“Judgement Revealed”

Romans 2:1–5 CSB

1 Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3 Do you think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed.

Introduction

People like to say these things quite often nowadays:

“Don’t judge me.”

Most folks use this the wrong way

Better said: “Just leave me alone and let me sin”

“Only God can judge me”

This thought should ABSOLUTELY terrify folks…

They aren’t bothered because they don’t know the God Who Judges Justly…

The other times, folks are judging folks by their own way of living, and not by the standard of Truth…

We’re going to walk through:

People’s Judgment

God’s Judgement

The Goodness of God

1. People’s Judgment

Romans 2:1 CSB

1 Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.

Explanation

Both the Jews and some sects of the pagan culture had “high morals” that they considered themselves to be “better than most”

Holy Spirit is telling us through Paul here that no matter how high you believe your “standards” are, they are NOT as high as God’s.

We have ALL fallen short of God’s standard…

Comparison KILLS

Humans LOVE to compare themselves to EVERYONE ELSE AROUND THEM

To see how “well” or “bad” they believe they are doing.

to puff themselves up

to discourage themselves through PITY PARTIES

not EVER being able to keep up with the Jones’

Illustration

Have you ever met someone whose life is CONSUMED with other people and what they are up to??

Instead of focusing on Jesus and what He has given them to do, in their circle of influence, they are worried and concerned with EVERYONE ELSE’S CIRCLE.

What affect does that have on them??

constant frustration

constant discouragement

OR if they are doing really well…

they are PUFFED UP

look down on everyone else as if they are beneath them

Romans 2:1 CSB

1 Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.

Explanation

Everyone who judges by your own standards, is WITHOUT EXCUSE.

WHY??

Because they do the same things!

People will, most times, accuse other people of doing the very things they are involved with!

Application

Paul is saying that EVERY ONE of you has your own Judgment of other people:

How they measure up to YOUR STANDARDS

How YOU measure up to THEIR STANDARDS

THIS is garbage.

When we look at how GOD will JUDGE, we are ALL in the same condition, without Christ.

2. God’s Judgment

Romans 2:2–3 CSB

2 Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3 Do you think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment?

Explanation

God’s judgement is not determined by men and women’s opinions of this life.

So many people believe that God is going to judge according to how your performance was against everyone else…

ALL are DEAD without CHRIST making us alive

We are ALL UNRIGHTEOUS without CHRIST making us RIGHTEOUS

We are ALL UNHOLY without CHRIST making us HOLY

Illustration

Jumping to the moon

Some may jump higher than others, but the goal isn’t “higher”, the goal is THE MOON

So, in the SAME WAY, the goal is not “BETTER”, or “MORE” with regard to those around us, the goal is PERFECTION.

In that, we have ALL MESSED UP TERRIBLY

You might say, I’m not that bad…

The standard of God’s moral perfection is The Ten Commandments

“You shall not lie.”

How many lies have you told?

“You shall not steal.”

How many times have you stolen something, regardless of the size or worth?

“You shall not commit adultery.”

Matthew 5 Lust = Adultery

How many times have you looked at someone with lust?

We have NO ROOM to be looking down on anyone about the life they are living.

It may be true, but there is NEVER a reason to be unkind to people over their sin.

Just because you don’t struggle with the same sin that others do, does not give you the right to look at them some kind of way!

YOUR SIN is JUST as ugly as the next person’s sin.

It is NO LESS unrighteous.

It is NO LESS unholy.

ALL SIN is rebellion against The Most High God

Each sin and situation has different consequences, in this life.

BUT the SAME consequences in the age to come.

DEATH and DESTRUCTION

Romans 6:23 CSB

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Application

According to God’s Righteous Standard of Holiness and Perfection:

We are all condemned under His Law

We deserve every Just Judgement from God.

but if we are repenting and believing, our Just Judgment has been taken upon Jesus Christ.

Paid in FULL.

3. The Goodness of God

Romans 2:4–5 CSB

4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed.

Explanation

“Despise” = “look down on”

“the wealth of His:

“Kindness”

warmhearted

because He loves His creation and takes no pleasure in the death/destruction of the wicked and their wickedness

considerate

He remembers we are dust.

Psalm 103:14 CSB

14 For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.

gentle

goodness

“Restraint”

a good-natured tolerance that delays enforcing rights or claims or privileges

God restrains Himself because of His kindness to mankind.

“Patience/Long-suffering”

Patient endurance of pain or unhappiness

God is long-suffering with His Creation

Do you look down on God’s Goodness in the fact that He does not CRUSH US IMMEDIATELY??

Illustration

Parents do not always punish immediately.

Many times we will wait to see if you will see the error of your way and repent and move on.

When that does not happen, the wrath builds up…the record of offences remains.

The receipts are in our hands.

How much MORE SO with a GOOD and JUST GOD, who cannot and WILL NOT allow sin and rebellion to go unpunished.

Application

There IS a cutoff point where God’s patience and longsuffering is over and the BILL COMES DUE.

The wages of sin is death/destruction

This is for the lost and the born again.

Sin affects the user…without doubt.

CHRISTIAN: YOU DO NOT WANT GOD TO BRING THE PAIN OF DISCIPLINE

It will NOT be a slap on the wrist…

Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world. —C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis

God’s discipline will be a pain that hits you on every level as a WHOLE person:

Body

Soul

Spirit

Hebrews 12:4–11 CSB

4 In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him, 6 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives. 7 Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness. 11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

1 Corinthians 3 (Wood, hay, stubble vs Gold, silver, precious stones

Burned up as by fire

Suffer loss

Conclusion

Our judgments against people for not living up to our standards means nothing, but arrogance, in the long run.

We need to stay away from judging people by our own standards

We need to stop judging ourselves by what other people are doing

Comparison Kills

John 7:24 CSB

24 Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”

Judging is not wrong when it bears witness to the absolute truth.

Ex: This tree is a peach tree because it produces peaches all over.

What does YOUR tree bear the most of?

God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance…

If we consider His kindness, restraint, and patience, THAT should cultivate reciprocating kindness and love back to Him in walking with Him in REPENTANCE and TRUST.

How much do you consider the kindness of God, in light of our not paying Him much attention?

How would your life be different if you began to consider this truth more often?

God has been INCREDIBLY kind to us…

How are you with Him?