Judgment is always on the basis of works. Salvation is never on the basis of works.

Good works are necessary to enter the kingdom of God, but these works are always empowered by the Holy Spirit. They’re never the basis of our salvation, but an evidence of it.

When God judges one of the unredeemed according to his works, His judgment is righteous, as the sinner’s works show that he deserves destruction.

When God accepts and glorifies one of the redeemed according to his works, His judgment is also righteous, as the believer’s works show that he is a Christian, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and that any judgment of that believer has already been borne by Jesus Christ. God’s judgment is always righteous, and this judgment always showcases his just nature and brings Him glory.

Our works are consistent with our spiritual state. God is just in rewarding the redeemed, not because they deserve His favor in and of themselves, but because they’ve been enabled to do good works that merit a heavenly reward. God is just in punishing the works of the unredeemed because their works likewise reflect that they do not belong to Him, and that’s much of what this paragraph is about.

If we are among the redeemed, it will be reflected in our works every time. MacArthur likens it to breathing:

It is just as impossible for a person having eternal life to indefinitely fail to reflect something of God’s character as it would be for him to indefinitely hold his breath. Eternal life induces spiritual breathing just as surely as physical life induces bodily breathing. (MacArthur, 132)

If you are redeemed, it is inevitable that it will come out in your works.

Paul’s point in our passage for this morning is that Jews who lack good works will not escape God’s judgment (Schreiner, 114). And this has implications for both Jews and Gentiles in a lesser to greater application: if the Jew cannot escape God’s judgment apart from good works, how much less the Gentile? Paul’s teaches his readers here that the same principles of judgment hold true for the Jew and the Gentile alike.

Now, before we break down this passage, we must consider the context. We cannot understand this passage fully without a few reminders.

Paul wrote his letter to the Romans between AD 55 and 58. It was at the beginning of the reign of Nero. [ Fun fact: Did you realize that Nero was just sixteen years old when he came to power upon the death of his stepfather Claudius? He had a bloody and tyrannical reign until his death at age thirty. Really prolific.

Anyway, Claudius had banished the Jews from Rome around AD 49, and that ban was lifted upon Claudius’ death. As any Jews exiled from Rome begin to return home, and as they returned to society and fellowship with the Gentiles once again, they all needed reminding of the principles of the gospel. And Paul says in 1:15 that he is eager to preach the gospel to them.

Not surprisingly, then, the book of Romans has a lot of content pertaining to both Jews and Gentiles.

Now in Romans 1:18-32 Paul teaches that the Gentiles are under the power of sin. In verses 18-27 he lists a host of abominable sins that would not be temptations for the faithful Jew, including worship of animals, gross sexual sins and more. In verses 28-32 he moves to more general sins, vices to which any person - Jew or Gentile - could be subject.

Then in chapter two he starts to go after the self-righteous Jew. He engages in what’s called a diatribe with an anticipated Jewish objector. He says this:

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? (Romans 2:1-3)

It’s easy to imagine that Paul could relate well to this mentality, being a very well educated and pious Pharisee prior to his own conversion. He knew well, based on his own study of the Old Testament canonical and apocryphal writings that it was a popular notion among the Jews of Paul’s day that God would be easier on Jews in judgment because they were His chosen people. Many supposed, in fact, that - the occasional Rahab or Ruth notwithstanding - the typical Gentile was beyond all spiritual hope of redemption. He was beyond God’s reach.

So Paul needed to make a case that the Jews were no better off inherently than were the Gentiles, and he does so in all of chapter two. He wants to make the point crystal clear that God shows no partiality in his judgment. God judges on the basis of works regardless of spiritual heritage, gender or ethnicity. The judgment reserved for the works of the Gentile, says Paul, is identical to the judgment of the works of the Jew.

The context provides one of the many reasons we can know that Paul is not talking about works as a grounds for salvation; he hasn’t yet entered into the discussion of salvation proper. He’s still in the long stretch of the bad news and will be well into chapter 3. He is bringing the bad news of man’s subjection to sin’s power before he issues a glorious message of hope near the end of chapter 3.

The point of verses 6-11 is that the Jews will not escape the judgment of God because of their spiritual heritage or because of their preferred status as God’s people. Being a Jew does not spare one from God’s wrath.

