Benefits and Drawbacks, Part 2

Romans chapter two. Romans chapter two, as I indicated
last week, Paul has made a clear, even a decisive transition from
a consideration of the Gentile world, the indictment upon the
Gentile world there in chapter one in a transition over to an
indictment of the Jewish nation there, beginning in chapter two. It is an abrupt transition. It is a a complete introduction
into a a new consideration. As we began to consider last
week, the Jews are indeed in focus. But as I hope you will
see this very morning, it isn’t only the Jews that struggle with
the sins that are articulated here. in this passage. Last week we read the chapter
in full. For the sake of time this morning,
I will stop at chapter 2, verse 16. We’ll pick up those later
verses in the weeks to come. If you would read with me, beginning
in chapter 2, verse 1. Therefore, you are without excuse,
every man of you who passes judgment. For in that you judge another,
you condemn yourself. For you who judge, practice the
same things. And we know that the judgment
of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. And
do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment upon those
who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you
will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the
riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience not knowing that
the kindness of God leads you to repentance. But because of
your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath
for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his
deeds. To those who, by perseverance
and doing good, seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal
life. But to those who are selfishly
ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness,
wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and
distress for every soul of man who does evil of the Jew first
and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to every
man who does good to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
For there is no partiality with God. For all who have sinned
without the law will also perish without the law, and all who
have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For not
the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of
the law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not
have the law do instinctively the things of the law, these,
not having the law, are a law to themselves. in that they show
the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience
bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else
defending them on the day when, according to my gospel, God will
judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. We began last week,
and as we began, I pointed out that there are really three sections
in this chapter. There are Those that see a multiplicity
of sections, it seems to me, at least grammatically, that
there are very clearly three sections. They’re not the same
length. And perhaps that’s what causes
so many distress. The first section there in chapter
two, verse one, carrying down through verse three, which we
hope to complete today, the privileges, pardon me, the privileges and
the arrogance. of the nation of Israel, as we
will see this morning. The second section there in verse
four only the privileges and the oversight of the nation of
Israel. What were they blind to? And
then the third section, which begins in verse five and carries
all the way through the rest of the chapter, the privileges
and the judgment on the nation of Israel, as we will see in
weeks to come, the Jews are in focus. The Jews are in full focus
for the apostle Paul, we saw last week and proved that in
a number of different ways, this is plainly evident. Paul uses
that literary device, O man, in verses one and three and then
spells out exactly who he’s speaking to in verse 17. Namely. The Jews, which are clearly named
there in verse 17. Paul, as he will say, as we will
consider this morning, we know the judgment rightly falls on
those. Paul puts himself in with this
group when he says we. Logically speaking, the Jews,
we know only the Jews definitively knew of the judgment of God based
on the fact that they had God’s law. They knew that God was a
judge. And a just judge. And then in verse four, we saw
that it again points to the nation of Israel, because what nation
other than Israel had enjoyed a greater measure of God’s kindness
and patience and forbearance? What nation? Only the nation
of Israel had enjoyed such a great privilege. It’s clearly the Jews
in focus. But because of their judgmental
spirit, that was probably one of the clearest Marks that Paul
was speaking to the Jewish nation. Because the Jews had for centuries,
as I pointed out last week, cultivated really a haughty attitude of
superiority over the Gentiles, the heathens. Along with that
smug attitude towards Gentiles, they believed in the arrogance
of their heart that God would somehow indulge them in their
own sin. They really actually thought
and believed that having arrived, that God would grade them on
some kind of a curve, that God would overlook their sins, no
matter how gross, because of the covenant that they had with
Abraham. We began to look at what a section that I would probably
hang the banner of benefits and drawbacks. There were many benefits
to the Jews. Paul won’t get to that until
chapter three specifically. He alludes to a number of them
along the way, but it’s the drawbacks that first come into focus. The
drawback of falling into this pitfall of thinking that because
they were, after all, the chosen people of God, Abraham’s descendants
after the flesh, because of that, it became to them a drawback.
