On The Sixth Day #11

Romans 2.12 – 16 How God's Impartial Judgment Will Work

When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God's written law. And the Jews, who do have God's law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. For merely listening to the law doesn't make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life.

• all will be judged according to the standard they had.
  
• the nations [Gentiles] were not given the Law [Torah]
  
• the Jews were given the Law –
  
  • that's not fair, they have a clear understanding of God's expectations, so to say [ this questions recurs in the letter many times]
    
  • but remember vv 6-11: the doers of the law are the ones who are righteous before God, and that their justification will be pronounced on the last day
    
• Justification by Faith --
  
  • a present reality
    
  • how you can tell here and now who is truly part of God's people
    
  • and how you can tell if you truly are saved
    
  • James 2:14 – 26
    
  • before the final judgment
    
  • these are the believers who are in God's new and true covenant community
    
  • but final judgment – the rendering of the just and true outcome – is based on a whole life of faith lived out loud so to speak – vv. 7-10 [as well as 14:10]
    
• vv. 14-15 - Gentiles who know his law when they instinctively obey it may be Gentile Christians, especially since written in their hearts (2:15) alludes to the prophecy of the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Or they could be non-Christian Gentiles who know God's general moral law through their consciences. In this case, Paul could/would be using the notion of natural law to show how all people could be held accountable for certain basic moral requirements.
  
• Go back to 1:19 – 20 – those who do not have the Law [always the Mosaic/Jewish law] will be judged apart from the Law
  
  • according to what was known from the beginning from creation itself
    
  • and according to whether they obeyed or not – lived it or not --
    
  • work of the law is written in their hearts,
    
  • their conscience bears witness
    
  • their conflicting thoughts
    
    • accuse or else
      
    • defend them
      
• v. 16 - secret life (literally the hidden things): Scripture frequently stresses that God will judge people according to their thoughts and intentions (see 1 Samuel 16:7; Psalms 139:1-2; Jeremiah 17:10)
  

Ultimately, the world is not in the hands of an insensitive or capricious God who will play favorites on judgment day. On that day there will be true, fair and equal justice for each and every person.

And, after living in an unfair, violent world, that is refreshing good news.

(Source material from N T Wright, John Wesley, Martin Luther, ESV Study Bible, Orthodox Study Bible, NLT Study Bible, et. al.)