Benefits and Drawbacks, Part 6

And it isn’t because of that
conversation, but we’re going to cover not just a single verse
this morning, but five verses in total. And we’ll do that in
rather quick fashion this morning. We are in this major section,
where we’ve been for a number of weeks, which began in Chapter
2, where Paul, having completed his indictment to the Gentiles,
now turns his attention to the Jews. and points out to them
that they likewise are condemned, that they likewise are sinners
in need of God’s grace. That came as a shock to the Jews. They likely were almost pleased
and happy, applauding perhaps at the treatment that Paul had
rendered to the Gentiles in chapter one. But now the focus has shifted
to them. And the focus specifically is
on the Jew and the law, the privileges that the Jews have enjoyed. And
in this first major section, the judgment that comes commensurate
with that privilege. We began last Lord’s Day at looking
at those verses five through eight, which really speak about
God’s impartial judgment, and there the principle of God’s
impartial judgment is merely declared. You would almost have
to stand back and read it in full and then decipher that.
Well, if this is true, then God truly is impartial. If you would,
let’s pick up there and then we’re going to take a running
start at the remainder of the verses we’ll be considering this
morning. Paul writes, but because of your stubbornness and unrepentant
heart, You are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath
and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render
to every man according to his deeds. To those who, by perseverance
and doing good, seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal
life. But to those who are selfishly
ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness,
wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and
distress for every soul of man who does evil of the Jew first
and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to every
man who does good to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with
God, for all who have sinned without the law will also perish
without the law and all and all who have sinned under the law
will be judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law
are just before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. We began in this section, which
begins in verse five, with the privileges and the judgment of
the Jews, both things are in focus, the Jews have been privileged
above all other nations, the very elect of God chosen by God
for a specific purpose. very much like ourselves, due
to nothing in them. It wasn’t because they were the
strongest nation or the most powerful or the best looking. Not at all. God chose them for
his own purposes. He had a set and specific purpose
that they were to manifest the glory of God in their midst,
in their living. They were to be a different people.
They were to be truly a peculiar people. And so when Paul begins to let
these people in on the news that they, too, were under judgment.
In essence, what Paul does here is reveal the the extent at which
God’s judgment is truly impartial, that God was going to judge the
Jews no less than he was going to judge the Gentiles. That he
wouldn’t grate on a curve. He wouldn’t turn the other cheek.
He wouldn’t ignore their vile sins any more than he would the
Gentile world. And he says that in verse five,
because of your stubborn and unrepentant heart, that was the
design of the law. Remember, that was the design
of the law was to point out their sin, to break them so that they
would relent and yield. And bow in repentance and turn
to God for that kind of divine assistance that is needed for
a life of righteousness. But instead, they did not repent,
and Paul says, because of that, they’re storing up wrath. A graphic
image that one day that wrath will be outpoured and it is just
and it will be perfect and it will be thorough. Well, Paul has tips his hands. Paul has indicated that God’s
judgment is impartial, but he’s only just beginning. There are
a number of other elements that he wants to reveal in the course
of this discussion. Regarding the impartiality of
God’s judgment. If you will look again at verses
seven and eight. Because there you have a statement
that is essentially flipped in verses 9 and 10. The antithesis
of verses 9 and 10 is found in verses 7 and 8, where Paul says
to those who, by perseverance and doing good, seek for glory
and honor, immortality, eternal life. But to those who are selfishly
ambitious and do not obey the truth, that obey unrighteousness,
wrath and indignation. There, in verses 7 and 8, it’s
the obedient followed by the disobedient who are addressed.
Here, in verses 9 and 10, it’s reversed. It’s the disobedient
followed by the obedient. It’s a reiteration, and you might
even say that Paul reloads. He’s made his point already.
