#54. Romans 2:15-16 – Three Gentile-Condemning Proofs (Pt. II) (Judgment Series, Part XV)

 For whenever they of the nations that have no law, by nature may be doing that which the law demands, these, having no law, are a law to themselves, who are displaying the action of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying together and their reckonings between one another, accusing or defending them, in the day when God will be judging the hidden things of humanity, according to my evangel, through Jesus Christ.

Reckonings

The third and final proof for the Greek’s need for correction is found in the accounts among men. There is a difference between conscience and logic. The conscience, when cleansed, can intuitively tell you the difference between right and wrong. But apart from intellect, it has no real value. Intellect is man’s “logic department.”

First and foremost: if your moral compass has been formed by your own reasoning, then congrats! You’ve found yourself lumped right into the category of people Paul refers to, here. Give yourself a round of applause – you’ve discovered your current allotment as a flawed human being. And… what’s that? You’re saying you know the law and its rules? My bad – you’ve discovered your current allotment as an unrighteous human being! That’s better.

No, you should not “found” your conscience on reasoning. Reasoning is mentioned last for a reason; it is the effect of the natural qualities of man, not the cause, but as with every other three-fold point Paul has given thus far, it is the most apparent and applicable to our everyday lives. Each point is progressive, not regressive. To summarize, these three points are:

1)    Instinct

2)    Conscience

3)    Reasoning

The very fact that mankind seeks, reasonably, an ethical standard, while failing to acknowledge nature, shows invariably the third and final reason for the necessary judgments God gives. On Judgment Day, man’s questionable action will aptly demonstrate the perversion of their conscience, and their poor ability to take account of one another.

As A.E. Knoch points out in his commentary, we are limited creatures with only five senses with which to impose judgments. This makes our reckonings imperfect and flawed. Jimmy may say, “But my science teacher was the best! Ms. Sharpton always brought us ice cream on Fridays, and helped work out the questions I got wrong on my test before bumping my grade up!” Yet God can reply, “Right, but she also spent years slowly feeding her husband carcinogens before that tumor of his showed up.”

That’s… a really dark example, but I think you get what I mean. Jimmy’s reckoning defends his science teacher, but Jimmy’s reckoning is severely limited. Jimmy can’t observe his science teacher’s heart. All he can do is relate his experience with her. Will Ms. (formerly Mrs.) Sharpton be judged according to her failure to teach kids? Sure! In some hyper-specific way that I’m not considering, sure! Maybe she gave half her kids diabetes, or neglected some critical learning aspect of their development by fixing their grades. But far worse, she will need correction on feeding her husband lead.

…Anyway, the point is that in contrast, God can get down to brass tacks. He alone can right the hidden things of humanity from a righteous perspective. In a practical sense, all are condemned on this principle. It is a verifiable certainty that everyone will fall short of the righteous parameters established in Romans 2, because of the argument at the end of Romans 1. Further, remember that God is impartial. With judgment of your acts, man receives one of two things:

1)    Eonian life

2)    Indignation

With this comes the measurement of judgment, which is the law. You’ll either:

1)    Perish apart from law

2)    Be judged by law

The most you will be able to do, on Judgment Day, is watch instinct, conscience or reasoning either accuse or defend your acts. The most pertinent point that we have left to learn, at a foundational level concerning “judgment,” is that it is all-encompassing. Thus Paul stresses that what is hidden will be exposed. Our camouflaged acts, both good and bad, will finally be stripped of all pretense, displayed for what they are. One’s perceived “good” act may be realized as a spiteful and vindictive move. One’s perceived “bad” act may be realized as the best course of action given the circumstance. The inward reality will be the focus (Matt. 10:26, Mark 4:22, Luke 12:2.)

This will reverse all of our pretentious judgments. Those snubbed during a court hearing because Juror #3 had doubts about their innocence because of a look in their eye, or some other arbitrary distinction, will finally be vindicated. The brilliant decision to give $250 billion dollars to a false power apart from self-care will face its retribution. The ghastly lynchings over the centuries, those sacrificed to others’ deities, the sheer blasphemy against God’s intellect, sovereignty, and character, various war crimes which have gone unnoticed or unanswered, every company which refuses to pay its workers suitably whilst portraying fake positivity, those subjected to experimentation against their will, and far, far more. There are so many dimensions to this that I could hardly spend forty articles just listing ideas. It would undoubtedly be an exercise in futility to attempt such a task, with the unique complexity of every issue; such a task is solely suited to God.

Nevertheless, it remains true that our reckonings will condemn us, practically for God (this is by design.) This will be a painful endeavor (the biting cynic in me bemoans that this event may be painfully short as well, but God is true, while I am easily refuted.) The pain will not flay us or harm us, but will leave the entirety of the race an emotional wreck, distraught, and feeling as though we have utterly failed, both individually and collectively.

