Today, we return to our study of Romans 2 where the Apostle Paul is addressing those who openly resist and refuse the gospel by self-righteously condemning those who openly reject God. Up til this point in Romans all efforts at salvation have been from earth upwards. Through his own efforts man has inflated his balloon with hot air but to no avail was he able to get it off the ground.
In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous."
One way that we discover the main theme in any passage is to look for the repeatedly used words. You will notice that the word "law" is repeatedly used in this section. And remember that the Apostle Paul is primarily writing to those who were under the law. These were Jewish people who had trusted in Christ as their Savior.
Given our sinful human condition, the role that the Law of God serves is to crush us underneath its perfection. And anyone who tries to measure up to God's Law experiences a beat down spiritually because of his inability to hold up under it. And, for most of the Jews of Paul's day, they simply ignored this reality and created a new reality. Their new reality led them further and further away from the truth into the realm of the dishonest.
Today, the Apostle brings us to the unenlightened pagan. These are those who have not heard the gospel of the Lord Jesus. The point that the Apostle makes in today's text is that they still have the messages sent from God to them through creation and their conscience. Their problem is that they have resisted the revelation that God has given to all mankind. They have defiled their consciences by giving in to the way of the fallen one, going the way of self. Here, the Apostle establishes the argument that these will be judged because they will have no payment for the penalty of their sin.
In Romans 2:2 we read, "But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things."
God discriminates according to truth. That means He is realistic and He only deals with that which is actually there according to the truth. God does not falsely accuse anyone, but he judges according to truth. And, if we do not have a Savior, our sin has not been paid for. And, if this is the case, we will stand judged before God in the end.
In Romans 2:26 we read, "Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?"
God always sees what is going on in the heart of a man. He always judges on that basis. When man responds to the revelation about God in one way, God always gives him more revelation in other ways. God waits patiently until the heart of that man changes. And, He does not give up on anyone, even after they have given up on Him.
This means that God will say to man, "What did you think was right and wrong?" By that standard, of course, everyone fails. This is why the Apostle wrote in v.12, "All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law."
The fact that some have never heard the Ten Commandments, or anything else that is in the Bible, does not mean that they are going to be acceptable in God's sight. They will perish, not because they did not hear, but because they did not respond to the revelation that God has given to all mankind, and, as a result, they did not know what was right.
Then the Apostle accurately points out that there is a great difference between hearing and obeying or responding to any message that God has given. Ultimately, it is a matter of the heart, as to whether we are willing within to go with God.
In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)"
Paul's argument is there is a day coming when God will judge the secrets of men everywhere and all that is hidden will be revealed. Now, there were some in Paul's day who said that because the Jews possessed the Law and knew God's truth, they would not be condemned by God. But, one's knowledge of the truth is not what saves him. No, what saves us is the object of our faith. And, not just any object. It must be the sacrifice made on the cross by the Lord Jesus. He is the only Savior there is or ever will be.
Then, there are those who say that if people have not heard they will be saved. No, because if that were the case, then everyone would be saved. According to the Bible, only those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus as Savior will enter into heaven because all men have the truth written in their hearts. And, if someone has not responded to the general revelation that God has given everyone in creation and through our consciences then they will not know the contents of the Bible. They, therefore, will not know the gospel.
In v.16 of today's passage we read, "This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares."
God requires perfect obedience to His truth in order for any of us to be right and acceptable in His presence. He can not just wink at sin and let us all go free. His perfection demands and requires the penalty for our sin to be paid for. If He did not do that, His perfection would be undermined. And, no mere man can be perfect in his obedience to the truth. Those who hope that when they die that God will allow them into heaven because their good behavior outweighs their bad, have a rude awakening coming. This is why the Law of God was given to us, to drive home to us the idea that we can not be good enough because perfection is the requirement. And, of course, this is why the Lord Jesus came to earth to live a perfect life and to die a perfect death on our behalf.
