TWO LIFESTYLES.............TWO DESTINIES
"God will render to every man according to his deeds; to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile: but glory and honour and peace, to every man that works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile; for there is no respect of persons with God." Romans 2 v 6-11.
We recall what Paul is establishing here: the need for God's righteousness, the need for God to intervene in our plight. On one side we have the folly of the heathen in rejection, on the other we have the hypocrisy, the hollowness, the mockery of the religious man who relies on his external religion. These are two extremes of the human spectrum, and everything in between is included in the dilemma.
What Paul is doing here, is reminding Jewish readers of their covenant responsibilities to God. The essence of Jewish history was that they received God's standard in the law, which they were to keep, and to become an example to all other nations. Every Jew understood this was the way to blessing.
"And it shall be our righteousness. if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He commanded us." Deuteronomy 6 v 25.
This is what Paul is saying here, live your life from birth to death, in a way that is acceptable to God and you will have eternal life. The clear indication here is that there are two lifestyles and two destinies. No Jew has ever lived like that, nor any Gentile, so there's a problem.
Says Paul, "you have a form of knowledge" 2 v 20, just an outward appearance, not good enough. Later we shall see that God's purpose in giving the law to Israel, was not to see if they could keep it, but to prove they could not, nor could anyone (Romans 5 v 20) so we all become dependent on God's mercy.
This passage, however, brings before us very solemn issues. If we understand the terms "doing good" and "doing evil" to mean accepting or rejecting God's way of salvation, which is the subject of the rest of the letter, we begin to see the biblical truth, all the way through the Divine revelation. There are Two classes of people in the world.......righteous and lawless.
Two ways of living.................................for God, or self.
Two destinies..........................................eternal honour, or eternal shame.
Examples abound, Cain and Abel, Moses and Pharoah, Korah and Aaron, Orpah and Ruth, King Saul and King David etc.
Paul makes clear that by the cross of Jesus Christ, the world is divided into two groups "those who are saved, and those who are perishing." 1 Corinthians 1 v 18. The parting will come, "some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt" Daniel 12 v 2. In which group are you?
THIS IS FOR ETERNITY! the issues are huge, bigger than any other you may have.
Glory, honour, immortality, peace, eternal life, not merely length of life but quality of life! ......OR,
Indignation, wrath, tribulation, anguish.
Moses final message to Israel was "I call heaven and earth to witness, this day against you, that I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, BLESSING and CURSING: therefore CHOOSE LIFE.
Deuteronomy 30 v 19.
"And will the Judge descend,
And must the dead arise,
And not a single soul escape
His all-discerning eyes
Oh, sinner seek His grace
Whose wrath you cannot bear
Flee to the shelter of the cross
And find salvation there" Philip Doddridge.
Tomorrow, God willing , OBJECTIONS TO GOD'S JUDGMENT.
"God will render to every man according to his deeds; to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile: but glory and honour and peace, to every man that works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile; for there is no respect of persons with God." Romans 2 v 6-11.
We recall what Paul is establishing here: the need for God's righteousness, the need for God to intervene in our plight. On one side we have the folly of the heathen in rejection, on the other we have the hypocrisy, the hollowness, the mockery of the religious man who relies on his external religion. These are two extremes of the human spectrum, and everything in between is included in the dilemma.
What Paul is doing here, is reminding Jewish readers of their covenant responsibilities to God. The essence of Jewish history was that they received God's standard in the law, which they were to keep, and to become an example to all other nations. Every Jew understood this was the way to blessing.
"And it shall be our righteousness. if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He commanded us." Deuteronomy 6 v 25.
This is what Paul is saying here, live your life from birth to death, in a way that is acceptable to God and you will have eternal life. The clear indication here is that there are two lifestyles and two destinies. No Jew has ever lived like that, nor any Gentile, so there's a problem.
Says Paul, "you have a form of knowledge" 2 v 20, just an outward appearance, not good enough. Later we shall see that God's purpose in giving the law to Israel, was not to see if they could keep it, but to prove they could not, nor could anyone (Romans 5 v 20) so we all become dependent on God's mercy.
This passage, however, brings before us very solemn issues. If we understand the terms "doing good" and "doing evil" to mean accepting or rejecting God's way of salvation, which is the subject of the rest of the letter, we begin to see the biblical truth, all the way through the Divine revelation. There are Two classes of people in the world.......righteous and lawless.
Two ways of living.................................for God, or self.
Two destinies..........................................eternal honour, or eternal shame.
Examples abound, Cain and Abel, Moses and Pharoah, Korah and Aaron, Orpah and Ruth, King Saul and King David etc.
Paul makes clear that by the cross of Jesus Christ, the world is divided into two groups "those who are saved, and those who are perishing." 1 Corinthians 1 v 18. The parting will come, "some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt" Daniel 12 v 2. In which group are you?
THIS IS FOR ETERNITY! the issues are huge, bigger than any other you may have.
Glory, honour, immortality, peace, eternal life, not merely length of life but quality of life! ......OR,
Indignation, wrath, tribulation, anguish.
Moses final message to Israel was "I call heaven and earth to witness, this day against you, that I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, BLESSING and CURSING: therefore CHOOSE LIFE.
Deuteronomy 30 v 19.
"And will the Judge descend,
And must the dead arise,
And not a single soul escape
His all-discerning eyes
Oh, sinner seek His grace
Whose wrath you cannot bear
Flee to the shelter of the cross
And find salvation there" Philip Doddridge.
Tomorrow, God willing , OBJECTIONS TO GOD'S JUDGMENT.
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