In a sense, we might even say that verses 9 and 10 are unnecessary. But in order to drive home the
point, particularly to the Jew, Paul reiterates this in even
stronger terms. And what we have in verses 9
and 10 is the principle of impartiality foreshadowed. The Jews probably
were still sitting stunned at what Paul has already revealed
to them. And what Paul does, as I said, in reloading is come
after them again in an even stronger fashion. What he stresses here is that
it isn’t what a person thinks themselves to be. It isn’t what
a person professes themselves to be. It’s not what a person
even desires to be. It’s what a person is. In God’s
sight, it’s what a person demonstrates in his life by his deeds, his
works. That’s what determines. Where he will spend eternity.
By way of the final judgment, look at verses 9 and 10. Where Paul says there will be
tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil. of the Jew first and also to
the Greek, that statement alone had to rock their world. Everything
else up to this point. Even verses five through eight. Perhaps even a creative Jewish
person could reason their way around those things. And say
that, well, he can’t be talking to us literally. But this statement
is inescapable. There will be tribulation and
distress for every soul of man. And by that statement, every
soul, he’s pointing to every soul, regardless of their ethnic
origin, regardless of their relationship to Abraham, every soul of man
who does evil of the Jew first and also of the Greek. A stunning
statement. The more pleasant portion of
that in verse 10, It certainly was a welcome relief. But glory and honor and peace
to every man who does good. But even this had a stunning
element, especially to the Jew, because Paul appends there as
well to the Jew first. And also to the Greek, that was
totally foreign, totally foreign to the Jewish people. They were
God’s chosen people. They had the corner on the market
on spiritual good and spiritual blessing. They have the law. They had the bloodline. And now
Paul is saying. That by doing good, by doing
these deeds. By simply adhering to a standard That was going to not only cost
them, but it was going to become a benefit to others. Wow. In verse eight, if you go back,
we saw that it said, because God will render to each man according
to his deeds what he deserves, he will give to those who pursue
a life of sin, wrath and indignation. Paul begins verse nine by showing
what wrath and indignation produce, namely, tribulation and distress. They’ve already reaped wrath
and indignation, and now these are the sentiments, if you will,
the feelings that come with reaping that judgment, there will be
tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil.
The word translated tribulation here is used to refer to all
kinds of severe trouble. Here it points to the effects
from the outpouring of God’s wrath. One described it in these
terms. He said tribulation has the root
meaning of exerting extreme pressure and sometimes is translated as
affliction, anguish or persecution. It is used of the persecution
of the early church and of the tribulation of the saints in
general. pressure. They were under extreme, overwhelming,
life ending pressure. As I said, it’s mentioned in
regards to persecution where the church was beginning to feel
tribulation. It’s spoken of the end times
where tribulation will come. Pressure will be there. Paul
certainly knew this pressure. Second Corinthians one says,
we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction,
which came to us in Asia. We were under pressure. And that
we were burdened excessively beyond our strength so that we
despaired even of life. Paul says he knew he knew pressure. Speaking of. Saints from old
Hebrews 1137 mentions those who lived a life that places then in the hall of faith.
They were stoned. They were stoned in two. They
were tempted. They were put to death with the sword. They were
when they went about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute,
afflicted. They were under extreme pressure. Paul here is talking about external
difficulties, not merely worry or mental anxiety. He’s talking
about major pressure. It comes as a result of this
wrath that God has poured out these hostile forces that are
pressing around all around him. Not only that, but distress.
