We take up Paul’s letter to the Romans, written just before he delivered the special offering for the beleaguered Christians in Judea to purchase food with. Romans is an excellent missionary letter written to show the Christians in Rome that Paul was well qualified, both doctrinally and by his experience in the ministry, to receive their prayer and financial support so he could evangelize Spain to the West. Written to people who only knew him by reputation, Paul’s inspired communiqué also served to tighten the understanding of the Roman Christians on the most crucial issue that faces Bible-believing people: the doctrine of justification by faith.

Justification by faith is what I call the “nexus doctrine” of the Christian faith, in that it brings together and focuses all of the crucial doctrines essential to New Testament Christianity. Be it the deity of Christ, the humanity of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity, the doctrine of God’s sovereignty, the doctrine of man’s depravity, and numerous others, these vital truths find their greatest expression as they relate to the doctrine of justification by faith.

But what is the doctrine of justification by faith? Though thorough explanations of the doctrine take up good-sized books, justification essentially refers to God’s act of giving to the one who embraces Jesus Christ with saving faith the standing of a righteous man in His sight. Justification has to do with what Jesus Christ does for the sinner who has now become a saint, not what He does to the sinner who has become a saint.

Though justification is one of more than twenty separate works of God’s grace in the life of one who comes to Christ (with such works as regeneration, pardon, indwelling, and adoption being among them), it is the only doctrine that merits an entire book of the New Testament, unless you include the Revelation as that book in the New Testament given over to the doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming. And do not forget that this doctrine is nestled in the context of a missionary seeking support for his Church planting ministry.

As for the content of Paul’s letter to the Romans, following a rather lengthy introduction, the letter is divided under four major headings, which are the need for justification, the nature of justification, the nation of Israel’s relationship to this grand topic, and the kind of behavior that one should expect to see in the lives of those who are justified. Throughout Romans, we benefit from Paul’s debate in a dispute with an imagined opponent, clearly resulting from his years of ministry in which he would seek to persuade both Jewish and Gentile audiences that justification is the sinner’s only possible solution for his problem of sin.

It is during Paul’s effort to prove to his audience that every sinner, both those who are Gentiles and those who are Jews, need to be justified that we come to the text we will deal with. But do not think that the Romans being written to did not already grasp Paul’s doctrine, in the main. Rather, it is likely that the apostle’s goal was, first, to clarify the doctrine of justification to them in a way they had not seen previously and, then, to convince them that he was a missionary who was orthodox according to their understanding of this vital subject and worthy of their support.

Because he is a depraved sinner, every person needs to be justified in God’s sight. Since no sinner has any ability to perform good deeds by God’s standards, truly righteous deeds, or religious deeds that would satisfy God’s demands for establishing a righteous standing, every sinner desperately needs to be justified, desperately needs to be declared righteous in God’s sight.

Paul first informed his readers in Romans 1.18 that mankind has a desperate need, where he writes,

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”

But how does sinful man respond to this revelation of God’s wrath? At this point, Paul dealt with the two groups into which humanity is divided: Gentiles and Jews.

In the second half of Romans chapter one, Paul illustrated Gentile wickedness by means of three cycles of man’s rebellion against God followed by God’s response to man’s rebellion. Now, having clearly established to the satisfaction of all the Gentiles’ sinfulness in Romans chapter 1, Paul turns to his prosecution of the Jew.

Remembering that all through Romans 1.20-32, the imagined Jewish reader was in agreement with every word Paul said about the wickedness and horror of Gentile sin, and understanding that Jewish individuals characteristically condemned the Gentiles around them for their ungodly lifestyles, it might come as a great shock and surprise to learn that Paul now turns to the question of the Jewish people and shows that they, too, stand condemned before God for their response to God’s revelation.

In verses 1-5 of Romans chapter 2, we see three reasons why Paul accused the Jewish person of being in the same boat, spiritually, as the pagan Gentile whose lifestyle and sins he agreed with Paul in condemning:

“THEREFORE THOU ART INEXCUSABLE, O MAN,” BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF YOUR DOING

Though you might think that in condemning the lifestyle of the pagan Gentile the Jewish person ought to be commended, we see in verses 1-3 that such was not the case with Paul.

In verse 1, note their condemnation:

“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”

My goodness, what an ingrate Paul is. Here, the Jewish people are on his side on this issue, and he comes back at them like that. But are they on his side just because they oppose what he opposes? I don’t think so. Paul says they are inexcusable, which is the same thing he wrote regarding the Gentiles in Romans 1.20, the only other place in the Bible where he uses this word. But why would Paul say that Jewish people are without excuse? Because they were guilty themselves of what they condemned in others. Does that mean they were idolaters, like the others, or that they were disobedient to their parents, or that they hated God, or that they fornicated, or that they were sodomites? Not at all. Paul was not accusing Jewish people of having the same symptoms as the Gentiles, only of having the same underlying problem. What they did, you see, was only symptomatic of the underlying problem. The Jewish people condemned Gentiles for rebellion against God, for failing to respond appropriately to God’s revelation of Himself. But that’s precisely what they had done in their own lives.

