What Do You Rely On? Romans 2:12-29 (Sermon)
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WELCOME / CONTEXT
Good morning! It is great to be with you. We are studying the book of Romans. Romans is a letter from the apostle Paul to the church resident in the city of Rome. The Christian population consisted of Jewish and non-Jewish people. Over time, these two clashed. Paul responded to both, encouraging them to be united in their commitment to following Jesus. His letter was a call to all to “live together in the power of the gospel, because it saves everyone who believes.” Paul began his letter with an introduction and offered a thesis of sorts. Afterward, he provided the reason people needed to believe this good news: the bad news. God’s wrath was upon those not right with him. Paul went on to identify the person he was writing about. For the religious, his argument up to that point may have been misunderstood. Paul recognized that they could have read his words and been conceited and self-righteous, thinking they were free and clear of God’s judgment because of their ethnic heritage, ancestry, and religiosity. Such people were hypocrites, Christian Pharisees, in need of correction. Paul dismantled this false hope as he built a thorough understanding of the gospel.
CONNECTION
Friends, God can use this same text to dismantle our arrogance as well. God wants to establish a strong spiritual foundation and fight legalism, hypocrisy, and arrogance.
What do we truly rely on?
Where is our faith?
Are there ways that we look down on others and give ourselves a pass?
Do we say one thing and do another?
These questions and more drive this passage home with us today. Let’s look at the verses.
TEXT
I am going to have S&S V. read for us. Would you please stand with me in honor of God’s Word?
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 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. (Romans 2:12–29, ESV)
PRAYER
The Word of the Lord, thanks be to God. Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word. We need your help to understand it and apply it to our lives. Teach us to live for you and give you honor, glory, and fame in all we think, speak, and do. Talk to each of us by the power of your Spirit, we pray this in Jesus’s name, amen. You may be seated.
STRUCTURE
The passage this morning has four sections. What are they?
Section One, 12–13 God judges based on actions.
Section Two, 14–16 Everyone’s actions demonstrate the law by which God judges.
Section Three, 17–24 It is not enough to know and teach the law.
Section Four, 25–29 A case in point is the reliance on circumcision, not of the heart.
MAIN IDEA
The main idea of our verses, I believe, is that God will justly judge the religious and non-religious for their law-breaking. This relates to verse 11. God is impartial. He is wise, right, and good. He is strong, loving, and trustworthy. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the ruler of all and sovereign. And he reveals to us who he is through the pages of this holy book.
SECTION ONE
So section one,
12–13 God judges based on actions.
14–16 Everyone’s actions demonstrate the law by which God judges.
17–24 It is not enough to know and teach the law if you don’t do it.
25–29 A case in point is the reliance on circumcision, not of the heart.
If you have your Bibles, open to Romans Chapter 2. Look at verses 12 and 13. What does it say?
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. (Romans 2:12–13, ESV)
Paul never met most of these people.
Some were likely new to the faith, while others were well-seasoned.
Some understood everything Paul said; others were trying to figure out what he meant.
His words were puzzling to the apostle Peter and nuanced enough for scholars to debate millennia later. We can confidently look back and know several things. The non-Jewish congregants were Gentiles and would not be as familiar with the law. Through the prophets, God gave his people the Ten Commandments. The first five books of the Bible were also part of this law. The law represented the rule by which God judged his people. Those who meditate on it are blessed. Psalm 19 sings the melody,
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:7–10, ESV)
Yet hearing the law, knowing the law, meditating on the law didn’t make one right with God. Jesus said a tree will be known by its fruit. Proximity does equal security. Salvation is not through information. And here, in Romans Chapter 2, verse 13, we see that those who are justified will be doers of the law. If we go back to Romans 2:6, it states,
“He [God] will render to each one according to his works” (Romans 2:6, ESV)
God will judge. And justification will come to those who do the law.
SECOND POINT
That brings us to the second section.
12–13 God judges based on actions.
14–16 Everyone’s actions demonstrate the law by which God judges.
17–24 It is not enough to know and teach the law if you don’t do it.
25–29 A case in point is the reliance on circumcision, not of the heart.
If obedience to the law is a requirement for justification, then is God just in his judgment? Do non-Jewish people perish unfairly if they don’t know the law? Verses 14 through 16 describe how God is still just. Look at verses 14 through 16 to see what I mean.