It literally means a narrow place, and it came metaphorically to
refer to confinement, constriction, being in bonds. The word is used
in the New Testament exclusively in Paul’s epistles. It’s an even
stronger word than tribulation, because it was used ultimately
to describe torturous confinement, being bound in chains and ropes. It was also used to define, pardon
me, to describe the confinement that was placed on a city by
a siege. Paul says he knew that that came
with ministry. This is a regular word that he
uses and only he uses. It’s the image of literally being
pressed to death between two closing walls. That’s the most
graphic of images. These hostile forces were coming
upon the Jews and were forecasted here to come upon the Jews because
of the way that they had lived. The wrath is going to be poured
out and this tribulation and distress is going to be the natural
sentiment that comes from it. These words, it’s interesting,
are often used together, tribulation and distress. And when they are,
these words refer to not only outward pressure, but inward
pressure, even anguish. Paul says it’s coming and it’s
coming justly. And it’s coming to of all people,
the Jews. There will be tribulation and
distress for every soul of man who does evil. And the evil here
is just a much shorter, simpler reference to the sinful life
that was so fully described in verse eight. Verse eight said
they are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but
they obey in righteousness. And what Paul had in mind was
the Jews. Here he just says it’s an evil
lifestyle that is no better than the Gentile life. In fact, due
to their life circumstances, it was worse. There will be tribulation
and distress for every soul of man who does evil of the Jew
first and also to the Greek. If there’s been any vagueness
thus far, now it’s crystal clear who’s in view. Now, it’s absolutely
apparent that Paul, in discussing this whole thing, in laying down
these discussions regarding God’s justice system, he has the Jews,
the Jewish nation, Israel, the Hebrews in view. And in case they might miss it
when he says every man. And they think that by every
man, Paul’s referring generically to the heathen nations. No, Paul
adds specifically, it is the Jew who is also in focus in God’s
judgment. One pastor said Jews were used
to thinking of themselves as being first in God’s sight. God had indeed chosen Israel
above other peoples to be his elect nation, that Israel will
receive a more severe punishment because she has been given greater
light and a greater blessing. Being first in salvation also
means being first, pardon me, being first in salvation opportunity
also means being first in judgment responsibility. Paul says, look,
you’re not going to escape. God’s standard is no different
for you. And the fact that God’s standard was communicated directly
to you, you had the law, you had the standard, you saw God’s
mighty works. Amos 3.2 says it in a nutshell. Listen to this. You only I have
chosen among all the families of the earth. And you might think
that they would be reduced to pride on the spot. That smugness
would immediately set in. Yes, we know. That Amos couples
that with a statement from the Lord that had to just buckle
their knees. You only I have chosen among
all the families of the earth. Therefore, I will punish you
for all your iniquities. You don’t escape. There’s no
escape. From the beginning of history,
the Jews had received A special treatment by God. In front of
the heathen world, in front of the Greeks in the time of Christ. Even then, the gospel was first
delivered to them. And that same order is going
to be rendered at the final judgment. That same order is going to be
utilized at the final judgment. First, the Jews. Then the Gentiles. What Paul is pointing to here. Is that it was part of God’s
divine plan. To proclaim the gospel, first
and foremost, to the Jew. They were, after all, God’s elect,
they were God’s chosen people, they have been God’s privileged
and peculiar people for centuries. And so when Christ came, it was
part of God’s design that they first receive the gospel and
have opportunity to repent and receive Christ, the Messiah,
after all, who was sent first and foremost to them. Salvation,
after all, was of the Jews. But as one said, the lines of
preparation for the full revelation of the gospel, though they were
laid in Israel and for that reason, the gospel preeminently, the
gospel for the Jew, the priority did not make the gospel less
relevant to the Gentile. The Gentile was as fully as the
Jew, the recipient of salvation. It’s not like Paul said the gospel
was exclusively, pardon me, exclusively for the Jew. But first and foremost,
it was to the Jew, and yet The nation of Israel. Desperately
dropped the ball, did they have privileges? They absolutely did.
That’s the argument that will continue all the way down to
chapter three, verse 20. Did the Jew have privileges?
Overwhelmingly so. They misappropriated those privileges,
they blew it. In chapter three, verse one,
it says, what advantage has the Jew? If we’re under judgment,
what was our big advantage? How is it that we could even
be called the chosen people? How is it that we could be called
the apple of your eye, God? What advantage has the Jew, Paul
asks rhetorically, of what benefit is circumcision great in every
respect? First of all, they had been entrusted
with the oracles of God. God says, I gave you everything. I told you exactly what I wanted.
When Jesus came in his earthly ministry. His statement said
it all. I was sent only to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel, the ministry to the Gentile and heathen world
would come later. But first and foremost, Jesus
Christ came for the Jews. They were a privileged people.
