Devotion #4: Comfort and Reverence

“He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.” Romans 2:6-11 

My two-year-old daughter recently found out how to play hide-and-seek and currently requests to play multiple times a day. She prefers to be the seeker, which is based on the fact that every time she finds me, I pretend to be overwhelmed with surprise. If you have never played hide-and-seek with a toddler, I will give you a fair warning: depending on how well you hide, it can get boring!  

This sobering passage of Scripture makes one thing very clear – there is no playing hide-and-seek with God. Every action, thought, and intent of our hearts will be evaluated by His just and holy nature. No matter how hard the moral person tries to hide behind their good deeds, and no matter how hard the religious person tries to hide behind their religious heritage, God will always find them. Make no mistake; He will render His judgment according to their works.  

This truth should not be mistaken for a false message – that by doing good works and remaining patient, God will grant someone eternal life. This is simply not the case. The apostle Paul makes salvation abundantly clear when writing to the church in Ephesus, where he wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). So, although believers will give an account of their works, their judgment will not be based on them. Rather, their judgment will be based on the finished, atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  

The difference is clear: those who walk in obedience and faithfulness are promised peace, while those who walk in rebellion will face distress. As believers, this should encourage us as a reminder that God shows no partiality. It does not matter who we are, our background, race, or economic status; God’s standard is the same for everyone. His offer of grace is available to all, but so is His righteous judgment. This should bring us both comfort and reverence. Comfort, because we know that God’s justice is fair; reverence, because we know that our lives are accountable before Him.