“A Righteousness that Condemns Good People"
Romans 2:1-16
And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? – Romans 2:3
The “you” in this passage is an interesting id. It is the moral person; the good person; the one who does right. Whether Jew or Gentile, under law or apart from it; it is the person who tries to live an honest life.
They are the ones who judge those “practicing sin” in Romans 1:29-32. The fact of the matter is that good and moral people will face judgment. And why? Because “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
In this world “there is no one righteous, no not one.” In this section Paul described how the moral person and those who “practice sin” are guilty of the same. “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of judgment. But I say to you whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” [Matthew 5:21-22]
Our Lord connected the trespass [murder] with its source [anger] and declared that both bring condemnation. And therefore Romans 2:3, “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
Moral people are as guilty as the immoral practicing sin in terms of their standing before God. All are sinners and therefore inherently separated from God.
And that builds to the conclusion, “There is none righteous, no, not one” [Romans 3:10]. God’s righteousness is revealed in condemnation toward even the most honest and moral person. Because “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” [Isaiah 64:6]
If you think you are going to heaven because you are a good person, Scripture begs to differ. No matter how good you are, your goodness cannot stand before the holiness of God. For that you need the “righteousness of God” in the Person of Jesus Christ.
At the Cross of Calvary, the Bible declares that Jesus took upon Himself our sin; and in that He made a way for His righteousness to be credited to you. Your only part is to receive that credit.
Now how good is that?! That is why the Gospel of Christ is such good news. It is the greatest work that you can receive in this life. It is the work that gets you to heaven. Make sure you do not leave here this morning without receiving it.
