Romans – Day 19
22 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. [Romans 2: 5-11]
There is a t-shirt I would love to have the guts to buy and wear. It simply says ‘Quick – look busy – JESUS IS COMING!’
There is a day coming that the Bible calls the ‘day of God’s wrath’ which sounds incredibly like it should be ‘coming to a cinema near you’ – starring Arnie or Bruce or both, and probably with Sigorney Weaver who has been captured by aliens! According to the scripture writers, however, this is a day we are to expect and be ready for.
It is a day when God’s judgement will be revealed. I don’t know if you grew up in church and, if you did, what kind of church you grew up in. But there was a time when most evangelical churches had a highly realised and probably over-preached doctrine of the ‘end times’. It was all about being ready for God – he could, and might, come at any time and it scared the pants off me. Check out Larry Normans lyrics ‘there’s no time to change your mind, the son has come and you’ve been left behind’.
Perhaps we experience the equal and opposite mistake in our generation. We are so anxious not to ‘scare anybody into the Kingdom’ that our understanding and our preaching is ‘end times deficient’. We’ve got no idea and we certainly are not expectant, let alone ready.
Paul needs to be heard here. What does this judgement consist of?
We’re going to be judged according to our conduct [v. 6] “God will give to each person according to what he has done.” God’s going to judge you according to what you have done, not according to what you intended to do. God is not going to judge you according to what other people have done - husband/ wife/ kids/ parents …. You are accountable for you.
[v. 7-10] “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory and honor and immortality He will give eternal life. But for those who are self seeking and reject the truth and follow evil there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil first for the Jew and then for the Gentile but glory, honor and peace for every one who does good first for the Jew and then for the Gentile.”
This passage could be misunderstood. When you read it, it sounds like you can earn your way to heaven. You do good, you make it to heaven. You do bad, you go to hell. Yet the Bible does not teach that at all. Paul is not saying that you can be saved by self effort, by good works.
He says God will judge you on your works. But what are the works he’s talking about? Going to church? Being nice to grannies and cats? Keeping the ten commandments? Tithing?
This very question was asked of Jesus in John 6. Some Pharisees came – (they above all thought that they might be able to make it to heaven) – ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, `The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.’
That’s the works that get you to heaven — believe in the one He has sent.
You don’t get to go to heaven by being good, or perfect, or by trying to be good – because being good enough to get to God, you’d have to be as good as God! And nobody is perfect. Trusting Christ as your only basis of salvation is the work of God.
Spend time today just praying for your heart that it doesn’t remain stubborn and unrepentant [verse 5] - pray for other people you love who need a heart transplant.
- Karl