As we read this section we may be inclined to believe that the apostle Paul was an unloving, unkind, cruel, and insensitive preacher of God’s Word by giving such a negative characterization of people who thought that they were pleasing to God. We may ponder why the apostle Paul would dare tell people who were sure that they were pleasing to God and boasting in their relationship to Him that their assurance was false and eternally destructive. So we have to ask as we look into this section of Scripture, “Was Paul unloving and robbing people of assurance or was he loving and destroying people’s false assurance?”
Many a preacher has been accused of being unloving and unkind for destroying the false assurance of men. These preachers are perceived as destroyers of men’s faith. However, if a man has a type of faith that cannot and does not save, the most loving thing that another person could do is destroy that false faith by showing the futility of it. It is actually through showing the futility of a false faith and destroying false assurance that the glory and blessed assurance of true faith is established. Convincing a man who thinks he is saved but who is actually lost that he is not saved is far more loving than to allow him to go on in his deception to eternal destruction.
As we read and study our Bibles we see that all through it warnings are given to people who think that they are saved but are actually lost. We also see that the prophets, apostles, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself all stripped men of their false assurance. To the religious leaders of his day, John the Baptist removed their false assurance (Matthew 3:7-10). The Lord Jesus Christ did the same thing to the religious leaders of His day (Matthew 23). The apostle Paul also removed the false assurance of the people of his day (Romans 2:17-29).
So let’s look at the inaccurate and unreliable indicators that give false assurance (Romans 2:17-24).
The first unreliable indicator that gives false assurance is heritage (2:17a) – “But if you bear the name Jew….”
Many of the Jews wrongly assumed that because they were Jews that they were automatically right with God. After all they were physical descendants of a man who was right with God – Abraham. What many of the Jews didn’t realize is that in order to be justified like Abraham they had to have faith like Abraham. The Lord Jesus told the Jews of His day, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father” (John 8:39-41). The Lord went on to say concerning Abraham’s faith, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56).
Paul knew what it was like to have false assurance by relying upon his heritage. “Circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless” (Philippians 3:5-6). However Paul discovered that all the things he was trusting in only gave him false assurance because he was the chief of sinners headed for hell – even with his immaculate heritage.
Many today bear the name Christian and are trusting in their heritage and external religious practices but are not trusting in Christ. When confronted with the truth of their lostness they will speak of their long time participation in the church, their baptism, their knowledge of God’s Word, and so forth but they do not speak of their saving relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
The second unreliable indicator that give false assurance is possession of God's Word (2:17b) – “And rely upon the Law….”
The Jews were relying upon or resting in the Law. Because they had God’s Word and knew God’s Word they were falsely assured that they were right with God. God’s Law has never been given as a means of making men right with God but for showing that men are not right with God. The very thing that should have caused the Jews to be weary and heavy laden leading them to rely upon and rest in Christ was the very thing that they were relying upon and resting in. The Law was given to weary us and wear us out so that we would see our need for Christ. The Lord said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
However, many of the Jews were relying upon and resting in the Law. The Law demands perfect and continuous obedience if one is going to be right with God through the Law and any point of disobedience means death and destruction from God. The Law itself says, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law to perform them” (Deuteronomy 27:26). The Law should have led the Jews to Christ but instead they trusted in the Law. Jesus said to the Jews, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me” (John 5:39).
Many today in the Christian church are relying upon and resting in their possession of God’s Word rather than in Christ.
The third unreliable indicator that gives false assurance is profession of a right relationship with God (2:17c) – “And boast in God.”
The Jews boasted in their supposed relationship to God. Because they had a Jewish heritage and possessed the Law of God they supposed they were rightly related to God and that everyone else wasn’t. Many of the Jews were loud in their profession of knowing God. Some of them told the Lord Jesus, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come of My own initiative, but He sent Me…. He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God’” (John 8:41-42, 47).
The same was true throughout Israel’s history – many claimed to know God and boast in God when in reality they did not. Through Hosea the prophet we read of apostate Israel’s profession and boast of knowing God, “They cry out to Me, ‘My God, we of Israel know You'” (Hosea 8:2)!
