Romans 2:11-16

We're continuing our study of Romans, chapter 2.

Romans 2 · chapter mention

You guys want to grab a copy of God's Word and turn to Romans, chapter 2.

Romans 2 · chapter mention

!

His Word reads,

For God shows no partiality.

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 righteous before God,

but the doers of the law who will be justified.

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law by nature, do what the law requires,

they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts,

while their conscience also bears witness.

And their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when,

according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men,

by Christ Jesus.

Let's pray together.

Father, You must increase and I must decrease this morning.

God, I pray, I plead,

that I decrease so much that there is none of me left up here this morning.

What is spoken will be Your words to Your people,

to Your church.

God, that if somebody is in here who does not know You,

they would hear Your word for the very first time this morning.

They would repent and believe in You.

God, I plead,

I beg that Your Holy Spirit would continue to move in our hearts.

God, that You have prepared our hearts to hear a word from You.

And the words that are spoken are Your words.

And that combination leaves us different,

leaves us changed this morning.

We pray all this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

As a parent, I love justice.

I look for justice.

If I'm dishing out cereal to my kids,

I try to even it out.

If I give them one candy bar,

I'm going to give each one a candy bar.

I just, I do it.

And even with four or five or six kids in my house,

I try to do that.

I've learned it's not always going to happen.

Jamie's really quick to teach me that

we don't need to always be fair.

But I strive for it.

If there's six Skittles,

I'm giving everybody six Skittles.

If there's two green, two red, two yellow,

I'm going to try to do the same thing.

Have you guys seen a picture of Lady Justice,

a picture or a statue of Lady Justice?

There's different statues,

different little pictures,

but they're all about the same thing.

Lady Justice has a blindfold on.

Her eyes are covered.

She has a scale in one hand

and a sword in another.

She weighs the evidence

and she's blindfolded to show

that she is impartial to anything

or anybody else.

That what is going to decide

and what is going to show justice

is the evidence on the scale.

And the sword is to represent

that she's going to fight to the end

to proclaim justice

based on evidence alone.

She's a great picture of impartiality.

Does not show any favoritism.

Now, of course, we're in a sinful world

and sinful men and women are in charge

and responsible for bringing justice sometimes.

So that doesn't happen all the time

in our world.

But the picture is supposed to illustrate

that she can be impartial.

This morning, verse 11 tells us

that God shows no partiality.

Our Heavenly Father, who is a judge,

is impartial.

He shows no favoritism.

He takes no bribes.

He judges based alone on His righteousness.

Our God shows no partiality.

So everyone, no matter what,

everyone will be judged.

And of course, if you read back last week's study,

we did 6 through 11 or 6 through 10.

We touched on that,

that everyone will be judged.

Well, this morning,

all of mankind are going to be judged

based on God's impartiality.

And verse 12 kind of lays that out for us.

For all who have sinned without the law

will also perish without the law.

So you have those that are without the law

who sin are going to perish without the law.

And all those who have sinned under the law

will be judged by the law.

So we have two groups encompassing all of mankind

covered under this one sentence.

Just think how big God is

for that statement to be true.

That all of mankind will be judged

based on whether they're with the law

or without the law.

Under the law or without the law.

Using that language.

All of mankind, dead and alive.

Throughout all of history,

past to future time,

today and yesterday,

all of mankind will be judged.

The guy who said

we're going to have a rapture yesterday

will be judged.

Everyone will be judged.

And God will show no,

or God will show no partiality

to all mankind,

which means you have no,

show no favoritism.

You cannot earn justice.

His evidence or your evidence

will speak for itself.

The fact,

the truth of verse 11,

that God shows no partiality,

if we are Christians,

if we are believers,

should humble us to know

that we're under that judgment

and yet still made righteous in Christ.

The grace that God has shown us.

We should be humbled

when we read that statement.

If you're not a believer this morning,

you should be scared.

Can't say it any other way.

You should fear

what is going to happen

because everyone

will be judged

based on a God

who is impartial.

So,

Paul kind of breaks it up

into two groups

in verse 12.

Those who have sinned

without the law

and those who have sinned

under the law.

So let's go with the first part.