They not only had the law, they not only had election by God
and special privileges attendant with that, including the priesthood
and all of those blessings that came with that. Now they get
the gospel first. No wonder Jesus and he no doubt
have this in mind when he said it. From everyone who has been
given much, much will be required. And to whom they entrusted much
of him, they will ask all the more. The Jews had been entrusted
a great deal of wealth, spiritually speaking, and God was coming
to collect. The positive is true as well.
Not only will there be judgment, tribulation and distress for
every soul of man who does evil, the parallel of what was said
in verses seven and eight, but the opposite is true as well.
There will be glory and honor and peace to every man who does
good. To the Jew first and also to the Greek. Now, this raises
this difficult strain that courses throughout this entire discussion. of chapter two, these statements
that just kind of sit uncomfortably with us. We’re well taught, not
just by me. We’re well taught by God’s word.
We’re well taught by other teachers. We know the gospel. We know how
what the means of salvation are. And so there are these statements
in chapter two that just kind of are uncomfortable. We don’t
know quite what to do with them. And because of that, we’re thankful
that we’re going verse by verse through chapter two. Verse seven,
look at this. To those who, by perseverance
and doing good, seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal
life. Well, that doesn’t sound too much like the gospel to us.
We didn’t know that we were going to be saved by these or certainly
judged by deeds. Verse 10, likewise, sits uncomfortable
with us, but glory and honor and peace to every man who does
good. Verse 13 is another one of these
difficult verses, not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law will be justified. You can get into
heaven by doing good works. You can, if you live according
to a standard, get into heaven. What it seems to say. Verse 14. And we’ll stop there with some
of the difficult statements, for when Gentiles who do not
have the law do instinctively the things of the law, these
not having the law are a law unto themselves. What? There
are some difficult things. Verse seven, we’re told that
a person will gain eternal life if they will only seek for glory
and honor and immortality. Look for those things, pursue
those things with everything in you and you will have eternal
life. Here that blessing is again stated,
mentioned, that instead of glory and honor, immortality, it’s
glory, honor and peace. Same thing, because here it’s
referring to peace with God. It really is almost equivalent
to salvation. You will have peace with God.
We’ll take up some of these difficult statements. A little later on
this morning and a little later on in the chapter, there is an
explanation, even as we began to enter into it last week. The
answer is simply God’s grace. God is the one that equips you.
God is the one that enables you to do any good, because Paul
will go on to say there is no one who does good. There’s no
one who seeks for God in this very book. Paul’s not inconsistent. He hasn’t lost his mind. He’s
not daft or loopy. Paul knows what he’s talking
about. What he’s talking here is to the Jew. And he says, look,
if you have the law, you have the law, and if you want to live
by the law, then you better do it perfectly. The third principle
here, not only the principle of God’s of God’s impartial judgment
declared. And the principle of impartiality
foreshadowed, but here in verse 11, we have the principle of
impartiality stated. I mean, it couldn’t be said any
more simply. There is no partiality with God,
God is absolutely an impartial judge. The word is an interesting
one. It literally means lifting the
face and ultimately came to mean partiality or favoritism. But
it’s making decisions based on what somebody looks like, if
you want to use it graphically, plainly. It meant originally
to give a person a gracious reception. You’d look at them and based
on how they pleased you in your own particular, maybe you knew
them. Maybe they were pleasant to look
at. Whatever the case may be, it was a partial judgment. You
were judging based on either looks or based on who they were.
