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THE KING’S BUSINESS
just as much as his outward acts and deeds. (Luke 16:15; 1 Samuel 16:7). This is the truth taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21, 22, 28, 43-48) and in Romans 2 :16-r-“In the day when God shall judge the secrets pf men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” This is true of God’s estimation of a man’s character now, but it is especially true as relating to the criterion of judgment at the bar of God in the future, and really it is the future judg ment that is the prominent fact set forth in this section of Romans. The difference between the sin of the moral and immoral man lies not so much in its nature as in its manifestation. God judges the motives of the heart as well as the actions of the life (Luke 16:15; 1 Samuel 16:7). Jhdged, then, by motive, thought, and purpose, the so-called moral Gentile is, as destitute, of the righteousness of God as the Gentile called immoral. It is such a reader, in fact, whether Jew or Gen tile, that the apostle has in mind, and he would distinctly teach such a man that the Judge of all the earth is about to sentence him. The true principles of judgment. There are four principles of judgment set forth in these verses. The argument of the entire section is somewhat as follows: The judgment of God upon human life and character is of such a nature that men, no matter what their position in this life may be or to what grade of society they belong, are totally unable, by anything derived from their first birth, to stand accepted at the jfidgment bar of God. Judged by the law of conscience, by the law of morality, or even, as we shall see in the next section, by the revealed law of God, all men are by nature alike destitute of God’s righteous ness, and subject to the visitation of His wrath. The following are the' principles of the judgment as set forth in this sec tion : First. “The judgment of God is accord ing to truth against them which commit such things” (2:2, cf. vv, 1-5). This means that the judgment of God
all men are immoral in the same sense or degree. The Apostle Paul himself was not an immoral man in the sense of immorality, as graphically depicted in Romans 1:18-32 (cf. Philippians. 3). He was immoral, how ever, when his character was compared with God’s perfect standard. Then, he discovered his own righteousness to be “as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) ; his best acts, he discovered to be but selfish sins. Paul’s estimate of his life, moral as it was from the human point of view, but as viewed in the light of God’s perfect standard as it flashed on the vision of the apostle in his conversion, is graphically Set forth in Philippians 3 :4-l l : “Though I might also have; confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribeN>f Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss, of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his suf ferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” Paul’s esti mate of Jus life before conversion is his estimate of morality in relation to his per sonal salvation. Of course, there is a great difference in the grades and degrees of sin. All men are not sinners alike in degree, but they are sinners alike in fact., In the estima tion of God, the intent, motive, and.thought of the heart and life are weighed, and enter into the estimation of a man’s character
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