Judged According to Works? (Romans 2:6-16, Deuteronomy 10:12-17)
Rev. David Huffman, July 21, 2024Part of the Series On Romans series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Paul's central theme is the gospel is the power of salvation unto righteousness; these righteous shall be saved by faith. We have to receive the pain of conviction to receive the cure. Jesus is our hope, the answer to our sin and rebellion problem. Things are bad with us unless we are in Christ. We cannot commend ourselves, whether Jew of Greek. We must not be so concerned with the sins of others that we ignore the sin within ourselves, lest we store up wrath for ourselves. God knows all about us. We must examine ourselves: is there any hardness or self-righteousness in us? Paul talks about a judgment according to works. How can this be? Paul says that our righteousness comes by faith, not works. Here, he doesn't say that we are justified by works, rather God will assess us according to our works. God renders to man according to his works. How is this assessment vs. justification reconciled? Two groups of people walk two different paths. One seeks for glory and immortality. The other rebels against God. In other words, the two groups are those who glorify God and those who reject Him. One is graced with the resurrection of life and the other the resurrection of judgment. Those who reject the Son reject the Father. The redeemed hear His word and they believe Him. Various trials test our faith. Real faith perseveres. The redeemed give God glory and honor and receive a resurrected body. There is no easy believeism. There is a cost of discipleship. We are not saved by good works but we are saved for good works. Doing churchy things does not account for a new heart. Jesus knows who you truly are. Those who love Him and do the will of the Father are those with new hearts. When we fall short, do we cry out, "Lord, have mercy on me!"? We must come back to the promise.
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Romans 2:6–16 (Listen)
6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.
12 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. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 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. 15 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.
(ESV)
Deuteronomy 10:12–17 (Listen)
12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. 15 Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. 17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.
(ESV)