Why religion can not save you – and who can

12 For all who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. 14 So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them 16 on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

17 Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law, and boast in God, 18 and know his will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law, 19 and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the law –  21 you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, ‘You must not steal’ – do you steal? 22 You who say, ‘You must not commit adultery’ – do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonour God by breaking the law? 24 For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

25 Circumcision benefits you if you observe the law; but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if an uncircumcised man keeps the law’s requirements, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who keeps the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart – by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God.

Romans 2:12-29

Introduction

“Are your religious practices enough to make you right with God?”

“What does your conscience tell you about when you will stand in judgement before Him?”

“Do your actions align with what you claim to believe?”

“What kind of transformation does God truly require of you?”

Religion, those external rites and traditions, in and of themselves, cannot save us. Our conscience exposes us. Our hypocrisy entraps us. Ultimately, the transformation God requires, goes way beyond outward appearances—it must come from the inside out.

Salvation comes not through external rituals, but through faith in Jesus Christ, who transforms us from the inside out.

Your religion can not save you

12 For all who sin without the law will also perish without the law,

What does the Law mean here? According to one commentator (J. A. Fitzmyer), there are at least four different senses that the law is used in the book of Romans:

1. Figuratively, as a “principle”;
2. Generically, meaning “a law”;
3. As a reference to the OT, or some part of the OT;
4. As a reference to the Mosaic law.

This last usage is the majority of Paul’s references to law in Romans.

12 For all who sin without the [Mosaic] law will also perish without the [Mosaic] law,

Who are these sinners without the law? Gentiles. Anyone who is not a Jew.

A note on the culture of the church in Rome here. The church in Rome was a mix of Jews and Gentiles. Jews, who grew up with the Law of Moses kept it as a matter of cultural and religious identity. Here Paul write that the Gentiles will perish without the Law. I can imagine a few self-righteous Jews nodding their heads in approval as this part of the letter is being read.

and all who sin under the [Mosaic] law will be judged by the [Mosaic] law.

Who are the sinners under the law? Jews. Who were given the law through Moses, and live according to it’s legal requirements.

Jews took pride in having the law of Moses, and they saw themselves as morally superior to Gentiles because of it. They believed that their covenant status, symbolised by circumcision, set them apart as God’s chosen people. This led, on the one hand to legalism, a belief that salvation came from doing the Law. And on the other hand to hypocrisy, because they were unable to maintain the perfect standard of the Law even though they professed they did.

13 For the hearers of the [Mosaic] law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the [Mosaic] law will be justified.

Do you want to know how to be right with God? Keep His perfect law. Keep His perfect law perfectly. Be a doer of the law. Now if you think that sounds doable, listen to the words of Jesus, Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:19). For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Keep His perfect law perfectly. The doers of the [Mosaic] law will be justified.

Sinners without the law, and sinners under the law, will be judged and perish because of what they do.

What does this mean for us today? It means that having a Bible on your shelf, attending church, or even knowing Christian doctrines isn’t enough to save you. God’s judgment is impartial. He isn’t fooled by our outward appearances or religious rituals. He sees what’s really going on in your heart.

Imagine going to the doctor for a check-up. You look healthy on the outside, but the doctor runs some tests and finds a life-threatening condition on the inside. Wouldn’t you take immediate action? In the same way, God is saying to you today, “I see beyond your spiritual appearances. I see your heart condition. What are you going to do about it?”

Your conscience is a witness against you

14 For, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the [Mosaic] law, do what the [Mosaic] law demands, they are a [generic] law to themselves even though they do not have the [Mosaic] law.

Paul is heaping coals on the heads of his Jewish audience. Gentiles were not recipients of Moses’ law. They were not God’s chosen people. They were outside the promises. And yet, while they might not have the written code, they still have some semblance of knowledge of what God requires, and they do it. They know murdering one another is bad. And sexual immorality is not virtuous. And honouring your mother and father is the building block of civilisation. They might not have Genesis, and Exodus, and Numbers, and Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, but at times they live like they do.

15 They show that the work of the [Mosaic] law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. And Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them 16 on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

How is it possible that Gentiles have some knowledge of the law? Because it is written on their hearts. All of humanity, created in the image of God, has at some base level, a common comprehension of God’s law.