In Accord

It is at this point that I must remind you of the pacing. I know we must be 16,748 pages into this study, but we are only on chapter 2 of Romans. I remind you, then, that there are another 385 verses for us to consider in this letter. We have only considered 48 verses so far – thus we are only around 10-11% finished the letter!

I stress this because some of you – yes, even some of you in Christ – may take major issue with this introduction to God’s judgment. I know that, at times, I hated the conclusions involved. The idea of all being condemned is completely out of accord with my… romantic qualities.

Yet… that is the point. Humanity must be condemned at this point in the letter, and must become aware of the fact of their condemnation in sin, or else Paul’s later argument in Romans 5 falls flat. Most will simply have to reconcile with this fact at the great white throne. Those who have repented now have thankfully reconciled with their condemnation now, whether they recognize the sacrifice Christ has made for them or not. Their repentance will avert greater judgment, and those who repented will certainly have no difficulty condemning those who had failed to repent.

This is not to say, “Hope is not lost!” Hope emphatically should be lost, here, or again, the rest of the letter’s determined argument would fall flat. This pain, then, will be most helpful for all. It is essential for our future growth as a species – to recognize our absolute failure. It could not be argued that “a God Who wishes to prove you wrong is not worthy of respect or admiration,” as some atheists will indignantly proclaim. God does not wish to prove you wrong; He has proven mankind wrong. Stating it truthfully speaks to His character, not to alleged pride.

As men, we seek to prove our correctness to self-justify. God, in contrast, is not seeking to self-justify, but actually establishing a truthful relationship with you. There can be no reconciliation apart from the facts – how can God make “all things new,” or help you grow as a loving Parent, if your experiences cannot testify for the lessons that need learning? How can God consummate His love toward all of creation if all of creation eternally wrestles with doubt? If one harbors secret sins, with a guilty conscience, how could they faithfully be a part of God’s family?

Such questions are not asked with a view to abandon the doubter, for as the argument portrays, all who are presented at the great white throne will inevitably be charged with doubting Him. They are further not asked under the notion that judgment contradicts salvation, for such an idea makes no sense. Again, we are in Romans 2 – meaning judgment is a precursor to the salvation which will immediately follow, from Rom. 3:21-8:30. In this, judgment does not cancel salvation; it prepares all for it (Rom. 3:21-26, 5:18-19, Eph. 1:9-11, 1 Tim. 2:4, 4:10.)

As if to clarify this fact, Paul makes one final note concerning the judgment of all – that it is in accord with “his evangel.” This is such a breathtaking statement, given at nearly the exact midpoint between the beginning of the doctrinal part of the letter (Rom. 1:16) and the unveiling of the evangel itself (Rom. 3:21.) It irrefutably clarifies that thus far Paul has not been speaking about the “evangel” he has promised to discuss in Romans 1:1. Far from it! As previously mentioned, he has been painting the backdrop on which he will be able to display the evangel. It is the reason for which he is not ashamed of the evangel – since, apart from the evangel, all truly would be hopeless by Judgment Day.

It follows, then, that the judgment of the hidden things Paul speaks of is in line with the evangel he will convey in the following chapters. That God will judge all of our works according to the evangel is a part of Paul’s message. To miss this point will detract from the value of the evangel itself in the hearts of its recipients.

The exact word is “according to,” or kata in Greek. This is the eighth time we have seen the term. Each time, it has referred to one object that is different from the other object which it relates to. For example, in Romans 1:3, we read that Christ comes of the seed of David “according to” the flesh. This does not mean the flesh is the ‘seed of David,’ but that the seed of David – and all of the qualities/blessings of which this physical generation and lineage provides – accords specifically with Christ’s flesh, as opposed to His spirit. In Romans 1:4, Christ is regarded as the Son of God with power, and this is “according to” a spirit of holiness. With each use of “according,” the two concepts are distinct, but serve a vital relation to each other.

Thus the evangel Paul brings is not the impending judgment – but both the judgment and the evangel serve a vital relation to each other. The judgment impacts everyone. So also, Paul promised, the evangel impacts everyone (Rom. 1:16, 3:22, 5:18-19.) Whether someone can recognize the truths placed in the evangel now, or post Judgment Day, is something only God, in His power, can dictate (Rom. 1:16.) In this sense, there is harmony (concordance, if you will,) between judgment and the evangel. One helps prepare the individual for a recognition of the truth; the other is that truth.

Through

Both judgment and the evangel itself can only be conveyed through Jesus Christ. This is the sixth time Christ’s name, “Jesus,” has been used in Romans. Only twice have we read the phrase “through Jesus Christ.” The first time we read the phrase, Paul was thanking God through Jesus Christ concerning the Roman ecclesia. The emphasis in both cases is that access to God occurs only through Jesus Christ. God has given all judging to the Son (John 5:22.) He has appointed Jesus as the Savior Who is taking away the sin of the world (John 1:29.)