Many today boast that they know God and others don’t. However, because one boasts in knowing God doesn’t mean that he actually does. Knowing God rightly means that we know Jesus Christ rightly and therefore we know ourselves rightly – we are sinners who cannot be made right with God except through faith in Jesus Christ and His work on our behalf.
The fourth unreliable indicator that gives false assurance is knowledge of right and wrong (2:18) – “And know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law.”
Knowing the difference between right and wrong because you have been instructed out of God’s Law and approving the rightness of God’s Law doesn’t make you a doer of God’s Law. Many Jews had false assurance of acceptance with God because they knew and approved of God’s Law.
Approving God’s Law isn’t the same as applying God’s Law. Hearing God’s Law isn’t the same as heeding God’s Law. Many today have a false assurance of salvation because they “know” God’s Word. Many know the will of God but don’t live up to His will and think that just because they know it they have done it – not true!
The fifth unreliable indicator that gives false assurance is being teachers of right and wrong (2:19-20)
The Jews were confident that they could see and that others were blind and saw themselves as guides to the blind. Because they taught God’s Law to others they thought it was proof of their right relationship to God. They thought for sure that God would be proud of them for instructing and correcting others. However, teaching, instructing, and correcting without applying those very teachings, instructions, and corrections to oneself is hypocrisy and self-deception. That is why we read, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22).
Many today are confident that they can see and that others can’t. Because they preach sermons, teach Sunday-School classes, or instruct others they believe that they are saved – even while they don’t practice what they preach and teach.
The sixth unreliable indicator that gives false assurance is seeing oneself as exempt from the Law (2:21-24)
Most of the Jews thought that because they knew the Law and taught the Law that they were doing the Law. However, they were not practicing what they were preaching and that should have caused them to realize that they were law-breakers and not law-keepers and therefore they needed a Savior.
The problem with knowing the Law and teaching the Law without doing the Law is that one exempts himself from the Law by applying the Law to everyone but himself. When this happens the life of the person teaching the Law is no different than the lives of the people to whom he is preaching. People see the hypocrisy of this and then the name of God is blasphemed because of those claiming to know Him and to represent Him.
When we believe that God’s Word is for those people out there and apply it to them without applying it to ourselves we are self-deluded fools. We are to practice what we preach so that we don’t deceive ourselves and so that God’s name is not blasphemed.
Many of the Gentiles who had dealings with the Jews knew that their preaching and teaching of the Law was hypocrisy. The Jews would lie, cheat, steal, rob, and commit adultery just like the Gentiles would. In their supposed keeping of the Law they would break the Law – dishonest business practices were legalized as God’s will for them to succeed; adultery was legalized by divorce; robbing temples was legalized under the pretense of abhorring idols. Isn’t it interesting that when there was a riot in Ephesus because of Paul’s preaching and people turning away from idolatry that the town clerk who quieted down the crowd said, “For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess” (Acts 19:37)?
Many today who claim to be preachers and teachers of God’s Word exempt themselves from God’s Word by applying it to everyone else but themselves. The very sins they preach against they practice and God is dishonored and His name is blasphemed among unbelievers.
Naming the name Christian; possessing the Word of God; professing to know God; knowing the difference between right and wrong; preaching and teaching the difference between right and wrong; and applying the Law to everyone else while exempting oneself from the Law by legalizing disobedience only gives a false assurance of salvation.
Is there any difference between your lifestyle and that of the lost other than a hypocritical and judgmental attitude? Let’s not be fooled! “The firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness’” (2 Timothy 2:19). We may fool ourselves and most everyone else – but we will not and cannot fool God!
Showing posts with label hypocrisy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hypocrisy. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Righteous Judgment based on Deeds
The truth that God is going to righteously judge all men both believers and unbelievers according to their deeds/works comes as a shock to most professing Christians. However this truth is established over and over in the Bible and it is an absolute certainty whether we like it or not and whether we suppress it or not. We are told as Christians that our works will be tested by fire (1 Corinthians 3:13-15); and that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Romans 2:6-10 shows us the differences between the deeds of the lost and the deeds of the saved and that on the basis of a man’s deeds God is going to render a righteous and accurate verdict regarding each man’s eternal destiny. We ought to be very interested in knowing these differences to see what characterizes our lifestyles to know whether or not all is going to go well with us in the day of the righteous judgment of God. Are you interested?
