The Righteous Judgment of God

Introduction

Have you ever listened to a sermon and spent the whole time applying it to other people instead of yourself?

As a preacher I get to see things you probably don’t see sitting in the seats.

And one of the things I see is husbands/wives/siblings nudge, point, and wink at each other. Or I’ll see a mom or dad tell their kid to pay attention because the “preacher is talking about them”.

Main Point: We should all take the warning and offer of the gospel very seriously.

As we continue in Romans starting in chapter 2 Paul says in verse 1

Romans 2:1 “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.”

Paul has in mind here to make sure that as he was listing the devastating effects of sin in Romans 1:29-31—that the Jewish believer in Rome isn’t nudging and winking at the gentile believer in Rome while ignoring self-application and self-assesment.

Paul wants it to be very clear that there is one standard for being acceptable to God and that is Jesus. For the Jew and Gentile the judgment of God is the same.

The Jewish believer would have no problem identifying the gentile as sinners while neglecting to identify this way themselves.

Thousands of years of cultural learning helped them in that. The Jews after all are God’s chosen people. —>MacArthur points out that there was even Jewish teaching stating that even the most “godless” Jew would not go to Hell but has a place in Heaven.

But Jesus is very clear in Mark 2:17 “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.””

Without identifying oneself as a sinner in need of grace—there is no salvation in Jesus.

There are not two different judgments for Jews and Gentiles—God’s Judgment is righteous and impartial and our text helps us see that this morning.

We see 6 Aspects of God’s Judgment in our text. Starting in v.2 we see that God’s Judgment is...

1. Is Right (2)

Romans 2:2 “We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.”

Paul again is referencing Romans 1:29-31 “They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”

And he says, look we know that there is judgment for those who practice these things. And that judgment is right.

Now someone might disagree with that statement.

Conversation in Bryan Park with a man who “believed” in subjective morality. Me punching a toddler isn’t “right or wrong”.

As a friend of mine says, “People today have become so open minded that their brains have fallen out.”

I don’t care where or when I am—if I walk up to a group of people and punch a toddler I am going to be judged as wrong.

And Paul’s point here is not that everybody accepts this—but that the judgment of God is without error. It “rightly falls” on those who deserve judgment.

Human judges make errors. Human judgment is prejudiced and influenced by so many outside factors, but God’s judgment is without error.

The London Baptist Confession quoting Acts 17 says, “God has appointed a day where He will judge the world in righteousness...”

God’s judgment is true and good and without error...

Transition: God’s Judgment is right. Also, God’s judgment...

2. Is Without Exception (3)

Romans 2:3 “Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?”

“Do you suppose, O man--” is a rhetorical question. It’s a statement.

O man, you think that God will judge you to a different standard than he judges others. That’s what Paul is saying.

And here he really has the Jews in mind—because the Jews believed that they could forfeit some benefits in the coming eternal life—they did not believe that they could forfeit eternal life.

They are the children of Abraham. They are the chosen ones of God. To them belongs the promises of God.

But Paul makes it clear in vv. 9 and 10 that this judgment is both for the Jew and the Gentile.

In Matthew 3:9 John the Baptist warns the Jewish leaders—the best of the best of God’s people that they need to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance”.

He says don’t just assume that because you are Jews that you and God are good.

Matthew 3:9 ESV

And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

Application: You can’t rely on your parents faith, grand parents faith, what church you were raised in—rituals—your baptism the fact that you take communion. God’s judgment makes no exceptions. You must have a faith rooted in Christ or you will experience the judgment of God. —>What, who are you trusting for your salvation?

We need to understand that as people we look different in the mirror than everyone else. What do I mean by that?

Human nature is to judge others harshly while being lenient with ourselves and those we like—even if both parties are doing the exact same things.

Have you ever met someone who is never in the wrong? Every story is about how someone else messed up, or misunderstood something? They never say I really sinned here—this is my fault.

This person isn’t seeing themselves correctly. Maybe you are that person.

You need to know that you mess up. You do things you shouldn’t do. You give yourself an excuse on sins that you judge others harshly on.