It is written on their hearts. What does that mean? Biblically the heart is the centre and seat of all spiritual life, and of the soul. The heart is the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions. God’s imprinted His way on the eyelids of humanity, He has written it in their hearts, He has encoded it into their DNA.

Their consciences confirm this. What does that mean? The conscience is that part of us which distinguishes between what is morally good and what is morally bad. Our consciences prompt us to do morally good things and shun morally bad things. Our consciences commend one, and condemn the other.

To Gentiles’ the conscience was understood philosophically to relate to moral virtue. For example the Stoics believed in an innate sense of right and wrong. Paul shows that even Gentiles have a moral standard written on their hearts aligning with the Jewish law.

When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do what the law demands, they show that the law is written on their hearts, and are either accused or excused by their conscience.

Paul points out that even our conscience is evidence of God’s standards written on our hearts. And God’s judgment will expose even the secret things we’ve kept hidden. Now ask yourself, what if God judged the thoughts you’ve kept secret, the intentions you’ve never voiced, or the actions no one else has seen? Are you truly as good as you think you are? God’s judgment reaches deeper than our external actions; it exposes the internal motives behind them.

Your hypocrisy is a trap to you

17 Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the [Mosaic] law, and boast in God, 18 and know his will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the [Mosaic] law,

Romans 2:17 may be an allusion to Jeremiah 9:24. Jeremiah writes before the fall of Jerusalem. He laments over the sins of Israel and the consequences of their unfaithfulness to God, alternating between his personal grief, and God’s pronouncement of judgment in the chapter. In Jeremiah 9:24, God urges His people to stop boasting in their wisdom, might, or riches. Rather, boast in knowing and understanding Him, particularly His steadfast love, justice, and righteousness. In Romans 2:17, Paul is saying, you are boasting. You boast being a Jew. You boast that you have the law. You boast that you know God’s will. You boast that you are at the top of the stack. You boast that you have hidden revelation. But in fact, you do not actually know God. His character. His person. Shut your pie hole, the more you talk the more you show what an absolute hypocrite you are.

19 and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the [Mosaic] law—

You really think you are the bees knees. The guide to those stupid pagan Gentiles. What do they know. I am a Baptist. I am a Methodist. I am a Presbyterian. I am Reformed. I am very, very full of myself.

21 you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? 22 You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the [Mosaic] law, do you dishonour God by breaking the [Mosaic] law?

Here is Paul’s point. You say all these things, or think all these things, but your walk does not reflect your talk. You life does not match your profession. You shake your head at state capture, but take from the company you work for without batting an eyelid. You shake you head to hear that Siya Kolisi had an adulterous affair, but you log onto Porn Hub late at night. You hate that there is an idolatrous Hindu Temple in our city, but you hold back the offerings to the church you know you should be giving. You who teach another, don’t you teach yourself?

24 For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

Romans 2:24 is a quotation from Isaiah 52:5. Isaiah 52 is filled with God’s promises to redeem and glorify His people and introduces the prophecy of the Suffering Servant. In Isaiah 52:5, God reminds His people that they were taken into captivity because of their sin, and that was on display to their captives while in Babylon. In other words, your sin stands as a testimony against your profession. You say one thing, and live another.

When Jews, who have the law, and see themselves as a guide for everyone else, break the law, they lead everyone else astray.

So What? It’s easy to point fingers at others, isn’t it? But Paul is saying that religious people are not exempt from judgment either. Just because you know the truth doesn’t mean you’re living it. Your hypocrisy drags God’s name through the mud.

Are there areas in your life where you’re saying one thing but living another? Are you quick to judge others while ignoring the sin in your own heart? The truth is, hypocrisy not only hurts your relationship with God—it damages your witness to the world.

Your transformation must come from within you

25 Circumcision benefits you if you observe the [Mosaic] law, but! if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

There are two types of circumcision:

1. Physical circumcision refers to male circumcision as prescribed in the OT, which was given as a covenant to Abraham in Genesis 17:10-14. Its importance for Judaism can hardly be overstated: According to one commentator (J. D. G. Dunn) it was the “single clearest distinguishing feature of the covenant people.”

2. Spiritual circumcision is the extinction of passions and the removal of spiritual impurity from our lives as a work of the Holy Spirit after salvation.

25 [Physical] Circumcision benefits you if you observe the [Mosaic] law, but! if you are a lawbreaker, your [physical] circumcision has become uncircumcision.