And so we begin this section, verses one through three, with
the privileges and arrogance of the nation of Israel And what
Paul seeks to do very directly is to adjust their faulty perspective
on judgment. What is judgment? Who is to be
judged? Paul gives them, as we began
last week, three correctives. The first corrective is that
judgment is inappropriate in the hands of men. It’s just inappropriate. We are totally ill equipped and
unequipped to handle the great task of judgment and really only
God is fit for that. And so, as Paul begins this section,
he says you’re without excuse. It’s absolutely inexcusable to
enter into a judgmental spirit over others. The Jews were quite
accomplished at that, and as I pointed to that the fact earlier
that their tendency towards this was due to their faulty understanding
of their privileges. Charles Hodge pointed out the
nation of Israel expected to be regarded and treated not so
much as individuals. each being dealt with according
to his own personal character, but as a community to whom salvation
was secured by the promise to Abraham. So, in other words,
they really believed that as a nation, no matter how they
lived individually, because they were as a nation, the chosen
people of God and part of the Abrahamic covenant, because they
bore the mark of that religion. They really believed. They really
believed that it didn’t matter how they lived individually.
Hodge continues and says the whole the whole hope of the Jews
was founded on the assumption that the judgment of God regarding
them would be guided by some other rule than truth. He was
not to judge them according to their real merits, but according
to the national religious relations. And as Hodge adds, and as we
must consider. Just as men now hope to be saved
simply because they belong to a church. So Paul goes on and he points
out that that judgmental spirit is wrong. And we looked at this.
It doesn’t mean all judging. There are times where we have
to decide between right and wrong. We are called to discern error. We are called to examine the
spirits. We are called to examine everything carefully and hold
fast to that which is good. And that takes judgment. But
what Paul has in view here is a critical. As one said, fastidiously
fault-finding, ungracious and ungenerous spirit. It is unfavorable
judgment. It is acting as judge and jury
over another person’s sins. It is giving them no grace and
no mercy. It is a deciding for God who
we will reach out to, who we will minister to, who we will
care for as believers. Robert Haldane said it this way,
the character of judging men can belong only to the Jews who,
according to the principle of their religion, condemned other
nations of the earth and regarded them as strangers from the covenants
of promise. Now, when Robert Haldane says
that it can belong only to the Jews, what he’s saying is that
Paul has the Jews in focus. He’s not saying that we can’t
fall into the same sin because we can and we do. He continues,
and he says, in this matter, the Jews were seated on a tribunal
from which they pronounced judgment on all other men and people that
tribunal still exists. That attitude of heart still
exists that simply because someone isn’t as Christianly as we think
we might be, then we sit in judgment upon them. What Paul goes on
to say is it’s hypocrisy. Because if you look deep enough,
The heart of every man is sinful, and what Paul brings into view
is the sinfulness of the human condition. It’s universal. All
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, as Paul will
go on to say. And because of that, it is absolutely
and utterly inexcusable to enter into a judgmental spirit. I want
to take you to a passage that we just briefly alluded to last
week. Matthew chapter seven. Matthew
chapter seven. What Paul is seeking to point
out here is that there are really twin. Errors on the part of people
that enter into a judgmental attitude, number one, they don’t
really even know God’s standard to begin with. People who are
judgmental tend to look only on the surface of sin and sinfulness,
and neither, secondly, do they know even the depth of their
own depravity. The great unoccurred. And in
this particular passage, Jesus points out this dreadful error,
Matthew chapter seven, verse one, do not judge so that you
will not be judged. It’s essentially the same thought.
Jesus wasn’t unaware that from time to time we do need to judge
and discern. So when Jesus says, do not judge,
he’s saying essentially the same thing that Paul said or Paul,
rather the same thing that Jesus had said, do not judge so that
you will not be judged for in the way you judge, you will be
judged. And by your standard of measure,
it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck
that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that
is in your own? And we know this classic story
and from time to time, especially during a season where the church
is by necessity having to exercise church discipline, they are confronting
a member of the body in some particular sin. And this argument
always comes up. Why are we looking at the speck
in our brother’s eye? Jesus never says don’t look at
the speck in your brother’s eye. Jesus never says, don’t deal
with the speck in your brother’s eye. What he does say is you
better deal with the log in your own first. He doesn’t say set
aside church discipline, it’s a completely worthless endeavor.
