The Inner Law - Romans 2:12-16

0:42Also, one more quick announcement, personal announcement. If you're curious, around our house and around our family for the holidays, we've started calling Liliana and Nicholas by what their new names are going to be, Lydia and Ezra. And you don't have to yet. I know you're probably going to forget a million times. But if you wanted to join us in that, you can. So their new names are going to be Lydia or Lydia and Ezra. If you hear us calling them that, that's why. So turn to Romans 2. So far in Romans, we've already seen that the entire world is under God's judgment because mankind, even though they knew They were supposed to, mankind has refused to give thanks to God and has instead chased after sin after sin after sin.

1:40This is true of the entire Gentile world. The entire non-Jew world has done this. And now we're seeing in chapter 2 that this is true of the Jews as well. They also have chased sin after sin after sin. Last time we were in chapter 2, last time we were in Romans, we saw that since God can see the motives of our heart and he can see the deeds that we do, that he is the perfect judge, the all-knowing judge, and that God, as the perfect judge, is an impartial judge. So he's never tricked and he never plays favorites and gives some people a way out that he doesn't give to others. He's the impartial judge, and he's going to judge every single individual, Gentile and Jew.

2:37Yes, he has a special love for his chosen people. But when the day of judgment comes, his judgment is going to be just as thorough for them as it is for the Gentile. He's not going to overlook sin. He's not going to show them partiality. Now, when We're reading this. Just a side note to remember that this is Paul speaking. And I don't know about you, but whenever I see somebody who is really good at what they do, I can't help but watch, right? Whether that's a professional basketball player or a professional plumber or something, seeing somebody who is really good at what they do is impressive. And you always want to watch them and learn from them and pick up a skill or something like that. And that's what we get to continue to do as Paul is talking to the Jews. Remember, he was the Jew of Jews.

3:42He was a Pharisee. He was the top of his game. And then not only that, after he is saved, he gets sent to the Gentiles. But remember, in every city he goes to, he goes to the synagogue first. And he's continually debating with these Jews in each town. And so he knows what it's like to reason with them. He knows what it's like to be argued back with. He's been through all this before. And so as he's talking to this Jew, we get to pay attention and see what he says to the Jews.

4:18And so remember that he's talking to somebody who is expecting special treatment from the Lord. This person that he's talking to, this hypothetical person, Is expecting special treatment. He's expecting partiality from the Lord, but Paul has just said the Lord never shows partiality. God shows no partiality. And as soon as he says this, Paul knows that there's going to be objections to this. And the first one is, but I'm a Jew, I'm part of God's chosen people. Surely, if we're part of his people, God will show us some kind of special favor. And so he's going to push back on that objection. And later, he'll talk about circumcision and how that's something unique for the Jews. Later, he'll talk about how they're beloved for their fathers. But in our text today, he's going to talk about the fact that they have the law, that this is an objection, but we have the law. Shouldn't God show partiality to us if we know his word? If we have the law, shouldn't we be shown favor in judgment? But Paul is going to answer that very clearly in our text today. He's going to say, no. Possessing the Mosaic law means nothing for you in the day of judgment.

5:44Hearing the law means nothing for you in the day of judgment. And to prove this point, Paul will give three universal facts about God's judgment. That everyone has in common, Jew and Gentile, three universal facts about God's judgment. Whether you're a Jew or a Gentile, there is one outcome, one expectation, and one trial. One outcome of the judgment, one expectation that we're going to be judged by, and one trial, one court case for every individual. Follow along as I read Romans 2, verses 12 through 16.

6:38For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law. And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. Pray with me. Father, we pray that. That you'd help us as we study this passage, that you'd help us understand what it means that you are the judge of the secrets of men.

7:40We pray that we'd be convicted and humbled. We pray that we would grow in our knowledge of you and your character. We pray that you would help us take the truths that we learned today and apply them to our life. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, the first universal fact that's true about everybody in judgment is that there is one outcome. Look at verse 12. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. So maybe Paul has broached this topic with many Jews, and he knows that an objection from them is that they should be shown partiality because they have the law. And they might say something like, well, how can you say there shouldn't be partiality?

