Romans 2: 12-16
Father God, thank you for this time that we can spend reading and studying your Holy Word. Thank you for teaching us in this section that even religious people need salvation too. In Jesus's name, amen.
Today we are continuing to study Romans chapter 2. Now we are moving into another section in Romans chapter 2. Here we are learning about how even the religious Jewish people need salvation and are guilty before God. Let's read over the verses first and then we can go back over each one.
Romans 2: 12-16
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
So again, in Romans chapter 2 verse
12 it says, "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law [this is referring to Gentiles]: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;" [referring to the Jews who were given God's law back in Exodus]
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
So, just because the Jewish people were given and heard God's law does not mean that they are automatically saved. They would have to actually DO the whole law to be justified, which means never breaking one commandment ever! And since no man can keep the whole law (except for the Lord Jesus Christ), we are in need of a savior.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
The fact is that even though the Gentiles were not given God's law, it doesn't mean that they are without excuse because they still have the law of their own conscience, which they cannot even keep that! The mosaic law given to the Jews was meant to help them see more clearly their own sin nature and need for a savior, but the "law of the conscience" also shows us that we are sinners too. But instead of recognizing their sin nature, they accuse and excuse each others sins. They might convince themselves that they aren't as bad as another person and thus deserving of eternal life. But if they are truly honest with themselves they will see that they are sinners too deserving of wrath and when they see this they can choose to believe God as their savior. Today in the dispensation of grace, in order to be saved we are to believe in Christ's death, burial and resurrection as atonement for our sins in order to be saved.
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
All people in the dispensation of grace will be judged according to Paul's Gospel. If they die and have never believed in Christ's death, burial and resurrection as atonement for their sins, they will spend eternity in the lake of fire. Paul's Gospel is very clearly explained and declared in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 and that is what we are to believe in order to be saved, but all of the Pauline epistles are also "Paul's gospel" and after we have believed in Christ's death, burial and resurrection as atonement for our sins as clearly stated in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 then we are to study Paul's Epistles to be fully established and then edified and matured in God's word rightly divided. Then, we can also study the whole Bible rightly divided which is "for our learning."
1st Corinthians 15:1-4 says,
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Have you believed this gospel?
Now for those who died before the dispensation of grace, and even after the dispensation of grace, God will judge them according to whatever gospel was revealed to them at that time. But all believers in all dispensations are saved essentially by the finished work of the cross, because the cross made it possible for us to be saved. All those that are saved or will be saved, receiving eternal life, receive it through Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. That is "Paul's gospel," even though they may have believed a different gospel in previous dispensations or after this dispensation, in order to receive eternal life. An example would be Abraham, believing God would make his seed as numerous as the stars in heaven (Genesis 15:5-6), and his faith was counted for righteousness.
Thank you Father God for showing us the truth in your word rightly divided, including the truth Paul's Gospel. Thank you that through simple faith in Christ's death, burial and resurrection as atonement for our sins, we are saved and given eternal life! In Jesus's name we pray, amen.
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