26 So if an uncircumcised man keeps the [Mosaic] law’s requirements, will not his uncircumcision be counted as [spiritual] circumcision? 27 And a man who is physically uncircumcised, but who keeps the [Mosaic] law, will judge you in spite of having the letter of the [Mosaic] law and [physical] circumcision.

Paul is saying that if an uncircumcised Gentile Love[s] the Lord [his] God with all [his] heart, with all [his] soul, and with all [his] mind. And if he, Love[s] [his] neighbor as [himself], he may not be physically circumcised on the outside, but he has been spiritually circumcised on the inside.

28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true [spiritual] circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and [spiritual] circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God.

This inward transformation of the heart can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. External, ritualistic obedience doesn’t lead to spiritual transformation, spiritual transformation leads to true God-glorifying obedience. True spiritual circumcision is a matter of the heart, where the Spirit brings about a change that no human effort can achieve. This inward change leads to a life that seeks to please God rather than solicit the praise of man. Paul is challenging the superficial, external markers of religisosity. He is pointing to a deeper reality—a heart fully devoted to God. God is not impressed by your outward show. God is looking for genuine, Spirit-led transformation that aligns our hearts with His will.

Lawbreaking nullifies circumcision, while law keeping is counted as circumcision, because it is not what man praises on the outside, but what God praises on the inside that matters.

It’s not about the external signs of religion—whether it’s attending church, being baptized, or serving in ministry. It’s about the inward transformation that only the Holy Spirit can bring. God is not impressed by our religious checklists; He desires a heart that’s fully surrendered to Him.

Thabo’s Tithes won’t get him to heaven: Thabo believes giving money to the church guarantees his salvation.

Charlene’s Chalice won’t get her to heaven: Charlene trusts that taking the Lord’s Supper regularly secures her standing with God.

Arno’s Aanneming won’t get him to heaven: Arno thinks his confirmation ceremony as a child ensures his place in heaven.

Anitha’s Attendance won’t get her to heaven: Anathi assumes faithfully attending every Sunday service makes her right with God.

Vusi’s Volunteering won’t get him to heaven: Vusi is confident that serving in the soup kitchen will earn him eternal rewards.

Think of a wedding ring. It’s a symbol of commitment, but if the love and faithfulness behind it are gone, the ring itself is meaningless. The same goes for our religious practices—they are empty rituals without a transformed heart.

Connect to the gospel

In Romans 2:16, God’s impartial judgment, according to deeds, reveals the internal secrets of the heart. The unrighteous, who trust on their own external religious observations which lead to sinful deeds, will be condemned on that day. The only path to salvation is to trust in the righteousness of another, who is sinless perfection may be credited to your account. Christ’s life, ending in His death, and subsequent resurrection, is the only solution to the penalty of sin, and provides the foundation for internal regeneration and life transformation. As Paul writes in Galatians 2:16, and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.

Application for believers

A spiritually regenerated heart results in a transformed life. And true righteousness is lived from the inside out. Basically, live a good, god-honouring life, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Because you can. Because it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. And while you do that, proclaim the righteousness of Christ to the world.

Application for unbelievers

If you trust in your own self efforts, like good works, or religious traditions, they will ultimately stand against you on the day of judgment. Only faith in Jesus Christ—who lived the perfect life you cannot live and died the death you deserve—can save you. So, put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour today.

Conclusion

“Is your religious practice enough to make you right with God?” The answer is no. Religion without heart transformation leads only to condemnation.

“What does your conscience tell you about when you will stand in judgement before Him?” It likely testifies to guilt, pointing you to your need for a Savior.

“Do your actions align with what you claim to believe?” If we’re honest, hypocrisy often exposes our failure to live up to God’s standards.

“What kind of transformation does God truly require of you?” It’s not external compliance but an internal change—a new heart, made alive by the Spirit through faith in Christ.

Stop trusting in your own religious works. Whether it’s tithing, attendance, or moral effort, none of these can save you. Instead, place your faith in Jesus, who perfectly fulfilled the law on your behalf and bore the penalty for your sin.

Let this truth renew your commitment to live from a heart transformed by the Spirit, proclaiming the righteousness of Christ to the world. Today is the day to surrender your self-reliance and put your trust in Jesus. He alone saves.

Salvation comes not through external rituals, but through faith in Jesus Christ, who transforms us from the inside out.

Amen.