8:38We are God's people. Why wouldn't He show us partiality? And so Paul gives this really simple answer. Why is there no partiality? Because, verse 12, all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law. And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. So no matter who you are, It's appointed that all men die once, and after that comes the judgment. Every single individual, if you have sinned without having God's law, then you'll receive the consequences of your sin.

9:18If you have sinned having known God's law, you will still receive the consequences for your sin. Men will be judged for the sins they commit, and since everyone has sinned, everyone deserves destruction. That's his point. So, for the unbelieving Jew who thinks that having the law is going to give him preference and judgment, it's actually probably the opposite, right? Because if anything, he's going to be judged more strictly since he has the law. So, just having the law doesn't make him any better off because he's got additional requirements. He has a higher standard that he's still not living up to, just as when he was sinning before. So, these two statements in verse 12 are at least synonymous, that everybody's going to be judged and everybody's going to be destroyed. They're at least synonymous, or if they're not synonymous, then the possessor of the law actually. Actually, it has it worse.

10:34But whatever the case, he is certainly not going to get preferential treatment. That's Paul's point. Everyone has the same outcome that they are going to die and then be judged, whether you have the law or not. There is no partiality with God. And so, universally, there's only one outcome in God's perfect judgment. All have sinned, and all will be judged on the basis of that sin. So, Paul has answered the first question that this person might ask: Why is there no partiality? It's because all have sinned, and so all are going to be judged. And so, the next question is: why? And maybe you've been around a child that asks that over and over and over. And Paul's kind of anticipating that. Why are the possessors of the law judged for their sin just like everybody else?

11:32Why is it that everyone has this same outcome? Well, it's because there's one expectation. That's our next point. There's one outcome because there is one expectation, and the expectation is to actually be a doer of the law. One expectation. Look at verse 13. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God. But the doers of the law who will be justified. It is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

12:14So, if merely having the law, if merely hearing the law benefited you in judgment, then yes, the Jews would be benefited in judgment. But just having the law doesn't benefit you in any kind of trial, right? If there is a man who was taken to court and he was convicted of theft and murder, and the case was clear, and the evidence was overwhelming, and the jury was sure and they convict him, then nobody, when they went to his house later that day and found constitutional law on his bookshelf, nobody would say, oh, we can't lock him up. He must be innocent. He's got these law books. Nobody would do that, right? Even if he had a whole shelf full of law books, nobody would say, okay, now he must be innocent because it's clear to everybody he's committed this crime. So simply having the law doesn't make you not guilty. The only way when you're given a law to be not guilty is if you actually abide by that law, and that's Paul's point.

13:32The Jew merely having the Torah, that doesn't do him any good. It's not like he's going to get special treatment just for having the law. He can only be declared righteous if he is actually righteous. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. Now, don't be confused. We ran into this last time, too. He is not saying that the law can justify you.

14:07He is not saying that you can be saved by obeying the law. He's going to make that crystal clear for us in chapter 3: that nobody can keep the law. And that's not what saves us. He's not talking about the justification that we normally talk about when we speak of the gospel, that a sinner is declared righteous, justified by an act of mercy of God because of his faith. That's not what he's talking about, that a sinner is declared righteous by an act of mercy. Instead, he's just making the point that if someone is innocent, they are innocent. They are declared righteous because they actually abided by the law. So they're declared righteous by the law in something that they've done.

15:00And so, if you have never stolen a candy bar, then you are innocent of stealing a candy bar. And you have been justified on that account. Okay? And so, that is the simple point he's making. It's not because they heard this law, it's because they actually didn't transgress it that someone would be declared righteous by the law. If Barabbas, the murderer, hears the words, you shall not murder, that doesn't mean he's suddenly innocent of murder. He's only innocent if he actually doesn't murder somebody. Okay, so it's not the hearer of the law, but the doer. And so, in this sense, the law, if you think about it, and stay with me here, the law, if you think about it, can really only count against you, is what he's saying. This law was given to them, and it's not like if there are certain laws that they keep, that that's going to add up positives in order to make up for some of the negatives that they've done. No, the law is given to you, and you're expected to keep every one of them. And so, all that's going to happen is that you're just going to add more negative every time you disobey that law to the negative that was already there, because no one is a doer of the law, at least completely.

