Romans: Man without Excuse: The Credits of Wrath We Accumulate

I’ve divided Chapter 2 of Romans into five articles to explore in detail as Paul discusses how man is without excuse for his sin before a holy and just God. They are:

The Certainty of Divine Judgement: vs 1-4 (discussed in last month’s article)
The Credits of Wrath We Accumulate: vs 5-11
The Conscience That Condemns: vs 12-16
The Confidence That Fails: vs 17-24
The Circumcision That Counts: vs 25-29

As a reminder, in Chapter 1 Paul dealt with the pagan man, but now Paul deals with the moral man in Chapter 2, verses 1-16, and you will note that the focus moves from “they” in Chapter 1 to “thou” in Chapter 2 making his arguments more personal to the reader.

What’s the difference between the pagan man and the moral man? The pagan man either doesn’t know or doesn’t care about being a sinner while the moral man thinks that he is good enough to pass God’s judgement on his own merit. Paul will provide the evidence that reveals the failure in that perspective.

Also note that as we examine these chapters, Paul is arguing that knowledge of God’s law does not provide some blanket protection from either sin or judgement. Nor does the lack of knowledge for the pagan man free him from sin and judgement even though he will not be condemned by the Mosaic Law.

We will also learn that the Jew cannot escape judgement for his greater knowledge of the law because that greater knowledge places on him a greater burden to keep the law which he cannot. Therefore, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Also, as a reminder, Paul also takes up the subject of divine judgement in Chapter 2 by examining seven principles that God uses to accomplish His judgement. The seven principles that Paul lays out regarding how God deals with judgement are:

According to truth: vs 2-4
According to accumulated guilt: vs 5
According to works: vs 6-10
Without respect of persons vs 11-12
According to actual obedience – not knowledge: vs 13-14
According to the secrets of the heart: vs 15-16
According to one’s profession (reality): vs 17-19

The Credits of Wrath We Accumulate

In this article we will concentrate on how we accumulate credits of wrath over the span of our lifetime like one would store up treasure for his/her retirement days, banked, as it were, in the Bank of Heaven as debt against our account instead of credit on our behavior. Debt that cannot be paid by us, but must be paid by Jesus Christ and Him alone.

Romans 2:5-11:

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; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor 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 doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is not respect of persons with God.

This is the second paragraph in Romans Chapter 2 that we will be talking about. The credits or the amount of accumulated debt (and therefore guilt) for those who have not repented pileup against themselves looking towards the day of judgement.

We will examine three of the principles of God’s judgement out of the seven listed earlier. They are:

2. According to accumulated guilt: vs 5

3. According to works: vs 6-10

4. Without respect of persons vs 11-12

Verse 5 Notes: “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;”

Notice that we are still in the singular person. Paul is again talking to the individual reader, not some third person group.

Note Paul’s description of the heart of man and specifically the reader’s heart:

Hardness: sklerotes: (Wordsearch G4643): hardness, hardening, callousness, stubbornness, hard, tough, severe. This is one who has repeatedly rejected God’s words and warning and refuses to listen to others. He/she is the one who rejects what others say because they know better and, frankly, see others as fools.

Impenitent: a-metanoetos: (Wordsearch G279): means unrepentant. Taken from a Greek word that means to change your mind, to turn around in your thinking – but has the Greek prefix A which means the opposite, therefore refuses to change their mind, refuses to repent, be obstinate. Implies they know what is right but refuse to do so. Once again, it is a heart that rejects God’s Word and authority and refuses to submit to Him.

Treasurest: thesaurizo: (Wordsearch G2343): lay up, in store, lay up treasure, treasure up, heap treasure together, keep in store. This is your retirement account, and you have diligently put away as much capital in the account as possible. Only problem is that this is very negative capital and speaks of judgement, not wealth.

Wrath: orge: (Strong’s G3709): “properly desire or passion (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), that is, (by analogy) violent passion (ire, or [justifiable] abhorrence); by implication punishment: anger, indignation, vengeance, and wrath.” So now we see the great treasure you have been accumulating. It is capital called wrath notes. Redeemable only after death and accounted for at the Great White Throne Judgement.

