SERMON: GM15-063
SERIES: Renewal Through Romans: The Gospel Defined, Explained
& Applied
SETTING: North Kelso Baptist Church
SERVICE: Sunday AM (July 5, 2015)
SECTION: The
Perversion of Righteousness (Romans 1:18-3:20)
SUBTITLE: The
Righteous Judgment of God (Part 3)
SCRIPTURE: Romans
2:12-16
SUBJECT: The Jews have no advantage
SUMMARY: Paul denies the Jews a refuge from God’s judgment by
demonstrating that
the possession of the law is of no advantage.
SCHEME: To motivate each member of NKBC to trust the right criteria in anticipation
of the coming judgment
_____________________________________________________________
Our theme is: The Jews have no advantage
Proposition: Paul denies the Jews a refuge from God’s judgment by
demonstrating that
the possession of the law is of no advantage.
Interrogatory Sentence: Why do the Jews have no advantage before God?
Transitional Sentence: This passage reveals three reasons why the Jews have
no advantage
before God
·
Justification
is not based on hearing or possessing the law (13)
·
The
Gentiles have a form of God’s moral law (14-15)
The Perversion
of Righteousness
Section Two * Romans 1:18-3:20
Title: The Righteous Judgment of God (Part 3)
Text: Romans 2:12-16
Text: When
the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never
had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by
that law when they fail to obey it. 13 For merely listening
to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in
his sight. 14 Even
Gentiles, who do not have
God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively
obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate
that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either
accuse them or tell them they are doing
right. 16 And
this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming
when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life. (Romans 2:12-16, NLT)
Central
Proposition of the Text
Theme: The
standard of God’s judgment is defended
Thrust: as being completely impartial because the Jews have no
advantage
Target: The standard of God’s judgment is defended by the fact
that the Jews have no
advantage over the Gentiles by possessing the law
Outline: 3C The Jews are doomed by the judgment of God
(12-16)
1D The
Principle Provides the Reality of Judgment (12)
1E Those who sin w/o law will be doomed
2E Those who sin w/law will be doomed
2D The
Parenthesis Provides the Reason of Judgment (13-15)
1E The Hearers are not justified, it is the doers who are
2E The Gentiles have a form of the moral law
The Righteous Judgment of God
Romans 2:12-16 * (Part 3)
INTRODUCTION
A. Introduction
One of the golfers on the pro tour some years ago was a pompous
egomaniac with the emotional maturity of
a six-year-old. He could do nothing wrong and always had a quick excuse for any loss: it was a lousy
course, the other golfers were cheating, the weather
was terrible, etc. As if these faults were not enough, he was also not above hustling a few extra dollars playing amateurs
in cities on the tour for $50 a hole.
One day he was approached by a man
wearing dark glasses and carrying a white cane who
offered to play him for $100 a hole. "Why, I can't play you," the professional protested.
"You're blind, aren't you?" "Yes, I am," replied the man.
"But that's all right. I
was a state champion before I went blind. I think I can beat you." Now the conceited one had not been doing
well lately--he needed the money. Anyway, blind or not, if the guy was crazy enough to challenge him...well, why not? "You did say $100 a
hole?"
The blind man nodded. "Well, all
right. It's a deal. But don't say I didn't warn you- - you'll lose your money. When would you like to play?"
"Any night at all," replied the blind
man. "Any night at all."
The old pro
thought he had an advantage – his sight. But playing at night he would have no advantage and would be equal
to his blind opponent.
How will God judge people? What is the criteria that God
will use?
Today, I want to share with you that merely possessing the
law is not the criteria that God will use to judge people.
B. Sub-Introduction
Announce the Text: Our text
for today is Romans 2:12-16. Please take your bibles and turn there.
“For as many as have sinned without law will also perish
without law, and as many as have
sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers
of the law are just in
the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the
law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to
themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing
witness, and between themselves their thoughts
accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus
Christ, according to my gospel.” (Romans
2:6-11, NKJV)
Review Last week we began looking at the
statement of God’s judgment. In
verse six, Paul wrote, “…who will render
to each one according to his works…” God will give or pay to every person
exactly what they have earned in this life. The basis for God giving or paying
exactly what will be due is according to his works. Remember, we said that Paul
was not referring to the basis of salvation but he was referring to the basis
of God’s judgment.