What gives Jesus the right to judge all? I implicitly answer the question in this article. Though Christ has an intimate relationship to mankind according to the flesh, His intimate relationship to the universe is far grander. It is this relationship that our apostle meditates upon in the most matured revelations in scripture. Jesus can judge all because He is the Image of the invisible God. Through Him alone all things consist (Col. 1:15-17.) Through Jesus, all is (1 Cor. 8:6.) He is the Judge, and He is the Truth which Paul points toward – the Channel through which all are then saved. God does not operate through any other channel, or by any other means (there is no other “image” for mankind to interpret and worship.)

Finally, note the order of the terms – it is not “Christ Jesus,” as we read in Rom. 1:1, but “Jesus Christ,” giving His personal name before His official title. This is to stress His humiliated state during His 33 years on earth, and thus tie the judgment and the salvation of our Lord together. The judgment is possible because of His vital relation to all, as our Arbiter for God. The salvation is possible because of His sufferings for us all, as our Lord, for God. To ignore one in favor of the other is a disservice to the One Who enforces both; it is far better to recognize the dimensions of the matter than to pretend one does not exist. For more information on how they specifically relate to each other chronologically according to scripture, take a look at the study of God’s Timeline, wedged between chapters 5 and 6 of this study.

*   *   *

For the time being, we have dredged all we can from these passages. As we progress through the rest of the letter, it will be good to return to Romans 2:1-16 in light of the evangel itself. I will certainly do this if the occasion calls for it, but it is no large task to read the entire letter a few times aloud.

In short summary, we have learned about:

-       The reality of judgment – which has a view to correct, not abandon, the one being judged

-       The hypocritical nature of human judgment

-       The difference between responsibility and accountability

-       Man’s inability to escape judgment on the basis of Rom. 1:18-32

-       The value of repentance

-       The cause of repentance

-       The parameters for righteous judgment, including the measure and rewards

-       The impartiality of God

-       The situation for the one under law

-       The situation for the one not under law

-       The “nature” of man

-       The “conscience” and its various aspects

-       The relation of judgment to salvation

If I were to summarize these points, it is this: our human attempts to become righteous have failed, and continue to fail, in a religious, individual, interpersonal, and political sense. We are unable to establish a permanent peace. We, as a race, have demonstrated that we are incapable of self-government. A “utopia” will never be established by the spirit of man. It is because of the faults accounted to us in the vice list Paul presents in Romans 1:29-31, stemming from disrespect to righteousness, subjected to sinful behavior by God.

Of course, no one wants to die. It’s such a bleak outlook, but it’s the simple reality that we are hit with. Man has taken to arguing against God as a result. In order to escape the judgment of God, man has sought to justify themselves. If they can self-justify, then they have no need of God’s salvation.

Unfortunately, man cannot self-justify. Every facet of our being is contingent on God. Our body, its abilities, its shortcomings, our skin tone, our environment, our family, our race, our ancestry, our home, the earth we live on, the time we live in, the language we learn, the things we are able to learn, the synapses of our brains…

All owned and orchestrated by God.

But in order for us to learn, we must have a will (which God does confirm that He gives us; Prov. 16:9, 1 Cor. 7:35-40. He simply never says that this will is free – Eph. 1:11.) So, God gives us this ability to make choices, and simultaneously subjects us to sin – ergo, we will perpetually fail at perfecting our decisions.

Thus, the problem has been established. Judgment in Romans concerns the person who commits the act – not the act itself. The acts (Rom. 1:29-31) themselves are wrong – they cannot be “altered.” They demand a judgment, or corrective measure, from a righteous God, toward the person, who can mature. Yet this God’s righteous judgment accords with His grace (Rom. 1:5, 7, 2:16, 3:24.) He evidently hates sin, and rightly so – yet He loves the sinner. So God must, as a righteous Deity, completely deal with the blemish of sin by eradicating it. However, if He permanently discards any creature He has made, then He would be ruining something made in His righteous Son (Col. 1:15.)

Thus, God is presented with the greatest moral dilemma of all time. You must defeat this Sin in man, but You can’t permanently discard the man, or You prove that you had created something with an unrighteous, solely destructive cause in mind for them, thus forcefully retracting all rights to “justly” rule over creation. And, with the sacrifice of Christ in mind, the dilemma, to some, is further exacerbated, as You certainly cannot discard the man, lest you discard someone Jesus died for.

It would be easy to simplify this as an “unstoppable force meeting an immovable object,” but mankind is not unstoppable, nor immovable. Moreover, the solution, as Paul stated, is found in Jesus Christ. We will read this solution in the “justification series,” but if you’re following along in the overarching Romans study, then we must first deal with a more blatant condemnation of the religious fundamentalist, who would have the audacity to exempt himself from the judgment of Romans 2, and further face his objections head on, from Rom. 2:17-3:8.

In the meantime, we will pause the “judgment series,” and pick it up again when we reach chapters 5 and 6 of 1 Corinthians, to consider judgment in Paul’s letters from a practical, day-to-day sense. More on this when we approach that study. Grace and peace.

- GerudoKing