Those who have sinned

without the law

will also perish

without the law.

These would be the Gentiles,

the pagans,

everyone who is not Jewish.

And I know we've touched on that before.

Paul keeps repeating it

in chapter 2.

He'll repeat it again

in chapter 4.

See, the Jews were given the law

through Moses.

And we talked about the law

in our confessions.

The law was the rule.

And it was what they most zealously followed.

And as we know of history,

eventually,

Jewish people started

following the law

above

or in front of

following God.

So they thought,

if I could just follow these rules,

then I would be good with God.

And we know

based on all of Scripture

that that is not true.

We know now

we have to be born again.

And following the law

is secondary

to knowing

and being a follower of Christ.

So the law then becomes

secondary

to the primary,

which is Christ.

Galatians 3.24 says,

So then the law

was our guardian

until Christ came

in order

that we might be justified

by faith.

It was our guardian.

He kind of nudged us.

The law kind of helped us,

pointing us towards Christ.

That was the point of the law.

So we have this

in the Old Testament,

the law was the point

as to Christ.

In the New Testament,

Christ

and out of Christ,

we follow the law.

Kind of flipped it.

So in the Old Testament,

the law was the point

to somebody

who was going to fulfill the law

was going to be perfect.

And that was Christ.

In the New Testament,

we can't follow the law

without Christ.

We can't do any good

without Him.

So

if we

try to do good,

if we try to follow the law,

we're going to fail

because of our sinful nature.

And that nature

loves

to twist it.

We love to say,

okay,

if I just do enough,

then I'll gain Christ.

If I just do enough,

then I'll gain heaven.

If I just do enough,

then I'll gain the favor

of God.

But guys,

it doesn't work that way.

God's Word is clear

on this subject.

The law

does not make you righteous.

Following rules

or a list

will not make you

a Christian.

And neither will

knowledge of the law.

Knowledge of the law

will not make you righteous.

You know,

we

would be part of

a

camp called

the Reformed Theology.

We have a lot of

arrogance

in our camp

who think that

if I just gain

enough knowledge,

I'm better than that guy.

And I'm afraid

that there's guys

who think if I just

know enough,

then I will be in heaven

when it's all said

and done.

The reality is

that's not the case.

Those who practice

the law,

those who do

religious activities,

those who go to church,

those who sing

in the choir,

it's not

going to make you

a Christian,

those who

memorize the law,

memorize scripture,

memorize hymns,

memorize spiritual songs,

memorize songs

on the fish

or 91.5,

it's not going

to do it.

But I'm afraid

that the Christian

church today

and a lot of churches

around here

and everywhere

is filled with people

who think

if I just do enough,

that I'm going

to be a Christian

and I'm going to be in heaven,

that I am going

to find favor

in God's eyes.

But not only

any of those,

but even a desire

to obey the law

is not going

to make you

a Christian,

is not going

to make you

righteous.

Having those

good motives

isn't going

to do it.

I have good motives

in the morning.

I can't say

all those motives

get done.

Desiring to obey

the law

isn't going

to do it.

So the question

is down

at the root

of who you are.

Down at what

makes you tick.

What are your

desires to do?

What drives you?

Is it just to try

to find favor

in God

so I continue

to do good things?

Why do you

do what you do?

Hearing.

Verse 12

will tell us

hearing,

or verse 13

will tell us

hearing the law

does not make

any righteous.

No one.

The word

is not someone

this word

for hearing

is not someone

who just hears,

but someone

whose job

it is

is to hear.

Someone who's

a professional

listener,

like a college

student.

Your guys'

job is to sit,

to listen,

and to learn.

And you're

going to be

tested based

on what the

professor has

spoken.

Most of the

time,

if you

have a

good

professor,

if you

have a

guy who

just says

read this,

then it's

up to what

you read.

But for my

illustration,

there you go,

all illustrations

fall short

somewhere,

so that's

good evidence.

But this

morning,

a college

student's

professional job

is to listen

and learn.

And you're

going to be

based and

held accountable

based on

what you

have heard.

word.

This is the

picture here

of this

word that

Paul uses

in verse

13.

It says,

for it is

not the

hearers of

the law

who are

righteous

before God,

but the

doers of

the law

who will

be justified.

