The Holy Judge & Gracious Lord
Who is God? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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In week 1 we established the idea of God as an all-powerful creator. From this idea we understood that everything belongs to Him for he is the make. Last week(Week 2) we established the fact that God knows all things. There is nothing hidden from his sight or knowledge. It is then easy to connect God’s ownership of creation, His omniscience with God’s ability and right to judge the whole earth. Today we will be exploring the idea of God as a Holy judge.
Psalm 82:8 (CSB)
8 Rise up, God, judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.
16 But the Lord of Armies is exalted by his justice, and the holy God demonstrates his holiness through his righteousness.
Judgement.
Judgement.
When we think of this word, we often associated it with negative ideas.
In some ways this makes sense. We are by nature sinful creatures. Since we all sin, the word itself touches a nerve.
We all intuitively know that if we are judged by God’s righteous standard we will be found guilty.
So humanity and culture does what we do best and we invent an image of a God we like. A God that doesn’t judge.
How often I have heard this statement made by those ignorant of God’s character. God or Jesus doesn’t judge, he loves everyone. Somewhere down the line we began to associate judgement with hatred.
Today I will attempt to change your perspective. Today, I want you to walk out of this building rejoicing in Yahweh’s righteous judgement. I want you to see God’s love in his law and decrees.
There is a danger of forgetting that the Bible reveals, not first the love of God, but the intense, blazing holiness of God, with his love as the center of that holiness.
Oswald Chambers
I. God’s Judgement Displays His Glory
I. God’s Judgement Displays His Glory
16 But the Lord of Armies is exalted by his justice, and the holy God demonstrates his holiness through his righteousness.
Did you catch that God is exalted by his perfect record at being just. What does this mean?
It means that God is perfect in justice. There is not a single infraction of the law of God that goes unnoticed or unpunished. He is Holy.
14 For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
So then the question becomes when you look at your life, Do you see a life that pursues holiness?
Do you despise sin? Your attitude toward sin can probably , at least in part be revealed through a review of the music and TV you consumed even this past week.
How easy is it for you to consume entertainment that makes light of sin, promotes it, or causes you to engage in it through sexually explicit scenes or suggestive attire?
While not a litmus test for holiness in your life, It is a pretty good snapshot. If you can participate in the world’s entertainment without being bothered by it, you are way more influenced by the world than what you want to believe.
How often in the church, holiness in its pursuit is seen as something for the religious zealot instead of the natural response of a heart that has been renewed by the Holy Christ, The Holy Spirit, and a Holy God.
Holiness is not something we are called upon to do in order that we may become something; it is something we are to do because of what we already are.
Children of God, 41
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Maybe after hearing this you are already beginning to feel like God’s holiness and law are restrictive.
Like I already mentioned I want to change your mind. I want you to see the beauty of God’s law as an expression of his love.
II. God’s Law is Good.
II. God’s Law is Good.
8 And he judges the world with righteousness; he executes judgment on the nations with fairness.
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.
8 And what great nation has righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?
12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.
16 Now if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
God’s law is the standard by which God judges the world and our guide for recognizing what is good and what is evil in God’s sight.
Do you think that our world today would look like it does had we not forgotten the Word of God?
I would like to point out what has transpired in our nation as we have collectively forgotten God and His ways. Chaos ensues in every area. Basic understandings of Good is seen as evil and evil as good.
As a nation we are confused, anxious, depressed, and violent. Yet the Psalmist tells us exactly what those who love the law of God can expect.
165 Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes them stumble.
God’s way is good. God’s ways bring peace. God’s ways bring strength.
Unfortunately there is has sneaked into the church an uncertainty about our ability to discern the outward actions of other as Good or evil.
God’s law takes the guess work out of this. While we cannot judge motivations with complete certainty, we can compare peoples actions(and our own) against The Word of God and know what is good and what is evil in God’s sight. God’s law is good.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
We can rightly judge all actions and lifestyles by God’s good law.
If the law is good then it logically follows that being held to it would also be good.
III. God’s Judgments are Good.
III. God’s Judgments are Good.
Can you imagine a world where there is no judge or enforcement of law? Its becoming less difficult to imagine isn’t it?
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.
To protect justice.
To protect purity.
To protect order.
To protect mankind from his own sinful flesh.
To protect happiness.
To protect peace.
To promote unity.
To give us Joy.
This is why God must and will judge sin. It is because He is Good and His law is life.
14 For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
While his standard is perfection....
IV. God is a Gracious Lord.
IV. God is a Gracious Lord.
While God is Holy and he will judge all sin. He also loved us in our sin.
8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
The foundation of true holiness and true Christian worship is the doctrine of the gospel, what we are to believe. So when Christian doctrine is neglected, forsaken, or corrupted, true holiness and worship will also be neglected, forsaken, and corrupted.
John Owen