Sunday Sermon: God's Righteous Demands (Romans 2:6-11)

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You're listening to the preaching ministry of Gabriel Hughes, pastor of Providence Reformed Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona.

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Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on this podcast we feature teaching through a New Testament book, an

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Old Testament book on Thursday and our Q &A on Friday. Each Sunday we are pleased to present our sermon series.

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Here is Pastor Gabe. Well good morning. Good morning. If everyone would please turn in your

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Bible to Romans chapter 2 as we continue our series through the book of Romans section that we're going to be looking at today is

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Romans 2 verses 6 through 11. Now most of what we have heard over the last several weeks, probably even the last couple of months has been mostly bad news.

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I had warned you about that, that we were going to be reading of sin and our depravity before God so that we might see our need for a savior.

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Now in the section we're going to be looking at today, we have a little bit more glimmers of hope. There are references to eternal life and what we can expect for those who do good, who desire to do the

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Lord's will, what will be our reward, what will be the treasure that we will be given as a result.

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But the bad news that ties into that is that you can't be good enough to achieve that.

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So bear with me as we also look for the hope of the gospel in the text that we will be reading today.

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This is Romans chapter 2 verses 6 through 11. In honor of the word of the King, would you please stand.

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Romans chapter 2 beginning in verse 6, the Apostle Paul writing to the church in Rome, hear the word of the

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Lord. He will render to each one according to his works.

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To those who by patience in well -doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

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But for those who are self -seeking and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

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There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the

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Jew first and also the Greek. But glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the

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Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

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You may be seated as we pray. Heavenly Father, as we come into this text today, to hear and to be reminded that every person will be judged according to their works.

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I pray that it does indeed stir in our heart a desire to do good works.

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We're not looking for the loophole today to find how we can take a back seat and not have to put ourselves forward, not have to strive, not have to work, not have to pursue anything.

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We're not looking for the doctrine that allows me to just sit and wait patiently for the

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Lord to arrive and as long as I don't do anything too bad, then I'm getting into the kingdom.

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For that is not the message that we are to hear. We've been called to be followers of Christ and as followers of Christ may we walk in the works that Jesus did.

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And we aspire to show kindness to one another. We aspire to love and show compassion.

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So we look for ways that we might serve each other. We look for those who are hurting that we might weep with them.

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We even look for those who are experiencing great joy that we might rejoice with them.

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May it be an active mission that we are a part of as followers of Jesus Christ, doing the works that you have called us to as your people.

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And then knowing when that day arrives that we stand before God, we will be judged according to those deeds.

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Were they carried out in God or were they carried out in another name? And if in listening to these things today we find that we are hiding sins or concealing things for which we would be judged on that day, may we be convicted in heart that we may lay those things before you and be forgiven and find peace.

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It is in the name of the Prince of Peace that we pray, our Lord Jesus Christ, and all

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God's people say, Amen. If you've been listening to my podcast, and you'll know on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I've been teaching through the

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Gospel of Luke. It's interesting that Luke's Gospel contains a few parables that are not found in the other what we call synoptic

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Gospels, Matthew or Mark. I mentioned one of those parables just last week, the parable of the

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Pharisee and the tax collector, which is found only in Luke chapter 18. Another is the parable of the

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Good Samaritan, which is found only in Luke 10. Again, I open today not with the parable itself, but rather the exchange that led up to the parable.

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In Luke 10 .25, a lawyer stood up to put

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Jesus to the test. And he said, Teacher, what must

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I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him, what is written in the law?

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How do you read it? And the lawyer answered, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

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And Jesus said, you've answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.

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This is the answer to his question, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

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Do these things, love God, love your neighbor, and you will live. Now, from here, the lawyer attempts to justify himself by asking, who is my neighbor?

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And it's in answering that question that Jesus gives the famous, and often misunderstood, parable of the

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Good Samaritan. But what Jesus said before the parable is often the part that goes overlooked.

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The lawyer asked him, what do I need to do to get eternal life? And it appears as if Jesus' answer is, keep the law.

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Keep the law, and you will live. Is that what Jesus was saying? My answer to you is yes.

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That's exactly what he was saying. If you keep the law, you will have eternal life.

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Now, you might respond to that, well, wait, I thought that we couldn't keep the law. Yes, you're right on that, too.