Not just

hearing,

it's hearing

and then being

held accountable

to what you

hear.

So this

morning,

you guys

are all

hearing and

listening,

and you're

going to be

held accountable

for what you

hear this

morning.

verse 13

says,

though,

just hearing

the word

does

nothing.

Just hearing

the word

does

nothing.

Like any

of these

good things

that I've

listed,

knowledge of

the law,

practicing

the law,

memorizing

the law,

desiring

to do

the law,

hearing

the law,

all of

these

results

are

worthless.

They

lead to

nothing.

Listen to

what the

writer of

Hebrews

says about

those who

hear the

law,

who know

better and

continue.

In

Hebrews

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10,

the writer

says,

for if we

go on

sinning

deliberately

after receiving

the knowledge

of the

truth,

there no

longer

remains a

sacrifice

for sins,

but a

fearful

expectation

of judgment

and a

fury of

fire that

will consume

the adversaries.

Anyone who

has set

aside the

law of

Moses dies

without

mercy on

the evidence

of two or

three witnesses.

How much

worse punishment

do you think

will be

deserved by

the one who

has burned

the Son of

God and

who has

profaned the

blood of the

covenant by

which he has

sanctified and

has outraged

the spirit of

grace?

For we

know him

who said

vengeance is

mine and I

will repay.

And again,

the Lord will

judge his

people.

It is a

fearful thing

to fall into

the hands

of the

living God.

Those are

scary words

for those

who hear

the law.

Matthew

seven,

Jesus is

ending his

sermon on

the Mount

and he

ends with

this.

Says

everyone

then who

hears these

words of

mine,

what I

have taught,

hears these

words of

mine and

does them

will be like

a wise man

who built

his house

on the

rock and

the rain

fell and

the floods

came and

the winds

blew and

beat on

that house,

but it

did not

fall because

it had

been founded

on the

rock.

And

everyone who

hears these

words of

mine and

does not

do them

will be

like a

foolish

man who

built his

house on

the sand

and the

rain fell

and the

floods

came and

the winds

blew and

beat against

that house

and it

fell and

great was

the fall

of it.

Can't

just be

hearers.

The second

part of

verse 13

tells us,

but the

doers,

the doers

of the

law who

will be

justified.

It is the

doers who

will be

justified.

In order

to be

justified,

we must

be doers

of the

law.

James

1,

22 and

24 is

a familiar

verse,

I'm sure.

But be

doers of

the word

and not

hearers only,

deceiving

yourselves.

For if

anyone is

a hearer

of the

word and

not a

doer,

he is

like a

man who

looks

intently

at his

natural

face in

a mirror.

For he

looks at

himself and

goes away

at once,

forgets

what he

was like.

Anyone who

is a hearer

but not a

doer is

like this

man.

He's

forgetful.

He's

lost.

He has

no

reference.

He has

part of

it.

He looks

in the

mirror.

He looks

at the

law.

He sees

it.

He looks

at how

he's

supposed

to act,

but he

doesn't

have the

whole.

He

forgets

it.

He

forgets

what he

looks

like.

Following

the

law,

being

doers

of the

law,

our

works,

prove

justification.

They don't

lead to

justification.

And that's

what Paul is

basically arguing

here.

Our works

prove

justification.

They don't

lead to

justification.

This is a

very important

fact that we

need to get.

We get it in

other scriptures.

He's not

saying do

things.

remember

last week,

verse six,

he will

render to

each one

according to

his works.

That is

based on

Christ and

Christ alone

doing good.

It is

only with

Christ that

we can

obey,

keep and

do the

law.

Christ

being

primary

and the

law

being

secondary.

It is

only with

Jesus

Christ that

we can

do

anything

good.

Jesus

Christ

being the

indicative

and

everything

good

being the

imperative.

Turn to

James chapter

two.

James chapter

two.

James is a

very practical

book.

Very

practical.

If you

want to

learn how to

be a better

Christian,

read James.

He lays

it out for

you very

clearly.

James

chapter

two,

verses

20 through

26.

It's a

big chunk,

but I

want you

to see

this.

