Romans With or Without the Law Chapter 2:11-16 S ecret Sins laid upon an enlightened, active conscience, unforgiven, are a source of great pain and suffering. David said, My sin is ever before me. An incident occurred in one of our meetings, that strikingly illustrates this truth. A gentleman in high standing in the community where he lived, belonging in a family in high social position, not a blot on his reputation, strictly honest before men as far as was known, yet one thing greatly troubled him. He asked the privilege of seeing me alone. When alone, he said: I desire to become a Christian, but I have a thousand dollars that don t belong to me, which I took from a man two years ago. I cannot keep it. I will come out with a public confession, or anything else you advise me to do. I asked him if any one charged him with it or mistrusted him. He replied: No, sir, I don t suppose any one has the least idea that I am mean enough to do such a thing. But I did it, and cant live so. The man who lost it is a personal friend of mine. None but God and myself know anything about it. I asked him if he was able to return it to the man. I am, he said, but I have had it two years, and that is worth eight per cent. Well, that would be eleven hundred and sixty dollars. Can you pay that amount? I can, he said. That day the man who had lost the money received eleven hundred and sixty dollars This man who had taken the money, then gave himself to Christ, and the last I knew of him he was an active Christian. Memory is just as active now as before, but the sting is gone, so that it is no longer a guilty memory. Christ s blood put out the fire in his bosom, and he has peace. There must be an application of the justifying righteousness of Christ to the soul, or his sin, in all its guilt, weighing him down, would be ever before him. A. B. Earle, From: Incidents Used In His Meetings, published in 1888 1 The lost do have consciences, given by God, but it is only the Holy Spirit who can awaken them to the point where the gift of salvation can be received. Whether a person is under the Law or conscience, the only hope for salvation is the call of the Holy Spirit, the working of God, and the shed blood of Christ. I With or Without the Law Verses 11-12 A Under Law Verse 13 B Under Conscience Verses 14-15 C Under Judgment Verse 16 1 Authors, Various, Selected Sermon Illustrations, The Master Christian Library, AGES Software, Albany, OR, Version 8.0 2000
Introduction: This morning we begin where we ended last week, with truth. God does not show favoritism. Nevertheless, some would argue that point. After all, God chooses whom He will save. But more on that in a later session. Anyway, last week we learned that all people will reap the results of their walk on earth. Those who did good will be rewarded accordingly. Those who did evil will experience the consequences of their sin. But, when discussing good versus evil, it is important to remember that only those in God can do good. And those in God are placed there through the acceptance of Christ s work on the cross. Whatever is done outside of God is evil. This means even humanitarian acts have no value because they are done independently from God. People act from the belief they are autonomous and can do good in their own power. What s interesting here is Paul saying people will be judged whether they have lived under Law or under conscience. Whichever is the case, people are unable to meet their own chosen standard. God provides light to all people and all fail to live up to that light. God does not show favoritism. This is especially problematical when striving to make no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Harrison notes: The principle of impartiality has to face a problem as soon as the two groups, Jews and Gentiles, are considered together. God has not dealt with them in similar fashion. To the Jew he has given a revelation of himself in Scripture that has been denied the Gentile. 2 A similar concern is expressed when the question is asked: How can people be lost who have never heard the truth? Can God really treat people equally? And how? This is the concern Paul deals with in the next few verses. I With or Without the Law: So God shows no favoritism. People are going to be judged for their sins whether they are under the Law or under conscience, for God has provided a conscience to those who are without the Law. Let s take a moment to define our terms. First, Law: God s laws are an expression of his holy character and sovereign will. Through Moses, God provided the nation of Israel with many laws. These laws defined Israel s relationship with God and the Israelites relationships with one another and with outsiders. The Ten Commandments (Exod 20:2-17) summarize God s laws that teach us how to love God and one another. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy contain many additional laws that explain how the broad principles of the Ten Commandments were to be applied in Israel to worshiping God, governing the nation, in individual behavior, and in social interaction. 3 Next, let s consider the term Conscience: The OT has no separate word for conscience, but it neither lacks the idea nor the means to express it. It is clear from Genesis 3:8 that the first result of the Fall was a guilty conscience, compelling Adam and Eve to hide from God. David s heart smote him (1 Sam 24:5 KJV, MLB, RSV); NIV interprets this as David was conscience-stricken. In everyday Greek the word syneidesis referred to the pain 2 Harrison, Everett F., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Romans, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990 3 Douglas, J. D. and Merrill C. Tenney, editors, NIV Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990 ) 46 (
