You Will Not Escape the Judgment of God
Thinking about Romans 2:3.
And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? (Romans 2:3)
God’s judgment is according to truth - He will always do what is right. His justice is not fickle or prejudiced.
Paul points out that no one practicing the things he mentioned in Romans 1:29-32 will escape God’s judgment. Not even the people who judge those who practice such things will escape God’s judgment.
God’s judgment is inescapable.
It’s not new for people to think of themselves as different.
It’s easy to look at people engaged in sin and say, “I would never do that.” That mindset can tempt us into thinking God will deal with us differently - perhaps He will even allow us a free pass at the judgment.
I think the great delusion of the cultured person is that the depraved person must be judged, but he’s confident that he will escape because he’s different. Most people believe Hitler and Stalin ought to be judged, but they think they should escape. God will judge man for what he is in His sight. Do you want to stand before God on that basis? I don’t. - McGee, Thru the Bible Vol. 4, 657
Even the morally “good person” has sinned (Romans 3:23), which means they also deserve death (Romans 1:32).
No one escapes God’s judgment.
Barnhouse paraphrased Romans 2:3 in the following way: “You dummy - do you really figure that you have doped out an angle that will let you go up against God and get away with it? You don’t have a ghost of a chance” (Romans Vol. 2, 18).
I find it interesting in a book with the gospel of Christ as its theme (Romans 1:16-17), so much time has been devoted to sin and judgment.
This teaches us something important: before we can grow in our understanding of the gospel of Christ, we must first know why it’s “good news.”
“Why” the gospel is “good news” is being unfolded before us:
We all have this problem with sin which means we all deserve death.
God will judge everyone according to the truth - so there is no chance we won’t stand before Him as we truly are.
No one can escape God’s judgment - no power, wealth, or fame will spare a single person from appearing before the Judge of all the earth and receiving the sentence they have earned (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Now, think about what this means - you are guilty and deserve death, your case will be tried according to the truth, and you will appear before the judge. You have a death sentence because of your sin.
What do we need? Some good news.
Those who attempt to proclaim the gospel of Christ without teaching what sin has done to us remove why the gospel is even needed in the first place.
The gospel of Jesus Christ reveals how helpless we are and how desperately we need Jesus.