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. (Romans 2:14–16, ESV)
The fact is, non-Jewish people understand right and wrong. There is a natural law written on hearts. It is multicultural and universal. From Timbuktu to Kalamazoo, from Tokyo to Ohio, from Ghana to Indiana, people know it is wrong to murder and wrong to steal. And for most of those who don’t, their sentiments change when it is their life or their dollar that is being taken from them. God placed inside every one of us a conscience that tells us right from wrong. Like an animal instinct driving salmon up a river to spawn, people intuitively know the difference between good and evil. People can wreck their consciences and become sociopaths and psychopaths, but they, too, are without an excuse. God will judge rightly based on what we know.
JUDGEMENT
A side note. In verse 16, Paul wrote,
“On that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16, ESV).
What about this coming day of judgment? Last week, in our passage, we read in verse 5:
“But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5, ESV).
There will come a day of wrath when people face God without a mask. When will that be? Jesus said,
“No one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36, ESV).
Friends, the Bible says that the end will come like a thief in the night. How do thieves arrive? They don’t announce themselves with trumpets and fanfare. They case a joint, wait till no one is around. They plan and wait. And when all seems quiet, they take action. Similarly, the end will come when people least expect it. We don’t want to get too comfortable. When Jesus ascended into heaven, angels told the disciples that he would return in the same way. He is coming back. And he is going to arrive and judge the living and the dead. Scripture teaches,
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10, ESV).
God will judge and God will reward. He will repay, and he will recognize. People shy away from judgment in the Twenty-First Century. Maybe you don’t, but our culture does. Are you prepared to face God and give an account of yourself? How does one prepare?
I was talking with a pastor friend this week. He had an old buddy who confessed to some tough stuff. He had neglected to share his true self in the light decades ago when they were seeking the Lord together. He hid. And the darkness grew and grew inside him like a bad cancer. And now it has taken its toll; he is paying the price. What was once shameful and embarrassing, only known to him, has become delightful. Through his indulgence, he will forfeit his family, church, and community. We can hide for a while, but not at judgment, not when this is all over. How do we prepare? I believe that being honest with God and ourselves is a good place to start. My friend’s buddy’s story is not over. If he comes to the light and renounces the darkness to follow Jesus, much can be fixed. To that end, we prayed.
What hinders coming to the light? Pride and fear. Possibly a wrong view of God. Consider what God might do if we were to reverse this and seek Him in humility and honesty. None of us has kept the law good enough to justify ourselves. These verses strip pretense away and remind us that “God will judge the Jew and Gentile for their law breaking.”
HOPE
But if that is the case, honesty is a good way to prepare. What are we to do with our law-breaking? Where is there hope in being honest? Jump back to verse 16. There is one word there that can give us hope. It is the word “gospel.” What does gospel mean? [good news]. What is the good news? Do you recall Chapter 1, verse 16? Let’s say it together:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16, ESV)
The gospel is the power of God to save everyone! In the face of judgment, we can have confidence that God can save us from his wrath because of what Jesus did on the cross. Mike and I taught a membership class a few weeks ago, and on the first night, we discussed this. I asked the class to share the verses that came to mind. And one person said John 3:16. Let’s read that together.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).
Can I get an Amen? [Amen!] That is good news. God is a lover of people, imperfect as they may be. And none of us is too far gone for God to save us. He did something to right our wrongs, to remove our guilt, and to free us from our shame. He sent his Son to die so we would not have to. Let that truth sink in. Let it drive you to hearty love and allegiance to God our Father. As we face judgment, we can prepare by remembering how we will get through it. God will judge based on our actions or his. It hinges on where we place our hope.
THIRD SECTION HYPOCRISY
Let’s go back to the passage and the third section.
12–13 God judges based on actions.
14–16 Everyone’s actions demonstrate the law by which God judges.
17–24 It is not enough to know and teach the law if you don’t do it.
25–29 A case in point is the reliance on circumcision, not of the heart.
It seems that some of the Jewish church was relying on the law, not the lawgiver. This is similar to the Galatian problem and the Judaizers in Jerusalem. Look at verse 17:
But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— (Romans 2:17–20, ESV)
What is Paul getting at? Who was he writing to? He was addressing Jewish people who knew their Old Testament and discussed instructing children, giving sight to the proverbial blind, and offering wisdom, such as that found in the Proverbs and the writings of the prophets of old. Paul didn’t name names, but he raised a relevant issue. Some people banked too heavily on the fact that they knew the truth. They were on the right side of history. They were trusting in being biblical. If they were creating a resume, it would look great conceptually, but not when you looked closely at who they were. They were missing something. What? Keep reading. Look at verse 21.
