September 9, 2026 • 25 mins
God doesn’t grade on a curve, and He doesn’t get distracted by our image. From Romans 2:11–16, we walk through why God’s judgment is perfectly impartial and why that should both humble us and wake us up. Dr. Timothy Mann explains what “no partiality with God” really means: the Lord is not swayed by reputation, religious background, influence, education, or appearance, because He judges with perfect knowledge and absolute righteousness.
We also tackle a question many people avoid: if God is impartial, does He take into account what someone had the chance to know? Romans answers yes. We talk about Gentiles who never received the Mosaic law, the witness of creation, and the moral reality of conscience, then we turn to the sobering flip side: people who have greater spiritual light face greater accountability. That includes anyone who has access to Scripture and the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet refuses to heed it.
From there, the warning becomes personal. We address the danger of apostasy, the frightening language of Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10, and why “hearing” God’s Word is never meant to be a substitute for doing it. If we treat sermons like a class we audit, we risk self-deception. Jesus’ picture of building on the rock versus sand presses the point: genuine faith shows itself in obedience, even though justification is by faith alone.
If you want a clear, Bible-based look at God’s justice, human excuses, and what real response to truth looks like, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review that helps more listeners find Foundations of Truth.
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Foundations of Truth, the
(00:02):
biblical teaching ministry ofDr.
Timothy Mann.
Our mission is to help you buildyour life on the unshakable
foundation of God's Word.
Rooted in Scripture, anchored inthe grace of the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Each week, Dr.
Mann opens the Bible to bringclarity, conviction, and
encouragement for everyday life.
Today on Foundations of Truth,Dr.
(00:23):
Timothy Mann continues themessage, God's perfect judgment.
This is part three from Romanschapter two.
Stay with us as we confront thissobering truth.
God does not judge us by ourreputation, our religious
background, or the standard bywhich we measure everyone else.
He judges us with perfectknowledge and absolute
(00:43):
righteousness.
Here now is Dr.
Timothy Mann.
SPEAKER_01 (00:47):
Romans chapter two.
I grew up reading comic books.
I loved comic books, had allkinds of, I mean, I'm talking
about like Archie and Jughead.
(01:07):
Anyone remember that?
You're dating yourself if youdo, all right.
I mean, I had the very firstedition of The Incredible Hulk.
Number one.
Number one.
A number of those.
Star Wars, you name it, thespider.
I had them all.
I used to also like to read theSunday comics page in the Sunday
paper.
And that was great back in theday.
(01:28):
I mean, just so many, so manyfun things there.
My dad always called those thefunny pages.
Anybody ever you hear that term?
Man, some of y'all are reallyold.
One of my favorite ones in thelate 80s and through the 90s,
still is today, was Calvin andHobbes.
(01:48):
Anyone ever know Calvin andHobbes?
Loved it.
By the way, those two charactersare named after two theologians,
if you didn't know that.
And so I loved Calvin andHobbes.
Still do.
I've got some collection booksthat I go back and read and get
a kick out of sometimes.
In a particular one, in thatstrip, Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin
is a little mischievoussix-year-old boy.
(02:08):
Okay?
And Hobbes is his stuffed tigerthat comes to life in his
imagination, obviously.
And they're partners in crime inall kinds of misadventures.
And on one particular occasion,there's one cartoon where Calvin
is listening to the tune SantaClaus is coming to town.
(02:29):
You know it.
He sees you when you'resleeping, he knows when you're
awake.
He knows if you've been bad orgood, so be good for goodness'
sake.
He's reflecting deeply on thetheme of Santa.
Calvin reports his musings tohis striped sidekick and
co-conspirator Hobbes.
(02:49):
This is what he says.
He says, This Santa Claus stuffbothers me, especially the judge
and jury bit.
I mean, he's wondering why Santacarries so much moral authority.
He says, Who appointed Santa?
I mean, how do we know he'simpartial?
Right?
What criteria does he use fordetermining bad and good?
(03:14):
And what about extenuatingcircumstances?
Kids should have the benefit oflegal counsel, don't you think?
That's what he says to Hobbes.
I think many adults entertainthe same thoughts about God, the
creator of the universe.
They hold some of those samethoughts.
(03:34):
We've been talking about God'sperfect judgment and some of the
elements or principlesunderlying the basis of his
perfect judgment.
Two of the elements is theknowledge of his truth.
God judges on the basis of that,the knowledge of his truth, and
our response to that knowledge,to that truth.
(03:56):
We looked at deeds.
And then another element,another principle related to
God's judgment is hisimpartiality.
His impartiality.
(04:16):
And our motive.
Let's read the text.
Romans chapter 2.
We're going to read verse 11down through 16.
Now, 13 through 15 is aparenthetical statement.
We're going to hold that out tobegin with.
Then we'll go back and get it.
We'll read verse 11 and 12 downto 16, and then we'll go back
(04:37):
and look at the parentheticalstatement.