Now I think it’s safe to try to unpack verses 6-11. There will be two main points that we’ll examine, found in the middle verses of the passage. These points are bookended by verses 6 and 11. Let’s begin by looking at verse 6:

He will render to each one according to his works.

In 2:1-5, as we’ve already observed, Paul is talking about God’s righteous judgment. In verse 6 he says that in judgment we’ll all be judged according to our works. The word translated “render” in verse 6 is usually translated “repay.” The works the redeemed and the unredeemed merit certain repayment.

This is a familiar concept and even familiar language to the reader of God’s word. In various places in Paul’s writings, the Old Testament, the Gospels and Revelation, Scripture teaches that God will repay man according to his deeds.

But lest we get confused, here, look again at verse 6:

“He will render to each one according to his works,” not “on the basis of his works.” God judges us according to the fruit of our lives, what is borne out in our behavior. Paul is talking here about the basis of judgment, not the basis of salvation.

He moves on to talk about the two categories of humanity, and I’m not talking about ethnic (e.g. Jew/Gentile) or gender (male/female) distinctions, but rather the two categories of the redeemed and the unredeemed. This chiastic structure is bookended by verses 6 and 11, but in between we have our two points for this morning.

1. The Works of the Redeemed (2:7, 10)

to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life…but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.

Now we move into the works themselves. These are the sorts of things that the redeemed do, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Though not works that save, they give evidence of salvation, and Paul is not afraid of this sort of language, though it might make us nervous.

to those who by patience in well-doing

The Christian will persist over time in doing good works. They persist in faithfulness. This is not to say that we are always obedient or that we never suffer relapses into old sins, but we won’t remain there. However, the one who is patient in well-doing is on a trajectory toward greater Christlikeness.

seek for glory and honor and immortality,

We are uncomfortable with this sort of language because it sounds self-serving. And it is true that the Christian ought to be principally concerned with the glory of God. All we do ought to point us to that end, and we ought to be looking to glorify Him always. That’s not just Christian churchy talk; it’s a life mission. But it’s not what Paul is talking about.

He’s talking about the glory that awaits us in heaven as God shares His glory with us.

That ought to be our eager pursuit. Consider what Paul says on this matter in other places.

Romans 8:18-21:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Romans 8:30: “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

2 Thessalonians 2:14: “To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthian 4:17: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison….”

Colossians 3:4: “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

So glory from God for believers is something that we can evidently look forward to. And more than that, according to Paul, it is something we should strive for.

The reality in all this is that our pursuit of glory and our obtaining it from God brings Him greater glory now and in the future. Therefore Paul does not hesitate to argue that the redeemed will seek for glory and honor and immortality.

As for immortality, we will wear this when we are - you guessed it! - glorified in heaven. The redeemed will put on immortality as a part of the first resurrection, the resurrection of the righteous.

The redeemed actively pursue these things. What else will He give the redeemed?

he will give eternal life…

We know that in Scripture, though it necessarily means it’s a forever life, the term “eternal life” refers to a quality of life whereby we know God. Christ said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

And to the one who has been granted eternal life, there are inevitable and clear fruits. The one who has eternal life will show it by his works, or it is safe to conclude he does not have eternal life.

Let’s jump down to verse 10 to see what else characterizes the works and judgment of the redeemed.

but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good,

Now this is what God renders to the redeemed. But remember that in verse 7 the redeemed “seek for glory and honor.” Here, Paul says God grants what they seek! What a remarkable promise! But that’s not all.

To the redeemed He also gives peace. As this verse parallels verse 7 this may be a synonym for the redeemed believer’s immortality, but we do know that once glorified, we will no longer be subject to the presence and power of sin, which will certainly be peaceful.

the Jew first and also the Greek.

Though I’m referencing this here under point one and the works of the redeemed, it’s worth noting that Paul uses this phrase twice in this passage, and the first usage is in the context of talking about the unredeemed.

Stated simply by one MacArthur, “As Paul makes clear, the Jew first means that being first in salvation opportunity also means being first in judgment responsibility” (MacArthur, 134-135).

Let’s turn to verses 8-9 and the works of the unredeemed.

