ROMANS 2

THE NEW LAW WRITTEN ON THE HEARTS OF BELIEVERS

Paul instructs the Romans not to pass judgment on others. Because Jesus was the only person without sin, he is the only righteous judge. Paul reminds the Romans that God’s kindness is meant to lead to repentance, not judgment. Because Paul is speaking to a diverse group of believers, he explains that God shows no partiality between the Jews or Gentiles. God will render to each one according to his works, promising wrath towards the unrighteous and eternal life for those who practice patience and well-doing. Although Paul believes that everyone who believes in Christ is made righteous through the sacrifice of Christ, Paul urges Christians to live in a way that reflects God’s righteousness and love. He emphasizes that while faith is crucial for righteousness, believers are called to demonstrate their faith through actions.

Paul teaches that the law is not what makes one righteous, but faith. He expresses the difference between hearing the law and following the law, calling out Jewish people who rely on the law for righteousness. When Gentiles, non-Jewish people, turn to Christ, they are not held to the standards of the law. Instead, they are called to follow the ways of Jesus. Jesus offers a new law, to love God and love others. Instead of writing these laws on stone, like the ten commandments, God wants the new law to be written on the hearts of believers. Although many Jewish-Christian men practiced circumcision, Paul claimed it was not their physical bodies, but their hearts that mattered to God. The prophet Jeremiah said that God would put the new law within believers and write it on their hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33) Here, Paul is showing that Jesus came to fulfill the prophecy and the law.