Romans 2:1-29
Men are constantly striving to feel as if they are acceptable to God. They try through many different ways to be good enough but never really gain confidence that they have made it. This is an exercise in futility to which all men apart from Christ struggle to achieve. This chapter outlines God's condemnation of two of these attempts.
THE MORAL MAN IS CONDEMNED: There are people who consider themselves to be morally good people. They know the difference between right and wrong and are experts at finding fault with the morals of other people. They, however, are not so adept at seeing their own faults. The fact that they have a high sense of morality is of no use to save them from sin, it only serves to condemn them further because they prove that their conscience is sensitive to sin when they judge others. However, their failure to keep the standards to which they hold others makes their condemnation all the more clear and just. We can never hope to be good enough morally to gain God's acceptance. Our only hope is to have the righteousness of Christ credited to us through faith in the cross.
THE RELIGIOUS MAN IS CONDEMNED: Men are good at inventing religions that they believe will help the reach God. Paul is trying to show the Jews that they are not going to be saved from their sin simply because they were born as Jews. The fact that they had rejected Christ will condemn them for all of eternity. Just because they knew the Law and taught the Law did not make them just before God. They had all broken the Law which was given to reveal their need of Christ. Their knowledge of the Law only served to condemn them further. They had been given more revelation than the Pagan or the moral man, yet they still rejected Christ and thought that they could trust their birth and religion to save them. None of us will ever be saved by religious activity or by being born into a Christian home. We can attend church, read our Bibles, say prayers, sing in the choir and even teach the Word of God to others. But if we do not trust Christ, all of that religious activity will only serve to further condemn us.
THE MORAL MAN IS CONDEMNED: There are people who consider themselves to be morally good people. They know the difference between right and wrong and are experts at finding fault with the morals of other people. They, however, are not so adept at seeing their own faults. The fact that they have a high sense of morality is of no use to save them from sin, it only serves to condemn them further because they prove that their conscience is sensitive to sin when they judge others. However, their failure to keep the standards to which they hold others makes their condemnation all the more clear and just. We can never hope to be good enough morally to gain God's acceptance. Our only hope is to have the righteousness of Christ credited to us through faith in the cross.
THE RELIGIOUS MAN IS CONDEMNED: Men are good at inventing religions that they believe will help the reach God. Paul is trying to show the Jews that they are not going to be saved from their sin simply because they were born as Jews. The fact that they had rejected Christ will condemn them for all of eternity. Just because they knew the Law and taught the Law did not make them just before God. They had all broken the Law which was given to reveal their need of Christ. Their knowledge of the Law only served to condemn them further. They had been given more revelation than the Pagan or the moral man, yet they still rejected Christ and thought that they could trust their birth and religion to save them. None of us will ever be saved by religious activity or by being born into a Christian home. We can attend church, read our Bibles, say prayers, sing in the choir and even teach the Word of God to others. But if we do not trust Christ, all of that religious activity will only serve to further condemn us.
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