#9 11-26-06 AM – HCBC
The Wrath of God – Part IV
Romans 2:1-4
God’s Perfect Judgment
It has been an interesting week.
Some people have expressed gladness that we have finished Ch. 1 of Romans.
I’d like to begin this sermon by asking what particular sins are most offensive to you.
What kind of sinners do you find most disgusting?
What transgression do you see as especially repulsive?
Who is it that you just can’t stand?
Who are you likely to really look down on?
The Wrath of God Against All Mankind. 1:18 – 3:20
Depraved Gentile society Hedonist 1:18-32
He lives for pleasure, denies that God exists, and sees no need to get right with Him.
Critical moralizers Moralist 2:1-16
He thinks he will be in a right relationship with God because of his good behavior.
Self-confident Jews Legalist 2:17 – 3:8
He thinks that because he is a Jew he is in a right relationship with God.
The whole human race Everyone 3:9-20
No one is righteous, no one has responded to God on his own.
The Wrath of God – Part I Suppressing the Truth Demands the Wrath of God (18-20)
The Wrath of God – Part II Exchanging the Truth Denies the Worship of God (21-25)
The Wrath of God – Part III Rejecting the Truth Discards the Wisdom of God (26-32)
Rom 2:1-4 Man’s Sinful Judgment Contrasted with God’s Righteous Judgment!
People who judge others: vs 1
Who would you consider to be spiritually inferior and beyond the interest of God’s
mercy and care?
The people being addressed here by Paul in verse one are those moral people who think
they are exempt from God’s judgment because they have not sunk into the pagan,
immoral extremes Paul has just mentioned in chapter one.
These people were looking down on others because they thought their sin was less
heinous.
Luke 18:9-14
Paul says: Hey, you folks are sadly mistaken!
Are without excuse:
People who judge others think themselves innocent because the other guy is more
guilty than they are!
People who judge others believe they will be let off the hook because they are not
that bad!
People who judge others because of their great sin, feel innocent by comparison!
Bur God says: No, you too are guilty because you sin too!
Because they too sin!
Heb 10:26-29
The moralist tends to see the wickedness of others but sees himself as being right
with God because he is not as bad as he could be.
If he uses the Ten Commandments to judge others, he does not see his own
failure of that standard.
Though he condemns the murderer, he kills people in his heart.
Though he judges the adulterer, he commits adultery in his heart!
Though he denounces the thief, he has taken that which did not belong to
him.
If he uses the Sermon on the mount to judge others, he does not see his own
failure of that standard.
He considers himself to be among the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful,
the mercy showers, the pure in heart, and the peace makers;
but he does not realize that on One fit that description perfectly,
and that in reality he falls far short.
If he uses the Golden Rule to judge others, he does not understand that he has not
always treated others as he would want to be treated!
The transition from Romans 1 to Romans 2 presents us with a question!
Do you see yourself as a gross sinner or a respectable sinner?
In his march toward Romans 3:23, which says
that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Paul builds his case that the moralist is in no better position,
on his own merit, than is the hedonist.
God’s judgment… vs 2
Acts 17:31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man
he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from
the dead."
Gal 2:6 As for those who seemed to be important--whatever they were makes no
difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance--those men
added nothing to my message.
Heb 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God
will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
…is based on Truth
Truth is a big deal in the Bible!
In Isaiah, God is referred to as the God of truth. (65:16)
30 times in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said; “I tell you the truth…”
50 times in the Gospel of John, truth is referred to.
Jesus said that He is the Truth!
We are to:
Come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 Tim 2:4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Receive the truth.
Heb 10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of
the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
believe the truth.
2 Th 2:12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have
delighted in wickedness.
Love the truth.
2 Th 2:10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish
because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
Correctly handle the truth.
2 Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who
does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Wear the belt of truth.
Eph 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness in place,
Obey the truth.
1 Pet 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have
sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
Walk in the truth.
2 John 4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth,
just as the Father commanded us.
Speak the truth.
Eph 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him
who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Work together for the truth.
3 John 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work
together for the truth.
God is the judge, we are not to judge!
People who judge others will be judged! vs 3
We are mere men
Often we are tempted to think more highly of ourselves than we ought!
Rom 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of
yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with
sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given
you.
Ps 39:6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only
in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.
We judge others
Rom 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look
down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
Jas 4:11-12 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against
his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you
judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and
destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?
Not only do we judge others, but as we do…
We sin
Who among us has not looked down upon others because of their sin?
Who among us has not though we were better than some pervert described in
Romans 1?
Who among us has not thought that we had a better standing before God because
we had not been as bad as we might be?
We have sinned when we judge others in this way!
We will not escape judgment
Scripture still says: “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
Rom 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look
down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
Paul’s point here is that whether we are judged as a gross sinner or a
“respectable” sinner, we will still be found guilty,
if we are judged on our own merit without Jesus Christ!
God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience leads to repentance! vs 4
His kindness
Acts 14:17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown
kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons;
he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."
Eph 2:7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches
of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
Tit 3:3-5 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved
by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being
hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God
our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had
done, but because of his mercy…
His tolerance
= forbearance = holding back
Rom 3:25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his
blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his
forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--
God does not immediately implement the judgment we deserve!
He bears with us, enduring the affront to His great majesty and holiness.
And He offers us salvation!
His patience
2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand
slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance.
Patience means that God bears with sin a long time!
Longer than His holiness would call for!
…with those who sinned before the Flod.
…with Israel in the desert. (He endured their conduct 40 yrs.)
QUOTE: A. W. Pink
How wondrous is God’s patience with the world today.
On every side people are sinning with a high hand.
The divine law is trampled underfoot and God himself openly
despised.
It is truly amazing that He does not instantly strike dead those who
so brazenly defy Him.
Why does He not suddenly cut off the haughty infidel and the blatent
blasphemer, as He did Ananias and Sapphira?
Why does He not cause the earth to open its mouth and devour the
persecutors of His people, so that, like Datham and Abiram,
they shall go down alive into the pit?
And what of apostate Christendom, where every possible form of sin
is tolerated and practiced under the cover of the holy name of
Christ?
Why does not the righteous wrath of heaven make an end of such
abominations?
Only one answer is possible: because God bears with “much
longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.””
Leads to repentance:
Ours:
Have you recognized your own desperate need to be saved from your
so-called “respectable sin and received Jesus Christ as your
Savior, the only hope that you have?
Have you come to repentance and acknowledge before God your
need of forgiveness and received the gift of eternal life.
Others:
What is your level of interest that others, still lost in their respectable
sinfulness, might come to know the greatest story ever told?
How would you be willing to be used by God to lead others to
repentance?