Romans

Romans Chapter 2

This is a continuation of the 1st chapter and really should be read in succession. The last verse in chapter one tells us that many people know the judgment of God against the evil they do, but they still do it and are happy to see others doing it also. So now Paul warns those that judge others and do the same things. If we condemn a thief, we must be careful that we do not steal also. We may do it in a different manner that might not appear to be a normal theft but stealing is stealing.

• Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
• 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
• 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

We can see clearly that Paul in chapter one warns severely against the sin of fornication and other things done in defiance of God but in chapter two, he warns us that we who teach against the things in chapter one and judge the word to be true concerning sin and evil, do not turn around and do the same things. I've seen that here in the United States for the last few years. I've seen people in high positions of authority condemn those that they opposed politically of things they themselves did. Usually the ones they condemned were innocent.

Paul still says the things described in chapter one is wrong and will bear God's judgment but he is adding here only that those that bring out these points and judge people who do the sins previously described are held accountable if they do the same things themselves.

For example. If I judge a person for stealing or robbing a bank and I cheat in my business or sell someone something by fraud, making them think it is a good product but knowing it has flaws, then am I not stealing too?

• Romans 2:4 Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

This is a great verse to remind us that no matter how bad someone sins, God wants to save them and get them turned around the right way. God's goodness and mercy leads us to repentance but we must remember that we do need repentance. When we accept this good way but are harsh toward others who struggle and fail to realize that they too have access to God through repentance, we are despising the riches of his goodness, forbearance and longsuffering toward others who sin.  This goes along with the admonition to have mercy and not sacrifice.

Repentance or turning away from sin is an essential part of salvation. We can't just ask Jesus in our hearts and keep on sinning expecting to be saved. To truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we turn from sin and turn our whole lives over to Christ. Old things pass away and all things become new.

We may not be perfect overnight but we are forgiven at once and can then continually contend for our faith by being obedient to the Holy Spirit as He leads us into all truth. We must seek to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and walk in the spirit at all times.

To walk in the flesh is to live by the deeds mentioned in chapter one. If we are doing those things we do not have God's spirit or if we once had God's spirit, we are not walking in the spirit at the present time if sin is having dominion over us. Sin should never have dominion over us who profess Jesus as Lord.

• Romans 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

It is a hard heart indeed who refuses the correction the Holy Spirit brings through the teaching of the word, the preaching of the word or by the spirit of God speaking quietly to our hearts.

I believe chapter 2 teaches us that yes, we are saved by God's grace when we first come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The wicked described in chapter 1 can repent and be saved by grace also. Once we are saved though, we can't expect to be covered by the grace of God if we return to sin.

Reading chapter one and two shows us this. Chapter one shows the judgment of God against those who ignore Him and remain in sin. Chapter two shows us the judgment of God against those who judge the sinners in chapter one but they return to the sin they were forgiven of or they even may be doing the same sins as the ones they are preaching against or judging.

There is no use to preach the gospel of repentance and salvation through faith in Jesus if we ourselves are living in the same sin condemned by the word of God. Paul may be addressing most of these scriptures to Jews who are quick to judge the Gentile believers over their sins thinking that since they were the first to receive the gospel, they were in a higher position to judge. Paul makes sure that they know for sure that they too will be judged if they do the same things. This can apply to the church today also if we are harsh with some who commit sin but we do the same things ourselves.

• Romans 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
• 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:

We see here that our salvation is by faith but that faith is to produce the works of righteousness. We are not to return to sin. If we do, we are to repent or turn back away from it and be grieved in ourselves that we allowed it.

• Romans 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
• 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
• 10 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
• 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Here we have proof that sin separates us from God whether we have believed in Jesus or not. He gave us the power of the Holy Spirit to keep us and guide us so that we do not have to return to the sin we were saved out of.

• Romans 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

Those that are without the law are the Gentiles who never received the law. They will die in sin and perish if they do not believe the gospel.

Those that have the law are the Jews or Israel. They will be judged by that same law.

By turning away from the sin that the law shows us is sin, and receiving Jesus Christ as savior from those sins, we can receive the power within ourselves to live above sin and not be in bondage to is any longer. Jesus did not just come to forgive us of sin but to cleanse us of sin.

• 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

True grace and mercy from God, when received by us who believe, will change our lives. That doesn't mean we are perfect overnight but we began to grow in the things of the Spirit and are not a slave to the desires of the flesh. While it is true that we still have a free will and can choose to return to the old nature, we don't have to. We can be free from the old nature by walking and trusting in Jesus having a new way, a new beginning and a new master.