Let me give you a brief list of opposite lifestyles upon which God will make His perfect evaluation of each person: obedience/disobedience; Lordship/lawlessness; Spirit or faith/flesh; eternal/temporal; faithfulness/faithlessness; good deeds/evil deeds; and works wrought of God/works wrought of self.
Now let me hurry to establish this truth before you get confused and think that I am a heretic teaching salvation by works – salvation is by faith alone but saving faith is not alone! Therefore good deeds that are a result of saving faith are a perfectly valid basis for God’s judgment as well as the absence of good deeds because of the absence of saving faith. Obedience to God is what was lost in the fall of man and obedience to God is what is restored in man’s salvation through the gospel (Romans 1:5).
The practice of a person’s lifestyle forms an accurate and reliable indicator to his or her paternity – whether or not he or she is a child of God or a child of the devil – “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot [practice] sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:7-10). This is why the Lord Jesus Christ speaking of false prophets and false Christians said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16, 20).
This passage in no way declares that men are saved by works but only that they are judged by works! Paul will deal with this truth in greater detail in chapter 3. We do not work for salvation (that is legalism and a denial of the gospel of Penal-Substitution); we do not have no works after salvation (that is libertinism and a denial of the results of the gospel of Penal-Substitution); however, we do work from salvation (this is loyalty/lordship and a proper response as a result of the gospel of Penal-Substitution).
Belief determines behavior and therefore behavior is an accurate and reliable indicator of belief so that judgment based on behavior is totally accurate and appropriate (Romans 2:6).
So based on this truth that God is going to render to each person according to his deeds, let’s examine the deeds of the saved man and the lost man and the outcome of the judgment of each.
The deeds of the saved man (2:7) – living in light of eternity
The first deed of the saved man is that he perseveres in doing good. The saved man comes up against all sorts of obstacles to his obedience to God. He is hated for his unwavering obedience and unwillingness to compromise what his Lord has told him to do. He is persecuted for the sake of righteousness; he is insulted; and he is falsely spoken evil of all because of His love for and obedience to Jesus as Lord (Matthew 5:10-12). We are told that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12) and yet the saved man perseveres in his obedience to His Lord regardless of the consequences. God is going to look at my lifestyle and your lifestyle to see if we continued in our obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ regardless of the consequences. Are you persevering in your obedience to God because of your love and reverence for God or are you being disobedient because you are afraid of what others may think or say about you?
The second deed of the saved man is that he seeks for glory – from God not man. Jesus said to the self-righteous Jews in His day, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?” (John 5:44). He also said in John 7:18, “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” So to seek glory from God we have to seek the glory of God which means that we do not seek our own glory but His. Our Lord went on to say this, “I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me” (John 8:28).
So the one who seeks the glory of God speaks the Word of God without altering its content or intent. He doesn’t walk in craftiness watering down the Word of God in order to tickle the ears of men and gain glory from men. God is going to look at each man’s lifestyle to see if he remained true to His Word and sought the glory of God or if he sought his own glory by being a man-pleaser rather than a God-pleaser. Are you seeking God’s glory and the glory which comes from God or are you seeking your own glory and that which comes from other men?
The third deed of the saved man is that he seeks for honor – honor from God not man. By doing God’s will God’s way and seeking the glory of God rather than your own glory, God will honor and say on the Day of Judgment, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” The honor which comes from God is based on honoring God. God said through the prophet Samuel, “Those who honor Me I will honor…” (1 Samuel 2:30). Just as the lost seek glory from men and not God they also seek honor from men and not God. Many falsely believe that if men glorify and honor them that God will also glorify and honor them. But they have forgotten that what men esteem is detestable in the sight of God (Luke 16:15).
God is going to judge the lifestyle of each man to see if he sought the honor which comes from God by honoring God or if he sought the honor which comes from man by honoring man. As a lifestyle are you seeking God’s honor or your own?
