2:4-15
Last time we met we looked at some rather upsetting…disturbing verses regarding Paul’s assessment of both the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome who were at odds with each other.
The Jewish Christians believed they had a preferred status with God because of their ancestral relations with God…they thought themselves to be superior to the Gentile believers.
They thought Paul’s harsh verbal lashing in Romans 1 was the right response to the Gentile believers for their lifestyle of practicing sin.
But…in Chapter 2 Paul is quick to reprimand the Jewish Christians for their judgment against the Gentiles who were practicing the same sorts of sins… therefore to both of them he says…you are without excuse.
For a moment I want to highlight the word ‘practice’…four times in three verses Paul uses the word practice when referring to sins…and makes a very defined statement in declaring that those who practice such things are worthy of death.
Two things…what does it mean to practice sin…what death is he referring to?
The word ‘practice’ in Greek and English means the same thing… something done as a habit…someone who intentionally does the same thing over and over.
In reading this…as a Christian…how do I know Paul’s not writing about me?… when you come across these disturbing verses I’m concerned that I might be that person…because at times I do repeat the same sin over and over.
I read a devotional that stated that once you’re born again you won’t continue to struggle with your sin…either I’m not born again…or I’m not completely understanding that statement…because Scripture clearly states that as long as I’m in this body of corruption I will sin…you will not be free of sin.
We all sin every day…BUT…for the Christian we are no longer ruled by sin… no longer in bondage to sin…that’s where the word ‘practice’ comes in.
As used here it is not referring to the occasional sin we at times commit…even repeated sins we at times commit…Paul is speaking to those who practice a continued…determined…deliberate…repeated…habitual lifestyle of sin…that’s what it means to practice sin.
Then Paul says those who practice such things are worthy of death [1:32] …in the Bible there are 7 different kinds of death mentioned.
The word used here is (thanatos (2288) referring to eternal separation from God…that’s what awaits those who practice sin.
Up to now Paul—through the Holy Spirit—has been blunt in his assessment of sin and the consequences…those who practice such things are worthy of death…is pretty definite…but in [4] it seems as though Paul is beginning to soften that position by revealing God’s attributes towards sinners.
It should be the task of any preacher to communicate accurately what God has provided to us in Scripture…it doesn’t mean you attach a new meaning to Scripture…preaching means revealing the principles and ideas of Scripture in a manner that is meaningful for people in their everyday life.
But it seems that some pastors are tempted to replace exegesis and expository preaching with stories…slogans…joke telling…or sound bites.
Bible verses are not slogans or sound bites…they are eternal truths…uprooting a verse from its intended meaning can lead to all kinds of confusion.
When verses are removed and preached independent of their proper context based on someone’s opinion or agenda it leads to a misunderstanding…Romans 2:4 is a verse that is regularly misused that way.
On the surface Romans 2:4 seems to be a refreshing break from the depressing condemnation Paul has been speaking about for the past 35 verses, but it’s not:
4 Or do you show contempt (despise) for the riches of His kindness, forbearance, (restraint or the delay of punishment) and (His) patience, not realizing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
There is a foundational truth in that verse: God is a God of kindness, tolerance, and patience, and it is His kindness that brings us to repentance.
BUT…we must not forget that God’s mercy…grace…and forgiveness does not mean He ignores or overlooks sin…sadly, liberal theology will tell you God does…bad theology has twisted the understanding of love, kindness, mercy, and tolerance, to deny that God is angry with sin…He’s not.
Romans 2:4 is a truthful statement in regard to God’s attributes:
Kindness is God’s goodness towards us in regard to our past sin…He has been good to us because He has not judged us even though we deserve it.
Restraint is God delaying His judgment in regard to our present sin …this very day – indeed, this very hour – we have fallen short of His glory, yet He holds back His judgment against us.
Patience is God’s kindness to us in regard to our future sin…He knows that we will sin tomorrow and the next day, yet He holds back His judgment.
But the problem is…when taken out of context this verse fails to show what Paul has been addressing since [v 18] of chapter 1…the undeniable universality of sin and God’s wrath against sin.
Romans 2:4 seems to be a welcome relief from that harshness…revealing it is the kindness of God that leads men to repentance…it’s easy to use this verse to excuse our behavior by stating that God is not concerned with my behavior because He’s such a kind and patient God.
