Introduction
I grew up around diesel trucks. My dad is a master technician and my uncle owned a company named Stafford Trucking. The picture on the logo is of a 1919 Autocar that our family owned for a long time. Here’s a current picture of that truck … it belongs to another family now but it’s still on the road and in parades and whatnot. Trucks go way back in my family. I know a few things about big rigs because I have spent a fair share of time around trucks and truckers.
I know that if I claimed to be a diesel mechanic, I would need to prove it by being able to repair diesel trucks. I came across a company looking for a diesel mechanic the other day. Here is the ad. It pays pretty good money. This particular organization is paying $80,000 per year for a mobile heavy duty technician. I’d like to make $80,000 per year. What would happen if I went down to apply for this job?
They would ask me some questions about my qualifications.
“Mr. Stafford, where did you go to trade school?”
“We’ll, I didn’t really go to trade school for mechanics, but I do have a theology degree and I grew up around diesel trucks. I know a lot about them”
“This job requires that you have at least 2 years of experience. Do you have any experience as a technician?”
“None at all”
“OK…How about a CDL? A Commercial driver’s license is required for this job. Do you have a CDL?”
“Not Yet”
“Have you ever driven a commercial truck before?”
“I once drove a U-Haul… and I drive an F250 – It’s a Super Duty”
“Do you know anything about a diesel engine?”
“Not a thing”
“Do you even know how to change a tire?”
“Not a clue”
“What makes you think that you are a diesel mechanic?”
“Well, let me tell you. I grew up around mechanics, I own some wrenches and I know a lots of diesel mechanic lingo…. When do I start?”
Am I going to get that job? Of course not! If I claim to be a diesel mechanic, I need to prove it by being able to repair diesel trucks. What I claim has to be backed up by my work.
This morning’s text is pointing to that same truth. If you or I claim to be a Christian, it needs to be backed up by our work. If a person claims to be a Christian, it won’t be proven by their family, their bible study tools or their knowledge of Christian lingo or Bible facts. A life that has been transformed by the renewing work of Christ will be evident by their work.
I need you to listen very carefully to me this morning as I explain today’s text. I’m not saying that you are saved by your works. I’m also not saying that your works don’t matter. Both of those views are on opposite extremes are neither one of them is accurate. I am saying that works are evidence of salvation and God renders blessings or discipline according to our works.
Before we dig in, let’s take a few minutes and review where we have been so far in our study of Romans
Romans Review:
After Paul introduced himself in chapter 1, he very clearly outlined our position before God without Christ. Paul explained in chapter 1 that apart from Christ, everyone is a sinner and rightly deserving of God’s wrath. It’s bad news…that gets worse as we read… At the end of chapter one, Paul painted a dark and ugly picture of our sin so that we could see that there is no man could possibly be good enough to earn his way into heaven. Every person needs forgiveness or else they will be under the eternal judgment of God. No one can understand or appreciate salvation unless they first come to grips with the fact that they stand guilty before God and are condemned as a result.
In chapter 2, Paul shows that religious people are not excluded from God’s judgment. Verse 6 says,“6 He will render to each one according to his works…” and then verse 11 reads, “…God shows no partiality.”
God deals with people according to their works – v.6, 11
I’m not saying that you are saved by your works, so listen to what I am saying:
There was a belief among the Hebrew people that Hell and God’s judgment was for the gentile nations and it did not apply to them. Many Hebrews believed that, in the end, God would forgivetheir sins and let them into heaven because, after all, they were the chosen people. They could not imagine Jewish people going to Hell. Some rabbis where teaching that Abraham sat outside the gates of Hell in order to prevent even a wicked, rebellious, God-ignoring Jew from ever entering in.
Justin Martyr, in a piece he wrote titled Dialog with Trypho, reported that his Jewish opponent said,“They who are of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh shall in any case, even if they be sinners and unbelieving and disobedient towards God, share in the eternal kingdom.” In other words, many Jews in this era believed that no matter what they did – even if they were in open rebellion towards God – God would never judge their sins by sending them to hell. Hell was for Gentiles, not Jews.
