 And the title of our sermon this morning is those who perish, those who perish, Romans chapter 2 verses 12 through 16 in particular. So we're continuing our work, our week by week verse by verse work through Paul's epistle to this church at Rome. And as we consider, prepare to consider the text that's before us this morning, Romans chapter 2 verses 12 through 16, I think it helped us for us to remember our surroundings. We are working through a section of text in which Paul, our prosecuting attorney, is laying out an airtight case against all men who stand accused before the bar of God's righteous judgment. There is a universal indictment against all mankind for their sin. It's a case in which Paul will continue to develop his case through chapter 3 verse 20. And it's a case that involves three primary purposes or aims. First, Paul intends to stop the mouth of every human being and confine the whole world under the guilt of their sin against God. There is none who are righteous, no not one. There is none who does good, no not one. Secondly, Paul intends also to vindicate in that the righteous judgment of God in pouring out his wrath, his righteous wrath on inexcusable sinners. God's righteous wrath is righteous. It is just and it is against inexcusable sinners who suppress the truth of God in their unrighteousness and that day, the day of his wrath will be a day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Then point three, all of this, Paul's aim and all of this is the aim of driving men from the insanity of their sin and driving them to the Savior. Driving them from the insanity of their sin to the salvation that God has revealed in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. So Paul has those three aims in mind now as he works through this case that he's building against man in his sin. Paul, you could say, is preparing the way for the gospel, so to speak, preparing the way for the Lord, bringing every mountain and hill low, making crooked places straight, making rough places smooth, preparing the way for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and his exposition of the gospel that begins in chapter three, verse 21. Now in doing so, in doing this, in making every mountain low, so to speak, Paul introduces us in chapter two to the terrifying end of the wicked. It's a day of judgment that is certainly coming. It is a day described by Paul as a day of wrath, a day in which there will be a revelation of the righteous judgment of a holy and righteous and just God. That day will be revealed to all as righteous and that righteousness, that revelation, do in part to an impartial process involving every single human being without exception and without distinction. It's an impartial process in which God will render in righteous retribution in retributive justice, he'll render to each individual as they deserve for their sin. It's a judgment revealed to all as righteous, do an impartial standard of judgment. The judgment of God is according to works, whether good or bad, and adjudicated according to the perfect law of God. Verse five, in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart, Paul says you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds. Now what is it, think with me now, what is it that is rendered on the basis of works and what are the representative works that Paul is referring to? What is being rendered and what are the works on the basis of that rendering? Verse seven, eternal life to those who by patient, continuous and doing good seek for glory, honor and immortality, but to those who are self-seeking, to those who do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory, honor and peace to everyone who works what is good to the Jew first and also to the Greek. That's this particular concept. God's impartial judgment according to works that is then fleshed out in the text before us this morning. There's a connection between the two sections of text between verses five and 11 and now into verses 12 to 16, there's a connection. We can find that connection in verse 11. There is no partiality with God. There is no partiality with God. God's impartial judgment according to works, there is no partiality with God. Meaning Jew or Gentile, Jew or Gentile, whether all you've been given is general revelation or whether you've been blessed to have the very oracles of God, there is no partiality with God in the judgment of man. Whether all that you have are the stars in the heavens, right, the firmament declaring his handiwork or you've been given the Bible, matters not, there is no partiality with God in your judgment. You've attended church all your life or you've never attended church. Maybe this is your first time. Maybe you've read through the Bible countless times before now or you've never read through your Bible. There is no partiality with God. It's important for us to remember that this statement of Paul, verse 11, given to us in a context and that context is Paul's introduction to the inexcusable man in chapter two, verse one. The man who condemns sin and others while condoning the same kinds of sin in himself. This is the religious hypocrite. The one who condemns sin and others while condoning the same kinds of sin in himself. He is the professing Christian who may profess faith in Jesus Christ but does not possess genuine saving faith in Jesus Christ. He draws near to the Lord with his lips but his heart is far from him. His head may be full of theological information but there's never been a true heart transformation. This is the one whose religion is empty. His Christianity is a sham. His profession is a sham. This is the one, the inexcusable man of chapter two, verse one. This man has no excuse before the judgment seat of Christ. He is inexcusable. This one has professed faith and his