The fourth deed of the saved man is that he seeks for immortality – immortality that comes from God not being immortalized by man. This means that the saved man sows to the Spirit and not to the flesh. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8). So the one who lives for self will reap corruption and the one who lives for God will reap eternal life. No one can live for God in the flesh; it can only be done in faith. This is why Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20). Seeking immortality means that one is living in light of eternity and living for God and not for self. God is going to judge each man’s lifestyle to see whether or not it was marked by living for God or living for self. As a lifestyle are you living for God or living for self?
For the man who the deeds of his lifestyle is persevering in doing good, seeking for glory, honor, and immortality from God, he will reap eternal life because he has believed and received Jesus as Lord through the gospel.
The deeds of the lost man (2:8) – lives for the temporal
The first deed of the lost man is that he is selfishly ambitious. This means that the lost man is self-centered and not God-centered and that he seeks to rob God of his worship – and many will do this under the pretense of worshiping God – it is called hypocrisy. The lost man does not persevere in doing good; he seeks for glory and honor from man robbing God of His glory and honor; and he sows to the flesh and not the Spirit.
The second deed of the lost man is that he does not obey the truth. The lost man cannot obey the truth because he is in the flesh (this is the purpose of the Law – to show men that they cannot obey and that they need a Savior) and the flesh does not and cannot subject itself to the law of God (Romans 8:7-8). The lost man does not obey the Lord because he does not love the Lord but loves himself instead.
The third deed of the lost man is that he obeys unrighteousness. The lost man is a slave to sin, he loves his sin, and therefore he is lawless and unrighteous. The lost man sets his mind on the things of the flesh and not the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5-6) and therefore he is not seeking immortality which comes from God. The lost man is living for the temporal and not the eternal.
Because of the deeds of the lost man he will reap wrath and indignation. Everything he does is for the purpose of serving and pleasing self. He has the spirit of antagonism against the Lordship of Christ. And because of this he will reap God’s wrath and indignation.
The outcome of judgment for the lost (2:9) – tribulation and distress.
Tribulation has the root meaning of exerting extreme pressure and affliction or anguish. Distress literally means a narrow place and came to refer to severe confinement or constriction. Besides capital punishment the lost will endure eternal solitary confinement. There will be no parties or fellowships in hell!
The outcome of the judgment for the saved (2:10)
The saved will receive glory from God and honor from God and peace from God!
The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all who are in tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29). According to the practice of your lifestyle which group will you be in?
Romans 2:6-10 shows us the differences between the deeds of the lost and the deeds of the saved and that on the basis of a man’s deeds God is going to render a righteous and accurate verdict regarding each man’s eternal destiny. We ought to be very interested in knowing these differences to see what characterizes our lifestyles to know whether or not all is going to go well with us in the day of the righteous judgment of God. Are you interested?
Let me give you a brief list of opposite lifestyles upon which God will make His perfect evaluation of each person: obedience/disobedience; Lordship/lawlessness; Spirit or faith/flesh; eternal/temporal; faithfulness/faithlessness; good deeds/evil deeds; and works wrought of God/works wrought of self.
Now let me hurry to establish this truth before you get confused and think that I am a heretic teaching salvation by works – salvation is by faith alone but saving faith is not alone! Therefore good deeds that are a result of saving faith are a perfectly valid basis for God’s judgment as well as the absence of good deeds because of the absence of saving faith. Obedience to God is what was lost in the fall of man and obedience to God is what is restored in man’s salvation through the gospel (Romans 1:5).
The practice of a person’s lifestyle forms an accurate and reliable indicator to his or her paternity – whether or not he or she is a child of God or a child of the devil – “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot [practice] sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:7-10). This is why the Lord Jesus Christ speaking of false prophets and false Christians said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16, 20).
This passage in no way declares that men are saved by works but only that they are judged by works! Paul will deal with this truth in greater detail in chapter 3. We do not work for salvation (that is legalism and a denial of the gospel of Penal-Substitution); we do not have no works after salvation (that is libertinism and a denial of the results of the gospel of Penal-Substitution); however, we do work from salvation (this is loyalty/lordship and a proper response as a result of the gospel of Penal-Substitution).