Do you

want to

be shown,

you foolish

person,

that faith

apart from

works is

useless?

Was not

Abraham our

father justified

by works when

he offered

up his son

Isaac on

the altar?

You see

that faith

was active

along with

his works

and faith

was completed

by his

works.

And the

scripture was

fulfilled.

It says

Abraham

believed

God

and it

was

counted

to him

as

righteousness

and he

was

called

a

friend

of

God.

You see

that a

person

is justified

by works

and not

by faith

alone.

And in the

same way,

was not

also Rahab

the prostitute

justified

by works

when she

received

the

messengers

and sent

them out

by another

way?

for as

the

body

apart

from

the

spirit

is

dead,

so

also

faith

apart

from

works

is

dead.

I want

you to

kind of

underline

look at

verse 22

is the

important

verse

here.

You see

that faith

was active

along with

works.

So faith

and works

went

together.

And in

the end

that faith

was completed

by his

works.

Abraham

was justified

first and

then did

works.

Works

followed

his

faith.

So Paul

raises a

question back

in Romans

Romans 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2.

So we

got that

works being

doers of

the law

in verse

13.

Now 14,

15,

and 16

he kind

of answers

a question

for us.

And that

question is

how then

can those

who have

are not

under the

law,

who have

not heard

the law,

how can

they be

found

guilty?

How is

it that

they can

be judged

fairly?

Because it

looks to

me,

and Paul

has laid

it out,

that the

Gentiles are

at a

disadvantage.

They don't

have the

law.

They don't

have the

rules to

follow.

So how

is it

that God

can judge

impartially?

Well,

there's four

things this

morning that

God will

judge them

based on.

And them

being us

as well,

because I'm

almost certain

there's not

any Jewish

people in

here.

If there

are,

then you

got the

law.

But we're

all Gentiles,

and there's

four things

that God

judges them

based on.

The first

one is the

rejection of

God in

creation.

And this

is found

in Romans

Romans 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

Paul says

that they

have no

excuse.

verses 1

or 1

chapter 1

19 and

20.

Says for

what can

be known

about God

is plain

to them

because God

has shown

it to

them for

his

invisible

attributes,

namely his

eternal

power and

divine nature

have been

clearly

perceived

ever since

the creation

of the

world and

the things

that have

been made.

So they

are without

excuse.

So God

is going

to judge

them based

on creation

alone,

based on what

God has put

there and

shown them

what is

created and

their rejection

of it.

They're going

to be judged

on.

Not only that,

they're going

to be judged

on the

conduct.

Back to

Romans

Romans 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2.

Their conduct

is going to

condemn them.

Verse 14

and then half

of the first

part of 15.

For when

Gentiles who

do not have

the law by

nature do

what the

law requires,

they are a

law to

themselves even

though they

do not have

the law.

They show

that the

work of the

law is

written on

their hearts.

Do you

know the

population of

the world

is saying

estimating to

be 7

billion in

October of

this year?

7 billion

people.

There's

2.8

billion unreached

people groups

or unreached

people.

2.8

billion.

41% of

that 7

billion have

never heard

the gospel,

never read

the gospel,

read the

Bible in

their language.

All 7

billion will

be judged.

All 7

billion will

be condemned

unless they

know Jesus

Christ who

is the

way, the

truth, and

the life.

Now out of

the 7

billion, I'm

sure we can

find one or

two good

people.

I'm sure we

can find one

or two just

good, not

Christians, but

good people.

So let's go

throughout history

and I'm sure we

can find a few

more good people

out there.

Good husbands,

good fathers,

good teachers,

fair businessmen

and women,

fair judges,

honest lawyers.

believers.

The Bible, the

Bible talks

about people

who are

pagan, who

God used

their good

deeds as

well.

Look at,

don't turn

there, but

Daniel chapter

six, you

remember what

happens with

Daniel and

the lion's den

comes back the

next morning and

King Darius

finds him and

he's alive.

And then King

Darius, who's a

pagan, who's not

a Christian, not a

believer, not a

follower of God,

makes a decree

and says,

people, you

will follow the

God of Daniel.

God used

King Darius

and his good

deeds in Acts

Acts 23 · chapter mention

chapter 23.