That would be to undercut so many passages that extol the
necessity of doing just that. But it’s hypocrisy. to consider
in our own heart or to fail to consider in our own heart a much
greater sin and to nitpick the life of our brothers and sisters
in Christ over a much less fragrant sin. The point. The poll makes here,
as one pastor said, is the ground of censure is not that one sees
another’s fault, however small, but that while seeing he does
not think about his own fault, even though great. That’s the
bottom line. He continues and says it’s a
remarkable instance of condemning the misconduct of others while
ignoring similar and far greater misconduct of our own. As is
seen in the history, of David, and he points back there to the
very scene that we alluded to last week, the parable where
David was caught really by his own standard of judgment. And
Nathan pointed to him and said that you are the man. One Puritan
said it this way. Proud people tend to speak of
others sins. the miserable delusion of hypocrites,
the deadness of some saints with bitterness, or the opposition
to holiness of many believers. Pure Christian humility, however,
is silent about the sins of others, or speaks of them with grief
and pity. The spiritually proud person
finds fault with other saints for their lack of progress and
grace. While the humble Christian seeks
so much, rather, so much evil in his own heart and is so concerned
about it that he is not apt to be very busy with other people’s
hearts. He complains most of himself
and is his own spiritual coldness that comes into view and readily
hopes that most everybody has more love and thankfulness to
God than he. Whenever we begin to develop
the judgmental spirit, that attitude that looks on others with disgust
and disdain, those are specs. If sin, no doubt. But how do
you know that that isn’t the worst sin in their life? Well, there are far worse sins
in your own. Whenever we begin to develop
a judgmental attitude, we’ve got to look in. We better take
inventory. We better look inside. We better
examine our own heart, because if we don’t greet our brother
in that speck in his eye with an attitude of mercy and pity
and prayer. That our hearts not right, and
if our hearts not right, we’re hiding something else. Point
to. Paul is adjusting their perspective
on judgment. I said there were three correctives.
Not only is judgment inappropriate in the hands of men. It is justified
only in the hands of God. Look at verse two. To get a running
start, Paul says in verse one, therefore, you’re without excuse
every man of you who passes judgment for in that you judge another,
you condemn yourself for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment
of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. There were some, because there
is this diatribe here, there’s this dialogue that’s going on.
There were some that suggested that this was a reply, a retort
of the other party, that Paul had made his point in verse one.
And now the other person replies back, oh, we know that the judgment
of God, right? No, these are Paul’s words. It’s
Paul’s statement. And when he says we know, he
puts himself in with them. And it’s a rhetorical device
when he uses here, he asks the reader to stipulate. Like in
the language of the courtroom where they ask everybody to agree
to the facts rather than, you know, go on and go into every
icky picky little detail of all the facts that we just stipulate
that this is true. That’s what Paul does. to agree
to this axiomatic truth. God is a righteous judge who
will judge sin and sinners. Can we agree to that? That’s
what Paul says. Everyone knows. You might put
it that way. We know it’s one of Paul’s favorite
rhetorical devices. Listen. In Romans chapter three,
here use it again. Romans chapter three says now
we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who
are under the law in Romans chapter eight, who use it again. And
we know that God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God. First Timothy one eight, but
we know that the law is good. What Paul does is draw his reader in and really say,
can we reason together? We know that God is just. We
know that the law is good. We know that God is a judge and
will judge sinners. And Paul uses it again in chapter
seven, for we know that the law is spiritual. And again, in chapter
822, for we know that the whole creation groans. 2 Corinthians
5.1, For we know that if this earthly tent, which is our house,
is torn down, we have a building from God, a house made not with
hands eternal in the heavens. It’s a device to draw in the
reader to just stipulate to the facts. God is a judge. God is the judge. God will judge
sinners. Paul says, look, we know that the judgment of God and
with those words, the readers had to be terrified. As do we. Whenever anybody ponders the
judgment of God, we should shudder because God sees what nobody
else sees. God sees everything. God knows
our innermost thoughts. God knows every deed, every attitude,
every incident. of sin and sinful behavior. It
was interesting to me, though. To discover this seemingly common
phrase, when you think about the phrase, the judgment of God,
you would think that it’s throughout Scripture. Only three times in
all of the Bible, the judgment of God, that literal phrase,
the judgment of God, and all three of those occurrences are
right here in this little section. Chapter 2, verse 2, Chapter 2,
verse 3 and Chapter 2, verse 5. Nevertheless, I don’t want
to get the idea that this is an isolated case where Paul only
here talks about the judgment of God. The idea of the judgment
of God is found throughout Scripture. They saw the God’s people, Paul
told them to the facts, they knew that God’s law Condemns
sin and sinners and transgression, but they hoped, as we’ve already
established, that since they were the children of Abraham,
that God would somehow grade on a curve and relax his standards. The very reminder that God was
a judge had to concern anybody who read it, including us. The
Bible constantly points to the pending judgment of God. Matthew 10, 15. Truly, I say to you, it will
be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the
day of judgment. It’s future. It’s coming, but
it’s pending. It’s going to happen. God will
judge. Matthew 11, 24. Nevertheless, I say to you, it
will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment
than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not
be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend into Hades for
the miracles had occurred in Sodom, which occurred in you.
