Romans 2:12

Romans 2:12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

Notice that Paul states that all who have sinned will perish. By this statement, he removes any hope for a person that has sinned to avoid perishing by their improved works. He has just finished a passage about all men being judged on their works and being given the gift of eternal life if they meet God’s standard. Here in verse 12 he clarifies the standard of righteousness needed to receive eternal life. The truth given here is that once a person has sinned, it is too late for human beings to work themselves into being right with God because the standard is perfection as Jesus also confirmed in Mt. 5:48.

The little girl in the photo above is obviously giving Santa quite a list of things she wants. As she and all human beings grow to maturity, they crave and desire all kinds of materialistic stuff and even covet God given attributes they do not possess. The sin of covetousness alone condemns 100% of the human beings that have ever lived. No human being can meet the perfect standard of righteousness required, and Paul makes that clear a little later in Romans 3:23 when he states, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

There is only way for human beings to have the gift of eternal life and that is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Praise God that Paul begins explaining that good news in Romans 3:21.