Righteous God | Righteous Judgment
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to Romans chapter two
Romans chapter one showed us that God’s standard of righteousness is perfection. God desires a personal relationship with every human being, but our unrighteousness forms an impassible divide between us and God.
In Romans chapter two, Paul argues that even the most moral of people are guilty before God. Divine judgment will fall on all of humanity - both the immoral and the moral - both the irreligious and the religious. But there is hope! Even as God’s judgment is against all sinners, God is drawing everyone to repentance.
Introduction
Introduction
Beginning in Romans 2:6, Paul continues making his case that God is preeminently righteous but humanity is hopelessly lost.
Read Romans 2:6-11.
Have you ever tried reading the actual text of the bills and legislation that our legislators vote on?
Lately, I’ve done that just a little bit and I can tell you that if you haven’t, it’s okay, you’re not missing much.
If you have, you probably discovered that it was great bedtime reading because it will quickly put you to sleep.
Legislation does not read like a thrilling novel! It usually reads like it has been written by lawyers and for lawyers so that it can be defended in the court of law.
We are now in a section of Romans where Paul is writing like a lawyer. He is building out his argument defending the righteousness of God while declaring the wickedness of mankind. Much like today’s legislation, what Paul wrote under the inspiration of God demands our careful attention.
In verses 6-11, Paul argues…
Next slide here:
God’s judgment will be impartial - Romans 2:6-11
Verses 6-11 are written in a parallel format. I can visually illustrate it this way:
Imagine with me that you are making a ham sandwich.
Next slide here:
First you start off with two slices of bread and a thick layer of mayo.
Verses 6 and 11 are your slices of bread. They are parallel verses, in other words, they convey the same idea.
What’s the idea?
The idea is that God will impartially pay back every person according to their works. He will judge the works of both the just and the unjust. If they shall not avoid God’s judgment, neither will a moral or respectable person either.
Like two slices of bread with a thick layer of mayo, that is the broad idea of Paul’s argument that holds it all together.
Next slide here:
Now when I’m making a ham sandwich, usually the next thing I add is the cheese.
Verses 7 and 10 are like the slices of cheese. They are parallel verses where Paul describes how God will reward or pay back those who show evidence of their salvation by living it out.
When will God do this? At the Judgment Seat Of Christ - 2 Cor. 5:10.
Notice, Paul is not teaching here salvation by works. That would be in complete contradiction to Romans 1:16-17, and everything that he argues in the next two chapters. He is describing how God’s judgment will include everyone who has ever walked this planet.
The group of people in verse 7 and verse 10 are laying up treasures in Heaven.
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…
Application: Christian, be not weary in well doing! Keep laying up treasures in Heaven! God’s rewards will have no expiration date! He will repay your labor of love.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Christian, faint not! The Judge of all the earth shall do right!
Next slide here:
Verses 8 and 9 add the slices of ham. These verses are also parallel but here Paul addresses God’s judgment of a different group of people - those that are the worst of sinners.
Judgment is coming for the unrighteous ones described in Romans 1:18-32. The ones who will face the wrath of God. They will one day stand before the great white throne of God and there, they will be judged.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
How will God repay the works of the unrighteous? Verse nine tells us.
Read Romans 2:9
Whether Jew or Gentile, man or woman, white or black - it will make no difference! Tribulation and anguish will be the reward of every one that does evil!
Application: But until that dreadful day comes, God, in His goodness, is leading everyone to repentance - verse 4.
And so I ask you this morning: are you ready to repent of your sin? Are you ready to do like so many others in this room have already done and turn to Jesus Christ alone for salvation?
Next slide here:
When you put verses 6-11 all together, Paul’s argument is like a finished ham sandwich. These verses form Paul’s complete argument that God’s judgment will be proportional and impartial. It will include both the just and the unjust and everyone in between! He will repay every person individually according to their works, showing no favoritism to anyone! He is a Righteous God who always executes Righteous Judgment.
17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his maker?
4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: For all his ways are judgment: A God of truth and without iniquity, Just and right is he.
…there is no God else beside me; A just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
Next slide here: slide for point #1
Application: Who are you, to think that you will escape the judgment of God?
It doesn’t matter how moral you are.
It doesn’t matter how religious you are.
It doesn’t matter if you are a traditional values, freedom-loving, gun-toting, hard working, community serving, patriotic American. You can be the very best representation of our country! You can be all of that and more!
But none of those things will be an escape route from the judgment of God!
Why? Because God shows favoritism to no one.
His judgment is impartial.
Next slide here:
God’s judgment will be equitable - Romans 2:12-16
Before I read the text, pay attention to the punctuation. Verses 13-15 are a parenthetical statement that I’ll briefly address in a moment. I’m going to read verses 12 and 16 together because that is how the sentence is written.
Read Romans 2:12, 16
The late 1990’s and early 2000’s saw the rise of a humorous one-liner. Here it is:
“A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.”
I am a firm believer in that proverb!
The saying plays on the normal meaning of a “balanced diet” by turning “balanced” into a literal image - one that’s hardly a balanced diet at all!
God’s judgment, however, is perfectly balanced. It is equitable. He always imparts equal justice.
Those who have had exposure to the light of God’s written Word will be held accountable for what they could know from His Word.
What about those who did not have the Scriptures? How will God judge them fairly? Paul addresses that in verses 13-15.
Read Romans 2:13-15
Paul argued that the Gentiles who did not have the Jewish Scriptures would still be accountable to God.
Next slide here:
Creation - Psalm 19:1-3
Providential control of circumstances - Acts 14:15-17
Conscience - Romans 2:13-15
…light is light regardless of how dim or how bright it might happen to be. If a person were lost in a dark forest at night, the least glimmer [of light] would attract him; and if he desired deliverance from the darkness, he would move toward the light and hail it with joy. However, if he had some guilt to hide, he would not respond to the light, except to hide or flee from it, regardless of its dimness or brilliance. Doom awaits all who reject the light; but for those who have had a greater advantage, there is less excuse and consequently greater guilt. - John Phillips, Exploring Romans: An Expository Commentary, Ro 2:11–16
God will distribute equal justice to all.
Three weeks ago, a missionary to Brazil was here and shared how he has been invited to go and preach to remote tribes in the Amazon. Those people don’t know the law of God, but they will be judged according to what they could have known.
But we, who have the complete Word of God, we will be held to a much higher, but equal standard.
You know what scares me about verse 12? The fact that we Americans have so much advantage and will consequently be held liable for so much more.
Application: You see, by virtue of living in America, we have a higher measure of accountability before God than nearly any other people in human history.
We have the Scriptures in our language!
We have more copies of God’s Word than we know what to do with!
We have religious liberty! God’s Word is proclaimed on every platform that exists - whether it be radio, TV, internet, social media, podcasts, or live stream!
The doors of this church are open three times a week!
You have a pastor to help guide you through the Scriptures!
God will hold you accountable for all of this. He will not hold you accountable for what you know. He will hold you accountable for what you had the opportunity to know!
There are billions of people across this world who do not have the opportunities you have.
And so I ask: what are you doing with all the light that God has given you?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Perhaps you aren’t the most spiritual person, but you consider yourself a relatively good person.
Paul’s whole argument from verse 1 to verse 16 of this chapter is that being moral is not good enough for God! He will judge - not to see whether you were good enough, but to judge whether you were perfect! Obviously, no one can be!
So I urge you today: reject your sin! look to Jesus Christ! What He did on the cross was sufficient to save you from you sins, but you must come to Him by faith! He wants to save your soul and He will if you choose to trust Him alone for salvation!
invitation
