Romans 2:5-11

In the timeline of Christ coming to Israel, everything occurred according to prophecy. He rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit—all according to prophecy. Even in Acts 1 through 7 and 8, everything was unfolding according to prophecy. In Acts 7, Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, was preaching at Pentecost. He stood up and said, “These are the last days that the prophet Joel spoke about.” Then Stephen repeated the same message, saying that all the prophets were speaking of these days. However, they stoned Stephen.

It wasn’t until Paul that we started seeing something unprecedented something not prophesied happening. Why, in the Lord’s plan, is Jesus coming back in Acts 9 and saving the chief persecutor of the believers? Why is He giving him an apostleship? What’s that all about?

Not only was Paul’s grace conversion a unique situation, but his mission in Acts 9; to go to Gentiles, Kings, and the children of Israel to preach God’s grace was also not prophesied.

According to Peter’s message and the timeline of prophecy, what should have been happening was God’s judgment and wrath against unbelievers in a terrible tribulation period and then the setting up of the kingdom of heaven on earth with Christ Himself as the ruler, reigning from David’s throne in Jerusalem as prophesy had said for many hundreds of years.

God’s judgment was meant to be poured out from heaven before Christ’s return. Instead, here’s Paul, travelling around the Mediterranean, for years, preaching God’s grace and free salvation to all.

Now, the message of salvation to all—God wanting to save people by His grace—is a completely different from the message from what’s been preached up until then, that Christ is coming soon to judge the world and pour out His wrath.

When Paul talks about the judgment of God here in Romans 2, he’s not only speaking about times past, under the law, when Israel was without excuse and yet they judged others while committing the same sins, but he’s raising this an important question:  “Why isn’t God judging sin?”  If all men are without excuse, and God is perfectly righteous why isn’t He stopping sin? Why isn’t He taking action? The answer is Grace. God desires all people to be saved and that’s by His grace because that’ll never happen through their own righteousness.

To understand God’s grace, we must first grasp the reality and presence of sin, both in ourselves and in the world and Paul will discuss this in Romans 3, 4, 5, and 6.

We saw in the last episode in Romans 2:1-3,

Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

Romans 2:4 says:

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Paul highlights two common excuses made by people who judge others:

1. Some believe there are worse sinners in the world than them and that they know better than others.
2. Some believe they are not as bad as others, so they don’t need to be concerned about God’s judgment.

Yet, despite these excuses, they don’t seek God, they don’t thank Him, and they don’t glorify Him as we saw in Romans 1:21.

Paul’s teaching that in times past, God allowed sinners to exist without pouring out judgment on every sin. He did this because of His goodness, and we can also apply this to today’s dispensation. God’s still not judging the world with wrath. Instead, He’s delaying judgment, offering time for salvation to all.

Paul’s message to the Romans is clear:

“Do you despise His goodness? Do you dismiss His patience? Do you think His long-suffering gives you an excuse to continue in sin?”

 

We need to understand why God’s judgment and wrath have been delayed.

Although God’s wrath has been revealed in prophecy, it hasn’t yet come—not since the flood, nor since Israel’s captivity.

Paul clarifies that God delays judgment not because He’s weak, blind, or indifferent, but because He has a purpose. That purpose is to see souls saved in this dispensation.

So, God’s patience testifies to His goodness. When we understand what He’s doing, we recognise that His delay in judgment isn’t neglect, but an act of mercy—He’s giving sinners the opportunity for salvation today and that should lead to repentance, a change of mind toward God.

However, they (the world) don’t know or care about His goodness, and they even think He’s bad for not judging today.

Now, how in the world does God not judging lead you to repentance? How does that work? Well, it only works if you have a sensitive conscience.

When someone does wrong and isn’t judged for it, a person with a sensitive conscience feels the weight of their actions. They can’t help but plead for forgiveness and mercy, even though they’re not facing immediate punishment. That’s because their moral sense, the knowledge of the difference between good and bad, right and wrong, is alive and active.

God gave every person a conscience—a knowledge of moral truth. That’s what Romans 1 says: He revealed His truth within us, in our conscience, which is why no one is without excuse. The wrath of God has been revealed from heaven, and God has already shown people what’s wrong within themselves. Romans 2 continues this theme.