And it’s used in a good sense in scripture, mind you. She’s
been a good sense to speak of gracious treatment to be considerate
of someone or something. Deuteronomy says speaks of one
a nation of fierce countenance who will have no respect for
the older show favor to the young. Mentioning that same approach. Second Kings, it’s used, Elisha
said, as the Lord of hosts lives before whom I stand. Were it
not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah,
I would not look at you nor see you. So in other words, that
impartial, that looking at the face used there, used again in
Job and Lamentations. But most often. This word, this
word for to look at the face, which came to mean partiality,
it is used in a bad sense, most often. Referred to referring
to the tendency to be overly influenced by someone or something
to show partiality towards someone or something. In other words,
you’re not judging justly. You’re not treating them accordingly. You’re playing favorites. Leviticus
1915 says that you shall do no injustice in judgment. You should
not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are
to judge your neighbor fairly. And those standards don’t go
away even in the New Testament. I think I shared one time that
one of the things that I seriously overlooked when I first began
to consider being an elder was one little four letter word in
Titus that an elder must be just. I just skipped right over that
one because there’s much more important ones in that list,
aren’t there? And yet I kept coming back to it. An elder must
be just. What does that mean? Just what?
He must be righteous. He must judge fairly. He must
judge justly. I can’t care what somebody makes
or what somebody gives. I can’t care what the political
ramifications are. We have to look at the truth.
We have to examine the truth and we have to look at the facts
and objectively take a position and judge justly. Standards don’t
change. Deuteronomy 1017 said it as well.
The Lord, your God, the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the
great, the mighty, the awesome God who does not show partiality
nor take a bribe. God can’t be bought. How can
we? Psalm 82, how long will you judge unjustly and show partiality
to the wicked? Proverbs 18, five to show partiality
to the wicked is not good nor to thrust aside the righteous
judgment. See, impartiality, that was the fundamental quality
of a righteous judge, a just judge, that’s exactly what God
demanded and expected. Job, 34, 9, who shows no partiality
to princes, nor regards the rich above the poor. For all they
are, for they are all the work of his hands, God judges with
impeccable fairness. It was expected of judges, as
we’ve already seen, it was known as one of Jesus qualities. Matthew
22, 16. They sent their disciples to
him along with Herodian saying, Teacher, we know that you are
truthful and teach in the way of God in truth and defer to
no one for you are not partial to any. They saw Jesus as just. This was a lesson, this impartiality,
the impartiality of God was a lesson learned by Peter, remember? Peter,
wanting to take the gospel exclusively to the Jews, had to learn this
lesson. And in Acts 10, 34, opening his
mouth, Peter said, I most certainly understand that God now that
God is not one to show partiality. God doesn’t judge by looking
at the face. Peter later would apply that
same principle in 1 Peter 1, 17. First Peter 117, if you address
his father, one who impartially judges, Peter had learned his
lesson. He knew who God was. He knew
that God was a just, impartial judge. If you address his father,
one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves
in fear, live accordingly. God’s not going to grade you
on a curve any more than he did not grade the nation of Israel
on a curve. He is without respective persons,
as one said, judging according to each man’s work. He does not
receive face. God does not receive anybody’s
face. He is impartial. Outward appearance, wealth, culture,
social position, family background, education, beauty, intellect,
all things that are more or less sway the opinions of man, do
not count with God when it comes to appraising a person’s character
or worthiness. I love that. It was known as an axiom by Paul. Paul knew God. Paul never even
comes close to questioning this principle. Galatians 2 6, but
from those who are of high reputation, what they were makes no difference
to me. God shows no partiality. Well, those who are of reputation
contributed nothing to me. Ephesians 6 9 masters do the
same thing to them, give up threatening, knowing both their master and
yours is in heaven. There is no partiality with him.
Colossians 3 25. Likewise, God’s not partial. God’s not whimsical. God’s not
capricious. God can’t be bought. One commentator said it this
way, unfortunately, there is partiality with the best of human
courts, that’s what’s so frustrating in our day and age, isn’t it?