We have the

Roman military

protecting Paul

as he's being

moved and

taken to

different people

and the Jewish

people are getting

angrier and

angrier.

They protect

him.

They're not

they're not

believers.

believers to

God use their

good deeds.

They didn't

have the law,

but they had

knowledge of

God's law.

They had this

moral law

written on

their hearts.

Meaning the

law wasn't

given to them.

They're not

Jewish.

They weren't

given that

that that

law, but

they still knew

right from

wrong.

And their

actions prove

that.

if they

never come to

know Christ,

if they never

repent and

believe their

good lives will

be witnessed

against them.

Their good

lives will

condemn them in

this courtroom,

in the

judgment.

So for you

and for me,

if we do not

come to know

Christ, our

good deeds,

our good

actions, our

desires to do

good are going

to condemn

us and not

be in our

favor.

So first,

there was

rejection of

creation.

God created

it and they

are without

excuse.

Their conduct

condemns them.

But next,

in verse 15,

the middle part

of verse 15,

their conscience

condemns them.

While their

conscience also

bears witness.

A definition

of conscience

is an inner

witness that

judges whether

or not an

act is right

or wrong.

And the

first place we

saw conscience

was in the

Garden of Eden

in chapter

three.

Remember,

Adam and

Eve ate of

the fruit and

immediately they

realized they

were naked and

immediately they

realized something

was wrong.

And God

said, guys,

where are you?

And immediately

what did they

do?

They hid from

God because

something in

them told them

they had done

wrong.

this conscience

appeared.

Now,

there's a

there's an

African tribe.

Their

practice of

testing guilt

to accuse a

person is.

I don't

recommend it,

but pretty

fascinating.

They line up

suspects and

they make them

stick out their

tongue.

tongue.

And what they

do is they

touch a hot

knife onto

each tongue.

Now, the

innocent person,

the tongue will

sizzle because of

the saliva and

there'll be very

little pain.

But those that

are guilty will

have a dry

tongue and that

knife will stick

and burn and

vicious searing.

that making of

the dry mouth

was the

conscience.

The conscience

is what makes

our body

do that.

Like I said,

I don't

recommend that

parents.

You can use

that too if

you want

to give

parental

advice.

Now,

instinctively,

we're built

with the

senses of

right and

wrong.

we're wired

so that when

we do wrong,

we have some

sort of guilt.

Now, of course,

our consciousness

is very in

sensitivity.

You know,

depending on a

person's right and

wrong, depending on

their mental makeup,

depending on a lot

of things, but

their sensitivity

of their

consciousness,

their

consciences,

not consciousness.

So as a

parent,

you know,

one of my

jobs is to

teach my

kids right and

wrong so that

they can have

a sensitive

conscience, so

that they can

know right and

wrong and feel

guilty and

grow and

become good

people.

Now, of course,

as a parent,

as a Christian

parent, my

ultimate goal is

to raise up

godly, world

changing disciples

of Christ.

But God can

use learning

right and wrong

to lead them

to that point.

So as an

example, a

person who has

good knowledge

of God's

word, has

good knowledge

of right and

wrong, will

have a more

sensitive conscience

than someone who

does not know.

So if, you

know, somebody

who's really

sensitive and

somebody curses,

you kind of

feel, oh,

that's, why

do you do

that?

Or, you

know, you

see it in a

TV show or

a movie.

I didn't like

that.

While others

might just

say, eh,

no big deal,

just kind of,

I didn't think

anything of it.

sensitivity will

also vary based

on whether

that conscience

is obeyed or

resisted.

You know, we

have lepers in

the Bible and

back in the

days of the

Bible, they

thought that

lepers, that

the disease was

that just created

sores on their

bodies and they

just appeared and

they didn't know

why.

Well, they

eventually came to

the realization

or found out

that the

leprosy was

the their

bodies became

insensitive to

what had

happened.

So so they

get a sore,

they get a

cut and they

don't even

know it.

They, you

know, cut

their arm off

and they

don't even

feel it.

There's just

the way that

the leprosy

works.

They become

numb to the

pain.