So how does God’s delayed judgment lead to repentance, to a change of mind? It does if our conscience is sensitive to right and wrong, which it should be. That’s a healthy, functioning conscience.

Even for those who’re saved by grace, their conscience should still be active. Yes, salvation is not by works, but that doesn’t mean our moral sense should be dulled. If our conscience is seared over—perhaps because we’ve been suppressing it or misinterpreting grace—then we’re not walking in truth. A true conscience still acknowledges wrongdoing, even for those living under grace.

It’s usually those who reject God as Judge who try to harden their hearts and silence their conscience so they don’t have to feel guilty. But guilt isn’t erased by ignoring our conscience. The only way to deal with guilt is by pressing into the grace of God and recognising that Christ paid the price for our sins.

Paul calls God’s delay in judgment “goodness”, because it leads people to repentance when their conscience is still sensitive. But in Romans 2:5-6, Paul speaks about a different kind of person. Are they sensitive in their conscience? No. We read,

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS”: 

Paul says:

“Because of your hardness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself…”

Their hearts are hard, not soft. They’re impenitent, meaning they don’t regret their wrongdoing. They refuse to change their minds. Instead, they’re set in their ways, continuing to do evil, while judging others for their sins.

Many say, “Well, no one ever told me.” But the truth is, they didn’t need to be told. They already have this God-given conscience, but they ignore it, and that’s what makes them guilty.

God knows every secret thought, every suppressed feeling of guilt, every moment when the conscience warned them, but they pushed it aside. He remembers what people have long forgotten.

This is not some mystical experience where we’ve been overwhelmed by the Spirit or by God’s mysterious powers. This is simply God saying, “You deserve judgment. You know that in your conscience but I’m not giving it to you.” That shows His mercy.

When we’re guilty, and God, the Judge, has given us mercy, that changes our relationship with Him. That’s why we should be led to repentance, to say, “I’m sorry. I regret that. I don’t want to do that again.” But not for these people. Their hearts are hard and unrepentant, which, of course, we can testify to ourselves as well.

Some harden their conscience, making it difficult to listen to their own moral compass or to God’s Word. They simply refuse to hear.

How many opportunities does God need to give before someone admits, “Yes, I was sufficiently warned?”

There’s creation, there’s conscience, there’re hundreds of years of Scripture, and there’re preachers and pastors in the Church, the Body of Christ.

Romans makes it clear: men are without excuse.

Let’s look at Proverbs 24:12,

If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds? 

This means that God, who created us and knows our heart, knows what’s truly inside us. So if we claim ignorance, He’ll put that to the test.

In this case, it refers to the absence of good works or not helping when we should have helped.

James 4:17 says:

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. 

This makes it clear; there’s no escape from sin.

Unless were constantly walking in a good conscience, seeking the Lord day and night, doing good, and esteeming others above yourself, sin will always be present and that’s precisely the point that Romans 1 and 2 makes.

We must see sin clearly and not water it down.

Sin is everything contrary to God’s character and to the moral conscience He’s given. When we go against that, we’re acting against His truth.

2 Peter 3:5-6 teaches a similar principle:

For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 

Here, Peter’s speaking about scoffers in the last days. Those who follow their own desires and mock God’s promises, saying:

“Where is His coming? Everything has remained the same since the beginning of creation!”

But they’re deliberately ignorant of the truth.

Peter reminds them that by God’s Word, the earth was flooded, destroying everything.  And yet, people refuse to acknowledge it.

This is more than simple ignorance it’s willful rejection.

They know better, yet they deny what their conscience tells them.

And how do they know? Genesis 6, 7, and 8 record God’s judgment through the flood—the same flood Peter speaks of here.

This is why Romans and 2^nd Peter warn us about ignoring God’s truth.

The evidence is clear, yet people actively suppress it, allowing their conscience to grow dull rather than listening to what God’s made plain to them.

These are people who have a conscience but think God has never judged. They claim there’s no record of God ever judging the world.

When someone brings up the flood, pointing to what we know from God’s Word, they laugh and dismiss it, saying, it’s all just myth and legend.

See they know about it; they just choose to ignore it. That’s willful ignorance. They’re not oblivious to the truth; they simply reject it.