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You cannot keep the law. So if we're judged by our works, then what hope do

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I have? I'm glad you asked. Now, I'm going to come back to the parable of the

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Good Samaritan near the end and show you something else about this particular parable that will help us today in our understanding.

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But we see in our passage today this promise that there will be judgment for our works.

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Likewise, the promise, we will be rewarded for our works. Last week, we read about God's righteous judgment.

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Today, we read of the basis of that judgment. We can split this up that we're reading here today, verses 6 through 11, into two parts.

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The first part, Paul enunciates the principle. He will render to each according to his works.

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And then we have the works of those who will receive eternal life contrasted with the works of those who will receive eternal wrath.

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In the next part, which ends with the statement, for God shows no partiality, the order is flipped.

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We have the outcome for those who do evil, whether Jew or Greek, contrasted with the outcome of those who do good, whether Jew or Greek.

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So in part one, here is the outworking. And in part two, here is the outcome.

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And in all of this, we understand further God's righteous judgment so that we also understand

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His righteous demands. So let's come back to part one, and we read again in verse 6.

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He will render to each one according to his works.

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Now, Paul is not preaching anything new here. He is simply repeating that which was said in the

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Old Testament. Psalm 62 .12 says, To you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love, for you will render to a man according to his work.

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In Psalm 28, the people call upon the Lord to judge the wicked according to the evil of their deeds.

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Give to them according to the work of their hands. Render them their due reward. Through the prophet

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Jeremiah, God says, I, the Lord, search the heart and the mind to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.

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Now you might say, but that's just unbelievers, right? They will be judged according to their works.

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We will not be judged according to our works because we have Jesus. We're justified by faith alone and not by works, right?

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And we're no longer under the law but under grace. So we won't be judged by our works, will we?

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You are correct that we are justified by faith alone and not by works. As said in Romans 3 .28,

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For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

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In Romans 4 .5, to the one who does not work but believes, in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.

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Our works do not save us. But that is not to say that our works play no role in our final judgment.

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Works are the fruit, or some might say the evidence, of our salvation.

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You will not be saved by doing good works. But if you are saved, you will do good works.

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And we will be judged by these works in the end. Your works will demonstrate to whom you belong.

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Did you belong to Christ or did you belong to the devil? Now, Jesus contrasted the two as those who will do the will of the

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Father in heaven and those who will do the will of their father, the devil. As I quoted last week from Matthew 7,

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Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one who does the will of my

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Father who is in heaven. In John 8 .44, He said to the Jews, You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires.

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So, will the works that you do demonstrate that your father was God or that your father was

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Satan? John 3 .19 -21 says, This is the judgment.

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The light has come into the world, and the people love the darkness rather than the light, because their works were evil.

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For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come into the light, lest his works should be exposed.

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But whoever does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

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In Matthew 16 .27, Jesus said that the Son of Man will repay each person according to what

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He has done. In Revelation 2 .23, He says, I am He who searches mind and heart.

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Remember, this is the same thing God said in Jeremiah 1. And so God is saying, or Jesus is saying here,

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I'm the very one who was speaking to Jeremiah when I said that. I am He who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

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We will be judged by our works, lest anyone wants to abuse the doctrine of justification by faith as the doctrine to justify sin with impunity.

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Remember that we read last week, do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not realizing that His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

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To turn from these things and not walk in them any longer. Those who love

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God will do the works of God, and those who do not love

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God will do the works of the devil. I've quoted to you before that Bob Dylan song, everybody's going to have to serve somebody.

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Even a guy like Bob Dylan will recognize you're under somebody's direction. You're under someone's authority.

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Are you serving God? Or are you serving the devil? And here as we read in verses 7 and 8, again we have the contrast between the outworking of those who do good works and the outworking of those who do bad works.

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Look at verse 7. To those who by patience in well -doing seek for glory and honor and immortality,

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He will give eternal life. Now, we don't have mentioned here specific good works.

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It's not like a list of the fruit of the Spirit like you might find in Galatians 5, or even the works that Paul will lay down later on when we get to chapters 12 and 13.

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But we're shown what the person who does good is seeking after. What is the desire of their heart?

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What are they going for? So first of all, look at this word by word as we go through this verse.

