God’s Divine Standards – Romans 2:1-16
by Pastor Lee Hemen
September 24, 2006
The Bible relates that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (Proverbs 14:12 or 16:25).” In today’s world there are those who want to decide who God is, what He desires, and how they should live for Him or not. In other words they want to set God’s divine standards. There are several problems with this ideology: 1) It tends to constantly change, 2) it is not biblical, and 3) which standard would be correct for you? Everyone’s? Paul relates that there is only one standard that matters. God’s divine standard.
I will never forget when I was speaking to a machinist friend of mine. I wanted him to make a part for me for a table saw I had. He asked me what the measurements were for the specific piece I needed. I related, “Oh it is about so long and so wide.” He just shook his head and looked at me. Then I took out of my pocket a mechanical drawing I had done that had the exact measurements. Relieved, he began to build the part I needed. Machinists will tell you they must have set standards to go by before making any machined part. Paul would say that the same is true in our spiritual lives as well. We are to live by God’s divine standards. Let’s discover this morning what that means for our lives.
READ: Romans 2:1-6
Most people have ethical standards. It has surprised many to learn that even the most hardened criminal usually has a set of moral standards they adhere to. Those who do not are known as amoral or completely without any moral or ethical standards. Many in our world have difficulty realizing that whether they believe in God or not, they are held accountable and in fact are judged. They are quick to declare that no one can judge them and to claim the Christian ethical standard of “judge not!” Yet not hold themselves accountable to…
I. The Standard of God's Judgment (vv. 1-4)!
1. No one escapes God’s judgment! Like many evangelical Christians today, the Jews of Paul’s day, stood morally in sharp contrast with the pagan world around them and freely condemned others. However, Paul related that they were going to be judged as well. The reason? The standard of God’s judgment was not their intimate tool to use at their whim. They were doing the very things they were condemning the rest of the world of doing! “Therefore,” Paul declares, “at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself.” Paul understood that everyone in the entire human race has turned away from God and sinned. In addition the entire human race, especially moral pagans and the religious Jews, stood condemned before God and “have no excuse” because God’s judgment is based on three divine standards: 1) His judgment, 2) His favoritism, and 3) His law! They are eternal and perfect, accusing every person of sin! As the Psalmist declared: “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good (Psalm 14:1-3 & 53:1-3)!” When we hold ourselves up above those around us, thinking we are much better than they are, then we “show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads [us] toward repentance!” God’s standard of judgment is for everyone, no one escapes.
EXAMPLE: David C. Egner writes that “Sometimes we tend to be too nice. When people are doing wrong, we are afraid to confront their behavior, and we choose just to be nice. When a friend is slipping into an illicit relationship or a relative is becoming an alcoholic, we ignore the situations and do not confront them. When an unsaved friend is trusting in good works for eternal life, we remain silent about Christ and His death on the cross. But believers should not compromise obedience to God's Word just to be nice. A US Supreme Court Justice said that ‘in the effort to be civil in conduct, many who know better actually dilute [their] firmly held views to avoid appearing judgmental. They curb their tongues, not only in form but also in substance. . . . This is not civility, it is cowardice. Or well-intentioned self-deception at best.’” We discover that, Jesus wasn't concerned about being nice to those who were evil or were intentionally ungodly. He looked the Jewish teachers of the law squarely in the eye and said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts (Matthew 9:4)?" Nor was He worried about being civil when He called the Pharisees "whitewashed tombs… full of dead men's bones" (Matthew 23:27). He courageously confronted them and exposed their sin. Jesus knew God’s standard of judgment. Sometimes being nice isn't nice, it is putting up with ungodliness.
Paul would write that the standard of “God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.” God’s truth. Not our proclivities, likes or dislikes. Not based on what we think is okay or not. Not on the truth we would like to be judged by, but God’s own truth. It is God’s divine standard of judgment and it is based on...