The scientist says, “There is no scientific evidence for that”? We should never trust the science that makes such a claim.

Scientists will offer different perspectives based on how they interpret the data. One scientist may say one thing, another may say the opposite, because their analysis differs, or they have “new discoveries”.

To claim absolute certainty and that there’s no evidence anywhere, would be to claim omniscience, which is absurd.

So Romans 2 makes clear that people are willingly ignorant. They harden their hearts. They’re impenitent and don’t want to thank God or align themselves with His goodness.

There’ s a written law, which God can use to hold people accountable, but He doesn’t need a written law to do so.

There’s conscience and there’s the heart’s thoughts and intentions as Hebrews 4:12 says,

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

Now, Romans 2:5-6 says

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS”:

We mentioned this last week but didn’t go into detail about the day of wrath.

There’s a coming day when Christ will return to pour out God’s wrath upon an unrighteous world.

No one should want to be on the wrong side of that moment in history. We want to be right with the Judge.

Some people don’t like what’s called “fear evangelism”, but the truth is, it’s wise to fear God’s judgment.  Yes, God’s goodness is revealed in His glory, peace, and grace, but people should also fear the judgment of the Creator of the universe.

Sadly, most people harden their hearts and get defensive, saying:

“If that’s the kind of God described in the Bible, I don’t want to serve Him!”

However we need to look at the fact that if God did not judge with righteousness, He wouldn’t be a God worth serving.

If God is the Creator of all things He knows how everything works. He has a standard for how things should function.

If He exists at all, He’s obviously far wiser than us, and His standard is absolute.

Many are arrogant before the Creator, but we must learn humility.

So in Romans 2:5, Paul speaks of the day of wrath, which is the same day as the day of the Lord, spoken of by the prophets for centuries before Christ.

Look at Zephaniah 1:12 where God, speaking through the prophet describes the day of the Lord’s wrath,

And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, ‘The LORD will not do good, Nor will He do evil.’ 

In other words, people claim that God is inactive that He does nothing.

Why do they say that? Because they believe that history has continued unchanged since the beginning.

So many assume that because judgment hasn’t come yet, it never will—but that reasoning is completely false. It’s flawed reasoning, like saying, “I’ve never ever had cancer so I’m never going to get it.”

Zephaniah 1:13 states:

Therefore their goods shall become booty, And their houses a desolation; They shall build houses, but not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.” 

These are the curses of God’s law given to Moses.

Then in Zephaniah 1:14

The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. 

Zephaniah is prophesying about this future day of judgment—a day of wrath.

Zephaniah continues to describe God’s in Zephaniah 1:15:

That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, 

There have been moments of God’s judgment on Israel throughout history, but His global wrath has not yet occurred since the flood.

In Matthew 16 Jesus Himself spoke of this future day of wrath.

Some people claim that the Old Testament God was wrathful, but the New Testament God is loving.  That’s completely false.

We can find just as much love and mercy in the Old Testament, just as you can find warnings of judgment and hell in the New Testament.

The idea of separating God’s nature between the Old and New Testaments is an ancient heresy.

In Matthew 16:26 Jesus says:

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 

This’s an important question to mull over.

Jesus continues in Matthew 16:27,

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 

This’s the day of wrath.  It’s the righteous judgment of God.

In Romans 2:5 we heard Paul speak of treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of God’s righteous judgment.

Some people argue that Paul doesn’t speak much about hell, judgment, or wrath.  But actually, Paul does talk about it, just not in relation to believers.

Why?

Because believers are assured of salvation, completely secure in Christ, by God’s grace.  They have nothing to do with hell.

However, when Paul speaks about the world, he mentions wrath, first in 1^st Thessalonians, and then in 2^nd Thessalonians, where he discusses future events that will happen on the earth, not within the body of Christ.

Paul clearly teaches in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 that if we’re in Christ, we’re delivered from the wrath to come.

Romans 2:5 says You are storing up wrath for yourself against the day of wrath and the revelation of God’s judgment and that’s what Book of Revelation is about.

The Book of Revelation is a book of judgment, the revelation of God’s righteous justice.

