It's what you do with what you know...

Romans 2:12-16 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

As we discussed in chapter one, everyone knows the truth of God whether it’s by observing the creator through His creation, the conscience inside of us, or by the written law. Not only that, but each of us shows that we are unable to live up to the standard of God. Romans 3:23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. The Gentiles are not held accountable for what they don’t know. They are only held accountable for what they do with what knowledge they have. I.E. If they knew by their conscience that lying was wrong and they lied then they will be held accountable for that.
It may be easy for us to look down on others thinking that we are somehow better than they are because we have heard the truth of the Gospel. Many Jews did the same thing with the law. Having the law does not make one elite. It holds us more accountable. James 4:17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
The word conscience was only a spoken term until shortly before the Christian era. It referred to the sense of being aware of what was right and wrong. Paul may be the first to use it as an independent witness that examines and passes judgment on the soul. As Christians the Holy Spirit enlightens our conscience making it’s voice stronger and its guidance better. How does our conscience affect our lives as Christians? God gives us the Holy Spirit to be our guide. Do we ignore that uneasy feeling when we join in gossip or stretch the truth? By listening to our conscience in even the smallest areas on a daily basis we can grow to be more Christ like.

Vs 17-23 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. 18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth. Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? 23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”

F.F. Bruce says, “You glory in the law, but in fact your disobedience to the law brings you and the God whom you worship into disrepute among the pagans.”
Don’t we do the same? We act as if we have all of the answers and we are here to tell everyone else how they should live their lives. One of the biggest reasons people reject God is because of hypocrites. This goes back to the discussion we had a few weeks ago about judging. There is a difference between instructing the world on God’s law and sharing the truth of the Gospel. We cannot tell a sinner to stop acting like a sinner. They don’t know any better. There are some who devote themselves to learning scripture inside and out. They can recite it, exegete it, and teach it, but they don’t have relationship with God. Knowing the Bible so well may give them a sense of superiority, but it does them no good. I Cor 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge…., but do not have love, I am nothing.

Vs 24 is a reference to Is 52:5 What is this?” asks the LORD. “Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is blasphemed all day long. The Jews in exile caused Gentiles to think less of their God. The Gentiles thought, if the Jews were enduring such misfortune than their God must be powerless. Once again the Gentiles had reason to think less of the God of the Jews because of the behavior of His people.

We explain away the things that we do wrong. My little sin isn’t as bad as their big sin. The Bible says that if you even look at a person with lust you have committed adultery. If you hate someone in your heart you have committed murder. This is not about becoming legalistic or heaping on guilt. It’s about not fooling ourselves into thinking that we have it all together. It’s about knowing that we haven’t “arrived”. We are still in the process of purification and sanctification. It’s about humbling ourselves and saying, “God’s not finished with me yet.”

Vs 25-29 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. 26 And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? 27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it.
28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

Paul is again leveling the playing field between Jew and Gentile by letting the Jew know that a Jew who doesn’t keep the law exactly is no better than a Gentile and a Gentile who does keep every detail of the law is the same in God’s sight as a Jew.
Jer 9:25-26 “A time is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will punish all those who are circumcised in body but not in spirit— the Egyptians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, the people who live in the desert in remote places, and yes, even the people of Judah. And like all these pagan nations, the people of Israel also have uncircumcised hearts.” Many nations surrounding Israel practiced circumcision, but the physical act for them was not a sign of God’s covenant as it was intended to be in Israel. If Israel and Judah, however, stopped serving God in their heart then their circumcision would be no better than the neighboring people groups. Deut 10:16 So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.
Jer 4:4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD
And remove the foreskins of your heart,
Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Or else My wrath will go forth like fire
And burn with none to quench it,
Because of the evil of your deeds."
Those who are stubborn and disobedient in their hearts may as well be uncircumcised. So Judaism and circumcision are not physical or lineage distinctions. They are determined by the attitude of the heart. The word Judah and Jew come from the Hebrew meaning praise. To be a Jew is to bring praise to God.

So what is our take home? Nick gave a great example. There are two guys who claim to be UFC fans. One walks around wearing a UFC shirt and says he comes from a long line of UFC fans. The other doesn't have a shirt or parents that follow MMA, but he watches all of the fights he can on t.v., practices Jujitsu, and goes to all of the matches in the area. Who is the real UFC fan? When someone looks at my life do they just see a title or a lineage or can they see evidence of my relationship with God in what I do and how I act?