II. The standard of God’s favoritism (vv, 5-11)!
1. God’s favoritism is based on His truth! God does not wink at our sin, nor does He smile at our feeble attempts to get things right with Him. He is not some big old guy in the sky benevolently chuckling over our refusal to see things His way. Spiritual ignorance is no excuse. We can see God exists all around us, yet because of our “stubbornness” and “unrepentant heart” we “are storing up wrath against” ourselves. Quoting Psalm 62:12, Paul related that “God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” Paul knew that a person’s habitual conduct, whether good or evil, reveals the true condition of what he believes. Eternal life is not rewarded for being good enough; that would contradict Scripture which clearly states that salvation is not by works. Salvation is all about God’s grace given to those who believe. A person’s doing good shows that he has indeed changed. Such a person, redeemed by God, has eternal life. What Paul is conveying here is not salvation by doing good works, but rather the standard of God’s favoritism. Anyone who sins will be held accountable. Anyone who lives for God, will be as well! God’s standard is based not on our human understanding of being good enough, but on His truth! The gospel. The standard of God’s favoritism.
EXAMPLE: In today's fast-paced world, many people with PDAs, laptops, and cell phones are pushing themselves to the limit. Parents, sometimes with furrowed brows and clenched fists, race from soccer fields to school meetings to piano lessons—grabbing meals on the run and collapsing into bed at night totally spent and exhausted. We think if we keep ourselves and our kids busy, then we are good parents. As followers of Jesus Christ we can also approach our life in Christ the same way. We can get caught up in the ideal that if we do enough good things, then God will do good things for us or that He will love us more. It seems that we often put ourselves under enormous pressure to spiritually succeed and to experience everything we possibly can. When we don't, we can't forgive ourselves for failing to measure up to our own or other people’s expectations. Like being busy only makes us tired, doing good is not good enough in God’s sight. He already has done all we need. God’s standard is based not on our human understanding of being good enough, but on His truth! The gospel. The standard of God’s favoritism.
Anyone who continually rejects God’s truth, will be held accountable. In fact, God’s wrath is as much a part of the character of God as is His love. A God who does not exercise wrath against injustice is an immoral God. A universe in which evil exists unchallenged and ultimately unvanquished is inconceivable and could not be ruled by a good God of holy love. God will not just annihilate the sinner. They will be held accountable for their lives. Essential to a good God of love is His wrath against evil. Why is this true? Paul relates that it is based on…
III. The standard of God’s law (vv. 12-16)!
1. God looks at the heart of man to see if he is changed! God’s impartiality in judgment is also seen in the fact that He will deal with people in accordance with covenant in they live under. Under the Old Covenant of Moses or the New Covenant through Jesus: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).” The Law was provided for God’s chosen people Israel, and all others were considered outside the Law. Therefore Paul declared, “All who sin apart from the Law will also perish apart from the Law.” Non-Jews who sin will perish, but the Law of Moses will not be used as a standard of judgment against them. On the other hand the Jews who sin under the Law will be judged by Moses’ Law. The non-Jews are not excused from God’s judgment, they are accountable by what they can see and know about God through His creation. The Jews however have Moses’ law. But simply hearing it means nothing, you have to obey it in order to be righteous under it. Sanctimonious Jews, like pious Christians, who only hear the words of God but do not obey them are held accountable! James would say, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (James 1:22).” When the law of God is inscribed on your heart, you will obey it. Paul was pointing to faith in Christ alone. Jesus is the ultimate standard of God’s law. God does not give eternal life or justification to those who perform good works, but to those who believe (trust) in His Son and whose conduct reveals their spiritually renewed hearts. God looks at the heart of man, who he truly is, to see if he truly is changed!
EXAMPLE: Vernon C. Grounds writes that “Many people might protest. They don't see themselves as rebels against the laws of society or the laws of God. They consider themselves to be good people. So why condemn them as deserving God's judgment? According to James, ‘Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10).’ In God's eyes, it takes only one act of disobedience to put us in the company of those who have broken His law and deserve His judgment. Can any of us claim that we've never violated one of God's laws? What about the command not to covet? (Exodus 20:17). The truth is that all of us at some time or other have been guilty of longing to possess what belongs to someone else. Paul himself confessed that he was guilty of this sin and deserved God's judgment (Romans 7:7-10). We may be relatively good, but in the eyes of a perfectly holy God we've fallen far short of His standards. We all need the guilt-cleansing grace that Jesus Christ alone provides. Have you humbly acknowledged your guilt and received the gift of forgiveness that Jesus offers?” It is the standard of God’s law.