Some people approach Revelation without reading and understanding the rest of the Bible, thinking it is just a prophetic timeline of future events.  But Revelation is not just a list of future signs, it’s tying together all the loose ends of prophecy.

When Paul speaks of the day of wrath, he’s echoing the prophets.

Zephaniah spoke of it. Joel spoke of it.  Isaiah spoke of it. Jeremiah spoke of it.

However, the prophets left out certain details.

If we read Isaiah, for instance, it speaks of judgment and the coming kingdom, but it doesn’t fully explain how they fit together.

The prophets provided pieces, but they didn’t assemble the puzzle.

They simply laid out the individual prophecies without knowing themselves how they’d all connect.

The Book of Revelation, however, puts all those puzzle pieces together.

If we already have all the pieces, then Revelation starts making sense.

If we approach Revelation without knowing the rest of prophecy, it’ll be confusing.

Tying up loose ends is great, but only if you already have loose ends to tie up.

Otherwise, we’re trying to make sense out of disconnected things.

Revelation 6 deals with the opening of six seals.

If we understand God’s dispensations we know about seals, trumpets, and vials and these judgments unfold in order.

There was a time when studying God’s dispensations was deeply focused on studying Revelation but thankfully, today, we can also appreciate the greater mystery of Christ, understanding the dispensation of grace, which many who traditionally studied God’s dispensations overlooked.

So, Revelation 6 unfolds the seals of judgment.

After the sixth seal is opened, stars fall from heaven in Revelation 6:13, and the sky vanishes like a scroll in Revelation 6:14.

What happens when the sky is rolled up like a scroll?  Christ returns!

Revelation 6:15-17 continues:

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 

For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” 

This is pretty early in Revelation in terms of the book’s timeline. How do these people know it’s the day of the wrath of the Lamb?

If we recognise that the day of the Lord’s wrath is when He returns, then we understand that Revelation begins before that.

The day of the Lord’s wrath occurs.

Then Christ returns Himself.  Here is Christ returning and the Kingdom coming when all things are fulfilled.

The Book of Revelation takes place throughout the timeline from the beginning of the Great Tribulation, and resumes God’s prophetic purpose, which Peter began speaking about in Acts 2, all the way through to the Kingdom.

So in Revelation 6, people declare: “The great day of the Lord’s wrath has come!”

Now, if we structure Revelation like this, Chapter 1 → 2 → 3 → etc., then chapter 6 seems a long way before the actual wrath occurring later in the book. But what if it’s not written that way?

If this is the day of the Lord’s wrath, then it belongs here, at Christ’s return.

Now we have to move events around in our timeline, because other things happen later in Revelation, but, Revelation 6 marks the day of the Lord’s wrath.

Now, we jump ahead 9 chapters and look at Revelation 15:1 which says,

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. 

These are the vials (the bowls) of God’s wrath and yet Revelation 6:17 already declared that “The day of God’s wrath has come!”

Is this the same event?

Perhaps those people recognised the wrath of the Lamb because the trumpets had already sounded, warning of coming judgment and when judgment finally arrives, they say: “Now it’s here! The angels have been warning about this!”

Revelation 16:1 says:

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” 

This means God’s wrath had not yet been fully poured out. It actually begins in Revelation 16.

So, we don’t confuse the wrath of God with everything happening in Revelation especially the tribulation period. Not all events are part of God’s wrath.

Some argue that Revelation isn’t all about the wrath of God. There’s tribulation and other events, and yes, there is evidence for that.

But whether we speak of tribulation or wrath, we must remember that if we’re in Christ we’re delivered from the wrath to come.

Those living through the early part of Revelation, before the wrath, are Israel, not the Church, the Body of Christ.

Revelation 19:15 is Christ’s return,

Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 

Jesus returns after the bowls of wrath have been poured out.

Revelation 19:11 says:

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 

For those who waited patiently, enduring the long delay, hoping for the arrival of the righteous Judge, this is the moment of fulfillment.

For years, scoffers had mocked believers, saying, “Where is your Judge? Where is His justice? He’ll never judge me. I’ll escape His wrath. He doesn’t even exist!”

But on this day, there’ll be a great reckoning.

Revelation 19:15 says

Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword…

This sword is defined in Revelation 1:16 as Christ’s Word.

