Romans 2:6-11

Romans 2:6-11

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7to 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. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Hi, this is Dr. Bill Branks. Our text today is Romans 2 verses 6 to 11. He will render to each one according to his works, to those who by patience in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life, but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. God shows no partiality. There is a lot written about eternal security. We must be careful not to fall for the false hope this term might offer. It strongly implies that believers cannot lose their salvation. I believe, with one exception, that is, they must be genuinely born again. This may seem obvious, but the signs of true regeneration that Scripture describes are clear, numerous, and challenging to attain. We should never assume we are saved. Instead, we can and should know we are saved. See 1 John 5, verse 13 and Romans 8, verse 16. One key theme in today's message is endurance or perseverance. Matthew 24, verse 13, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. See also 2 Timothy 2 verse 12, Hebrews 10, verse 36. Receiving salvation in Christ is not an easy journey, but God strengthens us to withstand the often difficult process of becoming Christlike. If your pursuit of Christlikeness and holiness isn't sometimes tough, heartbreaking, exhausting, yet fulfilling, you're not doing it correctly. In verses 6-7, Paul describes true born-again believers who are driven by the eternal hope of glory, honor, and immortality in Christ. They persevere through their trials with the hope that is within them. Their faith deepens and strengthens, and their trust becomes courageous and unflinching. True redemption is demonstrated by their perseverance. Patience in doing good is the result of genuine salvation. The true believers will give an account of their works, glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good that flows from a faithful heart made righteous by our Savior. But non-believers will be judged according to their works. Works are important, but cannot earn our salvation. We do good works because we are saved, we are not saved because we do good works. For those who persevere, eternal life is promised. In verse 8, Paul speaks to non-believers, including those who wrongly assume they are saved. No matter how good they appear outwardly, their hearts are sick with self-seeking disobedience, yet they obey unrighteousness. This is a complete denial and rejection of the gospel message. The wrath of God they deserve was never appeased by their repentance and faith in Christ. His wrath and fury, tribulation, and distress are as certain as eternal life is for the believer. There are only two kinds of people in God's eyes, the redeemed and the unredeemed. Goodness, pseudo-spirituality, and all forms of religion, ethnicity, heritage, or culture are completely irrelevant to the judge of all creation. He is righteous and impartial. If you question your salvation, there is always hope. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1 verse 3. We can pray for the assurance promised us through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8 verse 16. Gospel means good news, and there is no greater news than that. Despite your worries and doubts, God wants you to know you are His, and He is willing to deliver that assurance to you right now. Will you persevere to the end because you're saved, or are you saved because you persevered to the end? Answer You will persevere to the end because you are truly saved.