Secondly, we saw the support
of God’s judgment in vss. 7-10. Paul listed two possible results of God’s
judgment – eternal life or the wrath of God. Every individual pursues one of
two things in this life – glory, honor, and immortality or selfish ambitions,
disobedience, and sin. So Paul makes it clear that God will judge everyone,
even the Jews on this basis and that the Jews will not escape judgment simply
because they are Jews.
Finally, we saw the summary
of God’s judgment. Paul summed up the essence of God’s judgment as
impartiality. God will not give any special consideration to a person because
of that person may or may not be. God will be judging the person by their
conduct. He will impartially judge the works since the works are the expression
of the inner person.
Background to the Text:
Preview – Our text this morning divides itself into two parts; vss. 12
and 16 gives us the reality of judgment and vss. 13-15 gives us the results of
God judgment according to our works.
Repeat CPS – Today I want to remind you that God will
judge every individual regardless of whether they possess the law of God or
not.
Theme: The
declaration of God’s judgment includes the fact that it is
Thrust: completely impartial removing the Jews of having any
advantage
Target: The declaration of God’s judgment of the Jews as being
impartial leaves the Jews
with no advantage over the Gentiles
Interrogatory Sentence: Why do the Jews have no advantage before God?
Transitional Sentence: This passage supplies two observations as to why the
Jews have no advantage before God
·
The principle
supplies the reality of judgment (12)
·
The parenthesis
sustains the reasons for judgment (13-15)
·
God will judge
according to these criteria (16)
[So, let’s take
a look at the first observation supplied by our passage and find out why the
Jews have no advantage over the gentiles, and that is…]
3C The Jews are doomed by the judgment of God
(12-16)
Paul’s main goal is to show that all people, Gentiles
and Jews are under the wrath and judgment of God.
Paul’s purpose is simple, he wants
all people, particularly the Jews to take advantage of God’ patient
and goodness in order to repent.
Paul is actually dealing with every
objection that he can anticipate in order
to demonstrate to both Gentiles and Jews that they do need to repent.
For
example: In vss. 9 & 10, he talks about rewards and
punishment –
“…tribulation and anguish upon 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
works what is good, to the Jew first and also of the Greek.”
Now Paul makes a more direct and
specific charge against the Jews. He
becomes more direct in verse 17 until the end of the chapter.
Before we actually jump into this
paragraph it is important that you know
how to actually read this paragraph. Paul’s thought begins in verse 12 and
is interrupted by vss. 13-15 which are properly placed in parenthesis.
Paul finishes his thought of verse 12 in verse 16.
To read this section correctly, it would
read like this, “For as many as have sinned without
law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be
judged by the law in the day when God will
judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”
So Paul’s main point or his main statement is found in
verses 12 and 16.
In verses 13-15 Paul gives a little more detail to support his main statement.
And
remember what Paul said in verse 11, “…for
there is no partiality with
God.” God does know show favoritism especially when
it comes to wrath and judgment. Now Paul wants to show that possessing
the law will not evoke any favoritism with God either.
[So, let’s look at the
principle. We see that…]
1D The Principle supplies the Reality of
Judgment (12)
Paul classified mankind into
two different groups; a group under the
law and a group not under the law. The world has been
divided into Jews and Gentiles. The written law had been given
to the Jews and it was not given to the Gentiles.
[And so, we see that…]
1E Those who sin w/o having
the law will be doomed
“For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without
law…”
The Gentiles who have
not been given the law will not be judged
by the law. But they will still be judged and even doomed.
The Gentiles are
considered by Paul as law-less. Not outlaws
or criminals as such, but still judged even though God never gave them
the moral law of God.
“…that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from
the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants
of promise, having no hope and without God in
the world.” (Ephesians 2:12, NKJV)
They will be judged
according to their limited knowledge of
God. Just like the majority of the world or mankind.