With this Word, He’ll strike the nations and rule them with a rod of iron.

He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

He’s the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This is Christ’s physical, visible return to the Earth.  It’s the time of His wrath.

What’s the purpose behind God’s wrath?

Some ask, “How is it righteous for Christ to appear from the sky and immediately pour out wrath?”  The answer is that God’s long-suffering has been demonstrated throughout history.

Up to this point, He’s proven men to be without excuse.

Thank God that right now, we’re still living in His long-suffering.

By that time, the world will have had countless opportunities to repent or turn to Him. Many will not.

How long has God’s patience endured? For how long has God encouraged people to repent and turn to Him for His salvation, yet they refused?

That’s the point of Revelation.

These in Revelation 6 that are hiding in the caves and crying out is not a metaphor or an allegory. That’s a prophecy of something that will happen.

So, Revelation talks about the righteous judgment of God and the inevitability of justice.

Revelation 20 is about the final Judgment. Even though God’s judgment according to our works should strike fear, we shouldn’t think it’s unjust. It’s perfectly righteous.  Sin has no excuse.

Some people say that God is just cruel, that He’s a bully!

But look at creation. Would a bully create beauty like that?  Bullies destroy. They take and they ruin.  But God gives.  His judgment is righteous because it removes the source of all tragedy in the world, sin.

He delays that judgment so He can save the very people who’ve committed these sins, giving them the opportunity to turn to Him.

Revelation 20:11 says:

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 

This is the final judgment.

Revelation 20:12,

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 

This passage makes it clear. Judgment by works is righteous.

Yes, there is punishment for sin, and justice must be served.

But God has also provided a way of salvation, the other side of the story, which Paul has not yet reached in Romans.

Sinners can be saved by God. They can receive mercy and grace.

It’s not about God condemning people to hell for not being good enough.

No one’s good enough but God has offered salvation freely to all.

So, when God opens up His judgment, He’s looking at those who’ve rejected His mercy, and refused to receive His salvation.

These people have left themselves to be judged not by God’s mercy, but by God’s standard of works and He must judge them accordingly. There’s no alternative.

Revelation 20:13-14

 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 

After this, death itself ceases to exist, no more death, ever.

Revelation 20:15

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Notice how this passage doesn’t say that anyone who was a sinner was cast into the lake of fire.

Why? Though we, you and I, were sinners, we were saved and sanctified.

If hell and the lake of fire is made for sinners, and all sinners go there, then no one would be saved.

People go there because of their sins, for sure, but it’s because their sins have separated them from God. That’s the core principle of the Gospel, mercy and salvation.

The Book of Life is what God’s looking at. He has all these books that apparently have people’s works recorded.

We might ask, why does God record things in books? Can’t He just remember?

It’s because He’s a righteous judge and a righteous judge doesn’t simply say, “I know what you did.” A true judge provides witnesses and documentation, and that’s exactly what those books are for.

They are not for Him; they’re for the people being judged.

The Book of Life is the key.

It’s not really what’s written in those other books that’s the deciding factor, it’s that their names are not in the Book of Life.

If we have life, the promise of eternal life, then our name is written in it.

At the final judgment, God opens the Book of Life and looks for names.

People who were alive in the body, but are dead spiritually, who died not believing the one thing that could give them life, the gospel of Salvation, are not written in the Book of Life.

Now, what happens to them?

We were born, alive, breathing and our name was written in the Book of Life.

But then we realise that if we don’t receive salvation through God’s grace, we’ll be removed from the Book of Life and end up facing judgment.

So, we accept the salvation God offers, saying, “Thank You, God, for saving me!”  We trust Him in His promise, even though we don’t even know where this Book of Life is kept.

We’ve died with Christ; we’re crucified with Him.  We’re raised with Him, so that when our body stops breathing, our name still remains in the Book of Life because we have eternal life.

That’s the meaning of the Book of Life.

That’s why Paul mentions it in Philippians 4:3, because when we’re saved, we live forever, receiving eternal life from God.

But these people here in Revelation 20:15 do not have their names written in the Book of Life.

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Why? Because they don’t have life.

God shows them why they didn’t deserve it, because they rejected His grace.

