No Partiality

Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for 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 does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. Romans 2:1-11

Dear legalist: while you are looking down your nose at the heathen for their rebellious behaviors, do you think God doesn’t notice you are practicing the same things? Do you think you are exempt because you are religious?

God is Sovereign. It is His universe, His rules. God is Righteous. Perfect good. Cannot sin, cannot have anything to do with sin. God is Just. Always perfectly fair. To everyone.

Paul explained in Romans 1 that the Gentiles were condemned because, even though God makes Himself known to mankind, they refused to acknowledge God and chose their own pleasures as a way of life. They were willfully ignorant and persistently arrogant in their rejection of God’s truth.

In Romans 2, the smug, self-righteous religionists are told that they are no better. The Gentiles didn’t know the law they were flaunting. The Jews not only knew God’s law, they were supposed to be studying it, practicing it and teaching it to others. They were passing judgment on the Gentiles for their abominations, and in so doing were condemning themselves; for in spite of their religious rituals and man-made codes of conduct, they were practicing the same abominations. They thought they would escape the judgment of God because they were Jews. Not so. Judgment rests on all those who reject God’s gospel. There will come a universal demonstration of God’s wrath on those who persist in practicing evil.

V 8-9 “seek for glory and honor and immortality” believe and obey God’s Word. Repent and receive God’s truth = eternal life; peace.
“obey unrighteousness” ignore God’s grace, refuse to repent, cater to selfish ambitions = wrath and indignation, tribulation and distress.

V 10 “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The same order we saw in Romans 1:16. The Jews are privileged, alright. They were the first to receive God’s law, the first to receive the gospel of Christ, and apparently will be first of the unbelievers to receive judgment of their works.

God cannot be bribed by phony rituals. He knows your heart. Making pretense of righteousness is just as bad as open rejection. God always judges fairly. We were all born sinners. Some continue in sin, not wanting to know God or His law (“without the law,” Gentiles). Some continue in sin, even though they know the law (“under the law,” Jews). Both categories of unbelievers are condemned, and will stand before Jesus in judgment.

For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. Romans 2:12-16

Even the lawless Gentiles had a sense of right and wrong. All societies do. Their moral codes are not up to God’s standard, but they have them. All are born condemned, but all have opportunity to know God and to understand His law and His plan of grace. Knowing truth is not enough. It is in the doing we are saved: believe, receive, trust, obey….the gospel of Jesus Christ, not religion.

I Corinthians 15:22:

Spiritual death of mankind is universal; in Adam all die.
Salvation is free; in Christ all will be made alive.