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The righteous judgment of God:
v. 5. 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,
v. 6. who will render to every man according to his deeds:
v. 7. to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;
v. 8. but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
v. 9. tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first and also of the Gentile;
v. 10. but glory, honor, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.
The goodness of God, far from being an excuse for false security, rather, when abused, results in an aggravation of man's guilt. He that persists in hardening his heart against the merciful intentions of God and deliberately keeps a heart that will not be converted, will, according to, in the proportion and measure of his obduracy and unrepentant heart, heap up for himself anger in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the justice and righteousness of God in His judgment. The Day of Judgment, whose coming is certain beyond the shadow of a doubt, will be the day of wrath for such a person, 2Co_1:14; Mat_11:22; Joh_6:39; 1Co_3:13; Heb_10:25. He adds sin upon sin, abuses the rich gifts of the divine goodness for the gratification of his fleshly lusts, fills out the hours of the time of grace with transgressions of the divine Law, and will thus finally reap the storm of God's righteous wrath and eternal punishment.
This thought is now put at the head of another set of clauses, in which the certainty, the inevitableness, the impartiality, and the completeness of God's righteous judgment is described. God will render, will pay, to every one without exception according to his deeds, Mat_25:31-46. The works of men will afford the evidence of the faith or unbelief of their hearts, they will be the visible exhibits of the condition of their minds. The apostle illustrates this meaning in both directions. To some God will render, in accordance with their steadfastness, their patient continuance, their life-work in doing good, glory and honor and incorruptibility, as to them that strive after eternal life. God will acknowledge their patient persistence in doing good by granting glory, by having the righteous shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father, Mat_13:43; honor, the distinction of reigning with Christ, 2Ti_2:12; incorruptible being and existence, an undefiled and unfading inheritance, 1Pe_1:4. Just as the believers are constantly zealous for every good work, so they also strive earnestly to be saved; and these manifestations of their faith are rewarded by the payment of God's merciful gift, eternal life.
The apostle now pictures the opposite side. To them that are actuated by contention and partisan spirit, that are of a mean, selfish disposition, whose entire manner of living is controlled by selfishness, who therefore disobey the truth, the norm and rule for human conduct as laid down by God, and give ready obedience to unrighteousness, to the perversion and transgression of the divine truth: to these God also gives their well-earned reward, lasting indignation, which is always renewed by further anger over their unbelief and disobedience.
The apostle now makes an emphatic restatement of the double payment which the Lord dispenses, in reverse order. Tribulation or affliction from without, anguish or inward distress, the torture of an evil conscience, will come upon every soul of a person that performs, that deliberately and delightedly works, evil, upon every single person, of the Jew first, in accordance with the advantages which his nation enjoyed, but of the Greek as well. But glory and honor and peace, full, complete well-being, perfect happiness, will be the lot of him, of every person, that does that which is good, his inclination not being so active toward the evil as toward the good; and here also both the Jew and the Greek are included, for the reward of God is general. St. Paul here tells what will happen on the great Day of Judgment, just as the Lord gives information concerning the events of that day in other passages, Mat_16:27; Joh_5:29; 2Co_5:10; Gal_6:7-9; Eph_6:8; Col_3:24; Rev_2:23; Rev_20:12. The position and relation of every person toward Christ is shown by his works, and therefore reference will be made to them on the last day. By rewarding the good works of the believers with the gracious gift of eternal life, the Lord merely crowns His own work in them with His full acknowledgment in the presence of the whole world. Only by faith in the Savior are good works possible, and faith itself is a gift of God; and therefore the Last Judgment will be a glorious proof of the fact that salvation comes to men "all of grace."