They chose a life without Him and a life without God is no life at all, it’s eternal separation from Him.

Then Revelation 21:7 says,

He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 

But then a fearful warning comes in Revelation 21:8

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.: 

Many people focus on the list of sins, but they often ignore the first two words, “the fearful” and “the unbelieving.”

What does ‘the fearful’ mean?”

Fearful here means those who fear man more than God who love approval from the world more than truth from God.

Jesus warns in Matthew 10:28,

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

In the tribulation, this applies to those who hear the words, “Take the mark of the Antichrist, or we’ll kill you!”

At that moment, they have a terrible choice: Reject God and live a little longer or refuse the Antichrist and lose their life—but inherit eternal life.

That’s the critical decision.

The fearful and unbelieving are listed first because judgment is ultimately about belief.

Can murderers go to heaven if they are saved by grace? Yes.

Can adulterers? Yes.

All these sinners can be saved by grace, and some of them were.

But unbelief is a different issue.

If you don’t believe what God says, that’s the problem.

Faith is not a good work, it’s simply hearing what God says and saying:

Yes, I believe that.

Understanding judgment according to works is crucial.  If we say we’re saved not by works, but justified apart from works, we need to have a good reason for that claim. It’s not righteous judgment when some wicked or evil person receives a great reward. That would be unjust and corrupt.

What makes this right is Jesus Christ and that’s what Paul explains in Romans.

So Paul’s building the case in these opening chapters of Romans that we must understand.

If we’re believers we’ll still face God’s judgment, but it won’t be the same judgment of Revelation 20-21.

It won’t determine our eternal destiny.

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul speaks of the judgment seat of Christ, where believers’ works will be judged, not their salvation, but their works.

If someone’s works were done for the wrong reasons, those works will be burned up, but the person will still be saved, but through fire.

The works must be judged, just as everyone’s works must be judged, because God made all things, and He’s the ultimate judge of all things.

People think that doesn’t sound like grace.

However, not everything Paul writes is specifically talking about us in the dispensation of grace.

Romans 1 speaks of events from the creation of the world, while Romans 2 deals with those under the law.

Paul is speaking to unbelievers, specifically to Jews, in this context of the righteous judgment of God.

As believers, we’re not going to be there, but we only know that because we understand the full picture of Romans which hasn’t been explained yet at this point.

Romans 2:6 says:  God “WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS”: 

This happens in Revelation 20 and 21 where judgment will be according to their works and deeds.

Look at James 5 and we’ll see Paul’s teachings align with many of James’s.

Paul’s not quoting James, but he’s teaching some of the same foundational principles.

James wrote to the twelve tribes of Israel addressing their impending wrath and how they should endure through it.  He discusses God’s judgment heavily.

James doesn’t talk about Romans 3, 4, 5, or 6, meaning, he doesn’t mention the cross of Christ at all.

You would think that a conversation on faith and works—a topic central to James—would at least begin with the truth that we’re saved by grace, that Christ’s finished work is the foundation, and that works follow as evidence of faith.

However, James never talks about the cross—not once.

We could read James and be completely unaware that Christ died for our sins.

It’s as if you were reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John—before Christ actually gave His life.

James repeats many things that Jesus taught during His earthly ministry before His crucifixion.

This is because James is speaking to Israel.

James 5 speaks about treasuring up wrath and in a way that mirrors Romans 2.

James 5:1 says:

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 

This reminds us of Revelation 6, where the rich men and powerful leaders were hiding in caves, fearing God’s wrath.

James continues in James 5:2-3

Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you.

Why?

Because these individuals treasured up wealth for themselves but ignored repentance and righteousness and in so doing have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Romans 2 speaks of the impenitent treasuring up wrath for the day of wrath and James is talking about the same people.

Paul’s not talking about believers here.  He hasn’t got there yet.

We’re saved by grace, and we don’t find someone saved by grace in Romans 2.

James 5:4 says:

Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

These are examples of corrupt business practices.  Sabaoth means Lord of Armies, the Lord of War.

James continues in James 5:5-6:

You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 

You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you. 

In other words, God has let them go. He’s allowed them to continue in their evil, showing His patience and goodness.  Yet, they take it for granted and don’t repent.