Belief determines behavior and therefore behavior is an accurate and reliable indicator of belief so that judgment based on behavior is totally accurate and appropriate (Romans 2:6).
So based on this truth that God is going to render to each person according to his deeds, let’s examine the deeds of the saved man and the lost man and the outcome of the judgment of each.
The deeds of the saved man (2:7) – living in light of eternity
The first deed of the saved man is that he perseveres in doing good. The saved man comes up against all sorts of obstacles to his obedience to God. He is hated for his unwavering obedience and unwillingness to compromise what his Lord has told him to do. He is persecuted for the sake of righteousness; he is insulted; and he is falsely spoken evil of all because of His love for and obedience to Jesus as Lord (Matthew 5:10-12). We are told that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12) and yet the saved man perseveres in his obedience to His Lord regardless of the consequences. God is going to look at my lifestyle and your lifestyle to see if we continued in our obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ regardless of the consequences. Are you persevering in your obedience to God because of your love and reverence for God or are you being disobedient because you are afraid of what others may think or say about you?
The second deed of the saved man is that he seeks for glory – from God not man. Jesus said to the self-righteous Jews in His day, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?” (John 5:44). He also said in John 7:18, “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” So to seek glory from God we have to seek the glory of God which means that we do not seek our own glory but His. Our Lord went on to say this, “I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me” (John 8:28).
So the one who seeks the glory of God speaks the Word of God without altering its content or intent. He doesn’t walk in craftiness watering down the Word of God in order to tickle the ears of men and gain glory from men. God is going to look at each man’s lifestyle to see if he remained true to His Word and sought the glory of God or if he sought his own glory by being a man-pleaser rather than a God-pleaser. Are you seeking God’s glory and the glory which comes from God or are you seeking your own glory and that which comes from other men?
The third deed of the saved man is that he seeks for honor – honor from God not man. By doing God’s will God’s way and seeking the glory of God rather than your own glory, God will honor and say on the Day of Judgment, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” The honor which comes from God is based on honoring God. God said through the prophet Samuel, “Those who honor Me I will honor…” (1 Samuel 2:30). Just as the lost seek glory from men and not God they also seek honor from men and not God. Many falsely believe that if men glorify and honor them that God will also glorify and honor them. But they have forgotten that what men esteem is detestable in the sight of God (Luke 16:15).
God is going to judge the lifestyle of each man to see if he sought the honor which comes from God by honoring God or if he sought the honor which comes from man by honoring man. As a lifestyle are you seeking God’s honor or your own?
The fourth deed of the saved man is that he seeks for immortality – immortality that comes from God not being immortalized by man. This means that the saved man sows to the Spirit and not to the flesh. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8). So the one who lives for self will reap corruption and the one who lives for God will reap eternal life. No one can live for God in the flesh; it can only be done in faith. This is why Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20). Seeking immortality means that one is living in light of eternity and living for God and not for self. God is going to judge each man’s lifestyle to see whether or not it was marked by living for God or living for self. As a lifestyle are you living for God or living for self?
For the man who the deeds of his lifestyle is persevering in doing good, seeking for glory, honor, and immortality from God, he will reap eternal life because he has believed and received Jesus as Lord through the gospel.
The deeds of the lost man (2:8) – lives for the temporal
The first deed of the lost man is that he is selfishly ambitious. This means that the lost man is self-centered and not God-centered and that he seeks to rob God of his worship – and many will do this under the pretense of worshiping God – it is called hypocrisy. The lost man does not persevere in doing good; he seeks for glory and honor from man robbing God of His glory and honor; and he sows to the flesh and not the Spirit.
The second deed of the lost man is that he does not obey the truth. The lost man cannot obey the truth because he is in the flesh (this is the purpose of the Law – to show men that they cannot obey and that they need a Savior) and the flesh does not and cannot subject itself to the law of God (Romans 8:7-8). The lost man does not obey the Lord because he does not love the Lord but loves himself instead.