Note that God has planned a day of wrath and revelation – in this case – a day to reveal all that has accumulated into your account – all of the wrath notes you have saved up. All will be revealed.

Righteous judgement: dikaiokrisia: (Strong’s G1341): a just judgement, the punishment fits the crime. God does not judge unjustly. Sin must be atoned for or punished. Sin is punishable by spiritual death and an eternity in the lake of fire – we call hell.

God’s Judgement Principle Number 2: According to Accumulated Guilt

This is the second principle on which God bases His judgement: All of the wrath you have caused to be saved up through unrepented sin and your obstinate refusal to repent. Your sin is, in effect, turned into wrath notes to be revealed on that day of judgement that will occur in the future.

Should we repent and accept Christ as our Saviour, we are, in effect, handing over all our wrath notes to Jesus who took them upon Himself on the cross. He became sin for us. He bore the wrath of God for us, but only if we repent and hand over those notes.

According to truth: We have seen that God will judge according to truth.

According to stored-up wrath: Now we see that He also judges according to the wrath we have accumulated over our lifetime by refusing to repent and accept Christ.

Verse 6 Notes: “Who will render to every man according to his deeds:”

God’s Judgement Principle Number 3: According to a Man’s Deeds

Deeds: That which he/she has actually done in the flesh while here on earth.

Judgement Principle 3: We are introduced to the subject of that which we have done in the body while alive on this earth. In other words, our earthly works – principle of God’s judging number three.

This confirms the last verse that God’s judgments are just and are tailored, so to speak, to the sinner. On the other hand, this also speaks to those who have repented and will receive a just reward for having done so. Look at the next verse.

Verse 7 Notes: “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:”

Here Paul has interjected the positive side of God’s reward system. Those who repent and seek to please God get rewarded accordingly.

Notice the phrase “patient continuance”: hypomone: (Strong’s G5281): means endurance, constancy, continuous waiting even when things don’t seem to be happening as they think they should. It is the Hebrews 11 faith chapter of the saints that believed the promise even when they didn’t see it in their life time. This person does not quit the race. Does not take his/her eyes off the prize. This person is a “hang in there” person who knows, as Peter said, “Where else can we go to receive eternal life?”

And for what do they seek? Glory, honor, immortality (uncorruptness), and eternal life. These are those things which are promised to those who believe in Christ and repent of their sins.

Verse 8 Notes: “But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,”

How do the lost behave themselves, and why do they deserve eternal punishment? Because they have the following behavior characteristics:

Contentious: causing disputes, argumentative, refusing truth for the sake of holding onto their own viewpoint. Engaging in and enjoying their stubbornness and disputations towards others. Rejection of truth just for the sake of arguing. These kinds of people will eventually believe their disputations and rejection of truth.

Disobey the truth: This phrase implies two dangerous things: (1) that they know the truth and (2) that they purposely disobey the truth. Here is no ignorant person but, again, one who rejects the truth and refuses to obey it.

Obey unrighteousness: Here we see that those who refuse to obey God obey sin instead. Of course, once we walk a path of sin and do not repent, we are destined to obey sin’s call because we have no power within ourselves to stop. We become slave to sin, especially those sins that have become habitual.

Indignation: hateful, vengeful, passionate anger. Are you surprised that those who have rejected God hate the saints? What did we ever do to them? We wish to live a quiet life, but they hate to even see us live quiet lives. Is it a surprise when we see vitriol comments on Twitter or Facebook or other social media sites when Christians stand up for the truth? It isn’t. They can’t help themselves. They have passionate anger towards those that hold the truth.

Wrath: Here is orge again. But in this sentence, it is the ultimate behavior of the lost as they have moved from contention to deliberate disobedience, to indignation, and, finally, to wrath. So, we see riots; we see burning of property; we see murders. All in the name of some cause declared just though all along knowing what they are doing is wrong and against the truth – but can’t seem to stop themselves. What is scary for the believer is when authorities are also contentious, disobedient to truth, and even wrathful themselves, and refuse to punish the wrongdoers even when it is clearly illegal. Indeed, they foster even more illegal behavior.

Take heart – God is not surprised, God is not looking the other way, God is not finished with them yet – look at the next verse . . .