The mistake is to misinterpret God by observing His kindness…restraint…and patience as proof that He just overlooks sin…so people refuse to repent…not realizing that it is these attributes that are the exact reason that leads them to repentance.
Preachers use Romans 2:4 to excuse themselves from having to discuss the hard reality of sin and the need for repentance…preachers use this verse to defend their feel-good messages to downplay sin and soft pedal God’s wrath against sin.
Because Paul said that it was the kindness of God that leads men to repentance it is therefore inappropriate to make people feel bad by speaking of the judgment or the wrath of God.
That’s the intent the New Living Translation has in its bad interpretation of this verse…not wanting people to feel bad so they are less than accurate in their translation:
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? If that’s your understanding of verse 4…you have made a mistake…
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you – is not the intent of this verse…not sure how they came up with that meaning.
This verse is not referring to God’s attributes of kindness…tolerance…and patience that result in conversion…it is referring to the self-righteousness of sinners who were showing contempt for the riches of God…this translation fails to carry that meaning to its readers.
The key word in [4] is the word ‘or’ …it is used after an interrogative sentence to prove the same thing in another way.
Paul initially says…when you pass judgment on someone and do the same thing yourself do you think you will escape the judgment of God?
OR…meaning…let me say it a different way…do you think you can pervert and abuse God’s kindness…patience…and tolerance and still escape the judgment of God without any repercussions?
This is not a reflection on the weakness of God but is to illustrate that these are His chosen methods for dealing with sinners in order to lead them to repentance.
This verse is far too often plucked from Scripture to show God’s generosity when in reality it’s a reflection on man’s depravity.
The point Paul wants to make in 2:4 is that the Jew who thinks he can sin and escape the judgment of God because he has a particular relationship with God is sadly mistaken.
This ties back to Paul’s use of the wording the ‘wrath of God’ in chapter 1 …and ‘God’s judgment’ in Chapter 2 …two completely different things.
People assume the ‘wrath of God’ and the ‘judgment of God’ to be the same thing…they’re not.
I want to share something with you regarding the wrath of God and the judgment of God using the illustration of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus that define God’s wrath and God’s judgment.
These two thieves represent the entire human race…on the one side…those individuals who believe…on the other side those who choose not to believe.
In verses 5 thru 10 Paul makes a parallel between the two classes of people represented by the two thieves on the cross with Jesus…the only two classes that exist…the saved and the unsaved…Paul reveals the deeds of the unsaved:
2:5 Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath…8 to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation…9 there will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek.
The deeds of the unsaved can really be summed up in three statements:
1) Self-seeking – A person who is without regard for what is good for others …or the harm they may be doing to others (Rom. 2:8).
2) Rejecting the truth – (John 14:6) “I Am the way…the truth….” and because they reject the truth “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (Rom. 1:15)
3) Following evil – No person lives in a moral or spiritual vacuum….He is either godly or ungodly….righteous or unrighteous.
Then…in verse [7, 10] Paul reveals the deeds of the saved:
2:7 To those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life…10 glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good
A person who has a desire within him to persevere in doing good…seeks for glory…honor…and immortality…those are the characteristics of a true believer that results in eternal life.
Both thieves had an equal opportunity…both heard the words of Jesus…both heard the witness of Jesus’ enemies proclaiming He was the Son of God… here’s the difference:
The one thief because of his defiant denial of who Jesus was…experienced the wrath of God…[John 3:18] he who does not believe has been judged already…as a result…the wrath of God abides on him [36].
This thief ridiculed Jesus even with his dying breath…this person falls under the wrath of God…there’s really no good way to soften “the wrath of God” to mean anything other than a response on God’s part to human sin and disobedience…eternal separation from God.
Everyone who perishes under the wrath of God does so…not because God lost His temper and is mistreating them…God’s wrath against sinners is nothing more than God giving them what they wanted or deserved…because they chose.
The other thief believed on Jesus…as a result…Jesus tells him [Luke 23:43] “today you will be with me in paradise”.
Jesus gives two parables…one regarding salvation [Matt. 10] and one regarding works [Mat. 25:14]…again…the thieves on the cross symbolize these parables.