2. The Works of the Unredeemed (2:8-9)

but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,

This is the central and innermost portion of our chiastic structure, and these two verses in tandem talk about the works and reward of the unredeemed.

but for those who are self-seeking

This is the person who has his own personal interests and gain in view. He is self-interested. He seeks glory for the wrong reasons, as contrasted with the redeemed who seeks holy glory in verse 7.

and do not obey the truth,

Disobedience to the truth is rebellious, and this is a hallmark of all of humanity. It’s why Paul says in 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness….” He was talking then about Gentiles and natural men, but is now making his case against the self-confident or disobedient Jew.

Such a one can be so self-interested and focused on his own morality and self-righteousness - or even his status before God as a child of Abraham - that he misses the point; he “can actually stifle the truth and love in the process” (Dunn, 92). It’s hard to argue that the Jews who got cranky with Jesus for healing on the Sabbath had a good grasp of the benevolence and love of God. Likewise with Jonah, who would have rather died than to have been part of a plan to rescue pagan Ninevites.

Commentator James Dunn suggests that “in treating Israel on different terms (and thus making more demands of the believing Gentile than God makes), they have ‘disobeyed the truth’” (87).

And we would do well to learn from this, when we find ourselves smug about unbelievers who get what they deserve; that reflects a failure to obey the truth of God’s character, kindness and love. It is self-satisfied and ugly.

but obey unrighteousness,

This is the positive side of the coin; the unredeemed may not obey the truth, but they do obey unrighteousness. But it’s a bit worse than that because the sense here is one of calculated obedience. It’s one of persuasion, having been convinced of unrighteousness. It’s not very flattering language, though it does call our decision to sin precisely what it is: deliberate obedience to unrighteousness.

So what awaits that unredeemed sinner?

there will be wrath and fury.

And of course the judge is God, so the one expressing this “wrath and fury” is also God. When He finally withholds His mercy and grace from rebellious sinners, He will give full vent to His wrath on mankind.

These words, “wrath and fury” are as bad as they sound, and infinitely worse that you can imagine when exercised by God toward wickedness.

There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil,

Paul usually uses “tribulation” to refer to believers’ suffering here in this life: trials, travails, and troubles that the Christian experiences along his spiritual way. But he now uses it in a final, eschatological sense. That means, in the end, the wicked will have trouble; they’ll have “tribulation and distress.”

On the heels of any mention of God’s wrath and fury, this seems like an understatement, but it’s effective, nevertheless.

the Jew first and also the Greek,

And again, in what some call a sort of ironic twist, Paul teaches that the Jews who are first in line for God’s blessing are also first in line for his righteous judgment of the works of men.

Finally, in the event that there are any that may misunderstand his message, Paul reiterates in verse 11:

For God shows no partiality.

He is making explicit what has been expressly implied previously in chapter 2: there is no partiality with God.

Conclusion

Return with me once more to the island of Lilliput and Gulliver’s Travels. Now, Jonathan Swift was one of the greatest writers of satire that the English language has known, so there were pretty obvious political and ideological undercurrents in the book. And I don’t believe that the Lilliputians represent the Jews (rather, they represent the British). Nevertheless, in their surprising humanity, they did the sort of thing we do all the time. Providence brought a giant to their island, and they became more confident that they were the supreme beings in the universe. The Jews Paul addresses are sort of like that.

They had been given the Law. They had been favored above other nations as His people. They had been shown mercy and blessing countless times despite their ingratitude.

And many of them responded with pride in their status, and disdain for the other nations. Paul says, “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 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 2:4-5).

In His kindness, God gives us lots of warnings. This passage is no different. Yet we, like the Jews that Paul is addressing, can find ourselves oblivious to them, self-righteous, or suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.

By the time we get to verse 11, Paul is only about halfway through his indictment of mankind, who are all subject to sin’s power. Thankfully he does eventually bring good news, but in the mean time we’re all left without excuse. We have all sinned, and we are all at the mercy of God, who will repay us according to our works. Of that we can be sure.

But remember the good news for the redeemed: We will do good works that merit a glorious repayment from God, but we will only do them as a fruit of our salvation, empowered by the Holy Spirit.