The third deed of the lost man is that he obeys unrighteousness. The lost man is a slave to sin, he loves his sin, and therefore he is lawless and unrighteous. The lost man sets his mind on the things of the flesh and not the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5-6) and therefore he is not seeking immortality which comes from God. The lost man is living for the temporal and not the eternal.
Because of the deeds of the lost man he will reap wrath and indignation. Everything he does is for the purpose of serving and pleasing self. He has the spirit of antagonism against the Lordship of Christ. And because of this he will reap God’s wrath and indignation.
The outcome of judgment for the lost (2:9) – tribulation and distress.
Tribulation has the root meaning of exerting extreme pressure and affliction or anguish. Distress literally means a narrow place and came to refer to severe confinement or constriction. Besides capital punishment the lost will endure eternal solitary confinement. There will be no parties or fellowships in hell!
The outcome of the judgment for the saved (2:10)
The saved will receive glory from God and honor from God and peace from God!
The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all who are in tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29). According to the practice of your lifestyle which group will you be in?
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Hebrews are without Excuse
As we move systematically through the book of Romans studying the Holy Spirit inspired explanation of the gospel, we are seeing that all men are sinners and that they are rightly under the wrath of God and that the only way that God will save anyone is through the gospel. The reason for this is because God cannot forgive sinners apart from the sinner’s penalty for violating God’s Law being paid by a willing and able substitute. This allows God to be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ.
So in explaining that the gospel and it alone is the power of God unto salvation – that it is the only way that God will save – the apostle Paul went on to show that all men everywhere are in need of the gospel because all men everywhere are sinners that are without excuse before a holy God.
So far in our studies we have seen the charge made and the evidence given that the heathen are without excuse because that which is known about God is evident within them for God made it evident to them and because the creation itself clearly reveals the attributes, power, and nature of God. And yet the heathen suppresses the truth about God and instead of worshiping and serving the Creator they become idolaters which leads to defiled hearts, degraded passions, and a depraved mind.
But now in Romans 2:1-29 the apostle Paul turns his attention to the Hebrew and shows that he also is without excuse because he too is under sin. As Paul has developed the sinfulness of the heathen and established the truth that the heathen rightly deserve the wrath of God, he anticipated a loud amen from the Hebrews – from those who had God special revelation and not just His general revelation. This would be what Paul would begin with to establish the truth of the guilt of the Hebrews and that they too needed the gospel.
In Romans 2:1-5 the apostle Paul gave three evidences that established the guilt of the Hebrews before God and therefore they too are without excuse.
The first evidence of the guilt of the Hebrews was hypocrisy (2:1-3).
A judgmental attitude proves the guilt of people who judge others when they don’t even live up to the standards by which they hold others accountable – and yet the judgmental hypocritical person shows that he or she knows enough of God’s standards to have also made an accurate assessment of his or her own condition before God. If one has enough knowledge to judge others he has enough knowledge to judge himself rightly. This is exactly the warning of Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge lest you be judged.” If men would make it their business to judge themselves rightly and not others then they would see their need for forgiveness, would confess their sins, and receive God’s only remedy for their sin. That’s why the Bible says that if we would judge ourselves rightly then we would not be judged (1 Corinthians 11:31).
But the problem with religious hypocrites is that they want to hold others accountable to God’s standards while exempting themselves. The self-righteous man who knows God’s Law and God’s righteous judgment is amazingly adept at applying it to everyone but himself. The self-righteous hypocrite falsely calculates his own sinfulness and guilt. The word “suppose” means to calculate or estimate. So the apostle Paul nails the self-righteous man (in this case the Hebrew) to the wall and shows him how unreasonable his calculations really are. Here is a man who has the Word of God and can calculate that others are sinners but that he isn’t; he can calculate that God will judge others for the same sins that he commits but that God will not judge him. So we see that here is a man who thinks that God will judge him by a lower standard and show him favor because of who he is. The self-righteous man expects God to show him partiality in judgment.
So those who pass judgment on others and practice the same sins themselves are proven to be sinners because they are proven to be hypocrites. There are sins of the flesh – which were mostly catalogued in chapter one and there are sins of the spirit – hypocrisy which is catalogued here in chapter two. Sins of the spirit bring greater judgment because they are committed under greater knowledge and greater light. Sins of the spirit called down our Lord’s severest condemnations while He was on earth.
