“He will render to each one according to his works” (Romans 2:6).
Some may erroneously believe they can defy God without repercussion, for they presume He is either ignorant or indifferent to their conduct. Then there are those who seem to believe they can disregard this portion of Scripture and adopt an attitude of disrespect towards God without consequence. While some may seemingly avoid accountability for their actions (at least in the short-term), everyone will eventually have to deal with the ramifications of their conduct according to Romans 2:6.
The Gospel of John touches upon this theme as well…
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God” (John 3:19-21 NIV).
While Jesus is the light of the world, there are some who prefer to remain in darkness. But as Jesus Himself warned us, “There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. There is nothing kept secret that will not come to light” (Mark 4:22 GW). The Psalmist expressed this sentiment as well…
“Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence? If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there… I could ask the darkness to hide me or the light around me to turn into night, but even darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same to you” (Psalms 139:7-8, 11-12 GNB).
So, while some may be highly skilled in masking their actions or motives, nothing is concealed from God. Therefore, we would do well to contemplate the sobering message given to us in the Biblical book of Hebrews…
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13 NIV).
Nevertheless, we find a far more encouraging motivation in Jesus’ message from Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” In light of these things, the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians offers the following counsel…
“…do not judge anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5 NET).

Next, God’s judgment will be rooted in truth according to Romans 2:2. In other words, God will assess our thoughts and behaviors on the basis of reality and not appearance. While human beings are occasionally shocked to discover that others are not what they seem, God is never surprised by such revelations, and He will judge accordingly.
Another commentary likens God’s wrath to a large repository…
Paul then followed with a rhetorical question that assumes a negative response: “Do you really think God won’t punish you, when you behave exactly like the people you accuse?” (CEV). When faced with that uncomfortable reality, some may attempt to shift the blame for their shortcomings to someone or something else. While that approach may work with other human beings, it is wholly ineffective with the God who knows all.
The main point is this: the very act of creating this internal courtroom validates the practice of judging others. The problem comes when we fail to apply our personal judicial standards to our own thoughts, acts, and behaviors. It is often easy to exempt ourselves from the standards we apply to others, but in doing so, we establish two sets of rules: one for ourselves and one for others.
Do Scriptures such as Romans 2:1 and James 4:12 prohibit us from judging others? Do these passages forbid us from judging ideas and opinions that are evil, unfair, or unjust? Do they mean we should never speak the truth to others because doing so might involve “judging” them? We can answer such questions with an unqualified “no.”
J.B. Phillips offers an descriptive translation of this text from James 4:11: “Never pull each other to pieces, my brothers.” This restriction prohibits things like ridicule, slander, and other forms of verbal abuse directed towards others. It also encompasses similar behaviors such as gossip, rumor-mongering, or unsubstantiated speculation regarding the trials and difficulties that others may experience.
Jesus’ famous counsel from The Sermon On The Mount is instructive in this regard…
Yokoyama’s origin story for his new creation took place in the waning stages of World War II. In that fictional history, the Japanese government commissioned a group of scientists led by Dr. Shōtarō Kaneda and his assistant, Professor Shikishima, to create a secret weapon for use against the Allied forces. After twenty-seven failed attempts, Kaneda’s team successfully created Tetsujin 28 (“Iron Man 28”), a hulking robot that stood 18 meters (sixty feet) tall. However, Dr. Kaneda perished and the war ended before his creation could be pressed into service as a military weapon.
One common illustration of the truth behind that statement occurs whenever someone employs Jesus’ name as a profanity or an expletive. Another example occurs whenever we casually refer to God in a thoughtless, flippant, irreverent, or condescending manner. Some examples might include the term “ohmigod,” “OMG,” or other similar expressions.
This reference to strife is then followed by another ungodly attribute: deceit. “Deceit” involves an effort to manipulate or fool others in a dishonest manner. The type of deceit mentioned here refers to “a bait or contrivance for entrapping.” (2) Other descriptive terms that characterize this idea include guile, treachery, and cunning (in a bad way).
With these things in mind, we can say murder is a crime that violates the
This progression exists because people generally act on what they believe unless something prevents them from doing so. If God elects to remove His restraints from those who choose to reject Him and subsequently delivers them over to “…the lusts of their own hearts” (Romans 1:24 KJV), then He no longer shields them from the impact of their choices. As we’ll see, that progression leads to an array of negative consequences once those restraints are removed.
This passage speaks of an exchange that takes place with those who choose to reject the existence of God. This concept should be familiar to virtually everyone, for we frequently engage in various types of exchanges each day. Perhaps the most common example is the person who is seeking to purchase an item from a merchant. To do so, the buyer must exchange money (or another commodity) in order to complete the sale.
What mental image does the word “fool” elicit? In the original language of this passage, the word “fool” is moros, and serves as the precursor to our contemporary term “moron.” This word typically describes someone who is lacking in wisdom, understanding, good judgment, or common sense. The Old Testament book of Psalms offers another definition of this word that relates to our text from Romans 1:22-23: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God…'” (Psalm 14:1).