The Response of the Jew

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Presumption
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The Jews were guilty of two basic sins, presumption upon God, and pride and hypocrisy. Lets look at the first of these.
Now, as I said at the first of this study, there are verses that, when taken out of context, seem to dispute the theme of the Book of Romans, Justification by Faith. Paul had just presented the case against the Gentiles and it was just as bad as the Jews had stated it. But, Paul informs the Jews that before they start condemning the Gentiles, they needed to look at themselves. To them, he says, "You too are without excuse." "When you judge another, you condemn yourself for you are doing the same thing." Then he goes on and makes the case against the Jews even worse, "As a matter of fact, if the Gentiles, who had only the light of nature, were inexcusable, how much more are you who have had the light of the Law and the Prophets, inexcusable."
Paul says that the Judgment of God is fair and right for He knows the heart. We cannot escape the judgment of sin by pretending that it is not there nor can we presume upon the richness of his Grace and patience. Let us take notice of some false doctrines that lead people down a path to hell:

God is a loving god, He will not see any of his creatures in hell.
God will always strive with man, we can put off repentance to the last minute.
God is patient, He will look upon our frame and understand.

People actually use these excuses. God is a loving God, and because of this, He had provided a way to escape hell, it is up to man to accept this way. Presuming upon His love only leads to destruction.
Secondly, God will not always strive with man, the time will come when He will cease to offer His love and forgiveness. To put off God's offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, when it is offered and explained by the Holy Spirit, is very dangerous.
Thirdly, yes God is patient, but our frame will not be an excuse for disobedience nor will it excuse us from sin. The Holy Spirit illuminates the sinners mind and makes him aware of his lost condition. He shows him the way to salvation and he must not harden his heart nor turn from the Lord, for we do not know when he might stop striving nor do we know when our life might end and we be called to explain what we did about Jesus. Paul says that God's kindness is meant to lead man to repentance, not delay or excuse it.
So to the Jews Paul says, "Because of your pious judging of the Gentiles and inward disobedience to God, you are storing up God's wrath against you." Sin is "stored up" against the sinner and will need be accounted for on Judgment Day. It must either be punished or "atoned for" and only Christ can atone for sin.
Paul describes three degrees of "revelation" given to the children of men, or mankind. First, the revelation of nature. We found out in the last study that this was given to the Gentiles. "Those who have sinned without the Law shall perish without the Law." That is... unbelieving Gentiles who have no other revelation but nature, shall not be judged for the transgression of the Law. Though they did not have the Law, they had the evidence of it, creation.
Secondly, there was the revelation of the Law. This was given to the Jews and so by the Law, they shall be judged. They sinned in spite of the availability and clarity of the Law. They, because of this favored position, are all the more guilty. Their punishment shall be greater because of their knowledge of the Law. Paul warns that the having of the Law and the hearing of the Law will not justify the Jew. It is the doing and the keeping of the Law, if this were possible, that would justify the Jew.
Who, then, can be justified? The revelation of nature did not justify the Gentile. His carnal nature separated him from God who gave him up to that nature. The revelation of the Law did not justify the Jew. They had attempted an outward observance of it but failed to recognize the true meaning of it, even to not recognizing the Promised Messiah.
Well who then can escape the judgment of God? Those who receive the third revelation. Those who have heard and received the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But Paul says even these will be judged. So what is the advantage of the revelation of the Gospel? The judgment of the first two, those who received only the revelation of nature and those who received only the revelation of the Law, these will be judged for their righteousness by their works. But righteousness is not obtainable by works and only by righteousness can one escape the judgment of God.
Who then can escape the Judgment of God? Those who have received the revelation of the Gospel, who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. who are "covered" by the "robe of righteousness". They will escape the judgment of their souls but they too must face a Judgment, the judgment of their works. Both of the judgments will be before Christ. He will either know us, or He won't, depending on what we have done with the revelation of the Gospel.
So the Gentile that depends upon his revelation of nature and the Jew that relies upon his understanding of the Law, are facing the judgment of God, without a Savior.

Pride and Hypocrisy

Remember, these verses are about the Jews but we can relate to it also. The sum of these verses is that it is the "doers" of the Law who are justified, not the "hearers".

Paul acknowledges these three attributes about the Jews:

He acknowledges that they are a particular people. Unlike no other people on earth, they had, for centuries, God's Word, God's protection and His presence with them. From the beginning, salvation was for the Jews and they were very proud of this. But they became "puffed up" and boasted of their privileges. This was the sum and substance of their hypocrisy.
He acknowledged that they were a "knowing" people. They had been illuminated by the scriptures, the Prophets and by God's presence. They knew right from wrong. Matthew Henry says, "A person may be well learned in the doctrines of religion, and still be a stranger to godliness." Paul spoke of this concerning himself. "I see the better but pursue the worst."
He acknowledged that they were a teaching people, or at least, thought of themselves as being qualified to teach. "Guides to the blind", Paul called them. So great did they consider themselves that they thought that all Gentiles had to come to them to understand any thing about God. Paul says that they were "Instructors of the foolish", and "Teachers of babes." Certainly they were persistent, they continued daily, without ceasing in their teaching, but, the best work when done in pride, is unacceptable to God. Any ability that any teacher has or any success that they may have is a gift of God not something that they can boast of doing.

Then Paul condemns them for "talking religion" and not practicing it.

They were thieves that preached against stealing. Jewish leaders were charged with robbing the tithes and offerings taken at the Temple and using it for themselves.
They were adulterers who preached against adultery. Most of the Jewish leaders were notorious when it came to adultery.
They claimed to hate idols but they robbed the Temple. They made of God's house a den of thieves. Moneychangers and merchants were allowed to operate within the Temple gates, for a kickback of the profits. Paul said of them, "You who boast in the Law dishonor God by breaking it." As the result, God's name was blasphemed amongst the Gentiles.

Then Paul closed by showing them how utterly insufficient their religion was in comparison to their sins. He tells them that circumcision apart from the keeping of the Law, amounted to nothing, for the Gentile, if they live up to the understanding given them, is justified before God apart from circumcision. Paul again uses the argument about circumcision that he used before the council in Jerusalem years before, "He is a Jew who is one inwardly and real circumcision is a matter of the heart."

So the Jew was condemned because they presumed upon God and because of their pride and hypocrisy. However, there was an advantage in being a Jew and Paul explains this in the next lesson.

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