Feb 10, 2019
Originally Presented on October 8th, 2006
Scripture Reading: Romans 2:3-13
This passage is in the middle of the section in Romans which presses the point that all men are guilty and deserving of God's wrath: the pagan man (Rom 1:18-32), the moral man (Rom 2:1-16), and the Jewish man (Rom 2:17-3:8).
The chilling warning in Romans 2:5-8 is this: God will render to every man according to his deeds. To the man who seeks for glory and honor and immortality, God will give eternal life. To the man who serves himself and obeys unrighteousness, God will give His wrath and indignation. It is a reminder of the realities of heaven and hell.
At first blush the passage sounds like we gain heaven by our deeds. But we know from other passages of Scripture (even in Romans) that heaven is gained by faith alone in Jesus Christ (cf. Eph 2:8,9; Titus 3:5).
What this passage teaches us is the nature of true repentance which precedes faith (cf. Mk 1:15; Acts 20:20,21). Repentance is mentioned in Romans 2:4. There follows the contrasting descriptions of those who gain heaven and those who are condemned to hell (Rom 2:7,8). What this teaches us about the nature of repentance is this. Genuine repentance results in a changed life . . . a passionate seeking after eternal things. The man whose life is characterized by selfish and stubborn disobedience to God's truth will bear God's wrath in the day of judgment. His life will give ample evidence that he has not truly repented of his sins. He continues to pursue them.
Repentance is not simply a hand raised in a church service . . . an aisle walked . . . words spoken in a prayer. By God's grace it is a genuine turning from sin, the evidence of which is a changed life and a seeking after eternal things. No one is saved on the basis of such seeking . . . but no one is saved without such seeking.