If someone is talking about you—that’s heinous gossip—but if you are talking about someone else—well that’s just good Christian concern?

Am I stepping on any toes? Come on now—tell the truth and the let the Lord love you!

Friends, our God is not like us—everyone is judged without exception by the same standards.

Transition: God judgment is right, without exception. And God’s judgment...

3. Is Sure (4)

Romans 2:4 “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?”

Remeber last week that Romans 1:18 said “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

God’s wrath has been, is being, and will be revealed against mankind.

Paul wants to warn the person who thinks that the kindness of God and forbearance of God and the patience of God is God’s acceptance of their sin.

“Well nothing bad has happened to me so I guess that what I’m doing is okay.”

Friends, do not presume that the patience of God is the pardon of God.

This is childish thinking.

I tell my kids not to do something. They start to do it. I look at them and say nothing—because I’ve already said it. They take my lack of immediate punishment to mean that what they are doing is okay. We have this red ball in the house that is about to be destroyed.

God has spoke. The Bible is God’s letter to us to tell us who he is and what he expects.

God does not cast a lightening bolt from the sky to fry sinners at the first, second, or thousandth sin they commit.

If he did, no one would ever be saved. We wouldn’t last long enough to come to Christ.

Paul tells us here in v.4—God’s patience isn’t permission—it’s meant to lead you to repentance!

God’s patience with our sin is grace to us!

Do not make the mistake of thinking that because you haven’t been punished from on high that you are living a life that is pleasing to God.

Friends, there are those who live in great sin—outside of Christ—that have lives that we would call blessed but when they die they will experience the wrath of God because they never repented of their sin and trusted in Jesus.

Luke 16 gives us this exact example in the Rich man and Lazarus. Luke 16:19 ““There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.”

And this was the pattern of his life right up until he died and found himself in Hell.

Let me repeat the main point our sermon here. We should all take the warning and offer of the gospel very seriously.

Transition: God’s Judgment is Sure. And God’s Judgment...

4. Is Wrath (5)

Romans 2:5 “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

The judgment of God is sure. His patience isn’t your pardon. Our sin will either be paid for in Christ as the wrath of God for our sin was paid for by Christ. Or as verse 5 says we will just store up wrath for ourselves until the day we die and pay for it our selves.

And I don’t want us to be mistaken here. The Judgment of God brings the wrath of God.

There have been many attempts to soften the idea of God’s wrath. To make the idea of Hell seem “not so bad”.

Annihilationism says well God is just going to make you disappear if you aren’t found in Christ. You’ll just cease to exist. He’ll Thanos snap you out of existence. Hell is just really the absence of eternity.

Others say, “Well, Hell will not have the blessings of Heaven but it won’t be that bad.”

Songs across all genres make that claim. “I don’t want to go to heaven because Hell is where all my friends will be.” Or “I might be going to Hell but I’ll have the best stories to tell.”

Another idea is that Hell is the absence of God, but we don’t see that anywhere in the Bible.

Rather Hell is God’s presence with the absence of His grace. It is the full wrath of God against the sinner without escape.

And trying to figure out the exact nature of the torment misses the point.

Michael Horton writes,

“Hell is not ultimately about fire, but about God. Whatever the exact nature of the physical punishments, the real terror awaiting the unrepentant is God himself and his inescapable presence forever with his face turned against them.”

And this idea seems so abhorrent to us because we take our sin so lightly. If we could see our sin as it truly is—if we could comprehend the horror of sin. If we could see the far reaching, devastating effects of it. Hell wouldn’t seem like a gross overreaction to us—but the just conclusion of a Holy God.

The judgment of God is not loneliness—or a slap on the wrist—it is the awful wrath of God on the sinner. It is serious. Do you take it seriously?

If you have never trusted Jesus: Please take this seriously. God has provided a way for sinners to escape what they deserve. At great cost to himself he gave his Son so that we may be cleared of our guilt and made children of God.

