Romans 2:5
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;
Romans 2:5
Here Paul intensifies the warning: stubbornness and unrepentant hearts accumulate wrath for the day of God’s righteous judgment. This verse ties moral stubbornness to eschatological judgment—the future revelation when all deeds are laid bare. The imagery of treasure stored up communicates the seriousness: choices now have enduring consequences. The Jew who trusts in ritual identity but resists repentance remains under judgment. The verse also echoes Old Testament concepts of justice: God sees what people treasure, whether it is pride, self-righteousness, or hidden sin. The point is not merely future punishment but that present hardness compounds guilt, revealing the heart’s true condition.
This passage highlights the continuity between human choices now and divine judgment then. It emphasizes accountability and the reality that God’s mercy does not erase responsibility. Theologically, it underscores the need for repentance as a response to grace, and warns against presuming favorable standing because of privilege. It also points to the justice of God: the righteous judge will award each person according to their deeds, including the motives behind them.
Consider how we “treasure” things in our lives: status, comfort, preservation of control. If we persist in hardness, we are accumulating spiritual wrath. Practical steps: identify a long-standing resistant habit, confess it, and seek to change—this might mean apologizing to someone you’ve hurt, finally addressing a misconduct at work, or reordering priorities to honor God and neighbor. Encourage others to pursue repentance with compassion rather than shame. The goal is a life where repentance becomes a daily rhythm, not a last-ditch effort before judgment.
Cross-References: Psalm 90:11-12; Revelation 20:12; Matthew 3:7-8; Romans 2:8-9; Jeremiah 17:10