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Back to The First and Second Resurrection
If some zealous believer goes forth in his own wisdom and strength and attempts to force the Gospel on an unbeliever, and the unbeliever does not respond in faith and obedience, this does not necessarily mean the unbeliever has resisted or rejected Christ.
No person can come to Christ unless the Father draws him. To "hear" the Gospel is not only to hear it with the ears but to have the Spirit of God present Jesus to the individual in such a manner that he or she actually "hears" the Good News. He must "hear" and understand the Lord by the Spirit before it can be said he has rejected the Lord.
In our day, believers have sometimes "witnessed" in a spirit of proselyting, not in the Spirit of God. They have attempted to force people, especially the Jews, to "make a decision for Christ," itself an unscriptural phrase. God has not been in some of these attempts. In addition, the Christians have not been witnessing by their conduct that they are of God. Therefore many of the Jews have rejected them and their message. This does not mean the Jews, in this instance, have rejected their Christ.
As we have stated, every human being who has ever lived will be rewarded according to his or her deeds. This is true of all Jews and all Gentiles including those who have received Christ. The Scriptures cannot be changed.
Let us go on to the next three verses:
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: (Romans 2:8-10)
If we apply Romans 2:8-10 to Christians, we are claiming that Christians will suffer great tribulation and anguish if they do evil, but glory, honor, and peace if they do good.
If we apply Romans 2:8-10 to non-Christians, we are stating that non-Christians will suffer great tribulation and anguish if they do evil but glory, honor, and peace if they do good.
If we apply Romans 2:6-10 to Christians we run counter to current teaching. It is not believed that Christians obtain eternal life as a reward for patient continuance in well-doing; neither is it held that Christians will suffer great tribulation and anguish if they do evil. It is not taught commonly that glory, honor, and peace accrue to Christian people on the basis of their good works.
If we apply Romans 2:6-10 to non-Christians we run counter to current teaching. It is not believed that non-Christians can obtain eternal life as a reward for patient continuance in well doing; neither is it held that non-Christians will gain glory, honor, and peace if they persevere in well doing.
Therefore, current Christian teaching renders Romans 2:6-10 of none effect and our doctrine of salvation is seen to be incomplete in the area of the relationship of behavior to the destiny of people.
The truth is, God will visit great tribulation and anguish on every soul who practices wickedness, whether or not the individual professes belief in Christ. Also, glory, honor, and peace will accrue to every soul who works good, whether or not the individual professes belief in Christ (in terms of the provisions noted previously). The Scriptures stand eternally as written.
We cannot readily understand how men can be saved by God’s mercy alone and salvation can come only through the name of the Lord Jesus, while at the same time all men will be recompensed for their deeds. It is difficult for us to reconcile these apparently conflicting concepts. But our lack of understanding is not sufficient reason to embrace the parts of the Scriptures that support our viewpoint and reject the parts that appear to conflict with it. We must receive the whole counsel of God.
It is customary for Christian teachers and preachers to enthusiastically support the set of verses they endorse and to neglect those that appear to contradict their beliefs. Some of Paul’s statements are adopted and some of James’ statements are ignored. This practice is unsound and leads to today’s perversion of grace. The true man of God embraces the Scriptures in their entirety and thereby cuts a straight course in the Word of Truth.
Do the Epistles indeed teach that Christian believers will be visited with great tribulation and anguish" in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Christ" (Romans 2:16)?
The following verses were written to the saints:
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (Ephesians 5:5)
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:21)
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:23)
But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:8)
The context of Romans 2:6-10 is the works of sin mentioned in Chapter One, and also the argument that the Jews are not justified (made righteous) on the basis of hearing the Law but on the basis of performing the works of the Law (Romans 2:13). Paul is resisting the Judaizers who were attempting to persuade the saints in Rome that Christians were not to discard the Law of Moses.
Paul’s point is that the Jews, although they revered the Law, were not behaving righteously. The Gentiles, who did not possess the Law of Moses, were behaving righteously in terms of their conscience. God is seeking righteous behavior, not the worshiping of the scrolls containing the Law.