[But, the Gentiles are not
alone, Paul goes on to say that…]
2E Those who sin while having
the law will be doomed
Paul is specifically
speaking of the Jews in this last portion
of verse 12. The Jews will not exempt from God’s
judgment merely or simply because they are Jews.
So, it seems to be simple or
very cut and dry. Men will be judged according to the “light” that they have
received. The Gentiles will be judged by the fact that they can look at
creation and by observation know that there is a holy and powerful God.
The Jews will be judged by
the very law that they were given and possess. God’s moral will has been
revealed in the law. So the point Paul is making is that the Jews will not have
any more advantage and nor will they escape God’s fierce anger and judgment
merely because they are Jews.
[Vss. 13-15 tells us why that
is so…]
2D The Parenthesis Provides the Reason of
Judgment (13-15)
1E The Hearers are not
justified, it is the doers who are
“…for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God but
the doers of the law will be justified.”
The word hearers is used because the law was read in
the presence
of the Jews rather than by individually reading it.
The law can only
justify a sinner when it is obeyed. Reading
the law, hearing the law read or taught, or even studying
the law will not justify anybody before God.
This is important,
first of all this is the first time Paul uses
the verb justify. This verb speaks too God’s judicial decision
to consider a sinner as just or right with or before
God.
We have a great
example in Matthew 7:24-27 (Read)
Matthew 12:50, reads,
“For whoever does the will of my Father
in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew
12:50, NKJV)
This is a crucial and
important point by the way. There are
a good deal of people who attend church regularly and listen to the
bible read and even preached who are deceiving
themselves.
James makes this very
clear for us in James 1:23-24, “for if
anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like
a man who looks at this natural face in a mirror, for once he as
looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately
forgotten what kind of person he was.”
So the person who is satisfied with superficial
knowing God’s word is living a spiritual lie.
Consistent disobedience
to the Word of God proves that no saving faith
exists.
The doers of the law, are concerned about God’s word and
will. They come to God and repent, they realize that the law teaches
them they can’t keep it perfectly. They come
to God in repentance seeking glory, honor, and eternal
life and are rewarded with it. They are justified.
[But what about the Gentiles?
Well, Paul makes it clear that…]
2E The Gentiles have a form of
the moral law
By the way, Paul is
not speaking of salvation in verse 12. He is addressing the destruction of
sinners who do not obey the moral law or will of God at
the great white throne
on the Day of Judgment.
The reason Paul even
mentions the Gentiles at this point, is
to continue to reinforce the point that merely possessing
the law by the Jews is not salvific. If the Jews sin like the
Gentiles they too will face eternal judgment.
Verse 13 is used by
Paul to reinforce the truth of verse 6, that God will reward those who are
obedient to His revealed
will.
Now don’t worry or
get ahead of yourself. Paul isn’t saying
that keeping the law perfectly is possible by either Jew or Gentile. He is
simply stating that the basis of judgment
will be on whether one has or not. Paul will deal
with salvation issues in verses 25-29.
The Gentiles have
God’s general revelation of Himself in creation,
remember verses 18-32? The Gentiles do instinctively
the things that are in the law, thereby sort of making a law
for themselves.
As a matter of fact the
Gentiles have what we call a conscience. God has placed knowledge of Himself within every
person that has ever been formed in a womb.
Knowledge
of God is also plainly evident in His creation. So God has made every person
responsible for responding to the knowledge of Him within every person and
within creation (CIT). If any person would respond to this knowledge God would
lead him until Gospel salvation would be his also. But man has chosen to ignore
and to blatantly suppress this knowledge of God.
Thus every person is justly chargeable with rejecting God, for every person has an inner revelation and the opportunity for outer realization of God but have chosen to follow their own desires and thoughts. The righteous wrath of God abides on all who reject the knowledge of God.
3E There
are four (4) reasons why the Gentiles are judged
·
We have talked
about this, but the Gentiles rejected the knowledge that God made available in
creation. So their rejection condemns them!