Parable of the Vineyard Worker…is about salvation…about those who bore the brunt of the work throughout the entire day…as opposed to those who just worked for one hour…obviously representing the length of time as a Christian.
The owner gives them all the same wage…those who worked all day received the same wage as those who only worked for one hour…the owner…GOD…made them all equal with respect to salvation.
Christians who for their whole lives live a godly life receive the same thing as the person who accepts Jesus as Savior but does nothing to fulfill God’s purpose in their lives…eternal life.
Goes back to the impartiality of God [11] …HOLD IT…that doesn’t seem fair, people who were obedient to God their entire lives….missionaries…preachers… full time Christian workers…Sunday school teachers…deacons…elders…then some guy makes a death bed confession and God makes him equal to all those who worked their whole life as Christians…How fair is that?
This is where the Judgment Seat of Christ comes in…here we see the generosity of God…God is aware of those who bore the burden of the day…the Christian who was obedient in their commitment to God… who used the gifts God gave them.
The statement the Judgment Seat of Christ is misleading…it has nothing to do with judgment, it’s for believers only…not to determine who will enter heaven…already been decided.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is the time when believers are rewarded for their faithful service.
At the Judgment Seat of Christ, Christians will give an account of what they have done after trusting Jesus as their Savior…has nothing to do with God’s anger… the Judgment Seat of Christ is for the purpose of giving rewards and the celebration of a Christians’ faithful service.
Jesus’ teachings in [Mat. 25:14] Parable of the Talents is where the benefit of being obedient to God and using your gifts and talents come into play.
God assesses our progress in how we are fulfilling His purpose in our lives…and rewards us.
BUT…here’s the sad part…at the Judgment Seat of Christ not everyone receives the same rewards…because Jesus will 6 render to each person according to his deeds.
There will be Christians who suffer loss because rewards are based on service …the whole point in Jesus’ teaching in the Parable of the Talents is a warning for Christians:
1) of using well what God has entrusted to us
2) the tragedy of wasted opportunities.
The professing Christian…who has no “works” …who has contributed nothing to the life of the church…like the one thief…who did nothing except believe in Jesus, he will receive eternal life… that’s God’s promise…but that’s all…he will receive no rewards. [1 Cor. 3:15].
This is the importance of understanding the difference between the ‘wrath of God’ and the ‘Judgment Seat of God’ as used in chapters 1 and 2 of Romans.
Paul then makes a summary of the last 15 verses:
16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
16 in the day…is the day of God’s judgment…there are two judgments…just talked about one of them…the Judgment Seat of God and the giving of rewards …but there’s a second judgment…the one unbelievers will experience…this verse identifies the criteria by which God judges unbelievers…it is “according to my gospel”.
The words “according to” means the gospel is the criteria…it is the standard God uses to judge people…a judgment that leaves nothing unturned.
The Great White Throne of Judgment – [Rev 20:11 – 15] is the judgment of unbelievers…commonly referred to as the Unpardonable Sin, [Matthew 12:22] the absolute and permanent refusal to believe.
Romans represents a Roman court room scene…Paul uses this scenario throughout his writings…it’s something the people could relate to.
In this court room scene…Paul begins by first addressing the universality of sin and God’s wrath against sin…in this court room scene, the unbeliever is judged …symbolizing the Great White Throne of Judgment…where he is found guilty and iscondemned…by the testimony of two witnesses:
1) Creation [Rom. 1:20] –“since the creation of the world…His invisible attributes…eternal power…divine nature have been clearly seen.”
2) Conscience [Rom. 2:15] their thoughts accusing or else defending them.
At the Great White Throne of Judgment all non-believers will be judged…Paul says… according to my gospel.
When we see our sinfulness and rebellion against God…when we see our hypocrisy in condemning others for committing the same sins we’re committing, then we can marvel at God’s goodness in withholding the wrath that we deserve.
We often times hear the phrase ‘do not mistake my kindness for weakness’ … the same is true with God…as harsh as these verses are…as a preacher…I can’t just overlook them and not preach them…but the silver lining in Romans 2:4 reveals God’s kindness… restraint…patience…and mercy in dealing with mankind.
Not as a sign of indifference to sin or a weakness to act…it is meant to inspire us to thankfulness…to faith…and to repentance.