James warns believers to be patient, because the Lord draws near!

If someone thinks James’ doctrine applies directly to the church today, they might also believe Jesus when He said to sell everything and give to the poor.

See how this perspective might lead Christians to interpret the Bible in a way that promotes an economic policy very different from judging people according to their works?

What does Christ do on this day of wrath? What’s the goal?

In Revelation, part of the reason why the wealthy remain in power is because they take the mark of the beast—which is the only way they can continue in business under the Antichrist’s rule.

James 5 addresses this issue, but those teachings don’t align with Paul’s doctrine in the dispensation of grace.

Romans 2 clearly states that God renders to every man according to his deeds.

That’s merit-based judgment.

Grace must be understood in the context of this righteous judgment.

What actually happened is:

1. We needed to prove our merit through our works, but we failed miserably.
2. God provided an alternative, His own merit through His works through Christ’s finished sacrifice.
3. That works are still required but instead of relying on our own efforts, we trusted Him to do the works for us.

So God can righteously declare that the works necessary for salvation were provided on our behalf, so He can bless us.

That’s salvation.

It is not simply that God loves me no matter what I do and that’s why He gave me everything!

No! Salvation is based on the righteousness of Christ’s work, which was provided in place of our own failed efforts.

None of us can earn, deserve, or be worthy of salvation on our own merits.

Judgment asks, “Did you commit sin?”  If the answer is yes, then you’re guilty.  If we then say, “But I did good works!”  The judgment remains. You’re still guilty.  The good deeds don’t erase guilt.

The only condition that allows someone to earn eternal life is for them to be perfect, to be sinless and nobody is.

Even if someone lived sinlessly, that would only mean that they don’t deserve punishment for sins they never committed.  However, that still doesn’t mean they deserve eternal life.

No one can generate that life within themselves.

This misunderstanding affects how people view God’s grace.

If we fail to understand righteous judgment, we’ll fail to understand grace and we’ll corrupt God’s plan, turning salvation into something it’s not.

In Romans 2:6-11 we see that God,

who “WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 

For there is no partiality with God. 

This entire passage focuses on works.

There’s nothing here about faith or grace, it’s works-based judgment.

It also touches on Jew and Gentile, placing the passage under the law program since there was no Jew before the law.

When people judge others they’re judging based on the law that God gave.

We mentioned earlier that faith is not a deed.  Faith is not something we do.

Nor does faith give the believer merit and make them excellent or worthy.

Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. Without the Word of God, there is no faith as Romans 10:17 states.

Faith is simply hearing the Word of God and recognising, that Word as true.

It’s not an action or a work that we perform.

Faith doesn’t earn salvation.  We’re wrong if we believe we get salvation in return for belief!

We get salvation because of what Christ did.

We must believe to be saved, but that belief doesn’t merit anything on its own.

Some people say they have faith without even knowing what they believe in.

What we believe in must be true in order for faith to matter.

Faith acknowledges Jesus Christ’s merit not ours.

In this passage of Romans we should understand what justice is.

Justice is simply the establishment of what’s right.

The reason there’s so much confusion about justice today is because people are confused about what’s right.

To establish justice, you must first know what’s right.

In Romans 1, we see that people refused to thank God and glorify Him and changed the truth into a lie.

So, if people think wrong is right, then justice itself is corrupted and that’s what we’re seeing more and more today.

How do we know what’s right?

We’ve spoken about conscience, but if a person’s seared their conscience, they can’t rely on it anymore.

We’ve spoken about creation, but if a person’s rejected God, they can’t learn from that either.

There’s Scripture, but if a person believes the Bible is a collection of ancient myths, they’re left with nothing.

So, where do they find right and wrong?

For many, their standard is themselves. It’s whatever I want!

But that’s not justice, that’s self-rule.

If justice is whatever a person wants, then they’re establishing their own laws. That gut feeling we have when we hear someone say they’ll do whatever they want is our conscience reacting.  Something feels wrong.

If one person does whatever they want, it might infringe on what another person has a right to do.

There has to be a universal rule, a fair system.

That’s why Romans 2:6 says God will render to every man according to his deeds.

