June 15
Bible Reading: Romans 2
Romans 2:12, “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.”
In John Bunyan’s classic allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, there is an interchange between Christian and Worldly Wiseman in which Christian seeks counsel as to how to alleviate his burden. Worldly Wiseman responds by directing Christian to a village named Morality: “CHRISTIAN: I know what I would obtain; it is ease from my heavy burden. MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: But why wilt thou seek for ease this way, seeing so many dangers attend it? Especially since (hadst thou but patience to hear me) I could direct thee to the obtaining of what thou desirest, without the dangers that thou in this way wilt run thyself into. Yea, and the remedy is at hand. Besides, I will add, that instead of those dangers, thou shalt meet with much safety, friendship, and content. CHRISTIAN: Sir, I pray open this secret to me. MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: Why, in yonder village (the village is named Morality) there dwells a gentleman whose name is Legality, a very judicious man, and a man of a very good name, that has skill to help men off with such burdens as thine is from their shoulders; yea, to my knowledge, he hath done a great deal of good this way; aye, and besides, he hath skill to cure those that are somewhat crazed in their wits with their burdens.”
Paul wrote his epistle, Romans, to a church comprised of both Jews and Gentiles. And while Paul’s point in chapter 1 was to show the radical depravity of all mankind, his objective in chapter 2 was to show that Jew and Gentile alike were under condemnation. The Jews of Paul’s day typically looked down upon the Gentiles as being especially sinful and worthy of God’s judgment. In addition, many of them wrongly assumed that righteousness could be obtained through religious effort—the view held by Worldly Wiseman.
This chapter has application to any who would view themselves as being excluded from the dreadful description of man’s depravity found in the previous chapter. John Mitchell once said that chapter 1 was for the “down and out” while chapter 2 was for the “up and out.” In other words, if you, having read through chapter 1, applying God’s indictment only to others and not to yourself, you have missed the point. Chapter 2 is for you. This chapter speaks to the principles by which God judges sin. That is something which is important to know if we are going to avoid the mistaken perspective of Worldly Wiseman.
Amongst the other truths affirmed regarding God’s judgment are these: 1) God judges sin according to His righteous standard (Romans 2:1-5); God shows no partiality in His judgment (Romans 2:6-11); God judges the secrets of men (Romans 2:12-16); God is not fooled by man’s religious hypocrisy (Romans 2:17-24).
Ray Pritchard offers some sobering thoughts regarding “religion” and “light” reminding us that “Since judgment is according to light, religious people have the most to fear. We who know so much stand in much greater danger than the heathen who know so little. Forget about the heathen! What about you? If you are trusting in your good works and your basic nice-guy morality to get you to heaven, you will be sadly disappointed. You’re not as good as you think you are. You’re not as nice as you pretend to be. You don’t live up to your own standards. The day is coming when you will be condemned by your own words. Your alternatives are very simple. Either face Jesus Christ now… or face Him later. Today He is your Savior; tomorrow He will be your Judge. Today, you can be forgiven; tomorrow you will only be condemned. Today, your record can be wiped clean; tomorrow your record will be used against you. Run to the cross! Run and do not walk. Run, make haste to the bleeding cross of Jesus Christ. Don’t just stand there looking religious. Religion can only damn you! If you are Mr. I.M. Okay, then drop everything and run to Jesus. Drop your morality, drop your pretense, drop your hypocrisy, drop your excuses, drop it all and run to the Son of God. The good news is this: Jesus is ready to meet you. When Mr. I.M. Okay finally comes to the cross, there he encounters the power that will transform him into Mr. I.M. Forgiven.”
Ray Pritchard
Mere external observance of religious rules can never work to satisfy the righteous demands of our all-knowing and just God. The village of morality (Romans chapter 2) was in even greater danger than the City of Destruction (Romans chapter 1). In Destruction, the danger was manifest; in Morality it was smothered and covered up. Believing all to be well, the fear of pending judgment was mistakenly discarded. But there is a judge who knows all and who will impartiality judge according to His own righteous standard. True righteousness is needed, the kind that is “a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter” (Romans 2:29). That kind of righteousness is availed to a man only through faith in Christ (Romans 3:21-22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9).
In Christ alone is safe refuge secured for those who seek to “flee from the wrath to come.”
Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law’s demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.