16:29Okay, so. Coming back to the main flow of our text, the expectation is that men actually do the law. That's the only way that they can be declared righteous by the law is if they do it. But since they don't, they will be judged. There's one expectation to be a doer of the law. And since nobody does, there's one outcome. Our final universal fact about God's judgment is that there is one trial. One outcome, one expectation, and one all-revealing trial for every individual.

17:15And though this court case will be completed on the day of God's judgment, in a way, it has actually already begun for each of you. But before we look at that, let's look at why Paul is going here. If you noticed in verses 12 and 13 and 14, each one of those starts with the same word: for, for all who sinned, for it is not the hearers of the law. And then 14, for when Gentiles. And so he's continuing on with this pattern of systematically giving the proof for what he's just said. So if he says something and somebody says why, well, he's going to tell you the reason. And if he says something else, he's going to give you the reason for that. So, why is there no partiality? Because all will be judged for sin. Well, why will the possessors of the law also be judged for sin? Well, because it's not about possessing the law, it's about obedience to the law. Well, the next question that might pop up into the head of a Jew, and maybe this already popped up into your head, is, why is that fair?

18:30Does the pendulum swing all the way over them? Is it only the Jews that are going to be judged? Because if the Gentiles don't have the Mosaic law, how can they be judged at all? What is their standard? Well, Paul is going to answer that though they might not have the law, the law in the Old Testament, they do have a law. They might not have the law, but they do have a law. Look at verse 14. Why is this fair? Because when Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on the day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. So the pendulum was way over here.

19:47The wrong thought that Jews are going to get special treatment and judgment. And Paul brings it back and says, no, there's no partiality with God because all have sinned. And people are going to be judged by the law. And so then the pendulum swings way over here. Well, then, can the Gentiles be judged at all if they don't have a law? And Paul brings it back again and says, yes, because they don't have the Mosaic law, but they do have a law. He says in verse 14 that they are a law.

20:23They are a law to themselves. And we know this because sometimes they naturally do what the law requires. Look again at verse 14. When Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. It's a little tricky, right? It's a little tricky also to know where that phrase by nature is supposed to fit in. Does it go with what's before or whether that's? So, is it that they do not have the law by nature? So, is he saying that since they're not Jews, then they don't naturally have the law? That's true, right? Or is he saying that they can do what the law requires by nature? They naturally have a sense of right and wrong. I think that's what he's saying. For when the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do what the law requires, I think that's what feeds into his argument that they naturally can do what the law requires. They have a moral compass. You know, none of us would take the position that just because someone's an unbeliever, that means that they have no morals, right?

21:50No, they have a moral compass. Everybody does, even though nobody follows it all the time. Everybody has an inner law. Everybody has a conscience. And it is truly an inner law. Look at verse 15. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse and even excuse them. This is an inner law, right? Their hearts, their conscience, their thoughts. That's what he's talking about here.

22:28Well, how do we know? That there is this inner law. He says they show this. They show that the work of the law, in verse 15, they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. They display it by the deeds that they do that he's already talked about in verse 14. So since sometimes they do the right thing and they know they're supposed to, they display to everybody and show that they have this inner law inside of them, written on their hearts. That might sound familiar to you. You remember some Old Testament passages that talk about how the law is going to be written on the hearts of the Jews in the end times and how they're going to turn to him? I don't think that's what he's getting at. I think he's saying that right now, this is something that's true of the entire world, that the works of the law, even if they don't have the Mosaic law, even if they have never read the scriptures, the works of the law are in some way written on their hearts. They have a conscience. They know that there is right and wrong. And we know that is true of them because they do right things sometimes.

23:42So let's get back to our universal fact that there is one trial for judgment, one trial, one court case for each individual. And look at the courtroom language that's going on in verse 15 and 16. They show that the work of the law... Is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse or give a defense for them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. So there's a judge, there's an accusation, there's a defense, there's a witness, and there's a law.

24:33This courtroom has already begun for you. Your own thoughts already accuse you or defend you. These verbs are in present tense. This is already happening. Your conscience already bears witness against you, present tense. You shouldn't have done that. But what is most terrifying is that all of these thoughts, when your conscience tells you not to do something and you think differently, all of those thoughts will one day be exposed. Because one day God will judge the secrets of men.

