Rom 2:11-16 NLT
11 For God does not show favoritism.
12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. 13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. 14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. 16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.
12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. 13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. 14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. 16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.
Last time we left off with verse 11-- God does not show favoritism. God's kindness toward us is not favoritism but grace. His kindness was extended to all humanity but it was not freely given. It was earned-- earned by Jesus Christ through His obedience, sacrifice and victory. Our potential freedom from sin was bought and paid for by the shed blood of God's sacrificial lamb. It opened the door to all. But not all are responding. To those who do respond God grants grace. To those who reject God and His grace, they remain trapped in their sin and in the condemnation that already encompasses them. It is not that they will one day be condemned. No, they are condemned already and are dead in that condemnation. They are simply waiting until their bodies expire and the discover the consequence for their chosen state. The sin of Gentiles, and the sin of people of Hebrew heritage are both still sin and bound to bring the same destruction.
The Law of God that the passage speaks of, written internally to all humans, is that sense of right and wrong that naturally occurs to us. In fact we have to be taught to ignore that inner voice and willingly embrace wrong doing. That inner knowledge is evidence of the Creator's presence in our design and creation. The comfort that comes to us when we do right is equal affirmation of the voice of God in our inner selves, a space in our nature that is left unfilled because nothing fits it. Only when we invite the Lord God into our lives and yield to His Lordship is that void filled to capacity.
Your secret live is not all that secret, you understand, right? God knows it. It will one day be revealed to all. Only when we wash ourselves clean in Christ is our evil past eradicated and replaced with His new nature. The new secret life is yet a secret but just between you and God. Want to know a most special secret? Know God!
Your servant in Christ's love
Dan
drdanelliott@gmail.com
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