Block Diagram

NT

Romans 2:5-8

i. Critique of Jewish Presumption (2:1-5)

But

Consessive

a) because of your stubbornness

[s] and

Ground

b) unrepentant heart

you are storing up wrath for yourself

a) in the day of wrath

[s] and

Temporal

b) revelation

righteous

Idea-Explanation

of the ... judgment

Idea-Explanation

of God,

General-Specific

ii. The Impartiality of Judgment (2:6-11)

who will render to each person

Idea-Explanation

according to his deeds:

Action-Result

by perseverance in doing good

Action-Manner

to those who ... seek for

Idea-Explanation

a) glory

[s] and

Idea-Explanation

b) honor

c) immortality,

a) eternal life;

[a] but

General-Specific

to those who

Idea-Explanation

a) are selfishly ambitious

[s] and

General-Specific

do not obey the truth, but (-)

Negative-Positive

b) obey unrighteousness, (+)

a) wrath

b) [s] and

b) indignation.

nasb

mine

phrasing

lookup

Romans 2:8 NASB

Romans 2:8

8 but to those who are a selfishly ambitious and b do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

notes

Romans 2:8 - Wrath and indignation to those who persevere in obeying unrighteousness

We see in v. 2:8 the only other alternative to eternal life. Those who do NOT persevere in doing good will receive wrath and indignation in the final judgment. These people are driven by selfishness. They have the same sin problem as those described in chapter 1 - having suppressed the truth, and having exchanged it for a lie, they now obey that lie instead of the truth. They worship and serve the creature - themselves - instead of the God who created them. Like Adam before them, driven by self-exhaltation, they are enticed by their own sinful desires, the lie being so much easier to obey than obeying the truth... "Has God REALLY said...?" Like Adam before them, they deny God and His revealed truth, instead of denying themselves and following Christ. Paul makes clear later in Romans that our obedience clearly indicates which eternal reward we are headed to. "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" he says in Romans 6:16. To those headed toward the reward of eternal life he says "though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching (truth) to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18). Paul is saying the same thing as John, who likewise tells us that there is no middle ground. We are either a child of God, or we are a child of the devil. We are either a slave of sin, or we are a slave of righteousness. The distinction being made by our lifestyle of willful, ongoing, unrepentant sin, or willful, ongoing obedience to the Word of God - "By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God" (1 John 3:10). Is Paul and John saying that a Christian never sins? No. John clearly states in the beginning of his epistle that "if we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8), and that we can and must confess our sin before God, who "is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). But, John also says explicitly that "no one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him" (1 John 3:6). What do we make of this? He says everyone has sin, but that anyone who sins doesn't know God. I believe the distinction is made a few verses later - "little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who PRACTICES righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who PRACTICES sin is of the devil" (1 John 3:7-8). The one who PERSEVERES in doing good will receive eternal life. It is important to notice the form of the verbs used in Romans 2:7-8. In both cases these two people-groups are actively, presently and continuously either persevering in doing good and seeking glory and honor and immortality, or they are actively and continuously persevering in obeying unrighteousness instead of the truth. It is a current and ongoing conscious decision carried out by willing participants. How then do we know if we are truly a Christian headed for eternal life, or if we will also come before God on that day and hear "Depart from me, for I never knew you!" (Matt 7:23)? A Christian actively works (daily time in God's Word - the truth) to know what God commands him to do, and what God commands him NOT to do. He actively makes plans to do what God commands him to do. He actively puts safeguards around him so that he does not do what God commands him NOT to do. He may fail at those tasks at times, but when he does, he feels true godly sorrow at failing his Lord and Savior, goes before Him in humble repentance, confessing his failure, and then seeks renewed strength from God to do better the next time. He then goes straight back to work to learn God's will, and to ensure he does what he is commanded to do and does not do what he is commanded not to do. Does this describe you? If you look at your daily life and everything in it, what are you a slave of? Make no mistake, you are a slave of something, and there are only two possible masters - sin, or righteousness. God, or the devil. Your master is not the one whom you profess with you mouth. It's the one whom you obey minute by minute, day by day, week by week. 2 Peter 2:19 by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.