Then in their self-righteousness, they would ask God to bring down judgment on the gentile nations that surrounded them while, as a nation, they were engaged in many of the same sins (as their God-ignoring neighbors). Verse 3 says, “3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?” They were trying to look good in God’s eyes by pointing out the sins of others while expecting God to take their own sin rather lightly.
Paul is challenging their beliefs. God does not overlook someone’s sin because of their nationality. God in His kindness toward the Jews had given them a measure of favor. Some of the Hebrew people thought that since they were receiving so little wrath from God today, that it was evidence that they were going to receive nothing but God’s reward on judgment day – regardless of their sins. That is why Paul wrote in verse 4-5, “do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”
God was not taking their sin lightly. The sins of God’s chosen people were being stored up against them. They were in desperate need of salvation from God’s wrath. The lesson that we can lean from the ancient Jews is that God does not take our sin lightly either.
In our culture, some people trust in their baptism or in church membership to get them into heaven. Other people in America believe that coming from a Christian family will make them right with God. Still others believe the being right with God is based on knowing some Christian lingo or Bible facts. Do those things get you into heaven? Tools, lingo and family background do not get you a job as a mechanic and they don’t produce salvation either.
God does not forgive our sin on the basis of our family, ethics, ideas, ceremonies or church membership. God deals with each of us in accordance to what we do with Jesus. Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Saved from what? From the wrath of God for all of eternity. So how do we know if we have made Jesus the Lord of our lives? That is evidenced by our work. God deals with people according to their works.
Verses 6-8 have been a source of confusion for a lot of believers. You will be confused this morning by this text if you do not listen carefully to what I am saying. Here is what Paul is trying to prove:
Outward works are evidence of faith and the basis for God’s Judgment – v.6-7
6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Paul, the very apostle who clearly wrote that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone says here that God’s judgment will be based on works. OK, all kind of questions are going on in your head right now like:
Paul begins by saying in Romans 1:16 by saying that the gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Is he now destroying his own gospel message by saying that we are saved by good works?
First, let’s give Paul some credit. He probably proof-read Romans before it went out. He is not contradicting himself in the first 2 chapters of the same letter, so let’s try to understand what Paul is trying to say to us. Paul is simply saying, “If you choose to rebel against God, then you will be judged according to that decision.” And “If you choose to receive and follow and submit to Jesus as Lord, you will be judged according to that decision.”
Secondly, the topics of salvation and justification are not being addressed in verse 6. Paul does not address the topic of justification entirely until chapter 3. In verse 6, he is still making the argument that:
· Every person is a sinner.
· Everybody needs God’s grace.
· Everybody needs Jesus.
How do we know people are sinners? Because they do sinful things! We are judged as sinners because we are sinful. So God “..will render to each one according to his works.” God is accusing us of being sinners and He proves that we’re sinners by revealing our sin through our actions.
Thirdly, some Bible scholars point out that there is question of eternal rewards at stake in this passage too. The Greek word for “render” means to “pay off or discharge what is due.” Our good works receive a payment from God. Here is an incredible truth about God’s rewards for believers in eternity:
Apart from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, you and I would never act in a way that is pleasing to God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please him.” But, “Christ in me” and “Christ in you” does work in a way that is pleasing to God. When God sees Christ working in you and Christ working in me to produce good works, He rewards us in eternity for the good works that Christ does in us and through us (if we let Him).
Listen to this next statement very carefully because if you don’t heard me correctly, you might think I’m saying something that I’m not saying.
God judges (rewards/disciplines) us according to our works, but NOWHERE in scripture does it teach that we are saved by our works. Good works are evidence of our salvation. You could put it this way: Apricots growing on an apricot tree prove that the tree is still alive and healthy. The apricots do not make the tree alive. Apricots are evidence that the tree is alive. However, it is the roots of the tree that pull in the nourishment from the soil to keep it alive.
In the same way, Christ alone provides new life and supernatural transformation in his followers. He is the “root” of salvation. We are not saved by our “fruit” or by our good works. Good works will never makes us right with God or get us into heaven, but you can always recognize a life that has been changed by Christ by its fruit. Good spiritual fruit is the evidence of salvation. A life transformed by Christ will ALWAYS produce good works. Good works are the fruit of salvation, not the root.
