God Is Judge
I Want To Go To Heaven • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
We continue our series on “I Want To Go To Heaven.”
Where our God is and where a place has been prepared for us.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
We have, over the last several weeks, discussed many different reasons as to why we not only should want to go to heaven but should, as Christians, have confidence in one day being in heaven.
Today, I want to discuss a topic that typically is considered in a negative light, but in reality, for those love righteousness, is a blessing not a curse.
That topic or that subject is concerning “God Is Judge.”
Specifically, God is my judge and your judge.
In Romans 2 we have Paul discussing God’s righteous judgment.
And in this chapter we learn many things, but of specific importance for us today, is from this passage we find that “we want God as our judge.”
Why do I want to go to heaven and have God as my judge?
Because God judges…
With Righteousness
With Righteousness
Right Judgment
Right Judgment
The scriptures are replete with passages demonstrating God being a righteous judge.
1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.
11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.
8 and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
What does that mean though?
What does it mean that God is a righteous judge?
God is a righteous judge because he judges with rightness.
In other words, God exercises his authority as judge according to a distinct moral character.
He is perfect in his judgment because of his very nature of perfection.
4 “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
Summary
Summary
You and I can have confidence in knowing we are going to go to heaven because we have a judge that judges with righteousness.
Our judge does not judge us based on anything other than the perfection of his nature and that is not a thing to worry about if you are living a faithful life.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Why do I want to go to heaven and have God as my judge?
Because God judges…
With Completeness
With Completeness
Thorough Judgment
Thorough Judgment
When God judges the world, including you and I, he will judge us according to our sins and our faithfulness.
God is going to judge us according to “all our deeds” that are written in the book of life.
16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Now, at first glance, knowing that even as Christians we sin (1 John 1:8, 10) this sounds horrifying.
Yet, God has made clear that when we repent of sin and then confess that sin God forgives us of those sins and judges us “no more” on those sins.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
25 I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.
Summary
Summary
I want to go to heaven and have confidence in knowing I can be in heaven one day because I have a God that judges you and I with completeness.
Yes, he will judge our sins and our faithfulness, but the only sins that we will be judged are those we have not been forgiven of.
Which means every sin we have been forgiven of will not be account to us!!!
This is powerful in light of what we read in 1 John 1.7.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
As Christians walking in the light our sins are being continually cleansed before the sight of God because our heart is continually on “not sinning” even when we sin.
Thanks be to God that he judges with completeness, meaning, for the faithful, he will judge us according to our righteousness, because our sins have and are removed.
Why do I want to go to heaven and have God as my judge?
Because God judges…
With Goodness
With Goodness
Honest Judgment
Honest Judgment
When God judges us he is going to be a good and honest judge for us.
4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
God’s kindness and forbearance and patience towards us is found in that fact that God is not fickle concerning his standard of judgment.
By that I mean, God doesn’t move the goal post concerning what we are judged by, it is always based on his word.
48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Summary
Summary
I want God to be my judge and I hope you want God to be your judge because we don’t have a standard by which we are going to be judged that keeps moving and changing.
God’s word is that standard by which we will be judged as sanctified or not.
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Why do I want to go to heaven and have God as my judge?
Because God judges…
With Impartiality
With Impartiality
Uncompromised Judgment
Uncompromised Judgment
I want God to judge me and you should too because when God judges us it will be through impartial eyes.
Our God cannot be compromised when he judges us.
By that I mean, he will not favor anyone and thus judge favorably people based on things that are out of their control.
Our God will not judge us according to our race, how popular we are with other people, how much money we have, and so on.
No God will judge us with impartiality, he will judge everyone the same.
In other words, a Jew is not judge less severely than a Gentile, nor is a Christian judged less severely than a non-Christian.
6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.
Humans have biases that we don’t alway even recognize.
Some people are biases against Jews, others black people, others white people, others any number of things.
But God is not compromised in his judgement.
17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.
17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality”
Summary
Summary
I want to go to heaven and can have confidence in one day being in heaven, because I know God will judge me with impartiality.
He cannot be bribed by someone to send me to hell unjustly.
He cannot be compromised in anyway concerning my judgment or yours.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Brethren, I hope you not only want to go to heaven but have confidence in being in heaven one day, because you know you can trust your judge, your God.
You can trust him to judge you with righteousness.
You can trust him to judge you with completeness.
You can trust him to judge you with goodness.
You can trust him to judge you impartially.
In other words, the only way anyone will end up in hell is if they made the choice in this life to prepare for an eternity of damnation in the next life.
If we make the choice to live for Christ, to love our God, and do everything we can to prepare for an eternity with God, we will be in heaven one day with him.
11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent
32 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