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First of all, those. Those who by patience in well -doing.

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Those means everyone. And we know it means anyone, Jew or Greek, because of what is said in the second part, verses 9 through 11.

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We're not just talking about Jews here. We're not just talking about Gentiles. This is anyone.

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And they by patience, meaning that they are long -suffering. They persevere in these good works.

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This is not a person who does something good occasionally. They are known for being in pursuit of what is good.

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Specifically, they are disposed to want to obey God's law and do what is pleasing to Him.

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And this is not just their external conduct. This is reflecting the heart that they have for God.

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So you see on the outside what they desire on the inside. And those who by patience in well -doing.

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Again, they're doing what is right in God's eyes. They seek for glory and honor and immortality.

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They seek for it. They endeavor to find it. They strive to obtain it. As Paul said in Philippians 3 .12,

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I strive to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me

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His own. And what the man who does good works is seeking is glory and honor and immortality.

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And these three words spell out for us what happiness is to the person who dwells in the kingdom of God.

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Glory, His majesty and splendor, a heavenly reward of God.

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Honor is esteem or bestowing upon someone what has been earned.

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We might equate this to desiring to hear those words, well done, good and faithful servant.

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That's the honor that we seek after. Immortality, very simply, eternal life.

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It is the promise of incorruptibility, of being able to live forever with God in His holy presence.

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And the man who loves God, who does the work of God, who desires to be with God, aspires to obtain the glory and honor and immortality promised to those who love

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Him. Now, what would the contrast to this be? Well, instead of glory, it would be destitution.

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Instead of honor, contempt. And instead of immortality, death.

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And this will be for the person who does not do good. The person who does good, he seeks the rewards that are promised of those who will inherit

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God's kingdom. Now, I'm occasionally asked, but shouldn't we as Christians be doing what we do, not looking for a reward?

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I mean, that kind of seems like our motivation is a little bit selfish, right? We're loving others or loving

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God or doing these things because we want to receive some kind of reward. Shouldn't we just expect nothing in return?

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Well, as it pertains to what we could receive from other people, yes, we should expect nothing in return.

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But from God, it should absolutely be our motivation to do good to others that we may receive good from God.

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Hebrews 11 .6 says, Whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and He rewards those who earnestly seek

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Him. That's part of our faith. And we believe He exists and He rewards us.

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It is absolutely incumbent upon us to expect a reward from God.

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We call Him our Father in heaven. Do you not expect good from your Father on earth?

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Then we should also expect good from our Father in heaven. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children.

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How much more will your heavenly Father give to those who ask of Him? It is important for us to recognize this about God because it is connected with His character.

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He loves us and wants to give good things to His children. To tell

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God, Nah, I don't need anything from you. Really? I mean, are those not the words of those who are lost?

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That I don't need anything from God? We need everything from the

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Lord. And the word of His word is that He will give us everything.

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We deserve nothing and yet through Christ Jesus, He makes us fellow heirs with Him of His eternal kingdom.

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We get all the stuff the King gets. Don't doubt that. Strive for that.

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The early church, I'm skipping a part here. So we read in the next verse, those who are self -seeking.

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So now we've had those who seek for good things, but now we have those who are self -seeking.

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Again, this means anyone, not just the Jew or the Gentile, but anybody who is self -seeking.

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They do not receive or they do not seek after the rewards of God, but they seek their own passions and desires.

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They do not obey the truth. Remember that we read in chapter one that they suppress the truth with unrighteousness.

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So they don't obey the truth. They want their sin. They obey unrighteousness.

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They are slaves to it. They obey their sinful desires. They're enslaved to their own wants and lusts.

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And what do they receive? They get wrath and fury.

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It was the early church patriarch, Eustathius, who suggested that one of these words denotes an internal emotion and the other, an external manifestation of God's indignation towards sin.

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So one is wrath, which then becomes fury. It's God's heart is against the one who obeys unrighteousness, and the outworking of this will ultimately be his judgment poured out.

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On the wrongdoer, everyone will be judged according to their works, whether good or bad.

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Now, that was the outworking portion. The second part is the outcome. So the first part, we see the outworking and part two, we see this.

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It's what we read in verses seven and eight, but now the order is flipped. Look at verse nine.

