Justification and Judgment

Justification and Judgment | Romans 2:6-10 | Ian Goodman
There are two important truths in the Bible which sometimes are hard to put together. 1. That we are justified by grace through faith. 2. That we are going to be judged by works in the day of judgment.
Scripture clearly teaches both these truths.
With regard to justification by grace, scripture teaches, in Romans 3: 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
Romans 5: 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 10: 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
So scripture (especially Romans) clearly teaches the doc of justification by grace through faith. It teaches that the reason we are saved, and the reason we go to heaven is because of what Christ has done, and not because of our own good works.
However, scripture also teaches that we will face a judgment by works. So our text today says in Romans 2:6 “He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking[a] and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.”
But also other passages like Roman 14:12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Matt 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
So scripture clearly teaches that, while we are saved by grace we will still be judged by works. How does this work? How do these two truths fit together?
We must be careful when answering this question not to fall into one of two errors: The Roman Catholic error, church upholds a judgment by works but denies salvation by grace alone. Secondly, the error of some protestants that seeks to explain away these passages about judgment as being either only hypothetical warnings designed to lead people to Christ and so avoid such judgment, or some other explanation that would undermine Paul’s sober warning in Rom 2.
Rather the solution is actually very simple. If salvation is by grace and judgment by works, then it must be that judgement day is not about deciding who is saved and who isn't, but is rather about revealing who is saved and who isn’t. After all, God is not undecided on the issue prior to that day. Judgment day is not about gathering evidence so God can render a verdict. Judgment day is about showing off God’s grace that has been at work in the lives of believers, and vindicating God’s wrath which is to be poured out on unbelievers.
There is a great warning in this. Have we lived lives that show forth God’s grace in our lives, or have we been presumptuous? Are we those whom Paul speaks to in vs 4-5 (immediately prior to our passage) “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.”
Let’s consider our lives and look again to God’s kindness and be led to repentance and then pursue good works in keeping with that repentance.