It would have remained to this day. Nevertheless, I say to you,
there will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the
day of judgment than for you. What he says is, look, there’s
a second wave of of judgment coming even for Sodom. And it
was melted off the face of the earth. In Acts chapter 17, which
passage we looked at several weeks ago. In Acts chapter 17,
remember, Paul is dealing. With the unbelievers there, and
he says this, therefore, God pardon me, therefore, having
overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that
all people everywhere should repent. Because he has fixed
the day in which he will judge the world in righteousness through
a man whom he has appointed. Judgment is coming. It’s for
sure. It’s fixed. God will judge. Hebrews 6 2. The writer there speaking about
washing, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead
and eternal judgment. The judgment that’s coming is
powerful. It’s fixed. It’s eternal. When
God speaks there, it is to be. Jude 6. They’re writing, he says, angels
who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode.
He is kept in eternal bonds under darkness when for the judgment
of the great day. Judgment is coming, it’s through
out Scripture. So there is a future aspect to
God’s judgment, but God also frequently judges in time. He
doesn’t have to wait till the end of the world to say, no,
you know, come, as it were, before my throne and let me judge your
deeds. When sinners refuse to repent
and persist in deepening their sinful behavior, God is provoked
to judge and chasten such sinners. Just a few examples, the great
flood. From which Noah or for which
Noah was prompted to protect his family. In the animal kingdom,
the confusion of languages following the proud incident surrounding
the Tower of Babel, the fiery judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Those are just a few. Turn, if you would, to First
Corinthians one ten. Pardon me, First Corinthians
chapter ten. The reason we’re turning here,
God doesn’t have to wait till the end of the world. God doesn’t
have to wait till the day of judgment. God is God. God is
a judge. God can judge. God can exercise
his wrath at any moment that he pleases. Which makes it a
really foolish endeavor to put off tomorrow what can be done
today. If we have cause to repent of anything, why would we wait? Why would we wait and face God’s
displeasure For any known sin, look at verse one of chapter
10. For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our
fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea
and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
What he’s talking about is all the privileges that the nation
of Israel had. Look at all that they had. clouds
and pillars all ate the same spiritual food, the manna. Verse
three, all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking
from a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, even though all
those privileges were given to them, nevertheless, with most
of them, God was not well pleased, for they were laid low in the
wilderness. Now, these things happen as an
example for us so that we would not crave evil things as they
also crave, because God can step in and judge in an instant. Do not be idolaters, as some
of them were, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and
drink and stood up to play. Nor let us act immorally, as
some of them did, and twenty three thousand fell in one day. by God’s hand, nor let us try
the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents,
nor grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Now, these things happened to them as an example, and they
are written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the ages
shall come. God is not done judging, and
He’s not going to wait until the end of the age for all judgment. God can judge in an instant.