professed faith will be exposed as a counterfeit. His profession will be found to be a sham. His faith found to be dead. Faith found to be wanting. Faith found to be damning. And why is that? Because there is no partiality with God. I want to explain that connection to us as we build on Paul's argument in Romans chapter two, verses 12 through 16. His professed faith, the professed faith of this inexcusable man, this hypocritical professing Christian, his professed faith has produced no fruit. There's been no fruit to give evidence of a genuine, thriving, healthy, living, saving faith. There are no works of faith to manifest the genuineness of his faith. And he is revealed in that day to be the fraud that he always has been. This is under the just and impartial judgment of Almighty God. As James says, as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. As Paul would say, for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified. We're gonna get into that text this morning. The issue raised by the very existence of the inexcusable man, the issue raised is one of light and life. How can the judgment of God really be impartial when God has revealed himself more to some than to others? Or you can hear an almost fictional objector rising up in complaint. How can the judgment of God be impartial when God has revealed himself more to some than to others? In verse 17, the Jews rested on the law. They made their boast in God. They know his will. They approve of that, which is good. They are instructed out of the law. We have Abraham as our father, they would say, right? We've been given the very oracles of God. God would certainly not be impartial, so impartial as to condemn us with the Gentiles. God will certainly show us partiality in the judgment. Do you see their complaint? Do you see the issue? He will certainly show us partiality at the judgment. Then the Gentile, the Gentile would rise up in complaint, complain against God. We've not been given every opportunity that the Jews have been given. We've not been given that kind of blessing, the blessings of the law itself. You've shown partiality to the Jews. We didn't have the word of God in our own language. They might complain. We've not been instructed out of the law. So God would not be impartial, so impartial, as to condemn us without the law. Certainly, he will show partiality to us at the judgment. Then many, many will rise up in that day and complain with them. Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Have we not cast out demons in your name? Done many wondrous works in your name? God certainly would not be so impartial as to condemn us with the workers of iniquity. Iniquity, look at what we've done. You see? Some might say these people have been going to church all their life. Surely, God won't condemn me because I didn't know these things. Or I've been going to church all my life. Surely, God, you can't condemn me with all the cult leaders and atheists out there, right? Paul says there is no partiality with God. We can some kind, because our hearts are so deceitful, we can often deceive ourselves, comforting ourselves, consoling ourselves that we're doing some of the right things. We've heard so much truth. We go to a good church. I'm there when the doors are open. Certainly, certainly, God will be partial with me at the judgment. I'm not a sinner, like all those other people are sinners. You're effectively the Pharisee with the publican in the court of the temple. God won't be impartial with me. God will certainly show me partiality at the judgment. And yet Paul says, for as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law. And as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God but the doers of the law will be justified. John would say, don't be deceived. Don't be deceived. Don't be deceived. He who practices righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous. He who makes a practice out of sin is of the devil. Don't be deceived. Do you believe, do you believe that coming to church, listening to the preaching each week will somehow excuse you in the day of judgment? Do you think because you've come here today, you've walked through the doors of this building, you've done a good thing and that somehow God is going to bless you with favor in that day because you've continued to show up. Where does that empty confidence come from? Where does it come from? All over the place right now, all over the place, all over the world, all over the world, there are churches where people are walking in and out of the doors of that building, showing up to listen to a 27 minute talk with five minutes of jokes on either end and a long story in the middle to try to remove the offense, right? And because they somehow show up to that social club and they believe that somehow by showing up God is going to show partiality to them, show favor to them at the judgment. I'm good because I've shown up to here. Churches have devolved into that. Do you see that today? Churches have devolved into little more than a social club where all that professing Christians do is show up and they believe that that constitutes the sole sum of their duty and obligation and responsibility before God under the law. When Titus three, I'm gonna look at that text, Titus three, this is a faithful saying, verse eight, these things I want you to affirm constantly that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. And then they will decry you as a legalist because you have the audacity to mention obedience in a church of the living God. The Jews in Paul's day would rest in the fact that they had the law of God and would make their boast in God. Your empty religion doesn't excuse you in the day of judgment. That's Paul's point. It only renders you more accountable in the day of judgment. Do you