Because I want you to hear thethought without the parenthesis
first.
Okay?
Verse 11.
Speaking about the judgment ofGod.
For there is no partiality withGod.
For as many as have sinnedwithout law will also perish
without law, and as many as havesinned in the law will be judged
(05:01):
by the law.
Then we see the parentheticalstatement, but I want to reread
twelve and then go to sixteen.
For as many as have sinnedwithout law will also perish
without law, and as many as havesinned in the law will be judged
by the law in the day when Godwill judge the secrets of men by
Jesus Christ according to mygospel.
(05:22):
Now let's go back and look atthe parenthetical statement.
Verse 13.
For not the hearers of the laware just in the sight of God,
but the doers of the law will bejustified.
For when Gentiles who do nothave the law by nature do the
things in the law, these,although not having the law, are
(05:47):
a law to themselves, who showthe work of the law written in
their hearts, their consciencealso bearing witness, and
between themselves theirthoughts accusing or else
excusing them.
This is the word of God.
(06:07):
We see these principles here ofGod's righteous judgment.
Another element related to God'sjudgment is his impartiality.
Now, the word partiality, notimpartiality, but the word
partiality means literally toreceive a face.
That is to say to giveconsideration to a person
(06:32):
because of who he or she is.
That's what partiality is.
The exact idea of that is seenin the popular symbolic statue
of justice as a womanblindfolded.
Do we have that picture?
You'll see this.
It's on your bulletin as well,but you see the picture.
(06:54):
This is the idea of this popularsymbolic statue of justice as a
woman blindfolded.
The blindfold signifies that sheis unable to see who is before
her to be judged, and thereforeis not tempted to be partial
either for or against theaccused.
And in some of the uh statues,sometimes she is pictured with
(07:15):
her hands tied, suggesting thatshe cannot receive a bribe.
Now, unfortunately, there ispartiality even in the best of
human courts, but there will benone in the day of God's
judgment.
There'll be none.
SPEAKER_00 (07:33):
You're listening to Foundations of Truth, the
biblical teaching ministry ofDr.
Timothy Mann.
In a culture increasinglygoverned by shifting opinions
and conflicting standards, thisministry exists to proclaim the
unchanging truth of God's Word.
We want listeners everywhere tounderstand not merely what the
Bible says, but what it requiresof every person who hears it.
(07:56):
If this teaching isstrengthening your faith and
helping you view life throughthe lens of the Bible, would you
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Your financial gifts help usproduce and distribute these
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To learn how you can partnerwith us, please visit our
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(08:17):
That's foundationsoftruth.net.
And thank you for helpingFoundations of Truth continue
proclaiming God's word clearly,faithfully, and without
compromise.
Now let's return to today'smessage from Romans.
Here's Dr.
Timothy Mann.
SPEAKER_01 (08:32):
Now, because of his perfect knowledge in every
detail, and because of hisperfect righteousness, we need
to understand it is not possiblefor his justice to be anything
but perfectly impartial.
It's just not possible.
I'm glad this morning of thisthat such things as position,
(08:53):
such things as education andinfluence and popularity or
physical appearance, that willhave absolutely no bearing on
God's decision concerning aperson's eternal destiny.
Thank the Lord for that.
However, I do need to remindyou, based on what we've read in
Scripture this morning and God'sWord, God's impartiality does
(09:15):
not exclude his taking intoaccount the varying degrees of
spiritual light that peoplehave.
It doesn't exclude that.
He does take it into account.
The Apostle Paul here in thispassage that we've just read
mentions two distinct groups ofsinners.
(09:39):
Those who have not had theopportunity to know God's law,
and those who have had suchopportunity.
Did you see that?
He clearly pointed those out.
Now he is, of course, speakingabout the law given through
Moses to the people of Israel.
(09:59):
And those without the law aretherefore the Gentiles.
Now it's not that the Gentileshad no awareness of God.
It's not that the Gentiles hadno sense of right or had no
sense of wrong.
The Apostle Paul had alreadyestablished clearly back over in
chapter one that through theevidence of creation, all people
have witness of God's eternalpower and his divine nature.
(10:23):
But he says here that Gentileswho have sinned without the law
will therefore also perishwithout the law.
That is to say, that they willbe judged according to their
more limited knowledge of God.
Now, that of course includes thevast majority of humanity of all
times.
(10:43):
But because they have God'snatural revelation in creation
and as well as the witness ofright and wrong in their hearts
and in their consciences,they're guilty and accountable.
Therefore, the Bible says theywill perish without the law.
That word perish, it pertains todestruction.
(11:07):
It basically has to do with thatwhich is ruined and is no longer
useful for its intended purpose.
That's the term in Matthewchapter 10, verse 28.
That's the term that Jesus usedto speak of those who were
thrown into hell.
And I want to remind you, as hemakes clear elsewhere, hell is
(11:28):
not a place or a state ofnothingness.
Hell is not a place or a stateof unconscious existence.