The Hebrews were condemning the Gentiles and practicing the very things they condemned in the Gentiles. They thought they were free from God’s judgment because they had God’s Word and were God’s chosen people. However, God’s judgment is righteous and according to truth. He does not have two standards of judgment – one for the Gentiles and another for the Hebrews – so in judging the Gentiles the Hebrews were guaranteeing their own judgment on the same basis.
The second evidence of the guilt of the Hebrews was presumption (2:4).
God had given the Hebrews many blessings and God had been very patient with them and this should have brought the Hebrews to repentance but instead it caused them to become presumptuous. It is not the judgment of God but the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. However men in their sinfulness take the goodness of God as a sign that they are pleasing to Him or that He owes them something.
When we know that we rightly deserve God’s wrath and that He hasn’t given that to us yet but instead has given us His kindness and tolerance and patience, we should be moved to repentance over God’s goodness in light of our badness – and that especially when we see that God in His goodness has given His only Son as an atoning sacrifice to pay our sin debt in order that He can forgive us – while we were yet sinners.
The self-righteous hypocrite thinks lightly of or thinks down on the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience. This means that because he overestimates his own righteousness, the self-righteous underestimates and presumes upon God’s goodness. The purpose of the kindness of God is not to excuse men of their sin but to convict them of it and lead them to repentance.
The third evidence of the guilt of the Hebrews was unrepentance (2:5).
The person who because of stubbornness and an unrepentant heart, judges others but not himself and presumes upon the goodness of God is storing up wrath for himself in the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Stubbornness translates “sklerotes” which literally refers to hardness and is the word from which we get the medical term, “sclerosis.” Arteriosclerosis refers to the hardening of the arteries and so here the Holy Spirit was speaking to the self-righteous, presumptuous Hebrew as a hard-hearted man who refused to repent.
Much more dangerous than clogged and hardened arteries in the physical heart is the clogged and hardened spiritual heart that has become unresponsive and insensitive to God through the hardening by the deceitfulness of sin. Men with bad, hardened, or stubborn hearts need new hearts – and spiritually speaking this is the condition of all men. This is why we must preach the gospel to all men because this is how God removes the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh in its place.
To stubbornly and unrepentantly refuse God’s gracious pardon of sin through Jesus Christ is to store up wrath for oneself in the day of wrath and righteous judgment of God. The righteous judgment of God is inescapable and men who are not forgiven through Jesus Christ as their substitute can never escape the wrath of God for their sins.
Self-righteous, presumptuous people have a stubborn and unrepentant heart and although they believe that all will be well with them on judgment day – they are wrong!
So in explaining that the gospel and it alone is the power of God unto salvation – that it is the only way that God will save – the apostle Paul went on to show that all men everywhere are in need of the gospel because all men everywhere are sinners that are without excuse before a holy God.
So far in our studies we have seen the charge made and the evidence given that the heathen are without excuse because that which is known about God is evident within them for God made it evident to them and because the creation itself clearly reveals the attributes, power, and nature of God. And yet the heathen suppresses the truth about God and instead of worshiping and serving the Creator they become idolaters which leads to defiled hearts, degraded passions, and a depraved mind.
But now in Romans 2:1-29 the apostle Paul turns his attention to the Hebrew and shows that he also is without excuse because he too is under sin. As Paul has developed the sinfulness of the heathen and established the truth that the heathen rightly deserve the wrath of God, he anticipated a loud amen from the Hebrews – from those who had God special revelation and not just His general revelation. This would be what Paul would begin with to establish the truth of the guilt of the Hebrews and that they too needed the gospel.
In Romans 2:1-5 the apostle Paul gave three evidences that established the guilt of the Hebrews before God and therefore they too are without excuse.
The first evidence of the guilt of the Hebrews was hypocrisy (2:1-3).
