Romans 2

v1-16: “God’s ways are mercies, and the more light we sin against, the more love we sin against.” Gentiles will be judged by the light of nature, Jews will be judged by the light of the law, and those who have enjoyed the light of the gospel will be judged by that. “God does not save people because of their external privileges or their mere knowledge and profession of the truth, but according to their true state and disposition. He shows both his disapproval and his favours to both Jews and Gentiles.”

v17-29: The mistake that the Jews made, was to trust in and rely on, the observance of external institutions. Though these externals like circumcision had their place, they were not sufficient to take them to heaven. This remains true for Christians today. “A merely outward Christian is not a Christian… a Christian is one who is a Christian inwardly.”