Scripture Reference: Romans 2:1-16
Impartiality
Please review Romans 2:5-11 for background to this section.
Why are people so ignorant of God’s intention to show goodness? Why do they so blatantly despise it? It is because of their hardness [stubbornness] and their impenitent heart[s] [unrepentant]. So God’s wrath against people’s sins is being stored up like a great reservoir until the day when it will all be poured forth in His righteous judgment. On that day God “will render to each one according to his deeds [works]” (compare Psalm 62:12, and Proverbs 24:12). God’s judging will be based on the standard of truth and there will be no partiality, it will be totally impartial.
God will bestow eternal life on those who through patient continuance [persistence] in doing good seek (simply put, continue on seeking”) glory, honor, and immortality. On the other hand wrath and anger will be the portion of the self-seeking and do not obey the truth, in other words, who reject and keep on disobeying the truth, and follow after, or, who keep on obey[ing] unrighteousness, and evil (see again Romans 1:18). Each one who keeps on producing evil and unrighteousness will receive indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, whereas each one who keeps on working toward good, will have glory, honor, and peace. This just recompense by God is without regard to ethnic background or any other consideration except what each person has done.
A person’s habitual conduct, whether good or evil, reveals the condition of his heart. Eternal life is not rewarded for good living; that would contradict many other Scriptures which clearly state that salvation is not by works, but is all about God’s grace to those who believe (for example, Romans 6:23; 10:9-10; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). A person’s doing good shows that his heart is regenerate. Such a person, redeemed by God, has eternal life. Conversely a person who continually does evil and rejects the truth shows that he is unregenerate, and therefore will be an object of God’s wrath.
The statement, the Jew first and also to the Greek [or Gentile] does not imply special consideration for Jews. Instead, in the light of the divine standard of impartiality; in other words, there is no partiality with God, or favoritism. Rather, it is truly emphasizing that the entire human race is dealt with by God.
The phrase the day of wrath, [or the day of God’s judgment] as stated in Romans 2:5, taken by itself may seem to lend support to the idea of a single general judgment of all humanity. However, the Scriptures do not support such a concept. This phrase must be interpreted in conjunction with passages which clearly indicate that several judgments of different groups occur at different times (for instance, compare the judgment of Israel at Christ’s Second Coming, Ezekiel 20:32-38; the judgment of Gentiles at Christ’s Second Coming, Matthew 25:31-46; and the great white throne judgment, Revelation 20:11-15). We need to realize and remember, the focus of this passage is on the fact that God will judge all peoples, not on the details of who will be judged when.
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 