Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
While reading these verses, remember that God looks at people in two ways. He looks at some in their father Adam, He looks at others like He does His Son. He looks upon them in relation to their substitute. How could Paul tells us that to those of us who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour an immortality, eternal life? It is because we had one who did that for us. Alternatively we read:
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
I believe scripture when it tells us there are none. Not one person has ever sought after God. There are none that understand. None in their natural states have looked to God.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Both Jew and Gentile are in the same boat. All are outside of the presence of God. If God were to leave all of us to ourselves, we would have nothing but tribulation and anguish as our destination. God does not look at anything in a man. He does not look at his race, his social standing, his religious works, his age, his sex; He looks to nothing in the sinner. All He can see in the sinner is his sin. The greatest thing a sinner can offer to God are said to be filthy rags. If you perform deeds to try and impress God, He will show you that He is not impressed. He may be longsuffering for a while and you may continue in those work, but what you are doing is treasuring up wrath for the day of wrath.