It’s important to realise that God won’t render judgment only to sinners, or only to Gentiles, or only to the rich, He’ll render judgment to every man, according to their deeds.

That’s what makes it righteous.

Everyone will be judged by the same standard, God’s standard of righteousness.

We must see the depth of God’s judgment before we can truly appreciate His grace.

Justice in the Bible is always connected to judgment.

You can’t have justice without righteous judgment.

That’s why, when Christ comes, He’ll establish Judgment and Justice.

The Bible consistently teaches that if there isn’t enough evidence to convict a person of guilt, then they’re let go and the judgment is left in God’s hands.

God sees everything, the intents and thoughts of the heart and He alone can judge righteously.

When humans don’t have enough information to judge fairly, they must err on the side of protecting the innocent.  This is why, in a righteous legal system, the accused has the right to a defense.

Why is this necessary?

Because in biblical justice, a person is considered innocent until proven guilty, and everyone should have their day in court.

This  Jewish and Christian understanding of justice is rooted in Scripture.

Without this biblical foundation, people could say that we don’t need to prove innocence, just accuse someone, and they’re guilty and we’ve seen this happen in society.

Not long ago, you didn’t have to preach about things like this, but now you do, because people have forgotten biblical justice.

Simply accusing someone without evidence, without defense leads to injustice, ungodliness, and unrighteousness.

This is precisely why God will ask:

“Why did you make that judgment? That was a sin—it was wrong. I saw everything, even the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

There are now numerous cases where people make accusations with no proof and yet there is no justice, no accountability when those accusations are proven false.

This happens over and over again, in a society that doesn’t value biblical justice.

Confirming the truth is the foundation of biblical justice.  You can’t just assert something you must prove it.

The Bible teaches that people lie.

That’s why one of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:16 says:

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 

Because people lie, God put a justice system in place requiring two or three witnesses before accusing someone.

If the law could change hearts, then God wouldn’t have needed both laws He would’ve just needed “Do not bear false witness.”

But because laws alone don’t change people, He added a second rule in Numbers 35 and Deuteronomy 17 and 19 that You must have two or three witnesses to convict someone.

Why?

Because even if one person claims to tell the truth, they might not be, so God built protections into His justice system.

Romans 2:6-11 speaks of justice without favouritism where Paul emphasises that God judges all people equally, regardless of status, nationality, or background.

True justice doesn’t look at a person, it looks at what they do.

Justice says if they committed a crime, let’s see the evidence.

Justice doesn’t say:

“Before looking at the crime, let’s look at the person’s background and identity first!”

But today, in our dangerous modern system, justice is so often based on who someone is, rather than what they’ve done.

But the Bible teaches No respecter of persons.

God doesn’t judge based on who someone is, He judges based on what they do.

Sometimes we hear of something wrong happening and our conscience might react with wrath, but Scripture teaches in Proverbs 14:29 and James 1:19:

Be slow to wrath.

Why?

Because justice requires evidence, and we must hear all of it to make a judgment.

This happens a lot even in the church where rumors spread, and people believe them without verifying the facts.

Just because a message came from someone you trust doesn’t mean it’s true.

The Bible teaches that truth must be confirmed, not simply passed along.

Throughout the Bible kings and judges judged according to the law, they couldn’t judge based on their personal opinion, their preference, or on false prophets who urged them to do something.

If a prophet gave a prophecy contrary to the law, then the people were to reject the prophet and follow God’s law which meant the prophet was false.

The law never changed. It remained constant.

The Principle of An Eye for an Eye appears multiple times in the Bible.

It’s meant to establish fairness; the punishment must fit the crime.

If someone steals something, they should repay the amount they stole, that’s righteous judgment.

Human justice is not perfect, which is why biblical principles guard against unjust practices.

Romans 2:6-8 says that God will render to every man according to his deeds, to those who continue in well-doing, He gives eternal life. To those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth He gives indignation and wrath.

He renders judgment to every man, that’s equality.  He gives eternal life to those who do righteousness.  He pours out wrath on those who do evil.

It’s based on works and this is God’s righteous standard.  Everyone can know what to do and what not to do, it’s not a secret.

That’s why we can’t rush through Romans 2. We’ve got to understand His justice before we move forward.  It’s essential to fully appreciate grace.