Another Text on Duty Faith

Like Romans 3 (recently dealt with regarding duty faith), this passage in Romans chapter two also gives the Hardshells a hard time as regards their teaching that evangelical unbelief and impenitence are no sins for the non elect and therefore there will be no condemnation in the day of judgment for such.

"And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile..."  (Rom. 2: 3-10)

Here Are The Facts

1. These people are lost Gentiles, people who have hard and impenitent hearts, evidences of a state of degeneration.  They are immoral, evil doers, being contrasted with the well doers and seekers of eternal life, and by other descriptive terms that class them as unregenerate.

2. Their destiny is to receive wrath and vengeance in the day of judgment.

3. Two of the sins of these lost souls and for which they will be held accountable in the day of judgment are mentioned in the text and are non faith and non repentance.

Problem for Hardshells

They will be condemned for their "impenitent heart," yet if repentance be not a moral and religious duty and obligation then there cannot be any condemnation.

Secondly, they will be condemned for their unbelief for the text describes them as they who "do not obey (believe) the truth."

So, this text says that lost unregenerate sinners will be found guilty in the day of judgment for their unbelief and impenitence.

God says to all men - "repent ye and believe the Gospel" and those who do not do so will be condemned for it in the last day.  It is disobedience as the text says.  Not to believe and repent is disobedience.  What say ye my brother Hardshells?