Conclusion:
We have learned to day about: The standard of God’s judgment, the standard of God’s favoritism, and the standard of God’s law. What will you do with what you have learned? We all will be judged, God shows no favoritism, and we are measured by the standard of God’s law the gospel. God’s divine standards.
by Pastor Lee Hemen
September 24, 2006
The Bible relates that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (Proverbs 14:12 or 16:25).” In today’s world there are those who want to decide who God is, what He desires, and how they should live for Him or not. In other words they want to set God’s divine standards. There are several problems with this ideology: 1) It tends to constantly change, 2) it is not biblical, and 3) which standard would be correct for you? Everyone’s? Paul relates that there is only one standard that matters. God’s divine standard.
I will never forget when I was speaking to a machinist friend of mine. I wanted him to make a part for me for a table saw I had. He asked me what the measurements were for the specific piece I needed. I related, “Oh it is about so long and so wide.” He just shook his head and looked at me. Then I took out of my pocket a mechanical drawing I had done that had the exact measurements. Relieved, he began to build the part I needed. Machinists will tell you they must have set standards to go by before making any machined part. Paul would say that the same is true in our spiritual lives as well. We are to live by God’s divine standards. Let’s discover this morning what that means for our lives.
READ: Romans 2:1-6
Most people have ethical standards. It has surprised many to learn that even the most hardened criminal usually has a set of moral standards they adhere to. Those who do not are known as amoral or completely without any moral or ethical standards. Many in our world have difficulty realizing that whether they believe in God or not, they are held accountable and in fact are judged. They are quick to declare that no one can judge them and to claim the Christian ethical standard of “judge not!” Yet not hold themselves accountable to…
I. The Standard of God's Judgment (vv. 1-4)!
1. No one escapes God’s judgment! Like many evangelical Christians today, the Jews of Paul’s day, stood morally in sharp contrast with the pagan world around them and freely condemned others. However, Paul related that they were going to be judged as well. The reason? The standard of God’s judgment was not their intimate tool to use at their whim. They were doing the very things they were condemning the rest of the world of doing! “Therefore,” Paul declares, “at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself.” Paul understood that everyone in the entire human race has turned away from God and sinned. In addition the entire human race, especially moral pagans and the religious Jews, stood condemned before God and “have no excuse” because God’s judgment is based on three divine standards: 1) His judgment, 2) His favoritism, and 3) His law! They are eternal and perfect, accusing every person of sin! As the Psalmist declared: “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good (Psalm 14:1-3 & 53:1-3)!” When we hold ourselves up above those around us, thinking we are much better than they are, then we “show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads [us] toward repentance!” God’s standard of judgment is for everyone, no one escapes.
EXAMPLE: David C. Egner writes that “Sometimes we tend to be too nice. When people are doing wrong, we are afraid to confront their behavior, and we choose just to be nice. When a friend is slipping into an illicit relationship or a relative is becoming an alcoholic, we ignore the situations and do not confront them. When an unsaved friend is trusting in good works for eternal life, we remain silent about Christ and His death on the cross. But believers should not compromise obedience to God's Word just to be nice. A US Supreme Court Justice said that ‘in the effort to be civil in conduct, many who know better actually dilute [their] firmly held views to avoid appearing judgmental. They curb their tongues, not only in form but also in substance. . . . This is not civility, it is cowardice. Or well-intentioned self-deception at best.’” We discover that, Jesus wasn't concerned about being nice to those who were evil or were intentionally ungodly. He looked the Jewish teachers of the law squarely in the eye and said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts (Matthew 9:4)?" Nor was He worried about being civil when He called the Pharisees "whitewashed tombs… full of dead men's bones" (Matthew 23:27). He courageously confronted them and exposed their sin. Jesus knew God’s standard of judgment. Sometimes being nice isn't nice, it is putting up with ungodliness.
Paul would write that the standard of “God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.” God’s truth. Not our proclivities, likes or dislikes. Not based on what we think is okay or not. Not on the truth we would like to be judged by, but God’s own truth. It is God’s divine standard of judgment and it is based on...