According to God's word inMatthew 13 and many other
places, it is a place ofeverlasting torment, the place
of eternal death, where therewill be, as it says in Matthew
13, weeping and gnashing ofteeth.
(11:50):
All people are created by Godfor his glory.
The Bible says that.
All people are created by Godfor his glory, but when they
refuse to come to him forsalvation, they lose their
opportunity for redemption, forbecoming what God intends for
them to be, and they are thenfit only for condemnation and
(12:10):
destruction, according to God'sword.
So the lost Gentile will just assurely perish as the lost Jew.
But as Paul has alreadyintimated back up in verse 9,
their eternal tribulation anddistress will be less than that
of the Jews, who have had theimmeasurable advantage of
(12:33):
possessing God's law.
Okay, I get it.
I understand that.
But Jesus stated this principlevery clearly, using the
illustration of the slaves of amaster who returned after a long
journey.
Jesus said in Luke chapter 12,verses 47 through 48, he said,
(12:55):
The slave who knew his master'swill and did not get ready or
act in accord with his willshall receive many lashes.
But the one who did not know itand committed deeds worthy of a
flogging will receive but few.
And from every one who has beengiven much shall much be
required.
And to whom they entrusted much,of him they will ask all the
(13:19):
more.
And so it is the Jews, those towhom the Lord has entrusted
much, whom the apostle addressesnext, declaring that all who
have sinned under the law willbe judged by the law.
And so the person who has nothad the benefit of knowing God's
law will be judged according tohis limited knowledge of God.
(13:41):
But what we need to remember isthis the person who has access
to God's law will be judgedaccording to his or her greater
knowledge about the Lord.
Listen, those who have knowledgenot only of the Old Testament,
but also of the New Testamentgospel are included.
And that includes us.
They're included in this secondcategory of those who are
(14:03):
judged.
And because they, as well as wehave even greater knowledge of
God than the ancient Jews, theyand we will still be held more
accountable.
They'll be like the Jewishcities of Khorusan and Bethsaida
and Capernaum, which had heardJesus' teaching and had
(14:23):
witnessed his miracles, but hadrejected him as their Messiah
and King.
They not only had God's law, butthey had the privilege to meet
God's only son.
And the Lord, he scathingly toldthem that it would be better on
the day of judgment for thepagan cities of Tyre, Sidon, and
(14:45):
Sodom than it would be for them.
Now listen, if it's going to bebetter for Sodom than it is for
you, you're in big trouble.
That is why it is such a fearfulthing to be an apostate.
So what's that?
That's one who has known andeven acknowledged God's truth,
(15:09):
but ultimately turned his backon it.
That's why it's a fearful thingto be an apostate.
Of such people, the writer ofthe book of Hebrews says, in
Hebrews 6, verse 4 through 6, itsays, For in the case of those
who have once been enlightenedand have tasted of the heavenly
gift, and have been madepartakers of the Holy Spirit,
(15:30):
and have tasted the good word ofGod and the power of the ages to
come, and then have fallen away,it is impossible to renew them
again to repentance.
For they again crucify tothemselves the Son of God and
put him to an open shame.
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 26through 31 adds this for if we
(15:51):
go on sinning willfully afterreceiving the knowledge of the
truth, there no longer remains asacrifice for sins, but a
certain terrifying expectationof judgment, and the fury of a
fire which will consume theadversaries.
Anyone who has set aside the lawof Moses dies without mercy on
the testimony of two or threewitnesses.
(16:13):
How much severer punishment doyou think he will deserve, who
has trampled underfoot the Sonof God, and has regarded as
unclean the blood of thecovenant by which he has been
sanctified and has insulted thespirit of grace.
For we know him who said,Vengeance is mine, I will repay.
(16:36):
And again the Lord will judgehis people.
It is a terrifying thing to fallinto the hands of the living
God.
That's sobering scriptures,isn't it?
And although those who have hadhave the opportunity to hear
God's word have a greatadvantage above those who do not
(16:56):
have such an opportunity, ifthey fail to heed his word,
those who have heard it, if theyfail to heed his word, then they
are much worse off than theothers.
The Bible said, For not thehearers of the law are just
before God, Paul says, but thedoers of the law will be
justified.
(17:17):
And so just as James did in hiswarning about those who hear
God's word but do not do it, theApostle Paul, it's interesting,
the Apostle Paul uses, he doesnot use the usual Greek term for
hearing here, but rather he usesa different word, which was used
of those whose business it is tolisten.
Whose business it is to listen.
(17:37):
It's much like the idea of acollege student.
It's their business to listen.
Except the difference is this acollege student's primary
purpose in class is to listen tothe teacher's instruction.
But normally, he or she also hasthe responsibility of being
accountable for what they hearand then being tested on it,
(17:59):
right?
That's how this works.
Now, if if he or she is simplyauditing the course, if you're
just auditing the course, you'reonly required to attend the
class sessions.