see? Your easy believism doesn't excuse you in the day of judgment. It only renders you more guilty in the day of judgment. If all of your religion is lumped up in attendance, your easy believism doesn't excuse you in the day of judgment. It renders you more accountable, more responsible, more guilty, more culpable in the day of judgment. The more light that you have received, the greater your condemnation for rejecting it in your unrighteousness. Do you see? There's no doubt, no doubt that it is a tremendous blessing, an almost incalculable blessing to be a part of a church like this one where we sit under the preaching and teaching of God's word. We get to study God's word together, talk of deep and wondrous things from God's law. We get to learn theology. We don't withhold deep theology from you to be able to spend time. The way that we do in God's word is a tremendous blessing to hear good theology, to understand the Bible. The fact that we have the true gospel here, the fact that that is a rare thing, and it is, is a tragic thing, but we have the true gospel here, praise God. Far, far, far from excusing you in the day of judgment, it renders you more accountable, renders you more responsible, it renders you more culpable. There is no partiality with God. Do you see? Look at Matthew 11 with me. We're just getting into our text. Matthew 11, Matthew 11, and look down at verse 20. Renders you more accountable, renders you more responsible. Take heed how you hear. The Jews in the Lord's day heard the preaching of John the Baptist. They got to go out into the wilderness and hear the preaching of John the Baptist. They heard the preaching, the witness, the miraculous works of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the incarnate Son of God, and yet they rejected that light. They refused to turn from their sin and follow Him in faith. And look what the Lord says, Matthew 11, down in verse 20. Then the Lord began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done because they did not repent. They didn't turn from their sin to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. So He says to them in verse 21, woe to you, Carazan, woe to you, Bethsaida, both Jewish cities, by the way, Jewish cities, for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in tire and siden, Gentile cities, they, those Gentile cities would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, you Jewish cities, it will be more tolerable for tire and siden in the day of judgment than for you. You see how offensive that would have been to a Jew to hear those words, right? And how true and how serious a point that is the Lord is making to them, right? And you, Capernaum, verse 23, who were exalted to heaven will be brought down to Hades for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, doesn't get any worse than Sodom, does it? The Lord is saying it does, right? The light that Capernaum has had, the light, the works of the Lord Jesus Christ, the preaching of the Son of God Himself, if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, then Sodom would have remained until this day. But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. Absolutely destroying, isn't he? The false confidence that the Jews have built up in their heritage, in having the law and being hearers of the law, right? Why? Why will it be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment than for Capernaum? Because Capernaum rejected a greater revelation of divine light. There are many who take offense at the idea that there are different degrees of punishment associated with the judgment. It's exactly what the Bible teaches, right? It will be more tolerable for Sodom than it will be for Capernaum. Why? Because Capernaum has rejected a greater revelation of divine light. Paul says it this way in verse 11. There is no partiality with God. No partiality with God. We're gonna make that connection. Paul's argument in Romans chapter two verses 12 through 16 is that God's judgment on the last day will be revealed as righteous because he is impartial in his judgment. Paul's point, God's judgment is righteous. Why, Paul? Because God is impartial in his judgment. He shows no partiality with respect to religious heritage. God shows no partiality with respect to religious experience. God shows no partiality with respect to religious knowledge. God shows no partiality with respect to religious motions, with respect to religious exercises, with respect to religious acts. God shows no partiality with respect to religiosity, in fact, so far from showing partiality for those things, those things only serve to expose the religious hypocrite to a stricter judgment. You see a stricter judgment. So then, with respect to the light of revelation that sinful men have been given, Paul now considers all fallen, lost, condemned, sinful humanity. He considers them in two groups or two categories in our text. Those without law and those in the law, two groups of unbelievers, two groups of condemned humanity, those without law, those in the law. Paul is now going to explain the impartial judgment of God as it pertains to these two groups. Those without law in verses 12 to 16, those in the law verses 17 through 29. We're gonna consider the first of those without law verses 12 through 16 this week and next week. Now, Paul introduces us to these two groups in verses 12 and 13, right? He introduces us to these two groups in verses 12 and 13. Look there with me. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law. And as many as have sinned in the law will be judged or will perish by the law. For verse 13, not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified. All of this connects back to Paul's premise in verse 11, there is no partiality with God. Now, notice with me first that Paul begins to make his case in verse 12 by specifically referencing unbelievers, right? We're talking about unbelievers here. Those who have quote, have sinned without law and those who quote, have sinned in the law. We're talking about condemned sinners, excuse me, unbelievers. Now according to the Greek grammar, if you guys are looking at Greek, the words have sinned, portray the life of the unbeliever as a snapshot, you know, the tense of the verb there, have sinned, portrays the life of the unbeliever as a snapshot, they are sinners, which means the character of their life, the nature of their person, they are described as by nature sinners. Those whom Paul elsewhere would refer to as children of wrath or sons of disobedience, by nature like the rest. Those who are condemned as sinners have sinned, condemned as sinners without law. Paul says, perish. Those who are condemned as sinners in the law will be judged, which means they will perish, okay? We're talking about unbelievers, condemned unbelievers here. In other words, both groups are condemned to eternal damnation. Both groups are going to hell when they die. These are condemned sinners, okay? So then, who is it that is then represented by the two groups? Paul is dealing with two groups, those who have sinned without law, those who have sinned in the law or under the law, who is represented by these two groups. Paul is speaking of unbelievers rather than believers, and Paul has divided those unbelievers into these two groups. Who are those who have sinned without law? Who are those who have sinned in the law? The context makes it clear. Look at verse 14. Who are those who have sinned without law? Verse 14. For when Gentiles who do not have the law, right? By nature, due to things in the law, these, although not having a law, are a law to themselves. Right now, within context, the Gentiles are those who have sinned without law. Do you see? Now, who are those who have sinned in the law? Look at verse 17. Indeed, you are called a Jew, and what does Paul say? Rest on the law. You make your boast in God. You know his will through the law. You approve the things that are excellent being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. So who are those who have sinned in the law? The Jews, right? The Jews are those who have sinned in the law. Gentiles have sinned without law. The Jews, I have sinned in the law. So then, with reference to the law, think with me now, Paul is referring to that revelation, which has been withheld from the Gentiles to this point, has been withheld from the Gentiles and given to the Jews. Do you see the problem? The dilemma with God's impartiality. There is no partiality with God. Someone rises up in complaint. Well, look, you've given revelation to the Jews that you haven't given to me, right? Or the Gentile might say, they've had all that revelation. I didn't know about those things. You can't hold me responsible. And Paul says there is no impartiality with God. God is not impartial. God's no respecter of persons. That law that Paul is referring to is the revelation that has been withheld from Gentiles and given to Jews. Gentiles, like all people of all time, including the Jews, have been given general revelation. Paul's already made that clear in context because, chapter one, verse 19, because what may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it to them, right? For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that those who perish without the law are without excuse. Do you see? Jews, however, Jews are in covenant with Yahweh. The covenant people of God. They're given special revelation, often referred to in Scripture as the law, special revelation. We would understand it as the law of Moses. You see it referred to in the New Testament frequently as the law of Moses. Now, the two groups of unbelievers are distinguished between those who have the law and those who do not have the law. Gentiles do not have a law. Jews have a law. Those Jews who were the recipients of the law of Moses, that special revelation of God, the scriptures, are contrasted with those Gentiles who do not have a law, but show the work of the law, verse 15, show the work of the law written in their hearts, right? We might take all of this, that Paul is speaking of in Romans chapter two, and apply it in our day this way. Those who have the Bible taught to them and those who do not, you see the connection, right? You carry the principle forward. We might look at it today as those who have the Bible taught to them, who have access to the Bible, who may read the Bible, study the Bible, learn the Bible, and those who do not. You know that there are a large number of people groups around the globe who don't even have a Bible in their own language. We were talking about it with respect to missions in Haiti that don't have a full translation of the Bible, a good translation of the Bible in their own language. And that country lies just off our southern border. However, notice with me, notice, remember chapter one, no one, no one, Jew and Gentile alike, no one is without divine revelation. Whether general revelation, revealed graciously by God in creation, or what has been called the law of nature, that law of God, moral law of God, reflecting the very character of God written upon the heart of man as one created in the image of God, the law of God written on their heart. In all of that, all men, Jew and Gentile alike, are without excuse. There's a good illustration with respect to the way that Paul uses these terms in 1 Corinthians chapter nine. Turn there with me. 1 Corinthians chapter nine. And we wanna understand how Paul is using these terms so that we can properly apply this principle in our own setting, in our own context. 