As we move forward from Verse 6, Paul is going to point out that there are some works that are consistent with a life that has been transformed by Christ and some works that make it evident that a life has not yet been transformed by Christ. As we look at verse 7, we can begin to assess if the natural “work” that we produce is consistent with that of a Christian
Evidences of a redeemed life – v.7
7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
True salvation is evidenced by a believer’s perseverance in obeying Christ’s commands. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Paul gave us 3 works that are common in people who are pursuing Christ. They “seek for glory and honor and immortality.” Let’s unpack what Paul meant by each of those 3 evidences of faith.
#1 A desire for glory – 1 Cor. 10:31, 2 Thess. 13b-14, 2 Peter 1:3-4, Col. 3:4
A true follower of Christ lives for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Living for the glory of God is foundational to discipleship. God powerfully uses those who are willing to seek the glory of Christ over their own. If a person does not have the foundational desire to glorify God with their lives, there is little chance they are true believer.
A true believer has an inward compulsion to lift Jesus high as his Lord and King. They cry out, “it’s not me… it’s Christ who lives in me!” Disciples of Christ live for the glory of God and look forward to sharing in God’s glory when salvation is fully realized in eternity. 2 Thessalonians 2 13b-14 says, “…God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When the glory of Christ is revealed in our lives, we share in His glory, and look forward to a time when we are partakers of His glory for all of eternity. 2 Peter 1:3-4 says, “3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”… and we say, come Lord Jesus quickly!
#2 A seeking of honor from God – Matt 25:21
A true believer is not seeking the same honor or position that most secular people strive for, but they strive for an honor that comes from God. It is a life lived with a different motivation. The disciple of Christ is less concerned with rewards or positions or promotions here. Those things don’t fuel their soul. They live for and long for the day when they stand before their king and He can say, without reservation, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matt 25:21) THEY LIVE FOR THAT DAY! They live for honor that comes from God!
#3 A quest for immortality – 1 Cor. 15:53, Phil 2:12, Gal. 2:20
True believers care what happens to their soul and they care about it a lot. They are fully aware that one day “…this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Cor 15:53). In other words, they live each day with eternity in mind. They make decisions based on an eternal reality and not just on what feels good right now.
Eternity is not just reserved for those who follow Christ as his disciples. All people will face eternity. However, some enter into eternity with the promise of life and others enter into eternity with the sentence of eternal punishment. The thought of the real possibility of eternal punishment causes disciples to daily “work out
· They are making sure with each decision that they are living on the side of Christ and not on the side of the enemy. They allow Christ is live through them.
· They are proving all the time that they are followers of Christ by obeying His commandments.
Those who seek immortality are the living embodiments of Galatians 2:20. They can say “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
In Process…
We are all in process. Nobody does these things perfectly. At Canyon, we often teach something called “progressive sanctification.” I don’t live a perfect life and neither do you. However, I’m striving to be more obedient to the Word of God than I was a year ago.
We all need to ask ourselves this question: Am I living more for Christ this year than I did last year? Am I living more like a disciple of Christ than I ever have before? It may be 2 steps forward and 1 step back, but it is progressing forward?
Salvation by faith alone does not mean that a believer is excused from doing good works. Listen to how the doctrine of salvation by faith alone and good works are put side by side in Ephesians 2:8-10, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Salvation by faith alone does not mean that a believer is excused from doing good works.
Scripture makes it clear that we are saved by faith alone, but we are judged by our works. Faith does not produce a freedom from God’s judgment of sin so that we can do whatever we want to do. Real faith in Christ always gives us freedom from sin and produces a God-given desire and capacity to do what pleases Him.
If those are the evidences of a redeemed life, then what are the evidences that a life is still unredeemed?
Evidences of an unredeemed life – v. 8
8 …but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Here is the contrast. Paul is now comparing the lives of those who are living in submission to Christ with those who are living unredeemed lives. He could have mentioned many characteristics of a secular life here, but he chooses to focus on just 2 underlying causes of a rejection of God. The first one is selfish ambition.