• Romans 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
• 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
• 15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
• 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

This is a wonderful truth. When we give our lives over to Christ and repent of sin, we are new creatures. We really don't have to study the law of Moses and worry about whether or not we can keep it, because the Holy Spirit brings a change in us that causes us to desire to walk in the word of God. The New Testament will cover all necessary commandments to those who love the Lord and have received Jesus as savior and Lord. I believe in studying the Old Testament myself so I'm never advocating that it is not necessary but if we are just starting out and want to know what commandments are still vital for us to keep, the New testament does contain all we need. The Old Testament has many prophetic words to tell us about the coming of the one that saves us from sin and covers us with His righteousness.

• Romans 2:17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
• 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
• 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
• 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

Many of Paul's writings are warnings against Jews who judge by the law of God but cannot possibly live and keep that law themselves. The book of Galatians is a good book to study concerning this. They failed to realize that by receiving the gift of God sent through His Son Jesus Christ, the spirit of God brings into us a law of love by which we serve God because we love Him rather than worry about every single letter of the law that condemns us.

In other words, through Jesus is given to us the "want to" to do good works. Jesus frees us from the "want to" sin. We may still be tempted to return to sin but the power of the Holy Spirit is present within us to allow us to resist evil and choose the right way. The Jewish believers seemed to have more trouble with this than Gentile believers. They still thought that they had to observe the ordinances of the law to be saved. They even tried to force this upon Gentiles. They themselves couldn't keep the whole law in all points so they would criticize the Gentile believers for ignoring what they thought was requirements for salvation.

• Romans 2:21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
• 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
• 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God?
• 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
• 25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
• 26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

Paul is instructing the Jews not to boast of the law for the same law that condemns all mankind for their sins will also condemn them even more because they have the law but do not obey it. No person can. I believe in today's language Paul was saying, "Give them (the Gentiles who did not know the law) a break." God loves and wants to save all mankind through faith in Jesus, the Son of God.

If Jews boast of the law and criticize Gentiles because they do not keep the law, they sin because they themselves are not keeping it. The Gentiles who keep the righteousness of the law are counted as those that keep the whole law. They do not have to worry about the part of the law the was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, they just are to keep the moral or righteous part of the law which is repeated in the New Testament.

• Romans 2:27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
• 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
• 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

There are different parts of the law given by Moses. Some of it is rituals and ceremonies that were put in place until the perfect sacrifice came to save from sin. This was Jesus Christ. That part is fulfilled and done away with in Christ. We no longer are under the laws of sacrifice, circumcision and dietary laws although I sometimes wonder if the dietary laws would improve our physical health. They have nothing to do though with the inner person. We are saved from sin by trusting in Jesus the Christ. 

The righteousness taught in the law is still in effect. We are to be cleansed from these things and we are not to return to it. The sins of adultery, fornication, stealing, murder and those things are still sin. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from these sins and we are not to return to them.

Paul always had trouble with some Jews who were not satisfied that the Gentile Christians had turned from sin and believed in Jesus for their salvation. They had to add the laws of feasts, circumcision and other things contained in the law to the salvation provided through Jesus Christ. This put bondage and legalism upon the Gentile Christians. It is not the letter of the law we are now under but the spirit of the law.

We as Christians today can easily get into the same type of error. We can lay aside the real way of salvation and add our own legalistic traditions upon other believers. Here are some examples so that we can avoid these:

1. We can teach people to repent and believe the gospel which is true but then add that they have to join our particular church or group to complete our salvation.
WRONG

2. We can teach people to repent and believe in Jesus Christ for salvation but add that they must dress a certain way or stop wearing jewelry to complete their salvation.
WRONG.

In saying this though, as we pray and seek God's will for our lives. We may desire to join a certain church because they agree with our understanding of God's word and we desire to join with them in fellowship. That does not make us more saved but these are acts of love and obedience.

3. We can teach people to repent and believe the gospel which is true but then say they must attend church three times a week, pay tithes or some other work.
WRONG

We need to encourage new believers to keep seeking a close relationship with God so that they will desire willingly to support their local fellowship and they will want to attend. Perhaps if we show such love and excitement for attending our own fellowship others will want to join us. Church attendance is great when one is walking in perfect love but it is not what brings us salvation from sin and eternal life.

Concerning tithes. I believe if we are walking in love, tithing is not a requirement but something we want to do because we love God and love those God sent to labor among us.

4. We can compare ourselves to the apostles and try to copy all they did and say if we don't do things their way we are not saved.
WRONG

I believe we should follow their example in how they were willing to give their lives for the gospel, walk in love and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit but to say people have to meet in houses rather than buildings, worship on a Saturday rather than Sunday or make any other commandments just because we think the apostles may have done those things is adding to the gospel.

Where and when one worships has nothing to do with their salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

To conclude this section, I see that we are not to expect to be saved by grace and still remain in sin and claim to be covered by His grace but at the same time, we must avoid legalism (not real holiness) and not add to the simple gospel of Jesus Christ which saves the soul from sin and grants them eternal life. DC