In verse 2, note Paul’s confidence:

“But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.”

Paul seems relatively sure of himself in this pronouncement, doesn’t he? The “we are sure” indicates that he expects absolutely no opposition to the statement he is about to make. And what is that statement? God’s judgment is according to truth. That’s first. God does not judge according to what anyone thinks but according to what is. He does not deal with fancy or facades but with facts. That will shake up a great many people come Judgment Day who have fooled themselves and others who thought they fooled God. Secondly, God’s judgment is against those who commit such things. Different from what people want to think about God. Amen? God’s judgment is actually against people.

Now, note their conceit in verse 3:

“And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?”

Where is their conceit? It was in thinking that they would escape the judgment of God, even though they deserved the judgment of God. Paul, who is now dealing with these people, did not deny that they were sinful. They were not deceived into thinking they had no sin, as First John 1.8 says some are misled to believe. Where they were deceived is in thinking that because they sided with morality, because they agreed with God that sin is sinful, that that would somehow enable them to escape the judgment of God. But you do not escape the judgment of God just because there are some issues in which you and God agree. The fact that they presumed to judge those who had the same root sin problem they had, differing only in some of the outward symptoms, indicates that they were condemned themselves.

Next, “THOU ART INEXCUSABLE, O MAN,” BECAUSE OF THE ATTITUDE OF YOUR DESPISING

Verse 4:

“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

When a Jewish person observed that because God’s judgment has already begun to fall upon the Gentiles (as we have seen in Romans chapter 1) but not on him, and when he falsely concluded that he was somehow right with God, he revealed an attitude of despising.

And what is despised? Paul’s unconverted Jewish readers were guilty of despising the richness of God’s goodness, of despising God’s forbearance, and of despising God’s long-suffering. They despised the richness of God’s goodness by thinking He was satisfied with their lives and that He was pleased with their lifestyles. They ignored the obvious reality that God was just being good to them. Not because they deserved it but because goodness is one of God’s attributes. It’s just the way He is. They despised God’s forbearance because they did not recognize that forbearance does not mean judgment will not fall, just that judgment will not fall yet. And they despised God’s long-suffering for not realizing that it had taken this wonderful attribute of God’s personality to explain God’s willingness to give them time to repent when they deserved immediate judgment. Something is despised whenever you think you deserve it when actually you don’t; when you treat it as common when actually it isn’t; when you think it is guaranteed when actually it is not.

With this understood, what is disclosed with these things despised? There are two things disclosed:

First, there is a disclosure related to knowledge. When someone despises God’s goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, that individual shows something besides his wickedness. He also shows his ignorance and his lack of knowledge. People who condemn others, people who are so self-righteous in their lost condition, these Jewish readers who thought they knew so much about God. Or at least they thought they knew so much about how God ought to be. The truth, however, is that they knew very little. They were profoundly ignorant about the things of God, His nature, and His dealings with sinful men. The result was a profound misunderstanding of what God was doing and why.

Which brings me to the second disclosure. It’s a disclosure of need. Not only did they misunderstand what God was doing and despised His goodness as a result, but they also misunderstood why He was doing it. Though they didn’t think they were good, they did think they were good enough. God, however, is not of that opinion. And God showed His goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering for the express purpose of giving the Jewish people time to repent, not because they were good enough.

Finally, “THOU ART INEXCUSABLE, O MAN,” BECAUSE OF YOUR ACCUMULATION TOWARD HIS DAY

Verse 5:

“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”

Religious but unregenerate people think that they are doing good things and that God will be so pleased with the treasures of good works that they store up that He will give them a nice eternity in heaven. But it’s not going to be exactly as they have imagined it. In reality, they are storing up for their own destruction.

Notice why there is such an accumulation, as we see in this verse. Two descriptions here: Hardness and impenitent heart. See that word “hardness?” Don’t picture a rock when you imagine this word “hardness.” Instead, imagine a twig. It ought to be green and very flexible to stand against the strong wind without breaking. But it is actually dead, dry, and brittle. Apply force to bend it; it doesn’t bend. It breaks. Paul has in mind people who don’t commit the horrible sins of Romans chapter 1 but who are rigid and inflexible to the will of God just the same. A synonym would be stubborn. The second description is “impenitent heart.” This is a heart that refuses to repent. And why? It’s anybody’s guess what the logic would be, but I think that the Jewish reader, the religious but lost person Paul addresses at this point, believes that repentance is for those described in Romans chapter 1, not him. This type of person refuses to be flexible to the will of God, which would lead to repentance. This person has a heart that refuses to acknowledge the need for repentance, and there is an accumulation. There is a storing up and a laying up of treasure, which is what the Greek word literally means.[1]

But what kind of treasure is being laid up? Here is the irony. The Jewish person, and anyone else who is so confident because of his superior morality and lifestyle that he is laying up treasures, is actually laying up wrath against the Day of Wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. He is making sure, by his hypocritical piety, that God’s cup of wrath for him will be full on Judgment Day. And he is guaranteeing that God’s righteous judgment will, on him, be revealed.