1 Corinthians chapter nine, look down at verse 19, the Paul in this text uses the same expression, referring to those without the law and referring to those in the law or under the law, okay? Now, incidentally, I wanna make this point too as we look at this text together. Incidentally, Paul was a champion of Christian liberty, right? Stand fast in the liberty that you have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul championed Christian liberty. He fought for the liberty that is ours in Christ Jesus. And Paul would gladly, in this text, Paul would gladly give it all up in order to win people to Jesus Christ with the gospel, right? So be careful how you practice your, quote unquote, Christian liberty. We're to do that in love, hoping to win some to the gospel, right? Be careful how you practice your liberty. Verse 19, for though Paul says, I am free from all men and free to do as my conscience will allow while bound to the word of God. Although I'm free from all men, Paul says I have made myself a servant to all that I might win the more. To the Jews, I became as a Jew that I might win Jews. To those who are, here it is, under the law as under the law that I might win those who are under the law. You see, while Paul worked with those Jews who still lived and practiced Judaism as it were, under the Mosaic law, Paul himself would act as though he were, he would conduct himself as under the law for the purposes of reaching those Jews, removing a stumbling block and reaching them with the gospel. Do you see what Paul's doing here, right? He's conducting himself as those under the law that he might win to the gospel, win to the Lord Jesus Christ, those who are living under the law, right? Then he would have never taught that observance of the law or obedience of the law had any salvific benefit. Paul would have never given the impression that to obey the law was salvation, but it maintained an open door, if you will, for Paul to preach the gospel to them. That's what Paul is doing. There's an example of this with respect to Timothy and Titus, right? In Acts chapter 16, verse three, Paul has Timothy, a Christian man who doesn't need to obey Jewish laws in that sense anymore, has Timothy circumcised because there were Jews in that region where Timothy was going and yet sending Titus to Crete does not see the necessity to have Titus circumcised. It's for the purposes of the gospel, right? That this is taking place. Paul, to win Jews, conducted himself as one under the law that I might win those who were under the law. Verse 21, to those who are without law, who are those? The Gentiles, right? To those who are without law, Paul would conduct himself as without law, not being without law toward God, in other words, not being disobedient to God's moral law, but under law toward Christ, so that I might win those who are without law to the week I became as weak, that I might win the week. I have become all things to all men that I might by all means save some. But this I do for the gospel's sake that I may be partaker of it with you. So back in Romans chapter two, that's a good illustration of how Paul is using these terms, without the law, in the law, or under the law. Those under the law of Moses, referring to the Jews, those without the law of Moses, referring to the Gentiles, all men without law or under the law equally condemned. That's Paul's point, equally condemned and without excuse. Verse 12, for as many as have sinned without law, will also perish without law. And as many as have sinned in the law or under the law, will be judged by the law. All will perish by the law. Four, verse 13, not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified. Now, do you notice anything striking in Paul's reference to their judgment? Paul's going to spend a considerable time talking about dealing with their judgment. Do you notice anything striking already in Paul's reference to their judgment? Absolutely no mention whatsoever of the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you notice? No mention of his righteousness. No mention of his substitution on behalf of sinners. Simply the mention of his judgment in verse 16. Now, why is that? It's because the text is dealing with unbelievers. The text is dealing with those who have been condemned under the law or condemned without the law. They're condemned. This is the judgment of unbelievers. They stand before the judge of all the earth to give an account for their own works. There's no mention of the works of the Lord Jesus Christ. No mention of his life, his perfect life, his substitutionary death. No mention of his righteousness, only their sin. No mention of any hope of heaven. Do you notice? No mention of any hope at all, only condemnation. No mention of any life, only mention of perishing. Those who quote have sinned without law. Those who quote have sinned in the law. In other words, have sinned is all there is. They stand before the judgment bar of God. They stand before the judgment seat of Christ having sinned. And that's all there is. There is nothing else. They're gonna stand there and give an account for their own works. Do you see? There is nothing to commend them to God. There's nothing to commend them at the judgment. All they have is have sinned. That's a snapshot of their life. That's the character of their life. What is left for either the Jew or the Gentile? Have sinned. That's all that's left. The Jew, even today, even today, the Jew believes that the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't count for anything in the judgment, in the day of His judgment. He's going to be exempt from the judgment because he's under the law, do you see? Most people, if you're witnessing to people today, you know this to be true. You ask them on what basis would God let you into heaven? Well, I've been a pretty good guy. And they may work their