You take no tests, you receiveno grades.
In other words, he listenswithout being accountable for
what he hears.
(18:19):
The college student who audits aclass.
Now, in many synagogues duringPaul's time, teaching did not
focus on scripture, but on thesystem of man-made traditions
that the rabbis had developedover the centuries since the
exile.
And frequently, God's word inthe Old Testament was merely
read, merely listened to,without explanation and without
(18:43):
application.
And most Jews, therefore, weresimply auditing the course.
They're just auditing thecourse, hearers of the law and
nothing more.
But folks, listen, we need tounderstand this today.
God does not recognize mereauditors of his word.
(19:04):
He does not?
There's gonna be a test.
The more a person hears histruth, the more you hear God's
truth, the more you areresponsible for believing it and
obeying it.
The more you hear God's word.
And unless there is obedience,unless there is obedience, the
(19:28):
greater the hearing, the greaterthe accountability in judgment.
People who only think that theyare Christians merely because
they do such things as attendchurch or listen to sermons or
participate in a Bible study orlisten to Christian music, they
delude themselves.
James warns, for if anyone is ahearer of the word and not a
(19:50):
doer, he is like a man who looksat his natural face in the
mirror.
For once he has looked athimself and gone away, he's
immediately forgotten what kindof person that he was.
James 1, verse 23 through 24.
In other words, what he's sayingis the person who is satisfied
with superficially knowing God'sword is living a spiritual
illusion.
(20:11):
Thinking that he is saved, butindeed he is not.
See, by looking in a mirror,what you do is you judge
yourself by yourself.
When you look in a mirror, andin the same way, looking in a
mirror, judge yourself byyourself rather than by the word
of God that you know so muchabout, but do not take to heart.
(20:36):
A person's failure to obey whathe or she hears proves that they
do not believe it or accept it.
Continued disobedience provesthat you do not trust in the God
whose word you hear.
And the more you hear withoutobeying, the more you pile up
(21:00):
guilt against yourself in theday of judgment.
So if you're not gonna obey,don't come to church and hear
the word.
I mean, really, that's thetruth.
It's pointless.
If you're not gonna respond andobey to the read or preached
word of God, if you're not gonnarespond in obedience, why even
(21:20):
bother?
Just do what you want to do.
Because you're deceivingyourself anyway.
If you're not gonna respond tothe preached and read and taught
word of God.
I think our Lord certainly hadthis in mind when he preached
the conclusion of the Sermon onthe Mount.
In Matthew chapter 7, verse 24through 27, it records these
(21:42):
words.
The Lord said, Therefore,everyone who reads or hears
these words of mine and doesthem or acts upon them may be
compared to a wise man who builthis house upon the rock.
And the rain came, the raindescended, and the floods came,
and the winds blew, and beatagainst that house, and yet it
did not.
Fall for it was founded upon therock.
(22:02):
And everyone who hears thesewords of mine and does not do
them, does not act upon them,would be like a foolish man who
has built his house upon thesand, and the rain descended,
and the floods came, and thewinds blew and beat against the
house, and it fell.
And it doesn't just say it fell.
It says, and great was the fallof it.
(22:24):
Now the doers of the law, it'smentioned here, the doers of the
law, on the other hand, arethose who come to God in
repentance and faith, realizingthat his law is impossible for
them to keep apart from him, andthat knowledge of it actually
places them under greaterobligation to obey.
The true doers of the law arethose who come to Jesus Christ
(22:48):
in faith, because the purpose ofthe law is to lead men and women
to him, according to Galatians3.
And after they've come to him infaith, after you have come to
Jesus in faith, then yourobedient life, your obedient
lives gives evidence of yoursaving relationship to him and
(23:12):
of the fact, it gives evidenceof the fact that you will be
justified.
That's what that does.
See, the idea here in thisparticular passage of scripture
is not that obeying the law willproduce justification because
scripture makes clear thatjustification comes only through
faith.
(23:33):
We'll see that in Romans 3 andRomans 4 and on.
But what it does say here veryclearly is that you will be
demonstrated to be the just.
You'll be demonstrated to be thesaved by the evidence of your
doing of God's holy law.
That's what this is saying.
SPEAKER_00 (23:53):
Thanks for spending part of your day with us on
Foundations of Truth, thebiblical teaching ministry of
Dr.
Timothy Mann.
If you'd like to hear thismessage again or give a
financial gift or get morebiblical resources, you can do
so online.
Foundationsoftruth.net.
That's foundationsoftruth.net.
And thank you so much.
Join us again tomorrow foranother opportunity to study the
(24:16):
scriptures and discover theunchanging truth of God's Word.
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(24:38):
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If you've been encouraged by theteaching of Dr.
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meet him in person.
(24:58):
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to 2 p.m.
at From My Library to YoursChristian Bookstore in Port
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Understanding God's Work in Us.
There'll be book signing,conversation, and brief talks
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and 1.15 p.m.