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So now we start with the one who is the wrongdoer. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil to the

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Jew first and also to the Greek. Now, we're clearly reading here about final outcomes.

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Tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil. This isn't merely talking about the immediate or real -life consequences that one might face for doing something evil.

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This is about a person who, in their life, pursued that which was contrary to God and now faces judgment.

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And that judgment is an eternity of suffering and pain, synonymous with tribulation and distress.

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Now, frankly, as human beings, this is just not something that we think a whole lot about.

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How often do you think about your eternity? You're still thinking about what you have to get done this week, right?

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Who's got time to think about what we've got going on this summer or even next year, let alone for all eternity?

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How much consideration do you give to the eternal value of your actions?

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Now, this is one of the great things about church that we've often said about the corporate worship gathering like we're doing here this morning.

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This is heaven practice. So we're getting a small taste, a glimpse, of what heaven will be like for all eternity, worshiping with the saints of God around the throne, glorifying in Him for all eternity.

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If church is boring for you now, I got some bad news for you, folks. So there should be inherent value, inherent eternal value in this, in what you're doing right now.

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But how much consideration do we give to every other moment of our week, of our waking day?

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Is anyone going to lie on their deathbed and regret that they didn't get through all of their favorite video games or binge watch all of their favorite shows?

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Now, I'm not saying it's wrong to play video games or watch TV. It's not where I'm coming from.

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I enjoy both. I did both yesterday. I'm simply making the point, how much consideration do we give to the eternal value of these things?

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I remember in April of 2019, when liberal Christian author Rachel Held Evans went into the hospital with the flu.

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She was somebody that I sometimes went back and forth with online and had actually just gone through a particular argument with each other on social media.

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She had been arguing that we could address God as our heavenly mother. And I was pushing back against that.

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And suddenly, even in the midst of that argument, she got sick and it became very serious.

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The night that she went into the hospital, the last post that she made on social media and sat there on her account for a couple of years was not about God.

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It was not about her husband or her children. She posted how sad she was that she was going to miss the finale of Game of Thrones.

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Days later, she fell into a coma from which she would never wake up. And these were the last words she gave to the world before she died.

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Marcus Aurelius, the second century Roman emperor said, Do not act as if thou were going to live 10 ,000 years.

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Death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, do good.

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Now, Marcus Aurelius was, of course, a pagan and a God -hater. He tortured and persecuted the

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Christians of Lyon who were devoured by wild beasts in 177. So Marcus Aurelius says do good and we should respond by what standard.

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But I mentioned this quote because even a pagan recognizes, even by natural revelation, he knows we are not long for this world.

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And death hangs over every one of us. And if we're going to have to give an account for what we did in our lives, is it not better that you spend your hours doing that which is good, avoiding those things that are meaningless?

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We certainly should not do that which is evil in God's eyes, in the eyes of our judge who will render to each person according to their works.

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We should not do that which brings harm to others. Instead, shouldn't we be doing good?

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There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also to the

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Greek. Remember that I said in the context of what we're reading here in chapter two, Paul is speaking as if he's talking to the

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Jew in the audience. So everything in chapter one, it was like the Jewish Christians that are sitting there at that church in Rome could be hearing about all those sins and going, yeah, that's all those

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Gentiles. That's all them out there. And then Paul turns it back into the room and says, but you have no excuse, oh man.

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Every one of you who judges because you the judge practice the very same things. And even they who had the law could not boast in themselves.

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In fact, their condition was worse because they knew what

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God's righteous decree was. They heard it spoken to them. It was given to them, the very oracles of God.

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And yet knowing it, they deliberately disobeyed it. And that's why it's being said here in verse nine, there will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the

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Jew first and also to the Greek because you knew the right way to go and you didn't do it.

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And how much more could it be said, even of us as Christians who have the prophetic word more fully revealed.

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We have heard God's expectations of us. Are we doing what

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He has said for us to do? There will be judgment upon those who knew the right thing and did not do it to the

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Jew first and also to the Greek. Now look at verse 10 and here's the contrast.

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But there will be glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the

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Jew first and also to the Greek. So once again, we have those words, glory and honor that come up again here.

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And these words are of everlasting happiness and joy that will be for the saints of God.

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As said in 1 Peter 5, four, we aspire to receive the unfading crown of glory and we will dwell in peace, absent any sin or conflict for all eternity.

