Romans - Week 4

Day of Judgment

READ

Romans 2:5-8

5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul was addressing both believers and unbelievers. To the unbelievers he continues to say what will happen to them for forsaking God. The day is coming when God’s anger will be revealed even though He is patient with them now. In contrast to those who show by their good works that they have eternal life, the ungodly will also be judged by their works. Paul also wrote Ephesians 2:8-9 that clearly reveals salvation is not by good works. Here Paul is addressing those who have not placed their trust in Jesus as Messiah and Savior.

REFLECT

As a Christ-follower, be assured that Jesus will reward you for the quality of the work you do for Him. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 tells believers about this.

RESPOND

Read Revelation 20:11-15 to see that unbelievers will be judged according to their works. This will not be to see if they have salvation because that was decided when they left this life. Their degrees of punishment will be because of what they have done after they have rejected God’s salvation.

No Favoritism

READ

Romans 2:9-11

9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

Paul has emphasized that the gospel is for both Jews and Gentiles, as he wrote in Romans 1:16. Now he emphasizes that both Jew and Gentile will be judged for rejecting Jesus Christ. Those who trust in Christ will reveal it by their love and Paul says they will have “glory and honor and peace from God.” If salvation were by good works, God would be showing favoritism to save some and not others. Because it is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, no one can boast about “earning” salvation. Because God is holy and just, He shows no favoritism in saving people or in judging those who reject Him.

REFLECT

Have you thanked God for the glory and honor and peace He has given you after trusting in Jesus for your salvation? Does this make you want to do even more good to honor Him?

RESPOND

Do you have someone to disciple to share what you are learning? If not, ask God to connect you with a friend who you might encourage spiritually. You can lead them through the portions in Romans that have stood out to you in your study. Then that friend can join you in future weeks of thinking about this important book.

Right in His Sight

READ

Romans 2:12-13

12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. 13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.

The Jews who had God’s law but didn’t obey it were no different than the Gentiles who never had the law. Merely listening to or knowing the law is not sufficient—one must obey the law. Later it will be seen in Romans that Paul says the purpose of the law was to show people how sinful they were, not to make them right with God.

REFLECT     

Have you met people who know much more about what the Bible says than you do? Does this passage help you to see that just knowing what the Bible says is not enough; one must trust in Jesus as Savior. It should also be the person’s desire to live what the Bible teaches.

RESPOND

Read James 1:22-25 to see that listening to the Bible is not enough. In New Testament times when copies of the Scriptures were scarce, one might read a copy to several listeners. The application today would be listening or reading. The result that should be seen is a changed life.

Written in Their Hearts

READ

Romans 2:14-16

14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. 16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

Even those who do not have God’s written law have a built-in sense of right and wrong. By following this sense, or conscience, they are actually doing what the law tells them to do. Even most unbelievers who do not know the Ten Commandments realize it is wrong to lie, steal, take another man’s wife or take his life. It is difficult for a person to accurately judge what is in another person’s heart, but someday God, through Christ will be the perfect Judge.

REFLECT

What about your life? Did you realize some things were wrong even before you became seriously interested in what the Bible says? This proves the point of what Paul was saying. It is much better, however, to have your ideas based on truths in God’s word rather than just saying, “Because I feel like it.”

RESPOND

Read Ecclesiastes 3:11 to see that God has set eternity in people’s hearts. They have a capacity that only God can satisfyingly fill. See also 1 Timothy 4:1-3 about those who go contrary to their inner conscience.

You Think You Know

READ

Romans 2:17-20

17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. 18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.

The Jewish people thought they were of higher knowledge and privilege just because of their family heritage. The descendants of Abraham were chosen of God to be His conduit of blessing to other peoples, according to Genesis 12:1-3. That did not mean, however, that personal salvation and spiritual insight belonged to them apart from faith in God.

Paul says these were taking pride in how they could pull others out of darkness just because they knew the law.

REFLECT

This passage should remind you again that it is not how much you know about the Bible but how much you live what the Bible says. You need to be in the Bible at least four times a week to see what it says. Then you need to obey and live out what it says.

RESPOND

Although it was a privilege to be born in Abraham’s line, read Genesis 15:1-6 to see how he became right with God after he had some doubts. Paul alludes to this in Romans.