(25:19):
That's Saturday, September 19th,at the Pavilion next to Massage
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We are grateful for theirpartnership in helping carry
(25:41):
biblical truth farther.
Welcome to Foundations of Truth, the
(00:02):
biblical teaching ministry ofDr.
Timothy Mann.
Our mission is to help you buildyour life on the unshakable
foundation of God's Word.
Rooted in Scripture, anchored inthe grace of the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Each week, Dr.
Mann opens the Bible to bringclarity, conviction, and
encouragement for everyday life.
Today on Foundations of Truth,Dr.
(00:23):
Timothy Mann continues themessage, God's perfect judgment.
This is part three from Romanschapter two.
Stay with us as we confront thissobering truth.
God does not judge us by ourreputation, our religious
background, or the standard bywhich we measure everyone else.
He judges us with perfectknowledge and absolute
(00:43):
righteousness.
Here now is Dr.
Timothy Mann.
SPEAKER_01 (00:47):
Romans chapter two.
I grew up reading comic books.
I loved comic books, had allkinds of, I mean, I'm talking
about like Archie and Jughead.
(01:07):
Anyone remember that?
You're dating yourself if youdo, all right.
I mean, I had the very firstedition of The Incredible Hulk.
Number one.
Number one.
A number of those.
Star Wars, you name it, thespider.
I had them all.
I used to also like to read theSunday comics page in the Sunday
paper.
And that was great back in theday.
(01:28):
I mean, just so many, so manyfun things there.
My dad always called those thefunny pages.
Anybody ever you hear that term?
Man, some of y'all are reallyold.
One of my favorite ones in thelate 80s and through the 90s,
still is today, was Calvin andHobbes.
(01:48):
Anyone ever know Calvin andHobbes?
Loved it.
By the way, those two charactersare named after two theologians,
if you didn't know that.
And so I loved Calvin andHobbes.
Still do.
I've got some collection booksthat I go back and read and get
a kick out of sometimes.
In a particular one, in thatstrip, Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin
is a little mischievoussix-year-old boy.
(02:08):
Okay?
And Hobbes is his stuffed tigerthat comes to life in his
imagination, obviously.
And they're partners in crime inall kinds of misadventures.
And on one particular occasion,there's one cartoon where Calvin
is listening to the tune SantaClaus is coming to town.
(02:29):
You know it.
He sees you when you'resleeping, he knows when you're
awake.
He knows if you've been bad orgood, so be good for goodness'
sake.
He's reflecting deeply on thetheme of Santa.
Calvin reports his musings tohis striped sidekick and
co-conspirator Hobbes.
(02:49):
This is what he says.
He says, This Santa Claus stuffbothers me, especially the judge
and jury bit.
I mean, he's wondering why Santacarries so much moral authority.
He says, Who appointed Santa?
I mean, how do we know he'simpartial?
Right?
What criteria does he use fordetermining bad and good?
(03:14):
And what about extenuatingcircumstances?
Kids should have the benefit oflegal counsel, don't you think?
That's what he says to Hobbes.
I think many adults entertainthe same thoughts about God, the
creator of the universe.
They hold some of those samethoughts.
(03:34):
We've been talking about God'sperfect judgment and some of the
elements or principlesunderlying the basis of his
perfect judgment.
Two of the elements is theknowledge of his truth.
God judges on the basis of that,the knowledge of his truth, and
our response to that knowledge,to that truth.
(03:56):
We looked at deeds.
And then another element,another principle related to
God's judgment is hisimpartiality.
His impartiality.
(04:16):
And our motive.
Let's read the text.
Romans chapter 2.
We're going to read verse 11down through 16.
Now, 13 through 15 is aparenthetical statement.
We're going to hold that out tobegin with.
Then we'll go back and get it.
We'll read verse 11 and 12 downto 16, and then we'll go back
(04:37):
and look at the parentheticalstatement.
Because I want you to hear thethought without the parenthesis
first.
Okay?
Verse 11.
Speaking about the judgment ofGod.
For there is no partiality withGod.
For as many as have sinnedwithout law will also perish
without law, and as many as havesinned in the law will be judged
(05:01):
by the law.
Then we see the parentheticalstatement, but I want to reread
twelve and then go to sixteen.
For as many as have sinnedwithout law will also perish
without law, and as many as havesinned in the law will be judged
by the law in the day when Godwill judge the secrets of men by
Jesus Christ according to mygospel.
(05:22):
Now let's go back and look atthe parenthetical statement.
Verse 13.
For not the hearers of the laware just in the sight of God,
but the doers of the law will bejustified.
For when Gentiles who do nothave the law by nature do the
things in the law, these,although not having the law, are
(05:47):
a law to themselves, who showthe work of the law written in
their hearts, their consciencealso bearing witness, and
between themselves theirthoughts accusing or else
excusing them.
This is the word of God.
(06:07):
We see these principles here ofGod's righteous judgment.