Do you see how Paul did it? Having already shown his readers that the uncivilized and barbaric Gentiles were obviously guilty of wretched sinfulness, he turned his attention to Jewish sinners.

If you want to draw a parallel between Gentile sinners and Jewish sinners, think about the difference between a man who robs a gas station and George Soros. Soros is the billionaire who used money he got from USAID that was given to non-profits he established. What did he use the money for? He is accused of undermining every aspect of our American way of life and undercutting our morals and values.

The gas station robber is functionally illiterate, uncouth, has bad breath, doesn’t bathe very often, and was probably a high school dropout. He stole $27 and change. Soros, on the other hand, is extremely wealthy, dresses impeccably, and is well-educated. But he, too, might be a thief.[2]

The difference between the Jews and the Gentiles was not a difference in sinfulness, just as the difference between someone like George Soros accused of and the common thief is not a difference in honesty. The Jewish people just committed different kinds of sins. Therefore, they were just as sinful in the sight of God as the worst Gentiles... differing only in what kind of sins they committed.

Please locate Romans 2.4, so I can drive the nail home. When you find that verse, stand for the reading of God’s Word:

“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

Are you a moral person, much like the Jewish people Paul addressed in our text? If so, pay careful attention while I show you how you have despised God’s goodness:

First, BY SHOWING YOU WHAT GOD’S GOODNESS IS

God’s goodness is one of His divine attributes. It is a part of His very nature as God. Therefore, being good, showing His goodness, is as much what God is as what God does.

This means that God can never be bad. It is not possible for Him to be bad, but He is always and only good. Thus, everything God has ever and will ever do must be good because God is good.

This is where some go terribly wrong. I spoke to someone once who called into question God’s goodness. Perhaps you are guilty of the same sin. You may be one of those individuals who thinks God is only good when things go your way or when you get what you want and that whenever you experience difficulties, God is not good to you.

Of course, such thinking is very much off-course. Because God is good, He can only do good, even when you might think it is unpleasant. I show you how you have despised God’s goodness,

Next, BY SHOWING YOU WHAT GOD’S GOODNESS DOES

Paul informs us that God’s goodness is abundant. He refers to “the riches of his goodness.” But what does God’s goodness do? Ultimately, in the case of some sinners like you, the goodness of God leads to repentance. That is, God’s goodness directs people to repentance and brings them to it.

Think about your situation as compared to the Jews. They had the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). They had the Law (given to Moses on Mount Sinai). They had the prophets. They had the promises. To them were committed the oracles of God.

In like manner, what has God given you? The Gospel, this Church, Christian parents, and adult Christian role models? For some of you, a Christian school. I would like to think also well-prepared Bible sermons and lessons.

Understand, the purpose of God’s many goodnesses toward you is the same as God’s many goodnesses toward the Jewish people, to lead you to repentance. God’s desire is for you to see your sinfulness, to benefit from the many prayers offered up for you, and temptations that loving parents have spared you from, so that you will come to Christ at an early age and amount to something for God as an adult.

BUT WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH GOD’S GOODNESS INSTEAD OF REPENTING?

Understand that by repentance, I am talking about the other side of coming to Christ. When a sinner repents of his sins, he only really does so by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. And when a sinner comes to Christ, really comes to Christ, he has repented of his sins.

But what have you done while God, in His goodness, has held back judgment and wrath? What have you done with the benefit that God gave you of having a Christian mother, or a Christian father, or a Gospel preaching Church with members who pray for you?

Do you look at yourself and think, “Oh, Lord, I am unworthy of the many blessings you pour out on me. Who am I to receive such blessings from God?” What many do instead of repenting of their sins, what many do instead of coming to Christ, is use their many opportunities and blessings to commit yet more sins.

The Lord Jesus Christ left heaven’s glory to suffer, bleed, and die for sinners. He was buried and rose from the dead on the third day in a glorified body and now sits at His Father’s right hand on high.

God’s goodness places someone in a position to hear the wonderful message of salvation, to be told that he can be forgiven all his sins when he turns to Jesus Christ and that the God he has sinned against loves him enough to bring this about.

Turning one’s back on the Lord Jesus Christ, ignoring the opportunities God gives, and continuing on in a lost condition is far worse than simply not coming to Christ. It is active opposition to God by despising the riches of His goodness.

When anyone does that, as was pointed out in Romans 2.5 in my exposition, they store up wrath for themselves against the Day of Wrath and revelation of God's righteous judgment. In other words, they are shoveling coal into the furnace that will be their place of eternal torment.

Do you do that? Are you sure you want to do that? Are you sure you want to despise the goodness of God?

__________

[1] Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1980), page 352.

[2] https://x.com/i/grok/share/lriIUPJqaSPf4zvKZO3QazuaU

The Goodness Of God