The passage today is found in Romans 2:11-16.
11 “For there is no respect of persons with God.”
When Paul says that “there is no respect of persons with God,” he means that God does not care if you are a Jew, Gentile, Black, White, American, Asian, man, woman, child, slave, servant, or king – we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
12 “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;”
The law is the Mosaic law of the Old Testament. If all have sinned, then some sinned and died without having law. Those who did the the law (Jews) were subject to judgment by it.
13 “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”
One cannot merely hear, but must DO the law in order to be justified under it. This is evidence of the works-based salvation of the Old Testament.
14-15 “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)”
These are the verses often used to answer the question of “what about those people who lived in the middle of a jungle somewhere and never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel? Will they go to heaven?”
When the Gentiles “do by nature” what is in the law – they don’t steal, lie, murder, etc. – they essentially have created the law in their hearts. They are subject, not unto the law, but their God given consciences.
Most humans, regardless of where they live, instinctively know that the murder of innocents is an evil act. The laws of almost every tribe, town, state, and nation in the world have similar laws and policies to that of the ancient Hebrews. There is something in every human that at some point says, “this is wrong,” and those wrongs are almost universal.
16 “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”
If the person transgresses their natural conscience, they are condemned. If they follow it, they will be given mercy at the time of judgment.
It is the hearing of and rejection of the Gospel that plagues mankind. There will be no mercy on those who hear about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Their final destination is the Lake of Fire – no matter who they are, because, as mentioned earlier, we are ALL sinners and God is no respecter of persons.
Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you asked Him to save you from sin and damnation?
Please make the right decision today, for you are not guaranteed a tomorrow.
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