#1 Selfish Ambition
The term for “self-seeking” in the Greek is often used to describe a mercenary. A mercenary simply works for the money. He is not too concerned about who he works for or what they stand for. He does not care about the harm he causes to others or the morality involved. He does a job. He gets paid and he moves on. He is only focused on serving himself and making a paycheck.
The emphasis in this passage is that the unredeemed people are totally wrapped up in themselves and have no place left for God. They live in a moral and spiritual vacuum with no regard for anyone but themselves. Without Christ, you and I would be filled with selfish ambition!
#2 Obedience to Unrighteousness
The Bible says “no man serves 2 masters.” It’s also true that no man serves no master. Everybody serves something. When a man does not serve God, he still serves someone and all other masters (besides God) will lead him into sin. Serving God means obeying God commands. Serving any other master means obedience to unrighteousness.
There is an old saying that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I have a new angle on that saying…Here it is: The road to hell and it is paved with hostility towards Christ’s authority. Unsaved people are by nature selfishly ambitious and their pursuit of themselves leads them to disobey God’s truth and to replace God with a loyalty to unrighteousness
The forecast for those who rebel against God is bleak. God cares deeply for all mankind, but there comes a point in the life of a person who rejects God that God no longer extends kindness and forbearance, but must extend judgment.
God’s judgment
#1 God pours out wrath on the unrighteous – v. 8
8 for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
All of mankind is moving toward a day when those who have rebelled against God will come under God’s righteous wrath. It reminds me of a story about an ancient Romans ruler named Brutus the Elder. (See PIC) Brutus discovered that 2 of his sons were conspiring to overthrow the government. It was an offence that carried with it the death penalty.
At their trial, the young men tearfully pleaded with their father, calling him by endearing names and appealing to his love as a father. Most of the crowd that had gathered pleaded for mercy as well. However, their role are the king’s sons made their crime of treason all the more serious.
Because of the severity of the crime, their father ordered and then witnessed their execution. One person made this comment about the incident, “The father was lost in the judge; the love of justice overcame the fondness of the parent.”
God offers himself as a father to all of fallen mankind. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that all men might know salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ. He pleads with them to come. 2 Peter 3:9 says that he is “not wishing that any should perish.” But one day the opportunity for repentance will end. Hebrews 10:31 is not joking around when it says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” God’s judgment is even more inescapable than that of the ancient Roman ruler.
On the other hand, God’s grace toward those who follow Him is unbelievably glorious. God promises glory, honor and peace for the righteous
#2 Glory, honor and peace for the righteous – v. 10
10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.
Everything divine that the true believer and genuine disciple of Christ seeks, God promises he will receive.
Life Application:
Are you in the camp of the redeemed?
When you examine your life in light of this passage, does God’s word reveal to you that you are redeemed or that something besides Christ still has pre-eminence in your life?
There is no way that by your good works that you could ever decide to be good enough to be right with God. However, God offers another way. Here’s how you can receive His free gift of salvation…say to the Lord this morning:
· I’ve been doing things my own way
· I’ve been living for myself
· I’ve been running away from you and I want to stop.
· I’m a sinner living in rebellion against You, the King
· Jesus come take control. Transform my life.
· I want to be your follower
God hears the sincere prayer of the people who want to submit to Christ’s control. I invite you this morning to fire your current King and get a new master. A good master. A righteous master who is able to keep you and protect you and cover your sins for all of eternity.
Teaching Outline
God deals with people according to their works – v.6, 11
Outward works are evidence of faith and the basis for God’s Judgment – v.6-7
God judges us according to our works, but NOWHERE in scripture does it teach that we are saved by our works.
Evidences of a redeemed life – v.7
#1 A desire for glory – 1 Cor. 10:31, 2 Thess. 13b-14, 2 Peter 1:3-4, Col. 3:4
#2 A seeking of honor from God – Matt 25:21
#3 A quest for immortality – 1 Cor. 15:53, Phil 2:12, Gal. 2:20
Evidences of an unredeemed life – v. 8
#1 Selfish Ambition
#2 Obedience to Unrighteousness
God’s judgment
#1 God pours out wrath on the unrighteous – v. 8
#2 Glory, honor and peace for the righteous – v. 10
Application:
God hears the sincere prayer of the people who want to submit to Christ’s control.
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