For those who trust Jesus there is no condemnation. Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

If you have trusted Jesus: Please take this seriously. Take your holy work seriously. People need to hear about Jesus. There is no salvation outside of Him. No one can be cleared of their guilt outside of Jesus because it is Jesus alone who is the perfect sacrifice in their place.

The world cries out that there are many ways to God—but it isn’t true. Friends, let us communicate the warning and hope of the gospel to those who need it.

Let us take this seriously.

Transition: God’s Judgment is wrath. Number 5. God’s Judgment...

5. Is Gospel Determined (6-8)

Romans 2:6-8 “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”

I want us to see two things in these verses.

1. I want us to see that the judgment of God is gospel determined. 2. And I want us to see that this is grace and not works.

First notice that even though Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

And even though Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death...”

We also see that there are two categories of person in verses 6-8. There are people who will receive “eternal life”.

And there are people will receive “wrath and fury”.

Let’s just do a quick poll. Who wants to be part of the wrath and fury group?

Who wants to be a part of the eternal life group?

What’s the difference between these two groups of people? The difference is in what they are seeking. The eternal life group are seeking glory and honor and immortality by patience in well doing.

The group that receive wrath and fury are seeking self, disobedience, and unrighteousness.

Okay we see the two distinctions of people right?—are you tracking with me—do you see it in the passage?

Now here’s the big question: How is this not works based salvation?! How is this not man earning his salvation by “good works”.

“Pastor, this clearly says that God gives to each one according to his works!”

And this is a perfect example of taking the whole counsel of God’s word and building our theology on the Bible as a whole and not bits and pieces of the Bible.

You can take any text out of context and make it say whatever you want.

I can prove that a zombie apocalypse is prophesied in scripture.

Isaiah 26:19 “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake...”

Leviticus 26:29 “You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.”

Revelation 9:6 “And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.”

Ok—get my point?

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

If good works were able to get a person to God then the Pharisees would not have been Jesus’ favorite example of “what not to be”!

They were white washed tombs—beautiful on the outside, filled with death on the inside.

This passage does not teach us works based salvation. James 2:26 “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

Paul is referencing the works that come from faith.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Paul is referencing the life that comes from a transformed heart.

Ephesians 2 tells us that we all once lived in darkness, but God who is rich in mercy saved us through faith in Christ.

The difference between these two different groups of people is Jesus—it is the gospel of Christ. Those who will receive eternal life are those who have trusted in the salvation that God supplies. They have been transformed by it.

The wrath of God is directed by the gospel-- by having faith in Christ—those who have faith in Christ as their substitute and savior will experience grace and everlasting joy. There is no wrath stored up for them because it has all been poured out on Christ.

God’s Judgment is gospel directed. And finally God’s Judgment

6. Is Impartial (9-11)

Romans 2:9-11 “There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.”

We come full circle to the beginning of Paul’s emphasis.

This gospel directed judgment comes both to the Jew and Greek.

It is in Jesus that both the Jew and the Greek will be saved.

And it is both the Jew and the Greek who will receive judgment for their sin.

The Bottom Line

What’s the bottom line?

All people are prone think that the one deserving of judgment is “someone else”. But Paul makes it clear to the Jewish believers in Rome and to us—that the warning of the gospel is for us. All of us.

All people are in need of saving. All people have sinned and broken God’s law and as a result the wrath of God is being revealed against all people.

But the offer of the gospel is for every person too. Sin and judgment doesn’t just come to the gentiles and Jesus is not just for the Jews.

The gospel is for all peoples.

Paul reminds us here to take the warning and the offer of the gospel very seriously.

And as we close today my prayer is that the reality of God’s judgment would loom large in our minds. That if we are in Jesus this would cause us to worship God with greater intensity and would cause us feel greater responsibility to be about the work of the gospel that we have been called to.

IF you have never trusted Jesus my prayer and hope for you is that you would not be able to shrug off or dismiss the warning of the gospel. That you would not point your fingers at those who are worse than you—but would recognize your own great need for forgiveness and would come to Christ.

Pray with me.

Discussion Question: Are you comfortable talking about the judgement of God? Why or why not?