25:14Now that is the worst possible witness if you're actually guilty, right? Imagine somebody on trial for grand theft auto. They stole a car. And he had a witness who was there who told him not to do it and then watched him do it. And now he's on the stand testifying against them. That would be the worst possible witness, right? Were you with the defendant when he stole the car? Yes. Did you speak with the defendant when he stole the car? Yes.

25:52What did you tell the defendant before he stole the car? I said, do not steal this car. It is against the law. You will pay a lot of money and you will go to jail. And what did the defendant do? He said, I don't care, and he stole the car, right? That would be a terrible witness in court, right? There's no getting around that evidence that you knew what you were doing. There was someone there, told you not to do it, and then watched you do it. That's essentially what your conscience is on the day of judgment.

26:26Because God knows your secrets. He knows your thoughts. Jimmy, did you dishonor your parents by lying to them on December 28, 2019 at 4 p.m.? Yes, but I didn't know. I didn't know it was wrong. I was just a teenager. Well, I see here that right before you did it, you thought, I shouldn't do this. I shouldn't do this. I really shouldn't do this. I know this is. Wrong. Oh, no one will catch me, and I don't really feel like telling the truth. Right? That would be, there would be no more arguing after that. If your thoughts are exposed and it's revealed out in the open, that no, you did think five times I shouldn't do this, and you did it anyways. Your conscience is a witness against you because God knows your thoughts is going to testify against you.

27:34We hear a lot about the conscience in the New Testament. In Titus 1:15, we hear that our consciences can be defiled by our sin. In 1 Timothy 4, we hear that men can allow for their consciences to be seared, to be so repeatedly defiled through insincerity and lies that they don't even care anymore. But in 1 Timothy 1, we hear that believers are supposed to keep a good conscience, a good conscience, and a pure heart. So everybody has a conscience, this inner witness, this inner voice that tells them not to do something. But as we, as believers, learn from God's word, which is inspired by the Holy Spirit, our conscience becomes more informed so that it is more accurate, a more truthful witness.

28:32Two more additional points are made at the end of the passage in verse 16. He says, on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of the men. Well, what does he mean by according to my gospel? Well, he's not saying he made it up, right? Of course. Instead, he's reminding the Romans that this is the official gospel message. This is the apostolic gospel message, the one that the Lord passed on to the apostles and expected them to pass on to the world.

29:06And part of that gospel, that good news, is the hard truth that God judges the secrets of men, that he knows our thoughts, and he sees all our secrets. The second additional point in verse 16 is at the very end, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. That all of this judgment is coming through Christ Jesus Himself. Yes, it says in John 3, 17, for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. But that must only refer to his first coming, because a couple chapters later, he says in John 5:22, for the Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son.

30:00Paul says in Athens, God has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. And of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. That's Jesus, right? He's the one who rose from the dead. He's the one who is appointed to carry out the judgment of God. Peter says the same thing in the same sermon that he's talking about what happened with Cornelius and saying that God shows no partiality. He also says this. Jesus commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. Okay, so let's walk back through our text backwards really quick. Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead. And part of that true gospel, part of the true gospel message is that God will judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. That's verse 16. God will judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. Well, verse 15, these secrets include our own conflicting thoughts, the thoughts that accuse or defend us. So our conscience is a witness against us.

31:23And the work of the law is written on our hearts. We have a moral compass. So, verse 14, we show this when we do good things. We have a law, an inner law that we disobey, even if it's not the law. And therefore, verse 13: we are all expected to be doers of the law. And therefore, verse 12, we will all be judged for our sins, whether we have the Mosaic law or not. Verse 11, therefore, God shows no partiality. So, there's one outcome of judgment. Everybody is equal in judgment. There is one expectation that we're judged by to be a doer of the law. And there's one trial for each of us. And in a way, that trial has already begun.

32:25Yes, it will be finished on the day of judgment, but it's already begun now in the courtroom of our mind. So, let's talk application just for a little bit before we close. Christian, believer, this is what you deserve to be judged for your sin. Judged by a perfect judge who knows everything, even your thoughts, and he's completely impartial. So, praise God that even though your inner law Does not declare you righteous. Praise God that God does declare you righteous because of the blood of Jesus Christ that's been paid on your behalf.

