“There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”
Romans 2:9-10 (NIV)
Paul shows us the impact of our choices here. Our deeds are evidence. They are like fruit, a sign of the work happening within us. Have we truly believed, allowing faith to change our actions and produce good works, or have we rejected God and gone down the path of sin? We persist in doing good by remaining in faith and focusing on God, on our eternal life, and on the future glory promised to us.
There is another road to take, though. When we reject God, ignore His truth, follow the path of evil, do whatever our hearts desire, and become self-seeking, we store up wrath against ourselves. Those who seek their own desires and continually seek evil will find trouble and distress. But those who seek God, His goodness, His glory, His honor, and His peace will continue on that path into eternity with Him.
God does not show partiality or favoritism. The road we choose, the path we take, and what we put our faith in will determine God’s judgment of us. Our faith, or lack thereof, determines the path we take on earth and where that path continues in eternity: Heaven or hell. God will not arbitrarily move someone from one path to the other through favoritism. God has made Himself abundantly clear through His creation and fully revealed salvation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone who believes. We just need to accept this gift from God.
Peter says we should be self-controlled by setting our hope, focus, attention, and gaze completely on the grace we will receive when Jesus Christ returns. He encourages us not to go back down the path of evil we lived in before hearing the Good News. We should live as obedient children of God and become holy like our Master, Jesus Christ. We can pursue holiness by the Spirit of holiness given to us. And when our gaze is on Jesus and on the glory, honor, and eternal life we will receive from Him, we will persist in doing good.