Render to Every Man According to His Deeds

But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: (Romans 2:5-10)

We have now seen at length the bad news of the human condition. The end of man is being given over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28), and that we all have the potential to reach that point. In Romans 2:1, we see that we are inexcusable if we judge other people for the things they do, because we ourselves have done or could do what they do. The “O man” in 2:1 indicates that these things apply to every one every where. The name “Adam” means man, and we are all his descendants. The “man” therefore is everyman; it is you and it is me.

Now after all of this, we cannot see this passage any differently. God will give us what we deserve, “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.” How many people fit this description? By the context of this verse, we know that the answer is zero! But we “are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness” knowing that we face “indignation and wrath” from God himself.

If we cannot appease the wrath of God, who can? Praise God for Jesus Christ.