CONTENTS
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? (4) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (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; (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: (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.
The Apostle having shewn in the foregoing Chapter, the sad State of all Men by Nature, he shews with equal Proofs arising from human Depravity, the total Inability of the Law to bring Sinners to God: and from hence, as in the former Instance, manifests the Necessity and Importance of the Gospel, of Christ.
Romans 2:1-11 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? (4) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (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; (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: (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.
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? (4) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (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; (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: (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.
Within the compass of those verses the Apostle enumerates very-many things, which are, and must be confessedly plain and universally received truths, not only founded in revelation, but common sense and reason. But on these we need not dwell. Paul's evident intention in the introduction, of them, is only in a way preparatory, to shew the inability of the Law of Moses to justify sinners before God. The great design of this Chapter is to set this forth in the fullest colors, and, in the example of the Jew, to manifest that the law never did, neither was it ever designed, to bring sinners to God. And therefore he begins with stating common principles of right and wrong. All judgment proceeds upon this standard of equity. The Jews had a law. They brake it. And yet, while breaking it themselves, they condemned others who brake it also. Now, saith the Apostle, is it possible for you to suppose, that a law which you have broken can justify you? Can you think that a broken law can be your justification before God? Are you so senseless as to plead what becomes your very condemnation?
Such views of the subject contained in those verses, will serve to explain the several expressions made use of in the Apostle's reasoning. The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. What repentance? Not that repentance which Christ is exalted as a prince and a Savior to give, Acts 5:31. God's gift cannot be man's merit. But the repentance here alluded to, is that natural sorrow which conscience will still excite in the heart, notwithstanding its present benumbed state, and as we see it doth in the worst of men, when their sins bring sorrow, and their crimes are followed by punishment. The vilest sinner alive is led to this natural repentance when judgment taketh hold of him. But this sorrow differs wholly from godly sorrow and true repentance, wrought in the heart by sovereign grace.
This natural sorrow is wholly of man, the other is wholly of God. Natural repentance is excited by the dread of affliction: gracious repentance is awakened by the Holy Ghost, when convincing of sin. And while that of nature only acts as long as a fear of punishment hangs over the conscience, and the heart remains the same as it was before: that of grace brings with it a thorough change, and the life is reformed. The Apostle himself so describes it. Godly sorrow (said he) worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death, 2 Corinthians 6:10
In like manner, when it is said in those verses, that the Lord will render to every man according to his works, and that there is no respect of persons with God: those expressions must not be accepted contrary to the general tenor of holy scripture, God hath no respect of persons, considered as to their own personal worth or doings. He hath no respect of persons, as to their place of birth, or relations from whom they are descended in the Adam - nature of generation, where the whole stock is from the original apostacy, all alike corrupt. Neither hath the Lord respect of persons, as some have ventured to suppose from foreseeing what should arise in them, or be done by them, in the after circumstances of their life. For all the good that is done upon earth, the Lord doeth it himself Upon all these accounts, nothing can be more plain and evident than that God is no respecter of persons. There is, there can be nothing in the creature in a way of merit, which can act as a cause in the sight of the Lord to induce this respect. But it is equally certain, that while God respects no man's person, on either of the grounds here mentioned, yet the whole Church, and every individual of that Church, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, the Lord hath had respect to, on Christ's account, and highly distinguished everyone of their persons, as they are one with Christ, and hath accepted and beloved them in Him. And to the same amount, and on the same ground, the reward that the Lord is here said to render to every man according to his deeds; the sense is, not that the merit of every man, considered in himself, and without an eye to Christ, will form the standard of retribution. For, alas! if this were the case, everlasting condemnation must alike fall on all, for all the world; in the Adam-nature of an unregenerated, unrenewed state, become guilty before God, Romans 3:19. But the meaning is, (and indeed the verses which follow explain it), as men are accepted in Christ, or as they reject Christ in their own souls. They (saith the Apostle) who seek for glory, and honor, and immortality, eternal life; that is, they seek those things in Christ. Indeed, nowhere else can they be found. Christ himself is eternal life. And they who have Christ, have eternal life in Him, and all the blessings connected with it, John 3:36; John 3:36. But to them that are contentious, that is, contend against Christ as the whole of salvation, and stand upon the bottom of their own works, either in whole or in part, there will be indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil. Hence this scripture is in this way very fully established. The Lord will render to every man according to his deeds. Here are the deeds of faith, and the deeds of works. And the issue is as might be expected. Reader! ponder well the subject. Think what a mercy it must be in that final day of account, which Paul calls, the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, to have a perfect, complete, and all-sufficient righteousness to stand in, for the justification of our persons before God. Thai can only be found in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if it be blessed then, so must it be now. Have you ever made it the subject of examination? Will you try it in the present moment? Put your hand upon your heart. Judge it yourself with a strict scrutiny, as it will be done in the hour when weighed in the balance of the sanctuary. And as a discovery of its workings will bring up proofs of its deceitfulness, Jeremiah 17:9, listen to what the Holy Ghost speaks of Christ's all-sufficiency, in the blood of the everlasting covenant. And if the Lord the Spirit shews you, that there is more in Jesus to save, than in sin to condemn, sweet will be the consolation that will follow. And depend upon it, if the Lord speaks peace now, he will not speak condemnation then. He is of one mind, and who can turn him? Job 23:13. God will not unsay what he hath once said. Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom, Job 33:24.