Welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the book of Romans. Tonight is study #23 of Romans 2, and we are going to read just one verse, Romans 2:16:

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

We started looking at this in our last study, and the fact that the Lord has given all authority to Jesus Christ to execute judgment. We looked at several Scriptures that show how The Word of God, Jesus Christ, is carrying out judgment in our present time in this prolonged Day of Judgment.

But now we are going to look at the reference to “the secrets of men,” as it says in Romans 2:16:

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

We may have a basic understanding of what God means because men have “secrets,” and they can hide it from other men. And yet, we know that as far as God is concerned, nothing can be hid, according to Hebrews 4:13:

… but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. That is our basic understanding: man has done wrong secretly. He has hidden many things, and God will expose them in the Day of Judgment. To say it another way, there is no sin that a sinner has committed that will not be brought to the surface.

But let us see where the word “secrets” leads us, because it says, “God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel,” or according to His Word, the Law of God, the Bible.

The word “secrets” is Strong’s #2927. Interestingly, it is also found at the end of the chapter in Romans 2:28-29:

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

In verse 29, the word “inwardly” is the same word as “secrets,” so God is saying, “But he is a Jew, which is one secretly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit.” We can understand why God would say that a Gentile is a Jew secretly, due to the fact that when he became saved, he obtained a new heart and a new spirit. The “heart” and the “spirit” are synonymous, speaking of the soul of a sinner that has been restored to life, and the soul of man is invisible. No one can see it. So God saves a person, and in salvation, He has circumcised his heart, as it were, giving him a new heart, and that person becomes a spiritual Jew or a spiritual descendant of Abraham and heir to the promise of receiving the land of Canaan, a figure of the new earth, as an inheritance.

So that gives us an insight into the word “secrets,” and in Romans 2:29, it is referring to the spiritual condition of man, and in this case it is of a saved man. He is a Jew, which is one secretly in the spiritual part of him. It is not outward or physical, but spiritual.

In 1Corinthians 14, we find the same word that is translated as “secrets” in 1Corinthians 14:24-25:

But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

Here, the Lord is contrasting prophesying with “speaking in tongues,” and if one comes in and they are speaking in tongues, he will think they are mad. On the other hand, if all prophesy, it means to declare the Word of God, and if a man comes in that believes not, which means that he is a sinner still in his sins and a child of wrath even as others, then “he is convinced of all, he is judged of all.” That is, the prophesying convinces him of his spiritually dead condition and of his being under the wrath of God, subject to eternal destruction, and so forth, and he will fall down on his face and he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. In this way are the “secrets” of his heart made manifest. Again, the “secrets” has to do with his heart condition, and the prophesying of the Word of God revealed his heart condition. That is, he was convicted or convinced of his sinful nature, and that is one of the major purposes of the Law: “…all the world may become guilty before God.” By hearing the Law of the Word of God, man becomes guilty, like those Jewish leaders that were convicted by their own consciences when Christ wrote on the ground after they had brought before Him the woman caught in adultery, and they went out (from Him), one by one, being convicted in their own consciences. So, too, in this case the Law convicted the man and he was convinced, and the Lord used that to bring that sinner to Himself and to draw an elect to Himself. So the “secrets” of his heart, the spiritual condition of his heart, was made manifest. It was revealed or shown forth. So, again, we see that “secrets” are linked to the spiritual condition of people.

Also, in 1Corinthians 4, we find this same word, and this is a very enlightening verse. It says in 1Corinthians 4:5:

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Our word is translated here as “hidden things.” This word is helpful because it is telling us about Judgment Day. That is what it means when it says, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come…”

You know, it has been said to those of us at EBible Fellowship, “You are premature in your judgment in saying that God shut the door and that the light of the Gospel is out. You are not to judge before Christ comes.” But what they do not understand is that Christ has already come, so it is not premature. We are actually several years into the judgment process because He came as judge of the earth on May 21, 2011 and took His seat. And it is a spiritual judgment being carried out by the Word of God as it pronounces and reveals the judgment. So it is not before the time because it is the time – it is the Day of Judgment. The Lord has come and, therefore, what it says here applies to our day: “who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness,” or the secrets of darkness, and then it says, “…and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

Now we are starting to see a consistent theme related to this word “secrets” and the “secrets of men.” God will judge the secrets of men, and the secrets of men has to do with man’s spiritual condition. What is the condition of his heart truly like? And we know that is the case as far as God’s elect are concerned, as well as those that identify with God’s elect. We know this from several verses, like 1Corinthians 3 where it says that in that day, there is a fire that will try every work built upon the foundation (Christ), whether it be “wood, hay, stubble,” or “gold, silver, precious stones,” and the “day” will declare it. What does that mean? Let us just turn there quickly. It says in 1Corinthians 3:11-12:

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

Notice there are six items, pointing to “work.” Then it says in 1Corinthians 3:13:

Every man’s work shall be made manifest…

And we see that word “manifest” again. It will be revealed or shown forth. It is like the Lord Jesus in the demonstration (of the cross), making manifest His atonement at the foundation of the world, revealing it so that we can see and know. So, too, will the heart condition of mankind be revealed, especially that of those that would say they are God’s elect people. It will become known or revealed. The Lord will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Then it goes on to say in 1Corinthians 3:13:

…for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

So that the point of what 1Corinthians 4:5 is saying: “…the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” We will look at that final statement, “and then shall every man have praise of God,” but first let us look at the “hidden things of darkness,” or the secrets of darkness. Where is the darkness of this world? That is what we read in Ephesians 6:10:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

So we do not fight against flesh and blood, but one of the things we battle against are “the rulers of darkness of this world.” Again, where does the darkness of the world lie? Is it something physical? No – it is not physical. The whole point is that it is not “flesh and blood,” but these are principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness. So the “darkness” actually lies within the hearts of men, and that is where Satan has ruled. He has been a ruler of the darkness, the “secrets of men.”

When Adam and Eve took of the fruit of the forbidden tree, they disobeyed God and obeyed Satan, and they bowed down in their souls and became servants to sin and to Satan, and he became a ruler over the darkness that engulfed their hearts. And the spiritual deadness of man was now under the rule and authority of the evil one. That is what God is saying, and we can know this, if we turn to Ephesians 4:17:

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

In the Bible, the heart, mind, and soul are synonymous. Then it says in Ephesians 4:18:

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

They have dark understanding and a blind heart. That is the darkness of this world that Satan ruled over, as he ruled over the hearts of sinners. He was the prince of the power of the air. And that is what the Lord Jesus Christ has come to judge and to make manifest.

If we go back to 1Corinthians 4, we read in 1Corinthians 4:5:

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness…

When the secrets of the dead hearts of men are brought to light…and to be brought to light means that they are seen, and they become evident and obvious. And, of course, that is what we are seeing today in the world with the constant, chaotic wickedness that is everywhere. It is the hidden things or the secrets of the dark condition of sinners in this world. It goes on to say in 1Corinthians 4:5:

… and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Now that is curious. What does this have to do with every man having praise of God? I do not know if you noticed this, but back in Romans 2, we saw the word “inwardly,” which is the word for “secrets,” in Romans 2:29:

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

So this is the second time we see this in association with this word “secrets” and the spiritual condition of the heart that God says whose praise is not of men, but of God. And we wonder, What does this have to do with praising God or with God getting the praise? And we find the answer in Ephesians 1:4-6:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

There is the answer to why Romans 2 says, “…whose praise is not of men, but of God,” and why 1Corinthians 4:5 says, “…and then shall every man have praise of God.” You see, it is the salvation program of God. His predestination program is to the praise of the glory of His grace. It is all by grace: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” So when God saves His people and completes that salvation, it is to the praise of the glory of His grace. And in the Day of Judgment, when He puts the “fire” to all and purifies the gold, silver, precious stones, then the work is manifested, and it is to the praise of the glory of His grace. And that is the emphasis God is making here.

We find in Ephesians 1:11-12:

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Then it says in Ephesians 1:13-14:

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

You see, God has given us the down payment of the Holy Spirit in the “inward” or secret part of man, which is to the praise of the glory of His grace, and that is why Romans 2:29 is making that declaration.

Let us look at one last verse that has this word “secrets,” in 1Peter 1:4:

To an inheritance…

Remember that Ephesians also spoke of the inheritance that has to do with the Lord’s election program.

Again, it says in 1Peter 1:4-7:

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Being tried with fire reminds us of 1Corinthians 3. And now we can understand why it is found unto praise and honour and glory, because it is the praise and honour of God’s grace, where He gets all the glory. It is at the appearing of Jesus Christ, which ties into the Lord’s coming, as it says in 1Corinthians 4:5: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come…” And at the Lord’s coming, He will perform the judgment (as He is currently doing).

Here the word “appearing,” in 1Peter 1:7, is actually the Greek word “apokalupsis,” and we have looked into this before. It is Strong’s #602 and is translated as “revelation” in Romans 2:5: “… the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” So the faith of God’s elect will be tried with fire that it might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, who is the Word, in the Day of Judgment. It is the revelation of the Word of God in the Day of Judgment that will purify the people of God as we go through the spiritual fire, and it will also burn the dross or the “wood, hay stubble.”