way around to getting to Jesus somehow because they know it's the right thing to do and say. But they believe, they believe, if not in word, in their thinking, in their conduct, that the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ has nothing to do with their judgment in the last day. All that is left for them is, quote, have sinned, unquote. Perishing either without the law or perishing under the law, both equally condemned. What awaits them both? What awaits them? Verse five, wrath in the day of wrath, right? Verse eight, indignation and wrath. Tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek. There's no hope in these verses, do you see? If you stand before the judgment of God, God is no respecter of persons. God is impartial in his judgment. If you stand there in your own works, in the filthy rags of your own unrighteousness, with all you have to commend yourself to God as have sinned, then there is no mercy. There is no forgiveness. There is no grace. There is only wrath and only condemnation and you will with these perish. That's all that remains for you. What else do you expect? What else by anyone's, by any amount of reason? What else could be expected when you violate the holy just and good? Law of God, which reveals his very character to us, what remains for sinful men but condemnation and wrath, right? There is no hope apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone, alone has secured the righteousness that you and I must have in order to be right with a living God. The only difference, the only difference in their judgment between those who have sinned without the law and those who have sinned under the law, the only difference in their judgment will be one of degree, will be one of severity, the degree of its severity. John Murray said this, their final judgment aggravated in correspondence with the gravity of their sin. Turn with me to Luke chapter 12, another example of this, Luke chapter 12. There's several texts in the Bible that speak to this very point and yet people tend to have problems with it. And I think the reason, primary reason why people tend to have problems with this particular biblical truth is because they want to draw a moral equivalency between sins, right? Somehow my sin is better than theirs, that we're all sinners, right? And it's somehow God, if God could forgive me and certainly forgive, in other words, it makes God partial, right? It makes God partial. If you draw some moral equivalency with sins, somehow there's this back burner to their imagination that somehow has convinced them that it's all going to work out in the end and God is going to be forgiving, right? God is no respecter of persons. There is no partiality with God. Luke chapter 12, look at verse 47. And the Lord in Luke chapter 12, in confrontation with the Pharisees says this in Luke chapter 12 verse 47, that that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes, that disobedient, unfaithful, ungodly servant. That servant who knew his will. Do you see there the correlation to those under the law or in the law? That one who knew his master's will did not prepare himself to do according to his will. He was a hearer and not a doer deceiving himself, as James would say, shall be beaten with many stripes. Verse 48, but he who did not know, he sinned, having sinned apart from the law or without the law, he did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few. You notice they'll both be beaten. They're both going to be beaten. They're both going to receive the judgment of God. The only difference between the two is the degree of its severity. One beaten with many, this one beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given from him much will be required. And to whom much has been committed of him, they will ask the more. Greater revelation, greater light, greater knowledge, greater blessings results in greater responsibility, greater accountability and greater severity of judgment in the day of judgment. If you reject that greater revelation, greater light, greater knowledge, greater blessings in your disobedience, in your refusal to repent and put faith and trust in Jesus Christ. To sin in the law or to sin under the law is to sin against the special revelation of God, right? To sin against grace, to sin against knowledge. You think about the context of the Jews at this time. The Jew heard the law read every Sabbath in the synagogue. Paul incidentally mentions hearing here because that's the way that the Jew accessed the revelation of God through hearing. They would go and hear the word of God read. So the Jew heard the law of God read every Sabbath and it will be by that law that he will be judged. That law read in his hearing will only serve to increase his condemnation, that Jew who rejects the law of God in his sin, do you see? Though God is no respecter of persons, God does concern himself with the degree to which sinful wicked and rebellious men reject the revelation that God has given of himself. Do you see? A greater rejection is rewarded with a greater condemnation. So what is the lesson for us? Take heed how you hear, right? Take heed how you hear. This is not a light, flippant, cavalier, common experience that you and I are enjoying together here every week, weekend and week out as we open the word of God together. This not to be treated as a common thing. It's not a common thing that we have numerous translations at our disposal. Access to the Bible at any given moment of any given day, access to great preaching and great books, godly brothers in history who take us to the Bible and teach us the Bible. Take heed how you hear. It doesn't lessen the aggravation of your condemnation. It only increases it if you walk out the doors of this building having heard and then refusing to do. Having