Grace and Peace Episode Season 2 Episode 8
Presbyterian Church of Easton
March 13, 2022
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:7)
Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
In this reading the Apostle Paul turns our attention to those who hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and reject it. For all who hear the gospel and accept it the promise is forgiveness of sin and eternal life. But what happens to those who hear the gospel and reject it?
Paul describes people who reject the gospel as those having stubborn and unrepentant hearts. Those with hard hearts resist God’s purposes in the world. They refuse to obey God’s will. They reject God’s grace. And therefore they must deal with God’s wrath. God’s wrath will be poured out justly. Those who try to be good will see less wrath. Those who are evil will experience the full wrath of God. But for those with faith, who accept God’s grace, and do what is good, they will be blessed by God with glory, honor and peace.
What Paul is describing here is the day of God's wrath. God’s judgment has already occured. Believers, those with faith, will have already received the judgment of innocence. But now God will publicly pass out blessings and curses. For believers who refuse to repent, ignore God’s will, and do evil, you will be receiving trouble and distress. But for believers who have accepted God’s grace and demonstrated this by doing good, blessings will abound.
The sole criteria for who will receive God’s blessings is your relationship with God. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman. It doesn’t matter if you are white or black. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor. It doesn't matter if you were born a jew or a gentile. It only matters if you have faith and accept the grace that God is offering you and demonstrate your faith by doing good. Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, we believe in your Son, Jesus Christ. We accept him as Lord and pledge to follow him in doing good. Through this we hope to build up treasures in heaven so that on the day of wrath we will be blessed by you in abundance. We pray in our savior’s name. Amen.
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