Athletes get off. Movie stars get off. You and
I, we go to court. We don’t get off. There is partiality
in the best of human courts, but there will be none in God’s
day of judgment. Because of his perfect knowledge
of every detail, because of his perfect righteousness, it is
not possible for his justice to be anything but perfectly
impartial. Position, education, influence,
popularity, physical appearance will have absolutely no bearing
on God’s decision concerning a person’s eternal destiny. Point four, in this consideration
of this principle of impartiality, not only is God’s impartial judgment
declared, the principle of impartiality foreshadowed, the principle of
impartiality stated in verse 11, but the principle of impartiality
explained. And here Paul just illustrates
what he’s trying to say. He’s already made the point crystal
clear, but look at verses 12 and 13. 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, for not
the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of
the law will be justified. Paul had just stated in verse
11 that God’s an impartial judge. That statement was forecasted
by the preceding verses, and it’s illustrated or explained
here. Not all people have the same
spiritual opportunity. God knows that. God knows about
the heathen living on an island in the middle of nowhere. God
knows that. God knows the various conditions of the nations. But
God also knew that there was a peculiar people that had been
given a wealth of blessing and they’d done almost nothing with
it. They didn’t do what God designed, by and large. As one said, the ground of judgment
was their works. The rule of judgment was their
knowledge. God is impartial. He will judge men according to
the light which they have enjoyed. Paul had already laid the groundwork
for the judgment of the heathen nations, they knew, they know
God. They know God just by looking out at creation. What the Jews
had was way over and above that. They have the self-revelation
of God. They have the revelation of God in His Word, the revelation
of God in His mighty miracles. They had it all. Now, for the first time is introduced
a specific and direct reference to the law. And what Paul says
in this paragraph, the main point of this paragraph is that the
knowledge of the law didn’t itself help the Jew in any way. It didn’t
constitute an exemption from God’s judgment at all. In fact,
it made them more culpable, more responsible and more potentially
guilty, just like it does sitting here this morning. When you listen
to God’s word, as one Puritan said, it must quicken or it will
deaden. If you don’t do something with
God’s word, if you don’t rightly apply God’s word, it has the
tendency to begin to harden your heart. Go to the text. For all who have
sinned without the law will perish without the law. See what the
Jews thought process was here is maybe God will grade on a
curve since, you know, after all, the gender poor Gentiles
now they’re going to bring up this argument. The poor Gentiles
didn’t even have the law. You know, we have the law. We
know we blew it, you know, such as it is that the Gentiles, poor
Gentiles didn’t even have the law. Paul says, let me take care
of the Gentiles. God has a plan for them. What it points to is this acting
against knowledge or without knowledge, even though that knowledge
had not been given them, they were sinning against God’s law.
God’s laws are out there. And it points to the truth that
was stated in verse 11, that there is no partiality with God.
God wasn’t going to hold them to a standard that they didn’t
have explicitly, but they had enough to sin mightily against
God. And to be judged accordingly,
all who have sinned without the law will perish without the law.
The law here referring not to a man made code, but to the supernaturally
revealed word of God, the Gentile world, the heathen world didn’t
have it. They just didn’t have it. It was given to the Jews
and for a time carted around in a box. First Corinthians 921 Paul referred
to the heathen as being without law. What he refers to there
is not merely that they live lawless, reckless, sinless lives
that much they did, but they were also without. They did not
possess. They did not have access to the
moral will of God. Those even though they had sinned
with ignorance of God’s explicit law, The Gentiles, they would
perish even though they didn’t have the Pentateuch, the Ten
Commandments, the moral law of God. Because it’s not that they
didn’t know about God, it’s not that they didn’t have an awareness
of God and of his ways of the basic understanding of right
and wrong. We saw that in chapter one. They’re all guilty. They have
a witness of God’s eternal power and divine nature. They could
have drawn nearer to him. They could have come to a greater
understanding and they didn’t. Because of that, they sinned
and because of that, they’re judged. All who have sinned without
the law will perish without the law. God doesn’t have to hold
the law up to judge the Gentile. But the other thing is also true.
All who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. Those who have sinned in ignorance
of the law were already declared as judged and will perish. Even though they didn’t have
the law, that those who sinned knowing the law would be judged
by God by that standard. Those who were privileged, as
one said, to hear the law must not think of this fact That it
such will be of any benefit to them before God. On the contrary,
disobeying the law, which is being spoken into one’s ear,
will make condemnation the much more severe. And that’s Paul’s
point. And he justifies that with one
of our uncomfortable statements for the not the hearers of the
law are just before God, but the doers of the law will be
justified. merely possessing God’s law wouldn’t
work. It isn’t here’s the doers of
the law that are justified before God. And that expression, the
hearers. Typically, as explained by the
fact that they would sit under the hearing of the word of God
in a public setting, that the hearing here, when it says that
they were merely hearers. Hearing only. They heard the
words, but they didn’t do the words, that’s What’s at issue? Not the hearers of the law are
just before God, but the doers of the law are justified, and
that’s the word that bothers us the most. Charles Hodge said it this way,
to be just before God and to be justified are the same thing,
they are both forensic expressions and indicate the state rather
than the character of those to whom they refer. Those who are
just in the sight of God or justified who have done what the law requires
and are regarded and treated accordingly, that is, they are
declared to be free from condemnation. Entitled to the favor of God,
and you say my world is coming apart at the seams because this
is not what you preached. This is not what the Bible says.
It doesn’t square. It does square. Read James 1.22. We talked about it last week.
God does care how we live. We’re not justified before God
by our deeds, we are going to be judged by them. But in this
particular context, Paul does say it. Look at it plainly. The doers of the law will be
justified. What you have to be aware of,
though, Is that Paul Paul doesn’t give any indication here at all
that it’s even possible. In fact, what Paul will go on
to say is it’s absolutely impossible. It’s a it’s a theory. It’s an
axiomatic truth that if somebody really lives up to the law, so
be it. They gain heaven and eternity.
They are justified before God. They deserve to be in heaven.
Paul doesn’t indicate in the least that it’s possible. He’s
just merely stating it as a truth. It’s not the hearers, but the
doers of the law that are justified, if men rely on works, they must
have works. Hodge says they must be doers
of the law. They must satisfy its demands
if they are to be justified by it. For God is just and impartial.
You know, the greatest illustration of this that comes to my mind
is the parable of the Good Samaritan. Remember the parable of the Good
Samaritan? It’s not about going out and having a ministry that
finds cars on the side of the road. You know, it’s not about
finding good deeds to do for your neighbor. All of those things
are already expected. That’s not what the parable of
the Good Samaritan teaches. What the parable of the Good
Samaritan teaches is the impossibility of living according to the standard
of the law can’t do it. If you set your hope on living
according to that standard. You’re doomed. You are absolutely
doomed. The whole thing was started by
a simple question. The lawyer said, what must I
do to gain eternal life? And Jesus tells the story. You
know what? Here’s the story. Here’s the
standard. The standard is perfection. The
law is the law tells you that every person you come across
out there is your neighbor. Everyone with a need is your
neighbor, and that mean must be met by you every time perfectly. That standard is impossible,
you say, that’s exactly what Jesus says, that’s exactly how
Jesus summarizes it. Jesus said the. Jesus said to him, go and do
the same, go and render that kind of loving care to every
person you ever come across in any kind of need and do it perfectly
every time, because if you’re going to live according to the
law. If you want to know what to do. You better go do it perfectly. And now aren’t you thankful? That that impossible standard
has already been dealt with. Jesus Christ, who did live a
perfect life according to God’s law, died on our behalf. We no
longer seek to be justified by a strict adherence to the law. We became justified before God
when it was made available through faith in Jesus Christ. And that
is Paul’s thrust. We’ll get there. That’s his whole
thrust as we begin to move through chapter two to chapter three.
That we’re all under sin, the Jews included. But God has already
remedied that sin through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s
bow in prayer. Our merciful King, we bow before
you and thank you that you are an impartial, just, righteous
judge. And Father, we thank you that
you did not grade on a curve with regards to our sin, but
instead provided The absolute necessity. For sinners, and that
is a perfect sacrifice. In the person of your son, we
thank you and praise you for those of us who have been called
in faith to place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to
stop trusting in our works, in our efforts, in our adherence
to a law code. Thank you, Father, that you have
called us to place our faith in Christ and in him alone. Be
glorified, we pray. In the response of our life to
that. We thank you and praise you in
Jesus name. Amen.