Another element related to God'sjudgment is his impartiality.
Now, the word partiality, notimpartiality, but the word
partiality means literally toreceive a face.
That is to say to giveconsideration to a person
(06:32):
because of who he or she is.
That's what partiality is.
The exact idea of that is seenin the popular symbolic statue
of justice as a womanblindfolded.
Do we have that picture?
You'll see this.
It's on your bulletin as well,but you see the picture.
(06:54):
This is the idea of this popularsymbolic statue of justice as a
woman blindfolded.
The blindfold signifies that sheis unable to see who is before
her to be judged, and thereforeis not tempted to be partial
either for or against theaccused.
And in some of the uh statues,sometimes she is pictured with
(07:15):
her hands tied, suggesting thatshe cannot receive a bribe.
Now, unfortunately, there ispartiality even in the best of
human courts, but there will benone in the day of God's
judgment.
There'll be none.
SPEAKER_00 (07:33):
You're listening to Foundations of Truth, the
biblical teaching ministry ofDr.
Timothy Mann.
In a culture increasinglygoverned by shifting opinions
and conflicting standards, thisministry exists to proclaim the
unchanging truth of God's Word.
We want listeners everywhere tounderstand not merely what the
Bible says, but what it requiresof every person who hears it.
(07:56):
If this teaching isstrengthening your faith and
helping you view life throughthe lens of the Bible, would you
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To learn how you can partnerwith us, please visit our
website, foundationsoftruth.net.
(08:17):
That's foundationsoftruth.net.
And thank you for helpingFoundations of Truth continue
proclaiming God's word clearly,faithfully, and without
compromise.
Now let's return to today'smessage from Romans.
Here's Dr.
Timothy Mann.
SPEAKER_01 (08:32):
Now, because of his perfect knowledge in every
detail, and because of hisperfect righteousness, we need
to understand it is not possiblefor his justice to be anything
but perfectly impartial.
It's just not possible.
I'm glad this morning of thisthat such things as position,
(08:53):
such things as education andinfluence and popularity or
physical appearance, that willhave absolutely no bearing on
God's decision concerning aperson's eternal destiny.
Thank the Lord for that.
However, I do need to remindyou, based on what we've read in
Scripture this morning and God'sWord, God's impartiality does
(09:15):
not exclude his taking intoaccount the varying degrees of
spiritual light that peoplehave.
It doesn't exclude that.
He does take it into account.
The Apostle Paul here in thispassage that we've just read
mentions two distinct groups ofsinners.
(09:39):
Those who have not had theopportunity to know God's law,
and those who have had suchopportunity.
Did you see that?
He clearly pointed those out.
Now he is, of course, speakingabout the law given through
Moses to the people of Israel.
(09:59):
And those without the law aretherefore the Gentiles.
Now it's not that the Gentileshad no awareness of God.
It's not that the Gentiles hadno sense of right or had no
sense of wrong.
The Apostle Paul had alreadyestablished clearly back over in
chapter one that through theevidence of creation, all people
have witness of God's eternalpower and his divine nature.
(10:23):
But he says here that Gentileswho have sinned without the law
will therefore also perishwithout the law.
That is to say, that they willbe judged according to their
more limited knowledge of God.
Now, that of course includes thevast majority of humanity of all
times.
(10:43):
But because they have God'snatural revelation in creation
and as well as the witness ofright and wrong in their hearts
and in their consciences,they're guilty and accountable.
Therefore, the Bible says theywill perish without the law.
That word perish, it pertains todestruction.
(11:07):
It basically has to do with thatwhich is ruined and is no longer
useful for its intended purpose.
That's the term in Matthewchapter 10, verse 28.
That's the term that Jesus usedto speak of those who were
thrown into hell.
And I want to remind you, as hemakes clear elsewhere, hell is
(11:28):
not a place or a state ofnothingness.
Hell is not a place or a stateof unconscious existence.
According to God's word inMatthew 13 and many other
places, it is a place ofeverlasting torment, the place
of eternal death, where therewill be, as it says in Matthew
13, weeping and gnashing ofteeth.
(11:50):
All people are created by Godfor his glory.
The Bible says that.
All people are created by Godfor his glory, but when they
refuse to come to him forsalvation, they lose their
opportunity for redemption, forbecoming what God intends for
them to be, and they are thenfit only for condemnation and
(12:10):
destruction, according to God'sword.
So the lost Gentile will just assurely perish as the lost Jew.
But as Paul has alreadyintimated back up in verse 9,
their eternal tribulation anddistress will be less than that
of the Jews, who have had theimmeasurable advantage of
(12:33):
possessing God's law.
Okay, I get it.
I understand that.
But Jesus stated this principlevery clearly, using the
illustration of the slaves of amaster who returned after a long
journey.
Jesus said in Luke chapter 12,verses 47 through 48, he said,
(12:55):
The slave who knew his master'swill and did not get ready or
act in accord with his willshall receive many lashes.
