Is Paul Now Preaching Works? (Romans 2:5-10)

SCRIPTURE

Romans 2:5-10
But because of your hard and impenitent (unrepentant) heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

COMMENT

First, think back to verse 4, where God's patience and kindness is meant to lead us to repentance, and not happiness, prosperity, or other such self-centered things. It all goes back to the idea of repentance. When we hear the gospel message of what Christ has done, that He suffered and died a horrific death on our behalf because of His great love for us, that should have an impact. It should change us. It should take us out of our self-centered lives and put us in a life that worships and adores the one who saved us. Repentance!

Now let's talk about verse 6, because this verse confuses some people. He will render to each one according to his works:  What? I thought we were not saved by works! We are not, but works do play a part in our judgement. Think of it this way, according to Jesus, the mere though of wrong doing makes us guilty of sin. (See Matthew 5:27-28 for example) So in standing before God, our guilt is already there. It is our actions that act as evidence, not determining our guilt, but revealing it.

Many think of judgement day as a day when all of our actions are set before us, and put on a scale, and if the good outweighs the bad we get into heaven. But the Bible says that even our good deeds are like filthy rags before God. (Isaiah 64:6) So how does that balance out any bad that I have done? Judgement day is not about determining our guilt or innocence, it is about revealing it. God already knows, but I think some people will be surprised on that day. That prayer you said, or that altar call you responded to, or that call to be baptized was not salvation. Sorry, that fire insurance policy has lapsed. Judgement day is when God reveals to us, based on the evidence, whether or not we are guilty. And here's the deal, we're all guilty. Our actions only condemn us. But for those who are in Christ, those whose actions show that they have repented, have turned their lives around and live for Christ, they have an advocate. It's not that we are innocent, it's not that we don't deserve punishment, it's that our advocate has already paid the price by taking our punishment on Himself.

I believe on that day many will say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" (Matthew 7:22) Or they might say, "I said the prayer, I went to the altar, I was baptized by the preacher," etc, but Jesus will respond, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." (Matthew 7:23) Now look at verse 24. "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Wait! weren't the ones whom He just said He did not know doing? Well, yes, but their deeds, their works revealed that in their doing they were only serving themselves. The real doing that Jesus is talking about is not the actual works, but the heart behind those works, and that is what God judges.

Read Romans 2:6-8 now, and if you are honest, you cannot say that Paul is preaching a works-based faith. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 

The reward awaits (verses 9-10), but it awaits those who believe, those who have repented, those who accept the gospel and are changed by it because one cannot help but truly be changed when they truly hear and understand the gospel. I pray that you have ears to hear.