In his inspired letter to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul addresses the question of why we need salvation. He points out that people have deliberately turned away from God. They have suppressed the truth, embraced idolatry and, as a result, have fallen prey to all sorts of evil practices. They have no excuse for their behavior, or the consequences of their behavior.
Some of the people to whom Paul wrote were Jews. Because God had given them the Law of Moses, they may have felt superior to those people without the Law whom God gave over to their own sinful desires. However, Paul points out that it is not possession of a law which makes people pleasing to God, but living according to God’s standards which makes us acceptable to Him. Those who have the Law but do not live by it are just as guilty as anyone else.
In chapter 2, verses 1 through 11 he writes, “Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:” to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life; but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation, oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.”
We humans are very quick to condemn others. We see someone doing something which we consider a sin, and we start talking about what terrible things they are doing. Unfortunately, we do not confine our comments to their actions. We go on to say what a terrible person they are.
It is appropriate for us to uphold God’s standards. There is nothing wrong in speaking out when someone does something which God does not approve, or when someone does not do what God says they should. However, we go beyond what is appropriate when we expect people to conform to our standards instead of what God has said. Even worse is when we condemn someone else when we are as guilty as they. We might not have done some of the things Paul mentions in the first part of his letter, but we too have broken God’s standards. For example, we might not have indulged in sexual perversion, yet be arrogant and boastful which, Paul points out, is just as bad. Even if we have avoided all the specific things Paul mentions, none of us has met God’s standards of perfection. Not one of us can say that we have kept God’s law perfectly.
Therefore, nobody who knows God’s standards has any right to condemn those who have never known them. Those who have God’s law but have not kept it, are just as guilty as those who do not have it but have deliberately turned away from the knowledge of God which we can perceive in nature. In both cases, we are under God’s judgment. Paul writes that God’s judgment is based on truth. This means that He judges based on the actual situation, not our own perceptions of our superiority over anyone else, or whether their sin is greater than ours. We are all guilty no matter how much or little we have sinned.
This raises a question. If we are all guilty and under God’s judgment, why does He continue to put up with our sin? Why does He not make an end of evil? Paul’s answer is that God is kind and patient. He is hoping that His kindness toward us will cause us to repent and turn from our evil. The Apostle Peter agrees. He writes, “…He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)
What will happen if instead of repenting, we look at God’s patience as a license to continue sinning? Paul writes that we are storing up wrath for ourselves. God may be willing to not punish sin immediately in the hopes that some day we will renounce it, but the day will come when His patience will run out. At some point He will bring judgment.
Upon what does God base His judgment? Paul writes that God’s judgment is righteous. It will be exactly what is appropriate for the sin which we have committed. As we saw earlier, it is also based on truth. God will not punish us for something we have not done, nor will He overlook anything we have done. As Paul explains, “God will give to each person according to what he has done.” (Romans 2:6 NIV)
If we are all guilty of sin, and if God will judge us according to what we have done, is there no hope? Is there no way to escape God’s wrath? Yes there is. There are two sides to the principle that God will judge us according to what we have done. He will certainly punish those who reject the truth and follow evil. On the other hand, He will certainly reward those who do good. As we already saw, God desires our repentance. If we renounce sin and seek to do what is right, God will reward that desire.
This principle applies to everyone, whether we are Jews or non-Jews, whether we have had the benefit of knowing God’s laws and standards, or whether we are ignorant of them. God does not show favoritism to anyone. No matter who we are or what our background is, God will reward or punish us according to what we have done.