“He will give each one whatever his deeds deserve” (Romans 2:6 TLB).
Romans 2:6 is one of the shortest verses in this book and one of the most sobering. While some may pile layer upon layer of explanations, justifications, obfuscations, and/or rationalizations to explain their behavior, God will eventually penetrate those layers to give us whatever our deeds deserve. Whether we seek to offer a legitimate justification for our actions or cover the motivations we wish to conceal, we can be assured that God knows the difference.
There are several key principles we can draw from this passage and the verses that precede it. First, God will not permit us to make exceptions for ourselves when it comes to the standards we impose on others (Romans 2:1). Again, if we judge a certain behavior to be wrong, then it is wrong for everyone, including ourselves. Thus, we can say that God will not show favoritism in giving us what we deserve.
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.
Romans 2:6 also tells us that God’s judgment is based on “deeds” and not intent. For instance, we may desire to fulfill various ambitions, but there is a difference between the things we aspire to do, and the things we actually do. God’s judgment will be based on what we do and not what we intended to do, no matter how noble those aspirations may be. Therefore, a statement such as, “I meant to do it“ will hold no value as God makes His assessment of our lives.
In addition to what we read here in Romans 2:6, the Old Testament reiterates these concepts as well. Consider the following passage from the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes…
“God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad” (Ecclesiastes 12:14 NLT).
The book of the prophet Jeremiah adds…
“I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done” (Jeremiah 17:10 NET).
So while salvation is solely by God’s grace through faith in Christ, we should seek to apply Jesus’ counsel from the Gospel of Matthew…
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
Image Attribution: kai Stachowiak, “Lie Truth” via Public Domain Pictures.net