or guilt felt by persons who believed they had done wrong. Paul, who used the word more than other NT writers, refined and developed this meaning. (1) He described the universal existence of conscience (Rom 2:14-16) as the internal moral witness found in all human beings. 4 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:8). Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe (1Samuel 24:5). Conscience is a clock, which in one man strikes aloud and gives warning; in another, the hand points silently to the figure, but strikes not. Meantime, hours pass away, and death hastens; and after death comes judgment. ~ Taylor. 5 Paul makes it very clear that, when it comes to salvation, the Jew has no advantage in having the Law. We will see later that having the Law is a blessing, but not related to salvation. Living under the Law means the Law becomes the basis of condemnation. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like (James 1:22-24). Conversely, living without the Law is no protection, i.e., ignorance of the Law isn t an excuse because conscience itself condemns. A Under Law: Paul notes the issue isn t having the Law, but obeying it. And the problem is no man can completely keep the entire Law. This means the Law becomes the basis of condemnation. While it is a blessing, it is also a curse. Paul, by saying keeping the Law is the issue, is right in line with the words of Christ. On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? What is written in the Law? he replied. How do you read it? He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ; and, Love your neighbor as yourself. You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. Do this and you will live. (Luke 10:25-28). You can see the problem with taking passages out of context. If one reads these early words of Paul, one might conclude that good works save. The problems is, no one can perfectly carry out the works of the Law. Jesus knew it. Paul knew it. And, anyone who truly seeks God knows it. So obviously Paul is saying to the Jew: Don t be arrogant, assuming you are better off than the Gentile. I like the way Dr. McGee put it. 4 Ibid. 5 Hanford, editor, Thomas W. 2010 Popular Quotation, The Master Christian Library, AGES Software, Albany, OR, Version 8.0 2000 ) 47 (
I heard it said that the heathen are lost because they haven t heard of Christ and haven t accepted Him. My friend, they are lost because they are sinners. That s the condition of all mankind. Men are not saved by the light they have; they are judged by the light they have. For not the hearers of the law are just before God many seem to think that if they just approve the Sermon on the Mount, they are saved. 6 B Under Conscience: The tenets of the Law are written on the hearts of humanity. Paul is again saying there is no excuse for disobedience. In the very nature of our created being is God s Law. It s as if we were programmed with God s standards, but in the fall we got infected by a virus which has messed up our programming. The reality of this truth is seen in all areas of our culture and all cultures. We find pieces of God s truth in all law, philosophy, religion, and culture. Consider the following, : things required by the Law Does not mean that pagans fulfilled the requirements of the Mosaic law but refers to practices in pagan society that agreed with the law, such as caring for the sick and elderly, honoring parents and condemning adultery. The moral nature of pagans, enlightened by conscience (v. 15), functioned for them as the Mosaic law did for the Jews. 7 The whole foundation of society is the recognition that there is need for law, morals, and order. Without them, there is nothing but anarchy. We have a need for order because we are created beings. This is one more reflection of God s image within our created being. Can you think of any examples of this reflection? You see this in children all the time. They recognize hypocrisy. Their constant complaint is, That isn t fair. The hyper-litigiousness of society is, in a twisted way, a recognition of law and conscience. And in its very twistedness we see men s inability to even meet their own standards. This is Paul s point, whether someone has Law, conscience or the Bible, they will be judged by these standards and won t be able to meet them, leading to the conclusion C Under Judgment: That one day there will be a judgment based on works. This is an eschatological statement and is referring to the second coming. Keep in mind this judgment is specifically speaking to those who haven t accepted Christ, but are held accountable based on Law, conscience, or even the Bible. Remember, there are two judgments based on works. There is the Bema Seat Judgment. This is for believers,where rewards are disbursed based on works done in Christ. The second judgment is the Great White Throne Judgment. This will be the setting in which the lost will face Christ, the One whom they have rejected, and will receive their punishments for the evils they have done. Paul concludes by noting that the gospel includes this truth. Christ is going to return to judge the world, to judge sin. If the gospel is presented only as a statement of God s love and desire 6 McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 4, Matthew - Romans, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN 1982 7 NIV Study Bible Notes, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1999 ) 48 (
for relationship with people, then it is incomplete. Why is a Savior necessary if there is nothing to be saved from? The message of the gospel is: Christ came the first time to save the lost from the consequences of sin. His second coming will be in wrath and judgment on those that rejected the work of the first coming. Conclusion: Witmer summarizes these verses this way: In this section God is seen as the Creator-Sovereign of the universe conducting the moral government of His human creatures. God s absolute standards are known. God punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous impartially according to their works, which reveal their hearts. Since no human being Jesus Christ excepted can be declared righteous (justified) by God on the basis of his own merit, every human is condemned by God. At this point in Paul s argument the way a person can secure a righteous standing before God has not been presented. Here the emphasis is on the justice of God s judgment, leading to the conclusion that nobody on his own can be declared righteous by God. 8 I hope we have seen why God holds all of mankind accountable. And we must never forget this truth, for it must be shared with the lost. God has provided enough truth that no one will have an excuse. Nevertheless, while the gospel message includes a warning of coming judgment it also includes a message of love, mercy, and hope. We are given the blessed responsibility of bringing the full gospel to all whom the Lord places in our path. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow r? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white? Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright, And be washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you walking daily by the Saviour s side? Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin, Do you rest each moment in the Crucified? There s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean; O be washed in the blood of the Lamb! 9 8 Witmer, John A., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Volume 2, Romans, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL., 1986 9 Hoffman, Elisha A., The Celebration Hymnal, Are You Washed in the Blood?, Word/Integrity, Waco, TX, 1997, #330. ) 49 (