II. The standard of God’s favoritism (vv, 5-11)!
1. God’s favoritism is based on His truth! God does not wink at our sin, nor does He smile at our feeble attempts to get things right with Him. He is not some big old guy in the sky benevolently chuckling over our refusal to see things His way. Spiritual ignorance is no excuse. We can see God exists all around us, yet because of our “stubbornness” and “unrepentant heart” we “are storing up wrath against” ourselves. Quoting Psalm 62:12, Paul related that “God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” Paul knew that a person’s habitual conduct, whether good or evil, reveals the true condition of what he believes. Eternal life is not rewarded for being good enough; that would contradict Scripture which clearly states that salvation is not by works. Salvation is all about God’s grace given to those who believe. A person’s doing good shows that he has indeed changed. Such a person, redeemed by God, has eternal life. What Paul is conveying here is not salvation by doing good works, but rather the standard of God’s favoritism. Anyone who sins will be held accountable. Anyone who lives for God, will be as well! God’s standard is based not on our human understanding of being good enough, but on His truth! The gospel. The standard of God’s favoritism.
EXAMPLE: In today's fast-paced world, many people with PDAs, laptops, and cell phones are pushing themselves to the limit. Parents, sometimes with furrowed brows and clenched fists, race from soccer fields to school meetings to piano lessons—grabbing meals on the run and collapsing into bed at night totally spent and exhausted. We think if we keep ourselves and our kids busy, then we are good parents. As followers of Jesus Christ we can also approach our life in Christ the same way. We can get caught up in the ideal that if we do enough good things, then God will do good things for us or that He will love us more. It seems that we often put ourselves under enormous pressure to spiritually succeed and to experience everything we possibly can. When we don't, we can't forgive ourselves for failing to measure up to our own or other people’s expectations. Like being busy only makes us tired, doing good is not good enough in God’s sight. He already has done all we need. God’s standard is based not on our human understanding of being good enough, but on His truth! The gospel. The standard of God’s favoritism.
Anyone who continually rejects God’s truth, will be held accountable. In fact, God’s wrath is as much a part of the character of God as is His love. A God who does not exercise wrath against injustice is an immoral God. A universe in which evil exists unchallenged and ultimately unvanquished is inconceivable and could not be ruled by a good God of holy love. God will not just annihilate the sinner. They will be held accountable for their lives. Essential to a good God of love is His wrath against evil. Why is this true? Paul relates that it is based on…
III. The standard of God’s law (vv. 12-16)!
1. God looks at the heart of man to see if he is changed! God’s impartiality in judgment is also seen in the fact that He will deal with people in accordance with covenant in they live under. Under the Old Covenant of Moses or the New Covenant through Jesus: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).” The Law was provided for God’s chosen people Israel, and all others were considered outside the Law. Therefore Paul declared, “All who sin apart from the Law will also perish apart from the Law.” Non-Jews who sin will perish, but the Law of Moses will not be used as a standard of judgment against them. On the other hand the Jews who sin under the Law will be judged by Moses’ Law. The non-Jews are not excused from God’s judgment, they are accountable by what they can see and know about God through His creation. The Jews however have Moses’ law. But simply hearing it means nothing, you have to obey it in order to be righteous under it. Sanctimonious Jews, like pious Christians, who only hear the words of God but do not obey them are held accountable! James would say, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (James 1:22).” When the law of God is inscribed on your heart, you will obey it. Paul was pointing to faith in Christ alone. Jesus is the ultimate standard of God’s law. God does not give eternal life or justification to those who perform good works, but to those who believe (trust) in His Son and whose conduct reveals their spiritually renewed hearts. God looks at the heart of man, who he truly is, to see if he truly is changed!
EXAMPLE: Vernon C. Grounds writes that “Many people might protest. They don't see themselves as rebels against the laws of society or the laws of God. They consider themselves to be good people. So why condemn them as deserving God's judgment? According to James, ‘Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10).’ In God's eyes, it takes only one act of disobedience to put us in the company of those who have broken His law and deserve His judgment. Can any of us claim that we've never violated one of God's laws? What about the command not to covet? (Exodus 20:17). The truth is that all of us at some time or other have been guilty of longing to possess what belongs to someone else. Paul himself confessed that he was guilty of this sin and deserved God's judgment (Romans 7:7-10). We may be relatively good, but in the eyes of a perfectly holy God we've fallen far short of His standards. We all need the guilt-cleansing grace that Jesus Christ alone provides. Have you humbly acknowledged your guilt and received the gift of forgiveness that Jesus offers?” It is the standard of God’s law.
Conclusion:
We have learned to day about: The standard of God’s judgment, the standard of God’s favoritism, and the standard of God’s law. What will you do with what you have learned? We all will be judged, God shows no favoritism, and we are measured by the standard of God’s law the gospel. God’s divine standards.
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