God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

Romans 2:1-24 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

The Impartiality of God

2 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. ³ But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who will render to each person according to his deeds: ⁷ to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; ⁸ but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. ⁹ There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, ¹⁰ but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no partiality with God.

¹² For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; ¹³ for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, ¹⁶ on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

The Jew Is Condemned by the Law

¹⁷ But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, ¹⁸ and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, ¹⁹ and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, ²¹ you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? ²² You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? ²⁴ For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.

Let's begin with the last few verses of today's text. Paul has through out this portion of his letter to the believers in Rome addressed judgment and hypocrisy like Jesus Himself often did. Here at the end of this text though Paul points out the greatest negative consequence of religious hypocrisy. He writes:  You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?  For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.  This is certainly a critical aspect of our lives and one of the greatest challenges the church faces in our day.

How often do we hear, from unbelievers, about the hypocrisy of Christians? Those who reject Christ will be quick to name the names of some of the notable Christians who have publicly fallen. They will point to the improper focus on and use of money that they see in some ministries. They will be quick to point out the flaws that have been made public in the church and it's leaders. God's reputation suffers, indeed God is blasphemed because of the hypocrisy of men. 

Whether it is fair, accurate or right for the world to point out the flaws of believers and the church as a whole is not the point. We need to recognize that it will happen and so we are called to live our lives in such a way as to limit the world's negative view of believers and of God Himself.

Paul begins this portion of his letter saying:  you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. ³ But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?

Jesus says: "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2"For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.…(Matthew 7:1-2)

Paul writes:  There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,  but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For there is no partiality with God.  The world believes that it is a matter of whether we are good or evil that determines our eternal destiny, supposing that they can be good enough to deserve to go to heaven.

The truth is:  all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,(Romans 3:23) Ecclesiastes 7:20 says:  Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.   The very best people still have flaws and failures.

Paul continues:  For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;  for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.  It is not enough that we know the law. It is not hearers of the law who are just but doers of the law.

James 2:10 says: For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.   

In Matthew 5: 18-20 Jesus says:     "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19"Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20"For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

No one can keep the whole law every moment of every day. Paul offers the good news, the solution to our sin problem. He writes:  God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

Jesus says: "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."(Luke 19:10)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.(John 3:16)

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.(Romans 5:8)

God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. We can either stand before God on our own merit and our own works and righteousness or we can accept the redemptive work of Christ. We can walk in the restoration the cross brings to our life.

If our message to the world is based on judgment and condemnation about their failure to uphold the law and the righteousness of God, then both the world and God will judge us by the same standard. Our message to the world needs to be about the redemption and restoration that comes through repentance.

In 1 Corinthians 1:22-24   Paul says:

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer, Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your amazing grace, for Your patience with me. Thank You for Your limitless goodness, that Your mercies are new every morning, so that when I fall You pick me up. Forgive me for any way that my life or my words have been a stumbling block to others. Forgive me when I have held others to a higher standard than You have held me. Holy Spirit, guide me, lead me, take full control of my life so that it might bring glory and not dishonor to God. May I walk and talk as an example of Your light, Your truth and Your love. My prayer is that of John the Baptist who said: He must increase, but I must decrease.(John 3:30)  May others see Your redemption and restoration in and through my life.    Amen.