Romans 2:13

Posted by Anthony Crumley

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Knowing what God requires of us does not make us acceptable to Him.  Reading the bible, listening to preachers, going to bible studies and reading Christian books does not improve our standing before Him.

We are only acceptable to God when we hear and do what He requires of us.

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.  (James 1:21-25)

Unfortunately, there is a problem with all this.  We are not capable of being doers of the law.  Actually, that is the point Paul is in the process of making.

Everyone is corrupted by sin and incapable of pleasing God on their own.  Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross for us so that we could become pleasing to God.  We can be made righteous through Jesus and become justified before God because Jesus fulfilled the law for us.

When we believe on Jesus, He makes us right before God and begins to live through us.  Then, and only then, are we able to be doers of the law and not hearers only.

Romans 2:12Romans 2:14

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