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Your Day in Court Romans 2:1-16 |
February 29, 2004 Pastor Tom Marcum |
Nestled in amongst all the new Reality TV shows that have become so wildly popular over the past couple of years is a genre of Reality TV show that has been around for decades: the courtroom show. Real people settling real issues for the entertainment of the masses. And the central character in all of these shows is the judge. There's:
--Judge Mills Lane, the former boxing referee.
--Judge Greg Mathis who dispenses what he calls "inspirational justice."
--Judge Hatchett is the compassionate, caring judge.
--Judge Joe Brown is just way too cool.
--And, the most popular of all the judges is of course, Judge Judy who appears to be constantly irritated and never more than a moment away from going postal.
And while there are a lot of factors that help explain the popularity of these shows, surely one of those factors is the joy of fantasizing about sitting in that judges' chair. Deep down inside every one of us knows that we would make a great judge. And we also know that it would be fun. I mean, what's more fun than pronouncing judgment on other people? That's why doing so is one of our favorite pastimes.
So, given our fascination with passing judgment you might think that our text this morning would be among our favorites since it's all about judgment. But, in fact, this passage is frequently met with resistance. Why? Because even though what it says is true, much of what it says is not at all what most people want to hear.
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you towards repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. Romans 2:1-5
So, what does all of that mean? Well, in a nutshell, it means that JUDGING IS GOD'S BUSINESS, NOT OURS, and that conclusion is supported by three truths revealed in these verses; one truth about us and two truths about God.
Truth #1 is this: The moment we begin to pass judgment on other people we expose our own hypocrisy because we are guilty of the very things that we condemn in others. That's Paul's point in verse 1 when he says, "…at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."
Now, someone might object and say, "Well, wait a minute, that's just not true. I condemn murderers, but I've never committed murder. So where's the hypocrisy?"
But, what we have to understand here is that Paul is not suggesting that we have all committed every sin known to mankind. His point is that the attitudes that lead to all forms of sin are present in all of us: Envy? Guilty. Greed? Guilty. Lust? Guilty. Pride? Guilty. And on and on it goes.
And the fact that we tend to be blissfully unaware that our judgment will inevitably be influenced by these fundamental human weaknesses only underscores the fact that we've got no business judging anyone.
What's more, the fact that our hypocritical judgment of others makes us the object of God's judgment ought to be ample motivation for us to get out of the judging business once and for all. And that's Paul's point in verse 3 where he says, "So, when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?"
So, the first truth that helps to explain why judging is best left to God is that human judgment is fundamentally flawed and hypocritical.
The second truth that helps to explain why judging is best left to God is that GOD IS JUST. That's Paul's point in verse 2 when he says, "Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth."
Those sinful, base and corrupt attitudes that inevitably render human judgment flawed are not present in God. He has none of them. Consequently, God is able to render His judgments based solely on the truth. He is a just God. And we say, "Amen. Finally a judge that is only interested in the truth. Finally a judge that is altogether just."
But, folks, don't miss the context of this passage. The defendants standing before this altogether just God will not simply be all of those sinful, wicked, evil people out there. The crowd of defendants will also include fine, upstanding religious folk of high moral standards who smugly look down their noses at all of those sinners, while harboring the same sinful attitudes in their own hearts.
And that's why Paul says in verse 1 that if your hypocritical judgmentalism lands you in God's court you can be certain of this-you will "have no excuse." There will be no excusing the hypocrisy you displayed through your self-righteous condemnation of others.
And that brings us to the third truth that tells us that judgment is best left to God, and that is that GOD IS NOT ONLY JUST, HE'S ALSO KIND. That's Paul's point in verse 4 when he says, "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you to repentance."
That phrase, "the riches of his kindness," gives us a wonderful insight into the heart of God. It tells us that God is more than simply kind, He is rich with kindness. He is wealthy with kindness. We don't ever have to worry that God is going to run out of kindness because He has vast reserves of kindness.
And while we may not always realize it, the truth is that God is even now in the process of pouring His kindness out on us. And if you want to see God's kindness demonstrated, all you have to do is realize that the only reason that this just God has not already hauled us off to court and thrown the book at us is that His kindness has led him to be patient with us in the hope that it would lead us to repent. In other words, out of kindness, God is temporarily withholding His judgment…though we are all without excuse…to give us more time to turn from the foolishness of resisting Him and run in faith to the God whose great desire is that each of us will be saved.
Now, having made his case for why it is that judgment is best left in the hands of God, Paul is now going to give us a preview of the Day of Judgment that is awaiting each of us…no exceptions. A day when we will stand before God and He will pronounce His final judgment on our lives.
God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 2:6-10
Now, let's move back through those verses and identify a couple of key points that Paul wants us to understand about this coming day of judgment.