heard and then continuing in your sin, having heard and then going off into your rebellion as if you never heard. It only increases the wrath of God that you are treasuring up for yourself in the day of wrath. Take heed how you hear. Paul continues his train of thought and there's a connection here. Paul continues his train of thought with this parenthetical warning in verse 13 then, right? Look at verse 13, four, connecting it to verse 12, four, because the hearers, not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified. Now, Paul has in mind, as he pens those words in verse 13, Paul has in mind those he mentions in the second half of verse 12 and now Paul addresses them directly with this parenthetical explanation or warning in verse 13. He's thinking particularly making this statement in verse 13. He's thinking particularly of those who have sinned in the law, right? The Jew who has been given every blessing of God's special revelation. The Jew who sits in the synagogue every Sabbath and he listens to the word of God being read, being explained. He has been painstakingly taught the word of God from his youth. He has written on the doorpost of his house. He has large portions of scripture memorized. That one cannot be allowed for a moment to imagine that those blessings will somehow exempt him from judgment on the last day. Thinking to himself that those pagan idolaters are going to have it so much worse in the day of judgment than I ever will. Those pagan idolaters will be condemned. Certainly I won't be. Paul says to him, for listen, not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God. But the doers of the law will be justified. Do you see the issue involved? Mere hearing of the law. And Paul specifically mentions hearing because that was the way they accessed the law of God. Mere hearing of the law, attending church, reading your Bible, showing up for Sunday school, showing up for evening service, listening to podcasts on your way to work, listening to sermons throughout the day, going to a Bible study, growing in your knowledge of theology, being able to parse Greek texts, being able to understand and apply the texts, owning a substantial Christian library. I have a John MacArthur study Bible. None of it, none of it will matter, a nat's wit on the day of judgment for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God but the doers of the law are justified. That's the connection of Paul's statement in verse 13 to his assertion in verse 12. What are you doing for the Lord with all that you think that you know? What are you doing? Take stock of your life, Dr. Murray. The law is the standard of judgment, but it is the law that is demanding conformity. Do you see? The law is the standard of judgment and it's a law that demands conformity. What are you doing in service to the Lord Jesus Christ? What are you doing to obey his commandments? Paul is guarding against, as Dr. Murray would say, the perversion that mere access, mere familiarity, mere participation in the teaching of the church would afford immunity from the rigor of the judgment applied to others, not thus favored with that revelation. That somehow we're going to be exempt. Guarding against the perversion that our participation in churchy stuff is going to somehow afford us an exemption or an immunity from that rigor, that severity of judgment that is applied to others, not so favored as we are. When it's going to be applied more strictly to us. Do you see? People think that showing up is all that is necessary. Where are the fruits of your faith? I'm shocked really at how today a vast majority of professing churches really are nothing, nothing, nothing but glorified social clubs. You show up on a Sunday morning and you go home, you live your life. What is that? That's not Christianity. That's not biblical Christianity. That's not love, that's not service. That's not what the Bible calls us to. That's not what Paul calls us to. That's not what the Lord Jesus Christ calls us to. Where's the commitment? Where's the obedience? Where's the love? Where's the service? Where's the devotion? Where are the fruits of faith, right? You say you have faith, James says. Show me your faith by your works. How are you serving the body? How are you loving the people? Are you evangelizing the lost with the gospel? You realize that's the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. Go therefore, make disciples of all the nations. Are you obeying him? Are you obeying him? Sacrificially loving your wife. Submitting ladies, submitting to your husband. Obeying your parents, children. Are you obeying him? We talked about how we're to understand Paul's statement here in verse 13, some last week. We're gonna talk about it more next week in this issue of justification by faith. But this is, suffice it to say, absolutely not a salvation by works, but it certainly is a salvation that works. Ephesians chapter two, verses eight and nine. