Page 20 - Romans Student Textbook.doc

the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your stubborn and unrepentant heart you
are storing up wrath for yourself in a day of wrath and revelation of God’s righteous judgments, which he
will pay out to each one according to his works; to the ones according to endurance in good works, glory
and honor and immortality they are seeking out eternal life, but the ones who out of selfishness and
disobedience of the truth but are persuaded by unrighteousness, wrath and anger. Affliction and distress
be upon every soul of man who is working the evil, to the Jew first and to Greek; but glory and honor and
peace to all who are working the good, to Jew first and to Greek; for there is no favoritism with God. For
whoever without law sins, without law also they perish, and whoever in law sins, through the law will be
judged. For not the hearers of law are right before God, but the doers of law are made righteous. For
whenever a Gentile not having the law by nature, they do the things of the law, these ones not having are
a law to themselves; which shows the work of the law written in their hearts, bearing witness to their
consciences and between one another the thoughts accusing or ever defending, in a day when God judges
the secrets of men according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

God’s impartial judgment will fall on all people over whether or not they do His will.

Paul began his final paragraph on this issue by pointing out that God’s self-revelation of Himself in His
created order rendered every person in all of creation with no excuse for their continued and persistent
rebellion against Him. He laid out some examples of people who were without excuse. Those who sit in
judgment on others’ obedience to God’s laws while breaking the law themselves are without excuse (v.2-
3). Those who presume on the kindness of God’s character are without excuse (v.4). Those who have
hard, unrepentant hearts are without excuse (v.5). Those who are self-seeking and bend the truth to
meet their perceived needs are without excuse (v.8).

The standard by which God will righteously judge the works of people is expressed in these verses:

“He will render to each one according to his works; to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory
and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the
truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for
every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for
everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.”24

Conformity to the character of God and the will of God as expressed in His Word is what is judged. The
manner in which God will do that judgment is summarized in the next verse, “For God shows no
partiality.”25

In the last few verses of the paragraph Paul turned his attention to how God’s impartial judgment is
connected to those who have His law to direct their living and those who do not have his law. In doing so
he went into greater detail about how God judges people. The issue is not whether or not people have
heard God’s law as the expression of His will but whether or not they do the law. He pointed out that it is
possible for a Gentile who has never heard the law of God to still do what the law reveals about the will of
God. He also pointed out that it is also possible to have heard and understood the law of God and not do
it. His point is that there is a day coming when the righteous, holy, creator God who is rightly wrathful
toward all who do not acknowledge His authority and do His will, will judge all people, whether Jew or
Gentile, on the basis of whether or not they have done His will.

Theology That Helps Us Live to God’s Glory

24 Romans 2:6-10, ESV.
25 Romans 2:11, ESV.

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