Verse 9 Notes: “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;”

For God must judge sin, and when sin has crossed a line that only God knows, He then exacts:

Tribulation: (Strong’s G2347): “afflicted (-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble.”

Anguish: (Strong G4730): calamity, distress, narrowness of choices. God literally boxes them in and controls the extent of their actions. This being only a prelude to the judgement that awaits them if they don’t repent and accept Christ as their Saviour.

To the Jew first: After all, it is they to whom God gave the law. Therefore, they are in the greater danger having been exposed to truth and God’s clear truth at that.

Also to the Gentile: No one has an excuse. All have sinned. All will be judged according to truth, guilt, and the other factors that God justly uses.

Verse 10 Notes: “But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:”

Paul, once again, shows us the other side of the coin. Those who believe and repent and trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour and strive to work good in their lives by obedience to the truth get to look forward to a different reward or, if you please, a different response from God, that of:

- Glory
- Honor
- Peace

Once again, whether Jew or Gentile, obedience to God’s truth brings good rewards, especially to those that are saved.

What if a lost person obeys God’s truth? He, too, may experience goodness and peace in this life, but without Christ, ultimately, he will still stand before God and give an account for his earned wrath notes. God’s principles do yield peaceable fruit. For example, if I as a lost person obey God’s principles of finance, I will be rewarded with freedom from debt, some wealth, etc. If I as a lost person stay true to my wife and honor my wedding vows to her, I will have blessings in our marriage.

But – without salvation in Christ, the few wrath notes I may have amassed will one day come due.

God’s Judgement Principle Number 4: God is not a Respecter of Persons

Verse 11 Notes: “For there is no respect of persons with God.”

We now come to the fourth principle that God uses to execute just judgement: that of not respecting persons.

But you say, “Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated.” Note, this statement is a quote from Romans 9:13 which is referring to Malachi 1:2-3, which says, “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.” Here the word and instance is a reference to love: how God loved the Jews because He loved Jacob – and the word hate refers to a “I loved less than” because God chose Jacob and blessed his descendants and not Esau’s. However, history shows that Esau was blessed for a time becoming the nation of Edom, but they turned their back on God and worshipped idols and were eventually judged. Note that when Jacob returned home from serving Laban for Rachel and Leah, he was met by Esau and four hundred men (Genesis 32:6 and 33:1).

So that phrase doesn’t apply to eternal judgement, but to how God treated the two men in life – choosing to love and bless the one greater than the other.

God when meting out judgement does not respect the person being judged. He loved the whole world enough to sacrifice His son on the cross. God’s love is extended to all. But everyone must choose to accept the gift of salvation, or they face the payment due for their wrath notes instead of having Jesus take them upon Himself at the cross.

Verse 12 Notes: “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;”

Back to the argument that Paul made earlier – that a just God judges according to truth. If you know God’s law and break it, you are judged by it. If you don’t know God’s recorded law – you still know right from wrong as established in your heart, no matter the culture, and are judged according to that standard.

Some Takeaways for Us as Believers:

So we have seen four of the seven principles that Paul shared with us which God uses to justly execute judgement:

Absolute – personal truth
Our accumulated guilt debt – wrath notes
What acts/works we actually did in this life in our flesh
That He will judge without respect of persons.

We have all accumulated what I have been calling wrath notes as we have sinned in our lives – all of us have fallen short of God’s standard. All of those notes will one day come due for payment unless we have received the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour.

As Christians, we should expect the lost to act like the lost – frankly, they can’t help themselves. Without the power of Jesus Christ in our lives, we are the slaves of sin and are unable to stop sinning. We accumulate more and more wrath notes against the Day of Judgement.

For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour, it is as if God took the entire pile of wrath notes that we have earned and placed them not on our account but on the account of Jesus. Jesus paid those notes off on the cross of Calvary for us.

Maranatha!

Bro. Joe

References

Strong, J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation. (Original work published 1539)

Strong, J. Strong’s Talking Greek_Hebrew Dictionary. Wordsearch. (2020). Wordsearch Bible. [computer software] . Nashville, TN: LifeWay Christian Resources. (Original work published 1890).

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