But the one who did not know itand committed deeds worthy of a
flogging will receive but few.
And from every one who has beengiven much shall much be
required.
And to whom they entrusted much,of him they will ask all the
(13:19):
more.
And so it is the Jews, those towhom the Lord has entrusted
much, whom the apostle addressesnext, declaring that all who
have sinned under the law willbe judged by the law.
And so the person who has nothad the benefit of knowing God's
law will be judged according tohis limited knowledge of God.
(13:41):
But what we need to remember isthis the person who has access
to God's law will be judgedaccording to his or her greater
knowledge about the Lord.
Listen, those who have knowledgenot only of the Old Testament,
but also of the New Testamentgospel are included.
And that includes us.
They're included in this secondcategory of those who are
(14:03):
judged.
And because they, as well as wehave even greater knowledge of
God than the ancient Jews, theyand we will still be held more
accountable.
They'll be like the Jewishcities of Khorusan and Bethsaida
and Capernaum, which had heardJesus' teaching and had
(14:23):
witnessed his miracles, but hadrejected him as their Messiah
and King.
They not only had God's law, butthey had the privilege to meet
God's only son.
And the Lord, he scathingly toldthem that it would be better on
the day of judgment for thepagan cities of Tyre, Sidon, and
(14:45):
Sodom than it would be for them.
Now listen, if it's going to bebetter for Sodom than it is for
you, you're in big trouble.
That is why it is such a fearfulthing to be an apostate.
So what's that?
That's one who has known andeven acknowledged God's truth,
(15:09):
but ultimately turned his backon it.
That's why it's a fearful thingto be an apostate.
Of such people, the writer ofthe book of Hebrews says, in
Hebrews 6, verse 4 through 6, itsays, For in the case of those
who have once been enlightenedand have tasted of the heavenly
gift, and have been madepartakers of the Holy Spirit,
(15:30):
and have tasted the good word ofGod and the power of the ages to
come, and then have fallen away,it is impossible to renew them
again to repentance.
For they again crucify tothemselves the Son of God and
put him to an open shame.
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 26through 31 adds this for if we
(15:51):
go on sinning willfully afterreceiving the knowledge of the
truth, there no longer remains asacrifice for sins, but a
certain terrifying expectationof judgment, and the fury of a
fire which will consume theadversaries.
Anyone who has set aside the lawof Moses dies without mercy on
the testimony of two or threewitnesses.
(16:13):
How much severer punishment doyou think he will deserve, who
has trampled underfoot the Sonof God, and has regarded as
unclean the blood of thecovenant by which he has been
sanctified and has insulted thespirit of grace.
For we know him who said,Vengeance is mine, I will repay.
(16:36):
And again the Lord will judgehis people.
It is a terrifying thing to fallinto the hands of the living
God.
That's sobering scriptures,isn't it?
And although those who have hadhave the opportunity to hear
God's word have a greatadvantage above those who do not
(16:56):
have such an opportunity, ifthey fail to heed his word,
those who have heard it, if theyfail to heed his word, then they
are much worse off than theothers.
The Bible said, For not thehearers of the law are just
before God, Paul says, but thedoers of the law will be
justified.
(17:17):
And so just as James did in hiswarning about those who hear
God's word but do not do it, theApostle Paul, it's interesting,
the Apostle Paul uses, he doesnot use the usual Greek term for
hearing here, but rather he usesa different word, which was used
of those whose business it is tolisten.
Whose business it is to listen.
(17:37):
It's much like the idea of acollege student.
It's their business to listen.
Except the difference is this acollege student's primary
purpose in class is to listen tothe teacher's instruction.
But normally, he or she also hasthe responsibility of being
accountable for what they hearand then being tested on it,
(17:59):
right?
That's how this works.
Now, if if he or she is simplyauditing the course, if you're
just auditing the course, you'reonly required to attend the
class sessions.
You take no tests, you receiveno grades.
In other words, he listenswithout being accountable for
what he hears.
(18:19):
The college student who audits aclass.
Now, in many synagogues duringPaul's time, teaching did not
focus on scripture, but on thesystem of man-made traditions
that the rabbis had developedover the centuries since the
exile.
And frequently, God's word inthe Old Testament was merely
read, merely listened to,without explanation and without
(18:43):
application.
And most Jews, therefore, weresimply auditing the course.
They're just auditing thecourse, hearers of the law and
nothing more.
But folks, listen, we need tounderstand this today.
God does not recognize mereauditors of his word.
(19:04):
He does not?
There's gonna be a test.
The more a person hears histruth, the more you hear God's
truth, the more you areresponsible for believing it and
obeying it.
The more you hear God's word.
And unless there is obedience,unless there is obedience, the
(19:28):
greater the hearing, the greaterthe accountability in judgment.
People who only think that theyare Christians merely because
they do such things as attendchurch or listen to sermons or
participate in a Bible study orlisten to Christian music, they
delude themselves.