33:17Your conscience bears witness against you. Your thoughts accuse you, but your advocate answers on your behalf. Your mediator takes your side as a believer. And even Satan himself, the greatest accuser, even he can't land a charge against you because you've been completely forgiven. White as snow. You've been made clean. So praise God and give thanks. This is the judgment that you deserve that you're not going to get because you have been declared righteous. You've been paid for. That's one application. Another application is to evangelize.

34:06I know that's uncomfortable for many of us, but John Stott said that one thing he knew when he was evangelizing, one thing he always knew is that the other person's conscience was always on his side. The other person's conscience was always on his side. That's true, right? We saw it in our text today that God has placed this internal witness. Inside of them, this inner law. And one day, in judgment, that conscience is going to testify as a witness against them.

34:44But until that day, that witness is on your side. We saw in chapter one of Romans that everybody in the whole world understands and sees the power of God and the divinity of God in creation. They know he exists and they know that he's powerful when they look out on creation. And now in chapter two, we see that everybody knows that they've violated their conscience. They've violated the law of God. Even if it's not the Mosaic law, they have a law because they are a law to themselves. And they know they've sinned. So be gracious to people and tell them about the hope that you have.

35:27Don't just think about telling people, but do it. When was the last time you told somebody why you believe you're forgiven? What your answer is to your guilty conscience? Could you do it again soon? Their conscience is on your side, so pray that they are convicted now by the Holy Spirit and not on the day when God judges the secrets of men. One more application for believers. Remember that God gives his commands. Like we read about in verse 13, God gives his commands with the intention that they be obeyed.

36:08It's not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers. So, no, we won't keep them completely, and no, we won't be condemned if we don't keep enough of his rules. We've already been freely forgiven. That's not what I'm saying. But still, he is our father now. He's our father, and he didn't intend for his word to be merely heard. He expects it to be obeyed. So keep yourself in the word and study it and do it.

36:42For those of you who haven't placed your faith in Jesus Christ, this is a locked-tight system, and you can't escape from it. It's the way God has set it up. Your trial has already begun in your own mind. I know that your conscience agrees with me even now. You know that if God brought out all of your secret thoughts, if God brought out all of your secret thoughts, all that you would deserve is his wrath. And he will bring it. Out all of your secret thoughts. He will. There's no getting around it. You are guilty, and you know it. Your conscience bears witness against you that you have sinned, and you will be destroyed. Just coming to church and hearing these things, like we talked about, doesn't make it any better. If anything, it only makes it worse, right?

37:56Just doing some good things sometimes, that doesn't make any better. Yes, we all do good things sometimes. Maybe you're nice to people, maybe you give to charity. But all that that shows is that you do have a moral compass, and it's that same moral compass that you've sinned against over and over and over. You may have forgotten all the times that your conscience has told you one thing, the right thing to do, and you willingly chose the wrong thing, but God hasn't forgotten. And he's seen it every time you've done it.

38:37There's only one way out of this. Jesus Christ of Nazareth was crucified and buried, and he rose again. And there is salvation and no one else, for there's no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. He died so that we can look to him. Come to him and look to him for forgiveness. And he's willing to pay the price for your sin. God doesn't take pleasure in the death of the wicked. He desires for the wicked to turn to him and to live. So today, if your conscience is telling you that you're guilty, it's because you are.

39:21And someday the universe will know it when God judges all your secrets. You need to do something about it, and there's only one thing you can do: turn to Jesus, the Son of God, who died for your sin and rose again, and ask for his forgiveness. Ask to be delivered from this law in judgment and death. For all who have sinned without the law will also be destroyed without the law. And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be declared righteous. For when the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even defend them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. Pray with me. Father, we pray that if there are unbelievers here, that their conscience would bug them.

40:43We pray that you would convict their hearts and cause them to turn to you. Because Jesus Christ is the only name by which men may be saved. And for all of us, the church at Emmanuel, the believers, I pray that you would help us get excited about sharing this hope with others. But I pray that you would also just help us be grateful and reflect on the fact that we deserve total judgment, that we deserve to be destroyed, but that we've been forgiven because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

41:38I pray that you would help us be doers of the word and not hearers only. Help us pay attention to our conscience. Help us have a good conscience and a pure heart and not a defiled conscience.