Judging the secrets

For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. – Romans 2,12-16

It is not hard to see why the Jews were so critical of the Gentiles and what they perceived as their behaviour. The world has always been outwardly a wicked place. Sin is obvious and everything we see here in Romans is going on here around us today as well. We, like those Jews, can easily get distracted by all that wickedness out there.

Paul tells his Jewish readers that their sanctimonious boasting is useless. They may not do all of those other things, but they may do worse because they keep their sins private and hidden and in their hearts. Those sins are easy to keep because no one can see them.

Or so they think…

So God makes it clear – God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. God judges Jews and Gentile alike but what is in their hearts, where no one else can see. What is in the heart will come out in the life. Being circumcised, keeping the Law, going to church, being baptised, giving, and all those works will do nothing on their.

God knows our hearts and therefore our innermost secrets. Man will judge our actions, God will judge our hearts. That’s why we are challenged to guard our hearts.

Anybody who is holding on to their secret sins thinking they will get away with it need to remember that God judges the secret things that nobody know about.