You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:21–24, ESV)
Paul was not saying the Jewish church members were murderers, thieves, adulterers, or idol worshippers. He was using outlandish examples to grab their attention. Jesus did this in the Sermon on the Mount. Paul referenced Isaiah 52, which echoed the same heart problem. God’s people were two-faced. And God addresses this hypocrisy in our lives as well. A person can look prim and proper, know the right thing to do, instruct people to do it, but still be in the wrong because they don’t follow their own teaching.
BLASPHEME
We don’t want to be like that. We don’t want to be re-posting Bible verses online but treating people like trash at home or work. We want to honor God in all we do. Hell will be filled with people who thought they were okay because they could parrot the correct answers, but didn’t really rely on them. Lives give evidence of whom we follow: God or ourselves. Paul was giving a treatise to help those in Rome who were tempted to follow God on Sunday and their own devices Monday through Saturday. Let us take note.
THE HEART NOT THE LAW
We come to the final section:
12–13 God judges based on actions.
14–16 Everyone’s actions demonstrate the law by which God judges.
17–24 It is not enough to know and teach the law, if you don’t do it.
25–29 A case in point is the reliance on circumcision, not of the heart.
Look at verse 25, please. What did Paul write?
For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. (Romans 2:25–29a, ESV)
Obviously, the Jewish people treasured their religious identification. A key marker of it was circumcision. It was a sign given to Jewish boys when they were eight days old. This passage highlights that a person could have undergone this rite but still be wrong. It would be like getting baptized but not really believing or living like a Christian afterwards. Paul argued that this outward sign was just an outward sign. In another letter he wrote,
You who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (Galatians 5:4b–6, ESV)
In Acts 15, some came to Jerusalem and said you can’t be saved without being circumcised and keeping the law of Moses. Peter declared,
“But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will” (Acts 15:11, ESV)
What God cares about is our hearts believing in him and his obedience. Authentic faith in him will result in a faithful life trajectory, not a perfect one. God can see what goes on behind closed doors and in the brain. He judges perfectly rightly.
PRAISE
I left off part of verse 29. What did Paul write?
“His praise is not from man but from God” (Romans 2:29, ESV).
Whose praise? [His.] Who? Who was Paul talking about? He was talking about the faithful Jew. The person who did the right thing, with the right heart. The person who truly believed in God’s work on behalf of his or her broken work. This verse may contain wordplay. The name Jew comes from the name Judah, which means praise. So, “The true person of praise will have God’s praise.” God will judge them and reward them in heaven.
This reminds me of what the prophet Ezekiel also wrote:
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:26–27, ESV)
God calls us to obey as long as it is called today. But I don’t. At least, not always. This verse reminds me that he gives us new hearts and wills. He gives us the Spirit to empower us to say no to ungodliness and even hypocrisy. He humbles us and lifts us with new mercy each day. This reminds me of Philippians 2:12–13.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13, ESV)
APPLICATION
Friends, as I conclude, let us heed the challenge from these ancient writers. The good news is that God is here to help us not to puff up our egos. If we acknowledge our failure, he will forgive us and purify us from all our rebellion, all of it.
Perhaps you don’t have a spiritual background. You haven’t been religious. God takes you where you are and invites you to come to today to him. He opens eyes, ears, and hearts to the truth of Scripture. If this is making sense, if your eyes are seeing, ears are hearing, and mind is comprehending that through faith in Jesus, you can have hope in heaven, that is God.
Maybe you have been religious. And you have been a hypocrite. Guess what, all of us can’t live up to all our ideals, dreams, goals, and morals. If you feel guilty, repent. Trust in the good news about Jesus Christ, who died for sinners. He came for the sinner, not the saint. As judgment is coming fast, repent as long as it is today.
Maybe the Holy Spirit is convicting you about being arrogant, prideful, self-righteous, conceited, selfish, and self-absorbed. You have looked down on those who sin differently. You have disdained, joked, sneered, gossiped, and slandered others not like you. Turn from your pride today before it is too late. Be honest with yourself and God that you are not perfect. You need saving from his wrath to come too. And be forgiving and merciful to others as God has shown mercy on you.
Perhaps you are doing your best and are plugging away, day in and day out, then rejoice in the gospel that has given you the ability to follow Jesus. His power helps us along the way. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead empowers heartfelt obedience. May he say of us all, well done, good and faithful servants, because we turned from our law-breaking to law-keeping in the power of the Holy Spirit communicated through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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