Romans 2:5-11

Scripture Verse

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶ God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” ⁷ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. ⁸ But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. ⁹ There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; ¹⁰ but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ¹¹ For God does not show favoritism.

Have you ever exceeded the speed limit?

How often have we exceeded the speed limit when driving on the highway, assuming that the police won‘t catch us? Are we relating to God with the same attitude? That’s exactly what Paul is writing about in today’s passage. Almost 2000 years after it was written, Paul‘s letter to the Romans has not lost any of its relevance.

To Paul it is absolutely clear that as children of God, irrespective from our background as Jews or Gentiles, we should have an ardent desire to spend eternity with the Lord. How then can we continue in our evil and corrupt ways after we have found forgiveness of our sins in Jesus Christ?

Shouldn’t we, Paul asks, desire to live according to the principles which Jesus has taught us? Through our actions and thoughts, we must seek to do good thus glorifying our Father in Heaven. Paul doesn’t imply that our salvation is in our own hands. He knows that we will fail over and over again. In Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul clearly says „by grace alone you have been saved, through faith …not by works“. Only by the grace of God will our honest efforts to serve Him in the knowledge of our sinfulness be rewarded with eternal life.

Paul also warns us to assume that we could „get away “because we are special in one way or another. At the time, some Christians with a Jewish background believed that they are automatically saved because they come from God‘s chosen people. For us it would be the though ‘’My parents were Christians. They baptized me as a baby and so I am safe! “ or maybe we think that going to church is good enough to make it to heaven. Wrong! God in His righteousness and impartiality will judge each one of us exclusively on the basis of our own relationship with Him and how this relationship is reflected in our life. There is no other way to eternity.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord for reminding me of your absolute righteousness and impartial judgement. Thank you for saving me through Jesus’ death on the cross. Please draw my thoughts to you whenever I am distracted by the things you don‘t like so that you will find me worthy to spend eternity with you! Amen.