Their body

doesn't feel

it, so their

body just gets

worse and

worse.

there may

come a time

when a

conscience is

neglected so

much that it

never gives a

warning sign.

In a right and

wrong situation,

our consciences

become like the

lepers.

We just don't

feel it.

We just don't

realize it.

Our body, our

minds, our

conscience becomes

numb to seeing

and doing and

hearing things.

see, God

can use and

uses the

conscience of

men to

guide them

towards

himself.

He also

uses it to

convict men.

We've all

been given

some sense

of right

and wrong.

No matter

how guilty

they feel,

it will not

save them

from judgment

though.

No matter

how guilty

you feel,

no matter

how sensitive

you are,

it's not

going to

save you.

No matter

how remorseful

you feel and

no matter

what action

you take to

right the

wrong,

you're going

to still be

judged.

In those

moments,

those whispers,

words,

the moral law of

God is

spoken.

In those

moments,

the guilty

feelings,

the moral

law is

spoken.

In those

moments with

the faster

heartbeat and

the what do

I do?

The moral

law of God

is spoken.

And the

moral law is

what condemns

those who

are without

Christ.

Listen to this

quote from

Charles Spurgeon.

Do you

imagine that if

men's

consciences

always spoke

loudly and

clearly to

them,

they would

live in the

daily commission

of acts

which are as

opposed to the

right as

darkness to

light?

No,

beloved.

Conscience can

tell me that I

am a sinner,

but conscience

cannot make me

feel that I

am one.

Conscience may

tell me that

such and such

a thing is

wrong,

but how wrong

it is,

conscience

itself does

not know.

Did any

man's conscience

unenlightened

by the Spirit

ever tell him

that his sins

deserved

damnation?

Even our

conscience

condemns us.

Even those

that small

voice like

Pinocchio and

Jiminy Cricket

condemns us.

So,

rejection of

creation

condemns

the Gentile.

Their conduct

condemns

the Gentile.

Their conscience

condemns.

But finally,

their conflicting

thoughts

condemn them.

The last part

of verse 15.

And their

conflicting thoughts

accuse or even

excuse them.

Kind of builds

out of the

conscience,

also bears

witness that

statement just

before that.

See, not only

does their

conscience condemn

them, the

conflict that's

within their

head does

as well.

See,

someone may

fight crime

fervently

and never

give credit

to following

the commands

of Scripture.

Someone may

fight world

hunger and

never have

their lives

changed by

Jesus Christ.

Either example,

though, speaks

to the evidence

that they know

what is right

and what is

wrong.

See, the picture

here is a

courtroom where

on one side

you have the

accused.

Okay,

you've done

this, this,

this, you're

guilty.

And on the

other side, you

have the

excuse, you

have, but I've

done this and

I've done this

and I've thought

this.

That's the

picture, but

either way,

guilt is the

final verdict.

See, even the

hardest pagan or

atheist or

agnostic know

what is good and

what is wrong.

Think about

it.

There is a

universal sense

of remorse when

you hear a

story about a

young child

getting abused

or murdered

or an elderly

person that

way.

Everybody knows

right from

wrong for the

most part,

even with our

sinful nature.

It is because

within every

human being,

a conversation,

a discussion,

an exchange is

occurring,

deciding whether

or not what

has happened

was good or

bad.

What is what

am I going to

do is good or

bad?

And if it was

wrong, then

there is sadness

and those those

thoughts try to

excuse that

person.

Well, I felt

bad for that.

That was sad.

There's malice.

There's desire to

do bad, to do

evil.

And those

thoughts are

going to

accuse.

Either way,

though, based

on Romans

chapter three,

all have

sinned and

fall short of

the glory of

God.

No one is

righteous.

No, not

one.

So just

because you do

good things

more than you

do evil things

does not mean

that you'll be

justified.

And just

because you

know good

and you know

evil does

not mean that

as well.

look at

verse 16.

The section

ends with

I'll back up

to verse 15.

They show

they being the

Gentiles being

us show that

the word of

the law is

written on

their hearts

while their

conscience also

bears witness

and their

conflicting

thoughts accuse

or even excuse

them on that

day when

according to

my gospel,

God judges

the secrets of

men by

Christ Jesus.

The scariest

fact here,