James warns, for if anyone is ahearer of the word and not a
(19:50):
doer, he is like a man who looksat his natural face in the
mirror.
For once he has looked athimself and gone away, he's
immediately forgotten what kindof person that he was.
James 1, verse 23 through 24.
In other words, what he's sayingis the person who is satisfied
with superficially knowing God'sword is living a spiritual
illusion.
(20:11):
Thinking that he is saved, butindeed he is not.
See, by looking in a mirror,what you do is you judge
yourself by yourself.
When you look in a mirror, andin the same way, looking in a
mirror, judge yourself byyourself rather than by the word
of God that you know so muchabout, but do not take to heart.
(20:36):
A person's failure to obey whathe or she hears proves that they
do not believe it or accept it.
Continued disobedience provesthat you do not trust in the God
whose word you hear.
And the more you hear withoutobeying, the more you pile up
(21:00):
guilt against yourself in theday of judgment.
So if you're not gonna obey,don't come to church and hear
the word.
I mean, really, that's thetruth.
It's pointless.
If you're not gonna respond andobey to the read or preached
word of God, if you're not gonnarespond in obedience, why even
(21:20):
bother?
Just do what you want to do.
Because you're deceivingyourself anyway.
If you're not gonna respond tothe preached and read and taught
word of God.
I think our Lord certainly hadthis in mind when he preached
the conclusion of the Sermon onthe Mount.
In Matthew chapter 7, verse 24through 27, it records these
(21:42):
words.
The Lord said, Therefore,everyone who reads or hears
these words of mine and doesthem or acts upon them may be
compared to a wise man who builthis house upon the rock.
And the rain came, the raindescended, and the floods came,
and the winds blew, and beatagainst that house, and yet it
did not.
Fall for it was founded upon therock.
(22:02):
And everyone who hears thesewords of mine and does not do
them, does not act upon them,would be like a foolish man who
has built his house upon thesand, and the rain descended,
and the floods came, and thewinds blew and beat against the
house, and it fell.
And it doesn't just say it fell.
It says, and great was the fallof it.
(22:24):
Now the doers of the law, it'smentioned here, the doers of the
law, on the other hand, arethose who come to God in
repentance and faith, realizingthat his law is impossible for
them to keep apart from him, andthat knowledge of it actually
places them under greaterobligation to obey.
The true doers of the law arethose who come to Jesus Christ
(22:48):
in faith, because the purpose ofthe law is to lead men and women
to him, according to Galatians3.
And after they've come to him infaith, after you have come to
Jesus in faith, then yourobedient life, your obedient
lives gives evidence of yoursaving relationship to him and
(23:12):
of the fact, it gives evidenceof the fact that you will be
justified.
That's what that does.
See, the idea here in thisparticular passage of scripture
is not that obeying the law willproduce justification because
scripture makes clear thatjustification comes only through
faith.
(23:33):
We'll see that in Romans 3 andRomans 4 and on.
But what it does say here veryclearly is that you will be
demonstrated to be the just.
You'll be demonstrated to be thesaved by the evidence of your
doing of God's holy law.
That's what this is saying.
SPEAKER_00 (23:53):
Thanks for spending part of your day with us on
Foundations of Truth, thebiblical teaching ministry of
Dr.
Timothy Mann.
If you'd like to hear thismessage again or give a
financial gift or get morebiblical resources, you can do
so online.
Foundationsoftruth.net.
That's foundationsoftruth.net.
And thank you so much.
Join us again tomorrow foranother opportunity to study the
(24:16):
scriptures and discover theunchanging truth of God's Word.
We're thankful for AMN Plumbing,a local ministry partner serving
the Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach,Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach,
and surrounding areas withdependable plumbing service.
Their support helps makeFoundations of Truth available
to more listeners each week.
Foundations of Truth with Dr.
(24:38):
Timothy Mann is supported inpart by Cat Care Clinic, located
in Ormond Beach, and servingfamilies with thoughtful and
compassionate veterinary carefor cats.
We're grateful for theirpartnership in helping carry
biblical truth farther.
If you've been encouraged by theteaching of Dr.
Timothy Mann on Foundations ofTruth, here's an opportunity to
meet him in person.
(24:58):
Join Dr.
Mann Saturday, September 19th,10 a.m.
to 2 p.m.
at From My Library to YoursChristian Bookstore in Port
Orange for a special authorevent featuring his book, Saved,
Understanding God's Work in Us.
There'll be book signing,conversation, and brief talks
with a QA at 10:15 a.m.
and 1.15 p.m.
(25:19):
That's Saturday, September 19th,at the Pavilion next to Massage
Envy in Port Orange, Florida.
Foundations of Truth with Dr.
Timothy Mann is supported inpart by Luther Rice College and
Seminary, equipping men andwomen for ministry through
biblically faithful theologicaleducation as a leader in online
learning.
We are grateful for theirpartnership in helping carry
(25:41):
biblical truth farther.
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