of Gilead

Amos 1:13 ESV

13 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.

Moab—Desecrated body/burial of king of Edom.

Amos 2:1–3 ESV

1 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. 2 So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet; 3 I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and will kill all its princes with him,” says the Lord.

So that’s the judgement of the different nations around Israel. Check out how the Nation of Israel is judged.

Amos 2:4–5 ESV

4 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the Lord, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked. 5 So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.”

God judges the nations around Israel for how they disobeyed the laws of decency and humane treatment of others. God judges Israel for how they disobey the laws of God.

A current example of this might be the reality that you can be judged for breaking the laws of our community. Nations and individuals can also be judged for “crimes against humanity.” China has actually been indicted in a major United nations report for their humans rights abuses over the last week.

Should the gentiles have known better?

Romans 1:19–20 ESV

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

God makes his nature clear in the world around us. Human, if we care to see can understand God’s nature from the world we live in.

Romans 2:14–15 ESV

14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them

Paul also argues that we have God’s law written on our hearts.

So the answer is “yes” the Gentiles should have known better. They should have known how to act with humanity and decency towards other humans because God has revealed His nature to us.

"Conscience reveals to us a moral law whose source cannot be found in the natural world, thus pointing to a supernatural Lawgiver."-C.S. Lewis

Along a similar line CS lewis argued for the existence of God simply because of the inherent moral compass that we all share.

The argument that Paul is making here is that the gentiles had enough revelation from God to know better. The argument that Amos made was that the nations around Israel should have known better how to live and interact as nations. In short, God judges according to the light that men and women receive. And God reveals an abundance of light.

Romans 2:15 ESV

15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them

This last verse challenges anyone who reads it:

Romans 2:16 ESV

16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

God will judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

God will judge us for what we inescapably know by Christ Jesus.

God will judge even the secrets in our hearts by Christ Jesus.

God will stack the sins of our life up and compare them to what we have done with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It's been said that these 16 verses from verse one through 16 of chapter two of Romans are sort of a parenthesis. I mean Paul finishes in verse 32 of chapter one talking about the sins of the gentiles. And then in verse 17 of chapter two he dives into the sins of the Jewish. And the Jews are not going to be happy about what Paul has to say here they're not going to be happy Paul is calling them to account. because for goodness sakes they had been the people of God for more than 1500 years suffering for and serving God off and on of course but they were God's people. And yet Paul comes to them with what he calls my gospel.

These 16 verses might be considered a sort of scale to show that God in his justice is blind as justice is often portrayed. Paul wants to make the point with these 16 verses that God will judge with fairness and righteousness. And so when Paul brings a rebuke to these to these Jews he does so in the context of his argument right here that God judges with truth he judges with our works and he judges with the light we have received.

Conclusion

God calls us to not just be people who know His laws and commands, he wants us to do them.

God calls us to live out the law He has written on our hearts.

Mark 12:30–31 ESV

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

God also calls us to bring His Gospel to a world He has already revealed Himself to.

years ago I went on a youth group trip to Cedar Point. We stayed at this place the night before that did not have working air conditioning and it was hot! I did not sleep at all that night. And laying in my bed I thought to myself if there was some way that I could acquire a fan I would pay all the food money I had just to have a fan.

It's always easier to sell an idea or a product when there's a need.

One of the largest markets in the United States and frankly around the world is young families. Because after you have a baby your life is full of needs and pains and no sleep period so you are willing to pay and do whatever it takes to survive and keep your kid alive. That's why there's a thriving market for baby and young family products and books and more. There's a market because there is a need.

There's also a thriving market for self help books and spiritual advisors because our world still knows they have a deep spiritual need. Our world is full of people who understand that there's something more to this life. Some people have called it a God shaped hole in our hearts. Whatever you want to call it the reality is we live in a culture that is aware of a need.

Well Paul has pointed out today should give you and I hope. Because what he has said is that God has revealed himself to everyone on earth. Everyone on earth feels the need for our relationship with God. So when you talk about your faith in God people feel the need they have period when you talk about what God has done for you, people feel that need.

not only does our world have a need for the gospel of Jesus Christ because of the judgment of God for our sins, God has also put in each of our hearts his law in some way shape or form. That means when you bring up your relationship with God to someone who doesn't have that relationship they feel a need. They feel something that only God can answer. Now whether they're going to respond to that or not it is up to them. But it's up to us whether we simply share the good news about the gospel with others.

Friday morning a good friend messaged me during my workout and we were talking about different tips and tricks and money saving things. And I just went on and on about this great debit card that I had that gave good rewards or another way I found to save money and another way I save money with my life insurance and I couldn't wait to tell him about all these different cool things and ideas and I wasted probably 20 minutes on my workout time just talking to my friend. I was so excited about all the things that I knew would help him out as well. Our world needs to forgiveness and love and hope and meaning that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings.

Are we as willing to talk about life changing spiritual matters as we are about money saving tricks?

People need the Lord. Today, tomorrow, always.