“…eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” – Romans 2:7-10
Paul’s message in Romans 2:7–10 is like a mirror held up to the soul—it reveals what’s really inside us. He shifts the focus from labels like Jew or Gentile to something deeper: are you saved or unsaved? The religious Jews of the day believed their heritage guaranteed salvation, but Paul corrects that thinking. It’s not your ancestry, attendance, or association—it’s your allegiance. Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “By their fruits you will know them.” Like the backlight in a phone that reveals what’s on the screen, our deeds illuminate what’s already within.
But let’s be clear: salvation is by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9). It is not earned—but it is evidenced. Works don’t save us, but saved people work. From Isaiah to John, Scripture consistently affirms that what we sow, we will reap. Our actions reveal the health of our root system. You can’t claim to know Christ and have no fruit—and you can’t point to fruit without surrender to Christ. It’s all handcuffed together: confession and conduct, root and fruit. And every deed is heading for one of two judgment seats—either the Great White Throne for the lost or the Bema Seat for the saved (Revelation 20:11–15, 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Paul reminds us: every person will stand before God and give account. It’s not just about this life—it’s about eternal consequence. Like a ledger opened at a final audit, our works will be examined. For believers, this means reward or refinement; for unbelievers, separation from God. As Alexander Maclaren said, “There are degrees in that future blessedness proportioned to present faithfulness.” And Lloyd-Jones echoed, “You cannot have the new life of God in you without its leading to certain results.” So the question becomes—what is your life producing?
“Everything in our lives that has glorified God will be looked on in that day of testing as the gold that has His approval. If we have acted like men and women redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, our actions will shine out as silver. All things that have been in accordance with the Word and have sprung from the renewed nature that we have through grace, will be like costly stones built into the edifices of our lives.” – H. A. Ironside
surrendered devotions 