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You're familiar with those words that are commonly said of the dead, rest in peace, right? Or watch a cartoon or you see a comic and it shows a tombstone.

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Usually it's kind of the default statement that's there on the tombstone, either R -I -P or rest in peace.

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And this is from the Latin requisat in pace said in many ancient traditional funeral services and prayers.

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Whenever someone famous passes away, you'll see it trending on social media, R -I -P or rest in peace and then the individual's name.

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But only those who know Jesus Christ and were known by Him will rest in peace.

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As said in Isaiah 48, 22 and 57, 21, there is no peace for the wicked.

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For those who did good, they will know peace now and forever.

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But for those who did evil, there will be no peace forever.

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Have you ever felt in your life after you have committed some sin, some kind of darkness or cloud or guilt or conviction hanging over you that you just could not shake?

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And no one, maybe no one even knew about it. No one knew about this sin that you were concealing, but maybe you had this dread that somebody would find out.

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Or even if you didn't think that anybody would find out, you still felt guilty about it.

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And you could not in your spirit, in your soul, find peace.

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There's a very immediate consequence to our sin. And that we feel this unrest.

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As said in the Psalms, I believe it's Psalm 34. I was, I felt weighed down in my bones as God's hand was heavy upon me.

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Until I confessed my sins to the Lord. There are very real and natural consequences that even those who deny

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God will experience physiologically in their bodies, in their psyche, in their spirits.

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Because all of us have been made to honor and glorify God. And when we go against that for which we have been made, there are very real and even natural consequences to that.

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We feel that lack of peace in our spirits. And even that is a taste of something eternal if we don't find peace in Christ.

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There is no peace for the wicked. Now, as said in both of these verses in the second part, in verses nine and 10, this is for the

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Jew as well as for the Greek, neither receives special treatment, neither receives more judgment than the other.

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For as it is said in verse 11, for God shows no partiality. The standard by which a person will be judged will not be what tribe or tongue or nation they were born into.

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The standard, the basis for God's judgment will be upon our works.

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Revelation 10, 12 says, and I saw the dead. I'm sorry, this is

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Revelation 20, verse 12. I saw the dead great and small standing before the throne and books were opened.

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And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books according to what they had done.

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But wait a minute, brother Gabe, you might say, I thought we were going to be judged on whether or not we knew

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Jesus. Those who did not know Jesus will go to hell and those who did know

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Jesus will go to heaven. Yes, that is true. But again, whom did you serve? And how could it be seen whom you served?

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By our works, it will be seen whether we belong to Jesus or whether we belong to Satan.

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And we see here the outworking and the outcome. Those who do good works will be rewarded forever.

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And those who did evil will be punished forever. Now then, let's come back to the parable of the good

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Samaritan, as I told you that we would. And join me this time by turning in your Bible to Luke chapter 10.

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Luke chapter 10, and this is beginning in verse 25. I'm going to read once again, kind of the prologue to this parable.

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Behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test saying, teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

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And he said to him, what is written in the law? How do you read it? And the lawyer answered, you shall love the

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Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.

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In verse 28, Jesus said to him, you have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.

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Now, what's the lawyer's next question? His next question is, who is my neighbor?

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And what is the basis on which he asked that question? Verse 29, he's desiring to justify himself.

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And he asked Jesus, who is my neighbor? He did not ask, who is my

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God, right? Because what were the two parts of this command? You'll love the Lord your God, you'll love your neighbor as yourself.

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He didn't say, who is my God? The answer to that question, of course, was obvious to the lawyer.

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He may have even thought that he was safe there. I've done that part. But he is a little bit uneasy in his conscience about whom he is supposed to love on earth.

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Now, as he is desiring to justify himself or show himself blameless, perhaps he expected Jesus to say in answer to this question, well, all these people around you are your neighbor.

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To which the lawyer would say, and have I not shown love to them? Somebody speak up, tell me if I haven't shown love to you.

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He's desiring to justify himself. But that's not where Jesus went, is it? So now let's look at the rest here.

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Beginning in verse 29. But he desiring to justify himself said to Jesus, and who is my neighbor?

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And Jesus replied, a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among robbers who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.

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Now, by chance, a priest was going down that road and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

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So likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

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But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was and when he saw him, he had compassion.

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He went to him and bound up his wounds. Pouring on oil and wine. And then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

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The next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper saying, take care of him and whatever more you spend,

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I'll repay when I come back. Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?

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And the lawyer said, the one who showed him mercy. And Jesus said to him, you go and do likewise.

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Still in answer to the question, what must I do to have eternal life? Do this.

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Now, this is one of the most misunderstood parables in all of Jesus' teachings. I won't go through all the different ways that you've probably heard this parable abused.

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Unfortunately, even men that I consider to be sound teachers don't even quite understand this parable.

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I've heard it elevated to this unachievable status, like the

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Samaritan loved with this level of love that you and I aren't even capable of. But that's not the correct interpretation of this either.

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What the Samaritan did for this beaten man was very basic.

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It was common sense that even a Samaritan understood.

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You see a beaten man half dead on the road, you don't leave him there. But you can't even do the basics.

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Again, remember to whom Jesus was speaking. He was responding to a lawyer, a teacher with the scribes and the

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Pharisees who had asked Jesus, what do I have to do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said, keep the law.

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Love God, love your neighbor. The lawyer attempting to justify himself said, and who is my neighbor? And Jesus showed him and everyone listening that being a neighbor means showing mercy, especially to those who need it most.

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And you have not even done that much. Have you loved a

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Samaritan? Now to that Jew, of course, the answer to that would be, you will know if they were really honest about it.

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So who are you to stand there and ask who is my neighbor? You who want to boast in your keeping of the law so as to receive eternal life, and you've not even done the basic things of what the law requires.

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It's the same as when Jesus spoke to the rich young ruler. Remember this exchange? The rich young ruler asked

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Jesus the same question. What must I do to inherit eternal life?

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Where did Jesus go? Went straight to the law, to the 10 commandments. You know the commands, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother.

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And the rich young ruler desiring to justify himself said, great, all these things

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I have done from my youth. But Jesus said to him, one thing you still lack.

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Sell all that you have, distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.

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And then come and follow me. Very important part to that answer, by the way.

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Jesus showed the young man that he was not as pure in heart. He was not as flawless in his law keeping as he thought he was.

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What he needed to be saved was not his stuff, and it was not his self -righteousness.

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What he needed to be saved was Jesus. And my friends, if it is true that if we keep the law perfectly, we will have eternal life, but none of us have kept the law perfectly, and none of us in this way will inherit eternal life, then what can we do to be saved?

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We will enter only through Christ, only through faith in him.

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And again, that is not to say that it is then irrelevant what we do. For as we have seen in this passage today, every person will still be judged according to their works.

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That is the first verse that we looked at, verse six. He will render to each according to his works.

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Our works alone will never be good enough. If it were left up to us to work our way to heaven, we would never get there.

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We may as well be trying to climb to the moon on a rope of sand, as the great evangelist George Whitefield once put it.

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So how can we have any hope in being judged by our works if we cannot be saved by our works?

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And it is because when we come to Christ, we are given his righteousness.

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That we may do his work in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. We could not earn his favor by our merits alone.

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He gives it to us by his grace. And now having received his righteousness, we are actually made righteous that we may do his works righteously.

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Our good works, if we may call these works good, do not begin until we have faith in Jesus.

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You cannot fake it until you make it, as the saying goes in Silicon Valley. Because as we read,

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God is the one who searches mind and heart, and he doesn't just know your works. He knows the very heart behind those works.

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As to whether your heart is genuine and in the Lord. We have no hope in and of ourselves that we will ever make it through those gates on any good work that we have done.

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We will make it into heaven on the work that Christ has done for us, for our sake.

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2 Corinthians 5 .21 For our sake, he became sin who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

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When he died on the cross for our sins, our sins were imputed to him and his righteousness imputed to us.

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So we no longer stand before God guilty, but we stand before him as sons and daughters of the

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Most High. Now the works that we do, may they be the demonstration.

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Of the Christ whom we worship. You've been listening to the preaching of Pastor Gabriel Hughes, a presentation of Providence Reformed Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona.

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For more information about our church, visit our website at providencecasagrande .com On behalf of our church family, my name is

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Becky, thanking you for listening. Join us again Monday for more Bible study, when we understand the text.