First, notice that God's judgment of us will determine our eternal destiny. And there are only two options listed. Verse 7 tells us that God will give to some the gift of "eternal life." And verse 8 tells us that others will only know the "wrath and anger" of God. Folks, the difference could not be starker. For some, the Day of Judgment will be a day of rejoicing as it leads them to eternal life. For others, it will be a day of disaster as they experience the full measure of God's wrath.
So, given the gravity of the consequence of God's judgment, the question that has to be asked at this point is: On what basis is God going to render His judgment? How is God going to determine who gets eternal life and who gets wrath and anger? And the answer that Paul gives us in verse 6 has been a source of great debate and great confusion to many. In verse 6 Paul says, "God will give to each person according to what he has done."
Now folks, if you've been with us these past few weeks, you can immediately understand why so many have been so confused by this verse. "God will give to each person according to what he has done?" So, what happened to faith?
How can God possibly judge us "according to what (we have) done" when the heart and soul and of the gospel…the whole reason we call it Good News…is that everything that had to be done to secure our eternal salvation has already been done for us by Christ? There's nothing left for us to do other than to claim this gift of salvation by putting our faith and trust in Jesus. That's clearly the message that is not only written throughout the book of Romans, it's written throughout the New Testament. Ephesians 2:8-9 for instance says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast."
So, the question is: how do we reconcile salvation through faith with judgment according to what you have done? While the debate about this question will certainly go on, let me give you my answer.
I believe the key is to recognize that Paul is not saying that God's judgment of us will be determined by what we have done but rather that God's judgment of us will be consistent with what we have done. In other words, when God finally pronounces His judgment it will be validated by the way we have lived our lives. Why? Because the faith that saves us also transforms us. True faith…saving faith is powerful faith and it changes the way we live.
And in verse 7 Paul describes what the life of faith looks like. He writes, "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life." In other words, saving faith produces a life that is characterized by obedience to God.
Think back to chapter 1, for a moment, where Paul was telling us about his mission. In 1:6 he said that his mission was, ,"…to call people…to the obedience that comes from faith." So Paul's point in here in chapter 2 is not that our persistent obedience to God is the basis upon which we get into heaven. His point is that persistent obedience to God authenticates the faith that has united us to Christ who is the basis for our entry into heaven. Let me see if I can say the same thing from a slightly different perspective.
--God gives eternal life to those who belong to Jesus;
--We come to Jesus by faith and;
--Our faith will show itself in our obedience.
So, in verses 1-5 Paul has shown us that God alone is qualified to judge our lives.
And in verses 6-10 he's shown us that…
--all of us will stand before God in the Day of Judgment and…
--God's verdict will determine our eternal destiny and…
--God will render His verdict based upon the presence or absence of our faith in Christ…
…faith which is proven by obedience to God.
Now, in verses 11-16 he tells us that God is not only just in His judgments, but is also completely impartial in His judgments.
That's the point of verse 11, which says, "For God does not show favoritism." That word, "favoritism," is literally translated, "face-receiving." It means that God does not receive people according to their face…according to their outward appearances. God looks straight into the heart of everyone who stands before Him. He shows no favoritism to anyone. He is completely impartial.
Then in verse 12, Paul begins to prove his point about God's impartiality. He writes, "All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law." The point here is that God realizes that not everyone has had equal access to the truth and He will take that into account in His judgment. God will render His verdict based upon the way that we have responded to the measure of truth to which we have had access.
Now, as we move on to verse 13 it appears that someone has suggested that the Jews as the custodians of God's law were in a privileged position and the Gentiles necessarily in a disadvantaged position. But Paul squelches that argument saying, "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." In other words, what matters most to God is not, How much of God's truth did you know about? but rather, How did you respond to the truth you had? What did you do with it? How did it impact your life?
Then, in verses 14-15 he expands his argument again.
Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them. Romans 2:14-15
The point here is that no one has been excluded from the revelation of God's truth. Paul is reiterating here a point that he made in the previous chapter namely, that God has created us in such a way that the imprint of His law is written onto the hearts of all people and confirmed by their consciences consequently when we stand before God at the day of judgment no one can claim ignorance. No one.
And Paul ends his argument in verse 16, reminding us once again, that our impartial judge will not be fooled by extraneous arguments. He is, indeed, a discerner of the heart. So Paul concludes by saying, "This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares."
The good news is that God has shown Himself to us, this morning, through His word, which is altogether true. The sobering news is that we are all accountable to God for the way we respond to the truth He makes known to us. And here's the truth.
God is holy, righteous and just. We are sinners deserving His wrath and our only hope for avoiding God's wrath on the Day of Judgment is to place our faith in Jesus who promises to forgive our sins and secure our place in heaven.
If you've not yet done so, I pray that you will stop resisting and just say, "Yes," to Jesus, today.
© Copyright 2004 Pastor Tom Marcum