A judgmental attitude proves the guilt of people who judge others when they don’t even live up to the standards by which they hold others accountable – and yet the judgmental hypocritical person shows that he or she knows enough of God’s standards to have also made an accurate assessment of his or her own condition before God. If one has enough knowledge to judge others he has enough knowledge to judge himself rightly. This is exactly the warning of Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge lest you be judged.” If men would make it their business to judge themselves rightly and not others then they would see their need for forgiveness, would confess their sins, and receive God’s only remedy for their sin. That’s why the Bible says that if we would judge ourselves rightly then we would not be judged (1 Corinthians 11:31).
But the problem with religious hypocrites is that they want to hold others accountable to God’s standards while exempting themselves. The self-righteous man who knows God’s Law and God’s righteous judgment is amazingly adept at applying it to everyone but himself. The self-righteous hypocrite falsely calculates his own sinfulness and guilt. The word “suppose” means to calculate or estimate. So the apostle Paul nails the self-righteous man (in this case the Hebrew) to the wall and shows him how unreasonable his calculations really are. Here is a man who has the Word of God and can calculate that others are sinners but that he isn’t; he can calculate that God will judge others for the same sins that he commits but that God will not judge him. So we see that here is a man who thinks that God will judge him by a lower standard and show him favor because of who he is. The self-righteous man expects God to show him partiality in judgment.
So those who pass judgment on others and practice the same sins themselves are proven to be sinners because they are proven to be hypocrites. There are sins of the flesh – which were mostly catalogued in chapter one and there are sins of the spirit – hypocrisy which is catalogued here in chapter two. Sins of the spirit bring greater judgment because they are committed under greater knowledge and greater light. Sins of the spirit called down our Lord’s severest condemnations while He was on earth.
The Hebrews were condemning the Gentiles and practicing the very things they condemned in the Gentiles. They thought they were free from God’s judgment because they had God’s Word and were God’s chosen people. However, God’s judgment is righteous and according to truth. He does not have two standards of judgment – one for the Gentiles and another for the Hebrews – so in judging the Gentiles the Hebrews were guaranteeing their own judgment on the same basis.
The second evidence of the guilt of the Hebrews was presumption (2:4).
God had given the Hebrews many blessings and God had been very patient with them and this should have brought the Hebrews to repentance but instead it caused them to become presumptuous. It is not the judgment of God but the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. However men in their sinfulness take the goodness of God as a sign that they are pleasing to Him or that He owes them something.
When we know that we rightly deserve God’s wrath and that He hasn’t given that to us yet but instead has given us His kindness and tolerance and patience, we should be moved to repentance over God’s goodness in light of our badness – and that especially when we see that God in His goodness has given His only Son as an atoning sacrifice to pay our sin debt in order that He can forgive us – while we were yet sinners.
The self-righteous hypocrite thinks lightly of or thinks down on the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience. This means that because he overestimates his own righteousness, the self-righteous underestimates and presumes upon God’s goodness. The purpose of the kindness of God is not to excuse men of their sin but to convict them of it and lead them to repentance.
The third evidence of the guilt of the Hebrews was unrepentance (2:5).
The person who because of stubbornness and an unrepentant heart, judges others but not himself and presumes upon the goodness of God is storing up wrath for himself in the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Stubbornness translates “sklerotes” which literally refers to hardness and is the word from which we get the medical term, “sclerosis.” Arteriosclerosis refers to the hardening of the arteries and so here the Holy Spirit was speaking to the self-righteous, presumptuous Hebrew as a hard-hearted man who refused to repent.
Much more dangerous than clogged and hardened arteries in the physical heart is the clogged and hardened spiritual heart that has become unresponsive and insensitive to God through the hardening by the deceitfulness of sin. Men with bad, hardened, or stubborn hearts need new hearts – and spiritually speaking this is the condition of all men. This is why we must preach the gospel to all men because this is how God removes the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh in its place.
To stubbornly and unrepentantly refuse God’s gracious pardon of sin through Jesus Christ is to store up wrath for oneself in the day of wrath and righteous judgment of God. The righteous judgment of God is inescapable and men who are not forgiven through Jesus Christ as their substitute can never escape the wrath of God for their sins.
Self-righteous, presumptuous people have a stubborn and unrepentant heart and although they believe that all will be well with them on judgment day – they are wrong!
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