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And that salvation by grace through faith is not of yourselves. That salvation, which is by grace through faith, all of it, the salvation, grace and the faith is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Verse 10, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. See brother and sisters, the criteria with respect to the genuineness of our faith, the criteria is doing, not hearing, the criteria is doing. You can't really take any special credit for just showing up, can you? There's nothing to boast in, right? When we've done all that we can do, we have to turn and say, we are at best unprofitable servants. Can you take credit for merely hearing, for merely reading? We have such easy access to the word of God. It only serves to increase your responsibility. It only serves to increase your accountability before God, your culpability before God. Unless you are obeying his word from the heart through faith in Jesus Christ, then all that light only serves to increase the heat of your judgment on the last day. What about all those precious brothers and sisters in church history, right? Who died for their faith, having far less light than you. What about the underground church in China today? I've seen pictures coming out of the underground church in China, pictures of new Christians weeping because they received a Bible in their own language. Somebody gave them a Bible in their own language and they're weeping that they have a Bible to read in their own language. What little access they have, what few blessings they've been given, surely, and they've been given infinite riches, right? Infinite riches. Surely though, if all you're hearing, if all your access, if all that, if all your blessings gave you any advantage in the day of God's judgment, God's judgment is not impartial. And God is impartial in His judgment. There is no partiality with God. It is not the hearers of the law who are just in the sight of God, but the doers. Whether you sit under the law every day, or whether you've never had that blessing, for as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law. And as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law. One last text, turn with me to James chapter one. James speaks of this very issue. James chapter one, look there at verse 21. James in chapter one, verse 21, James charges every man to be swift to hear, certainly, swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, heed what God says, and then he gives us what should be the response of every hearer, verse 21. Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not only hearers deceiving yourselves, right? Hearers only, they're self-deceived. If anyone, verse 23, if anyone is a hearer of the word, not a doer, he's like a man observing his natural face in a mirror for he observes himself, then goes away and immediately he forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, that one is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks that he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James, they're giving a representative list of those things that a genuine believer in faith could be expected to obey from God's word. If their faith is genuine, do you see? Be not a hearer only, but a doer of the word. Being a hearer only is deception. That one who is a hearer only somehow believes that God will be partial to them in the day of judgment. It is an insidious deception and it'd be foolish to think, foolish to think that in a room with this number of people here, that there aren't some or more of you who are trapped under, caught under that same deception. Somehow believe that for all that you've heard for being a part of a church like this, that you'll somehow receive favor, somehow be exempt that somehow God, somehow God will be partial to you in the day of judgment. There is no partiality with God. Turn from your sin, put faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and serve him. Obey his commandments. Paul says to Titus, constantly, constantly remind them of these things, that it is incumbent upon us to perform good works. To obey is better than sacrifice, to heed than the fat of rams. God will judge on the basis of our works and God's judgment will be impartial. We're gonna concern ourselves with the subject of justification in this word next week and we'll unpack Paul's use of that term and what Paul means by the use of that term here and look at justification through Christ alone apart from works. But suffice it to say, brothers and sisters, today, those of you here, listen, don't be deceived. Don't be deceived. Faith produces works, faith produces fruit. Turn from your sin, put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and then get about serving him heart, soul, mind and strength, amen. He is worthy of our devotion, worthy of our devotion. Pray with me. Father in heaven, what it is, a sobering thought that we can sit under the preaching of your word. We can attend a biblical church, have a Bible in our hands, have access to such blessed and helpful preaching and teaching, tools to help us grow, that we could have these many, many blessings that so many others have been deprived and yet that we can so perversely and insidiously deceive ourselves being hearers of your word and not doers. Please Lord, I pray that you would work by your spirit to keep this church, these precious people from such a deception, strengthen us Lord by your spirit to serve you fervently with a pure heart, with a clean conscience. Free us Lord from sin and deception to labor in your vineyard as you've called us to do for your glory. And not because Lord, we expect that by doing good we'll find favor in terms of salvation Lord but because we love you. And it is the love of Christ that compels us that we should live no longer for ourselves but for him who died and gave himself for us. Help us Lord to understand. Help us to consider these things Lord. Help us to consider how it is that we serve you, how we obey your many commands to love one another to preach the gospel to the lost, to serve your body and help us Lord to be faithful. Our desire is to be faithful. We do this in joy and in love. These commandments are not burdensome to the one who by faith has put his trust in Jesus Christ. And so by your spirit Lord we rejoice in that, grant us repentance where we fail and help us Lord to serve you fervently. We love you. We thank you Lord for this admonition. Thank you for this teaching in your word and be with us Lord as we continue our study of this wondrous letter. May we live in light of the truth that we've been given in Jesus name, amen.