Eternity Daily Bible Study - No. 506 Series: Romans 1-8 "A Righteousness That Is By Faith" Verses: Romans 2:5-11 Topic: There Is No Favouritism With God Date: 30th August 2005 Romans 2:5-11 HCSB But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment is revealed. (6) He will repay each one according to his works: (7) eternal life to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; (8) but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth, but are obeying unrighteousness; (9) affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; (10) but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. (11) There is no favoritism with God. Firstly the theological dilemma - is Paul preaching "salvation by works" and how does this fit in with statements such as Ephesians 2:8-10? Ephesians 2:8-10 HCSB For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift-- (9) not from works, so that no one can boast. (10) For we are His creation--created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them. In Romans 2:5-11 firstly he maintains: "He will repay each one according to his works" what could be clearer than that? Paul then says how this judgment will operate: "eternal life to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth, but are obeying unrighteousness;" And confirms it further by stating: "(9) affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; (10) but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek." The answer is complex, let's start with Ephesians 2:8-10 above. Christians are indeed saved by grace, through faith - but it does not stop there, we are saved for a purpose - to do good works, and if we do NOT do the good works we are thereby frustrating the very purpose of our salvation! Our faith makes us a 'new creature" and the new creature is made by God to do good works. So something is seriously wrong if faith does not result in works. If I type this article and then send it to the printer I expect it to print. If it does not print, I am not satisfied. Something is wrong. The article is there on the computer but it is not hitting the "real world". It is stuck inside the machine. God has never intended for our faith to be merely internal, to be an emotion or thought or reflection that is "stuck inside the machine" - of our soul. Faith is supposed to create output and that output is called "good works". Faith is closely connected with the kinds of things that Paul mentions here as part of the good person. Firstly if you really have faith you must "seek for glory, honor and immortality". Faith leads us to seek these things. Faith believes that God exists and is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Faith and seeking God's highest good are so closely connected as to almost identical. (Also living faith also leads us away from being self-seeking, disobeying the truth and doing evil. Romans 2:8,9) The other requirement is that Christians will be "patiently doing good". This is different from the meritorious works of the religious law. This is "doing good" as in the Good Samaritan - not sacrificing bull and goats. Now if Christ is truly in us, then we will be like the Good Samaritan and patiently do good to others. Faith leads to Christ dwelling in our hearts (Ephesians 3:14-21) and Christ dwelling in our hearts leads to kindness, love, patience and compassion, which in turn surely lead to us doing good works. Faith and faith's output are connected. You cannot just get your concepts right and be assured of Heaven. Faith is not conceptual it is spiritual. And if spiritual then it moves our inmost being to action. The penitent man leads a penitent life. The man of faith lives a faithful life and Jesus clearly expects that faithful servants will diligently do good deeds. (Matthew 24:45-51, 25:14-30) God does not have favorites. He does not say "because you are Jew you are welcome into My Kingdom" not does He say "because you are a Greek you are welcome into My Kingdom". Rather - it is because you have sought me and loved me and believed in me and obeyed my commandments out of your love and faith and hope - then you are welcome into My Kingdom. Now works alone, without faith can never save us. An unbeliever is an unbeliever no matter how many little old ladies they help across the road. The zealous and energetically religious Pharisees were unsaved, that much is abundantly clear (Romans 10:1-3). Faith in Jesus, and reliance on God's grace and the cross is foundational. No one is saved apart faith. However faith that does not bear fruit is "dead faith" (James 2:17-26), in such a case the tree of faith has no output, no fruit, it is dead, it is useless and barren. We are not meant to live useless and barren lives. The saved man is to become the good neighbor. For what else is meant by the Great Command "you shall love your neighbor as yourselves?" And if that command is neglected then the whole of the Christian faith is also neglected, for all the Law and the prophets hang upon it. Galatians 5:14 HCSB For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Romans 13:8-10 HCSB Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (9) The commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment--all are summed up by this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (10) Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law. God is not fooled by passionate but shallow protestations of faith by those who are completely inactive in living their faith out. God is impartial, which means that He cannot be persuaded apart from the evidence. God is looking for evidence of your faith such as the patient doing of good, and the seeking of glory, honor and immortality. Signing a doctrinal statement or praying a short prayer will not guarantee Heaven unless you live in the light of that prayer or doctrinal statement. If that prayer or doctrinal statement has begun the process of birthing true faith in you so that you have become a "true believer" then you will find your character and your actions conforming to what Paul asks here - the patient doing of good and the seeking of glory, honor and immortality. This is what God wants of you, this is what God seeks from you and this will be the proof of your living faith on "the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment is revealed." Blessings In Christ, John Edmiston (johned@aibi.ph) __________________________________________________________________ REFER OTHERS: If this devotional is a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving this daily bible study. 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