Footsteps #244

“⁷ He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. ⁸ But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. ⁹ There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.^{[a] 10} But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.” NLT (Rom.2:7-10)

Rom.2:7-10 elaborates the meaning of v6. God’s final judgment will be on the basis of what people have done. Jesus taught the same concept in the Sermon on the Mount. (See Matt.7:21-27.)

Both Paul and Jesus were concerned that Christians do God’s will. Verbal faith or even so-called Christian activity was not enough.

Some Christians seem to have the idea that it is wrong to think about rewards, but Paul in Romans 2:7 doesn’t seem to have any problem with people having the goals of “glory, honour and immortality” and “eternal life.” On the other hand, he would be the first to object to any idea that they can earn such rewards by their good conduct. Those things, he is clear, are God’s gift (Rom.6:23). It is impossible for humans to obtain such things through their own efforts. But the Bible is not against Christians contemplating such gifts during their daily struggles. God wants to give us all the encouragement that we need as we persevere in “doing good.”

In vs9-11 he talks about the trouble and distress, without any partiality, on those who do evil. Israel had forgotten the conditions of the covenant that Moses had revealed in Deut 28:1-15. Being a descendent of Abraham did not give them automatic special rites to eternity. God, he says, has no favourites. The Lord always offers the kingdom to men and women on His conditions alone.

Here is a lesson for the church. God wants to use and bless His people. But He can only do so when they do His will. As with Israel of old, God still has no favoured nation. The covenant is always expressed in “if…then” terms. In the end God will judge His church by its compliance with His wishes.  

Paul has been hammering home that Jews stand in the same position as the gentiles regarding sin and salvation. The apostle is building an argument that will climax in the second half of chapter 3, in which he notes that everybody (both Jew and Gentile) are absolutely dependant on the salvation that comes as a gift on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice.