God Who Repays According to Deeds
God Who Repays According to Deeds
2026 Romans, Lecture 3 / Chang-moo Lee Word / Romans 2:1–16 | Verse / Romans 2:6 "He will repay each person according to what they have done."
Introduction: It Is Our Turn
Last week, we examined the latter half of Romans 1. Paul points out the sins of the Gentiles one by one—those who knew God but did not glorify Him nor give thanks. Idolatry, moral corruption, the collapse of human nature. Listening to these words, the Judeans of that day likely thought to themselves, "That's right. The world is truly in trouble. Those Gentiles did this because they didn't know God." Perhaps some of them felt a sense of relief thinking, "At least we are different."
But at the very beginning of Chapter 2, Paul makes a sudden U-turn. "Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge another..."
While this is primarily directed at the Judeans, it is also a message to us sitting here today. Paul speaks to us who have been so busy judging the sins of others: "It is your turn."
There is a reason we must take this message to heart. We are a community of God's worshipers, much like the Judeans. We are a community that studies the Word every week. Furthermore, most of us here have a long history of faith. Precisely because of this, we can say that we are very close to the Judeans in this text. The more we know the Word, and the longer our years of faith accumulate, the easier it is to fall into the delusion that "I have the qualification to judge." Paul faces this delusion directly today.
The core message of today’s text is one: On what principle does God’s judgment occur, and where do we stand before that principle? I would like to examine three things.
1. We Must Look at Ourselves Before Judging Others
"Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself; because you, the judge, practice the very same things." (v. 1)
These words from verse 1 would have been a tremendous shock to the Judeans. Paul is shouting that the very one who is pointing fingers at the sins of others—the sins of the Gentiles—is doing the very same thing.
This phenomenon is rampant in our era. It is the saying, "What I do is romance, what you do is adultery." (A Korean idiom meaning "When I do it, it’s love; when you do it, it’s a sin.") It might seem like a joke, but this is the universal pattern of human judgment. When we look at our own faults, our vision is blurry (0.1), but when we look at someone else's faults, our vision is miraculously sharp enough to spot them from miles away. When we make a mistake, we say, "Well, anyone can slip up," yet when someone else makes the same mistake, we say, "How could a human do that?"
The expression "the very same things" in Paul's teaching hides two meanings.
One is literally the same act. You condemn the lie of another while telling a lie yourself. You criticize another’s licentiousness while secretly enjoying it yourself. You blame another’s unfaithfulness while living loosely in places unseen by others.
However, there is a deeper meaning. Even if the surface actions differ, the root of those actions may be the same. The Gentile worships idols, and I go to worship. The acts are different. But if the God I worship in my worship is nothing more than "a God for my benefit," what then? God becomes just someone to help me succeed, someone to get my child into a good university, someone to protect my health. If we think only this much, then although we appear to be serving God, we are actually using Him to satisfy our own desires. This is the same as worshipping an idol—worshipping ourselves.
Even if the appearance of sin looks different, it stems from the same root: self-centeredness. The "same things" Paul mentions refers to this identical root.
This is the sin of hypocrisy. And often traveling with hypocrisy is pride. "I am different from those people. I am distinct from those sinners." Sitting in this certainty, the seed of pride grows. The longer one's Christian walk, the more one knows the Word, the more this pride becomes sophisticated and invisible. It is using humble language while, deep in the heart, still believing "I am different." This is the trap Paul is pointing out.
The last phrase of verse 1 is "you have no excuse." We already heard this in Chapter 1: no one can claim, "I didn't know God existed." And here again, you cannot claim, "I am different. I am the exception." Because the standard by which you judge others will return like a boomerang and judge you.
Let us look at verse 2. "But we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on the truth."
Paul says God’s judgment is "according to the truth." This "according to the truth" implies two things: one, God’s judgment is based on facts. The other, He does not look at appearances but sees right through the motives and thoughts of the heart.
But what about our judgment? Be honest and look back at yourself. When we judge someone, are we always fair? Do we not waver based on appearance? We tend to be lenient toward the handsome and beautiful, but harsh toward those who are not. There is a story about a Chinese prisoner about to be executed, who begged for his life because his face was so handsome—"It would be a waste to kill him."
Our judgment is swayed by status and achievement. The same words spoken by someone in a high position are praised, "He must have something special about him," but dismissed from someone without a title, "What do you know?" We look kindly on a friend who errs, but are infinitely harsh toward a stranger. And most decisively, it depends on our self-interest. If I benefit when this person succeeds, I try to cover their flaws. If I rise only when they fall, I seize even a tiny pretext to tear them down. This happens often in the workplace, at school, and even in the church.
But an even more serious problem exists. We do not even realize that we are not judging according to the truth. While our standards swing back and forth depending on self-interest, we pride ourselves on being "always objective." We think we are speaking justice, but actually speaking self-interest, and everyone sees it except ourselves.
To absolutize one's own judgment is the second trap of the judge.
We cannot avoid judging in life. We must evaluate values; we must discern right from wrong. However, it is the proper attitude of a judge to keep open the possibility that "my judgment might be wrong." And before judging others, we must apply that standard of judgment to ourselves first.
We are not the final judge. Only God is the final judge.
2. We Must Not Misunderstand God’s Patience
While committing the sin of hypocrisy and pride, many fall into a more serious trap. We arrogantly condemn others, but nothing happens. We live with hypocritical double standards, and today we remain peaceful. Then we naturally think, "God must recognize that I am living correctly. This is the right way to live. I am fine." Gradually, we become bolder as hypocrites, criticizing and condemning others. What started as a whisper eventually becomes a loud voice, judging others with confidence for everyone to hear.
Paul points this out directly. "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?" (v. 4)
The fact that God does not immediately judge the one who does the same thing as others is not because He permits the sin. It is because He is waiting to give the chance for repentance. God’s silence is not acquiescence; it is patience. It is the heart of a Father who wants us to realize and return within that patience. But when we read that patience as a signal of "everything is fine," we despise the riches of His kindness, forbearance, and patience. We treat God as someone who simply follows our decisions and applauds them.
If we continue to live in this delusion, what will happen? "Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself when the day of God’s wrath reveals itself." (v. 5)
The word "storing up" feels intense. Just because God does not judge immediately does not mean His wrath disappears. Like water being held by a dam and rising slowly, God’s wrath is stacked layer by layer for the one who does not repent.
There are things we should "stack up" (accumulate), like knowledge, experience, connections, and wealth. These are good to accumulate. But there is one thing we absolutely must not stack up: God’s wrath.
While we delay repentance, while we stubbornly insist "I am right," that time is used to stack up God's wrath. And when that wrath crosses a certain point, it will erupt all at once like a bursting dam. This was the case in the days of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah. God is patient, but not eternally patient.
"He will repay each person according to what they have done" (v. 6).
This summarizes the principle of God’s judgment. However, this verse can easily be misunderstood. "Does this mean judgment by works? Doesn't this contradict the principle of the Gospel of salvation by faith?" But looking at verses 7 and 8 clarifies the meaning of verse 6.
"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." (vv. 7-8)
Verse 7 says, "those who seek by persistence..." The word "seek" here means to pursue or aim for. It does not mean God is scoring points like a referee checking off individual actions. It means He sees what the person's entire life is aiming for. Verse 8 is the same: "those who reject the truth and follow evil." What are they persistently following? God looks at where life is heading—its direction.
If you aim in one direction for years, what will be at the final destination? It will be the fruit of life. What is the most certain way to distinguish a good tree from a bad one? By the fruit. When buds and leaves appear, it is hard to tell. But when fruit is borne, we know clearly. God looks at the fruit that manifests at the end of the tree of life and repays accordingly.
We must not take the fact that there is no immediate judgment on us today as God's approval of our sin of hypocrisy and pride. God's silence is not permission for sin. It is the tearful waiting of a Father who desires even one soul to turn back.
The last chance for repentance is still with us. But we must realize that while we mistake this time of patience for a "safe" signal and persist in stubbornness, the dam of wrath is slowly rising right now.
Now, we must put down the fingers that condemn others and strip off the clothes of hypocrisy that differ on the inside and outside. God is not looking for our perfect deeds, but the direction our lives are moving. Do not despise the opportunity God has given us—the day He has endured. I pray we can immediately turn our lives toward God's glory and honor. May we become a people who build up eternal life rather than wrath.
3. We Must Act, Not Just Listen
"For God does not show favoritism." (v. 11)
The phrase "God does not show favoritism" literally means He "does not lift the face" (show respect or favor). To understand this, imagine a courtroom scene in a historical drama. The magistrate asks the accused, "Lift your head." He looks up and it is someone he knows. "Ah, I should let him off. Just go home." He looks up again, and it is his enemy. "You're lucky I found you. Bring 100 beats!" The act of lifting the face determines biased judgment. But God never does that. The background of being a Judean means nothing before God. There is no special treatment. There may be a sequence—judgment first to the Judean and then to the Greek—but God does not discriminate based on whether one is Judean or Greek.
It is the same for us. "I am a Christian from birth." You might boast in this. But there is a saying: "Motte-shingyang" (Born-into-the-faith) sounds like "Motte-sangyang" (Incompetent person—someone who can't do anything). Does it matter how many years of faith you have, how many bowls of "church rice" you have eaten, or what position you hold in the church? Can these be grounds for special treatment before God’s judgment seat? Can you say, "I am the exception"?
There are no exemptions before God. Just as the Judeans could not be saved by claiming they are descendants of Abraham, no grounds we create can bypass God's fair and righteous judgment.
Verse 13 gives us the most practical challenge. "It is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." (v. 13)
The phrase "those who hear the law" appears here. The Judeans gathered in the synagogue every Sabbath to hear the law. "I know the law. I go to hear the law every week. So I should be fine." But Paul says very bluntly: Hearing is not enough. You must go and do.
This is a word to us gathering here every Sunday to hear the Word. We hear the Word in our Sunday service and Bible study. We are studying Romans in series. We have heard Chapter 1 and are now hearing Chapter 2. This is an incredibly precious thing. We must hear to do anything. But the problem is, we must not stop at hearing.
Let me ask honestly. Do you remember the Word you heard last week? Have we not all experienced the Word blurring the moment we step out the church door on Sunday? Do we not have the experience of struggling to remember on Monday night, "What was the sermon about?" A Word heard once and simply passed by will never change our lives.
What matters is: While holding onto the heard Word for the week, what did I intend to practice? The gap between hearing and doing is the true status of our faith.
And there is another standard of judgment alongside this practice. "...on the day when God judges secret things through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares." (v. 16)
Here, God says He will judge "secret things." What are these secret things? How we act when no one is watching, in private; the motives of our hearts hidden from view; the real reasons hidden behind our judgment of others. Others cannot know these. But there will come a day when all of this is brought to the surface. That day is the Day of Judgment, standing before the judgment seat of Christ. Everything will be revealed. Nothing can remain secret forever.
If we think, "No one knows. It will remain secret forever," we will inevitably become hypocrites. But if we know that a day will come when all secrets are revealed, we cannot live carelessly. Knowing that everything will be revealed before God allows us to be careful in all things and strive not to fall into sin.
In God's eyes, our years of faith or positions cannot be a "free pass" to avoid judgment. If the Word we hear every week dissipates the moment we leave church, it will not be the power that saves us; it will rather be a heavy ground that condemns us.
Now is the time to rise from the comfort of a faith that only listens. During this week, hold fast to even one Word we heard every week, and translate that Word with your hands and feet in the field of life. That is what we must do.
We must always remember that our true report card will be our appearance in that secret space before God. Living honestly in the spirit of Coram Deo (before the face of God), not for the eyes of people but for God’s fiery eyes, I believe that only when this "Amen" on our lips becomes the obedience of our lives will the Word we hear grow into living faith and bear the fruit of salvation.
Conclusion: The Operating Table, Not Anesthesia
Paul asks: Where do I stand when the arrow of judgment against others returns to me? Was I doing the same thing? Was my judgment truly according to the truth? Have I misunderstood God's patience? Have I erased the message of judgment only when it suits me? Do I act on the heard Word? Who am I in private?
Before all these questions, we are speechless.
But in verse 16, Paul calls this entire message of judgment "my gospel." When we hear the word "gospel," what comes to mind first? Grace, love, salvation. Yes. But is this the entirety of the gospel? In John 3:16, the core of the gospel, the expression "lest he should perish" is included. A warning of destruction is included.
If you remove the message of judgment from the gospel, it can no longer be the gospel. A good message is good only because there is a bad message. If there is no judgment, salvation loses its weight.
Today, there is a growing tendency within the church to erase the message of judgment. If you remove judgment, the issue of sin becomes blurred, and repentance disappears. In its place, messages of comfort and blessing fill the void. "You are a person of enough value. God will pour blessings upon you." It is not a wrong statement. It is a true statement. But what happens if that is all there is?
A message of comfort and blessing without judgment, sin, and repentance is anesthesia. Imagine a patient diagnosed with cancer who refuses surgery and asks only for painkillers. If given anesthesia, there is temporary comfort. It feels like the hospital visit was worth it. But the cancer mass remains, growing larger. When the anesthesia wears off, the patient is in a much worse state than before.
The church is not a place to give anesthesia. The church is a place for surgery. A place to expose the cancer, cut it out, and save the person. Not declaring the message of judgment, sin, and repentance is not being kind; it is neglecting the person. It is leaving them to die.
The direction our community must go is clear. We must be a community that proclaims both comfort and judgment, both grace and repentance. We must speak not only what people want to hear, but what they must hear.
The operating table is cold. But on it, we truly come to life. I fervently pray that where the Word of judgment pierces us, the hand of the Lord will grow new flesh of grace.
Amen.