·
The Gentiles have
God’s law if you would written on their hearts. Gentiles know right from wrong.
They know that murder is wrong, that stealing is wrong.
Men know what is ethically good or bad
because God has placed this knowledge inside each individual. So on judgment
day the works of the Gentile will testify against him.
·
The Gentiles are
condemned because they possess a conscience. Even though the Gentiles do not
possess the law of God, their conscience actually bears witness to God’s law.
Conscience
is a very interest word. It is a compound
word. It contains the Greek Word suni which
means with. Conscience literally means knowledge
with, or co-knowledge. The Gentiles have
a knowledge with God’s moral law. The word
testifies to the fact that men recognize that they
have an instinctive built-in sense of right and wrong
that activates guilt when poked.
Consciences
vary in how sensitive they are by how you
treat them. If you consistently resist or disobey or ignore
your conscience it will grow weak and eventually
become what Paul called “seared.”
Let me illustrate this truth
by getting you to think about leprosy for a minute.
Leprosy does not deteriorate
or eat a person’s flesh. Leprosy actually desensitizes the nerves. So, when
skin, arms, hands, fingers, nose, toes, or ears are not protected, a leprous
person does not feel pain. There are no nerves to warn the person that his hand
is touching a hot stove. So the leper has no nerves to tell him that his hand
is burning, or infected, or even punctured by something.
If you deny your conscience
often enough you can desensitize your conscience and it stops warning you of
sin and guilt from sin.
·
The Gentiles are
lost because of they reject the working of the inner revelation of God.
The moral
law of God will accuse the conscience of
sin or it can excuse or relieve the conscience of sin
and guilt.
Gentiles
and Jews for that matter know that certain things
are basically right and what is wrong.
So, no Gentile can stand
before God guiltless. And because the Jews have the moral will of what is right
and wrong, they cannot stand before God guiltless. Regardless of whether one
has the written law or the moral will of God impressed internally on the heart,
all will be judged fairly, justly, or impartially by God.
“…in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by
Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”
God will judge the secrets or
the hidden things of the Gentiles and Jews. God knows every secret, no matter
how deeply hidden, or repressed. God “searches all hearts and understands every
intent of the thoughts…” David told Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:9.
[What do you say that we wrap this up?]
CONCLUSION
Just before the death of actor W.C. Fields, a friend visited
Fields' hospital room and was surprised to find him thumbing through a Bible.
Asked what he was doing with a Bible, Fields replied, "I'm looking for
loopholes."
Regardless of whether a
person has been given the law of God as the Jews were, or a person has not been
given the written law, they will be judged according to their works. There are
no loopholes.
Today I
want to continue to motivate you to pursue the things of God in this life
rather than the things of this world since God is going to judge what we pursue
in this life because what we pursue gives evidence of salvation.
[So, what should you do?]
I. The Application
P First, that
merely possessing or hearing the law of God provides no advantage for anyone on the Day of Judgment.
The Jews have no advantage over the Gentiles because
of this reason. Only those who keep the law perfectly would have the advantage. Only Christ did this.
P Second, seek to maintain a clear conscience by the renewing of
your mind with Scripture. God
gave us our conscience with the imprint of his law in our hearts that we would have a basic knowledge of
right and wrong. Failing to maintain
a clear conscience by both renewing and confession of sin results in a seared conscience.
P Finally, thank God often through Jesus Christ that the law was
perfectly fulfilled or
kept by Christ on your behalf which resulted in your justification.
So, I exhort you as genuine
believers to: trust that God will judge every individual
based on their works, therefore rejoice in the fact that your sins were judged
and dealt with in Jesus Christ and His fulfillment of the law was applied to
you.
Remember,
Paul wrote, “For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done
in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10, NKJV)
Let’s pray! J
Benediction
Blessing:
“The grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (Philippians 4:23, NKJV)
1 comment:
Phew! just finished reading this wonderful post. I do look forward to reading them as I have mentioned before. Also I feel better for reading them. Thanks Gregg,
Yvonne.
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