Scripture is also clear that in the future, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is identified
as the one to take the throne and judgment. Matthew 25, 31,
John 5, 26, which says that God gave him
authority to exercise or rather execute judgment. Acts 10, 42. He ordered us to preach to the
people and solemnly testify that this is the one who has been
appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. Act
1731, which verse we read a moment ago, he has fixed the day in
which he will judge the world in righteousness through a man
whom he appointed, having furnished all proof to all men by raising
him from the dead. Jesus Christ is going to judge. Paul says, look, can we stipulate,
can we agree for a moment on something? We know that the judgment of
God falls upon those who practice
such things. Can we just stipulate for a moment
the judgment is pending, that it’s coming? that there is a
God and He is a judge. And not only will He judge, but
He does judge all the time. And when He does, Paul adds this,
we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those
who practice such things. It’s not out of whimsy. It’s
not capricious. God doesn’t fly off the handle.
It’s perfectly just. It’s perfectly timed. And any
time it happens, it’s absolutely deserved. Literally speaking here, as one
said, it is in accordance with truth. It is accordance to the
true facts of God’s nature and man’s condition. Moral judgment
ought to express the actual mind of the judge in relation to the
case submitted to him. So when God judges, it is perfectly
according to the truth. It is perfectly timed. God doesn’t exercise one degree
of judgment towards others. He doesn’t cut anybody any slack. He doesn’t grade on the curve.
He doesn’t overlook and then wink at sin. It is absolutely in accordance
with the facts, as one said, according to truth or reality,
as opposed to appearance, worldly status or formal precedence.
You see, even in this world, especially if you’re a well-paid
athlete, you can get off of a lot of stuff. If you’re an executive
in a big company, you can get out of a lot of hot water, pay
the price, squeak free, but not with God. Never, it’s always
according to the truth, it’s always according to the facts
of the case. And what he’s pointing to here
is with equity, with impartiality. God’s truth, said one, and equity
govern his judgment, and there are special privileges for none. And that’s that’s important for the
church. To understand as well, isn’t
it? that God doesn’t grade on a curve? That we cannot take
the attitude of the nation of Israel and say, well, you know,
I’m actually already in Christ. All that I’ve ever done, all
that I will ever do is under the blood, so it really doesn’t
matter how I live. Oh, really? The judgment of God said one
is according to truth. It is not founded on mere appearances.
It is founded upon the truth of the case. Psalm 96 13 says
before the Lord for his coming, for he is coming to judge the
earth. He will judge the world in righteousness
and the people in faithlessness. See, the honest truth is that
people judge falsely and hypocritically. But the judgment of God is according
to truth without any partiality, according to the facts, according
to the character of the case, without regard to distinction
between Jews or Gentiles or any external differences. God is
a righteous judge. God is a just judge. And God’s
final judgment will always be just righteous judgment. Consider this. And I At the risk
of overwhelming you, I’m going to take my time through these
verses, even if we just wrap up with this point this morning.
God is just. I want you to hear the testimony
of the Psalms. Psalm 711. God is a righteous
judge and a God who has indignation every day. Psalm 9, 4. For you have maintained my just
cause. You have sat on the throne judging
righteously. Psalm 9, 8. He will judge the
world in righteousness. He will execute judgment for
the peoples with equity. Psalm 17, 1 and 2. Hear a just cause, O Lord. Give heed to my cry. Give ear
to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. Let my judgment
come forth from your presence. Let your eyes look with equity. Psalm 19, verse 9. The fear of
the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are
true. They are righteous altogether. Psalm 35, 24. Judge me, O Lord
my God, according to your righteousness and do not let them rejoice over
me. Psalm 72, verses 1 and 2. Give the king your judgments,
O God, and your righteousness to the king’s son. May he judge
your people with righteousness and your afflicted with justice. Psalm 75, verse 1 and 2. We give thanks to you, O God.
We give thanks for your name is near. Men declare your wondrous
works. When I select an appointed time,
it is I who judge with equity. Psalm 96, verse 10, say among
the nations, the Lord reigns. Indeed, the world is firmly established. It will not be moved. He will
judge the peoples with equity. Psalm 96, verse 13, before the
Lord he is coming for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge
the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. Psalm 98, verse nine. Before
the Lord, for he is coming to the earth, he will judge the
world with righteousness and the peoples with equity. Psalm
99, verse 4, the strength of the king loves justice. You have
established equity. You have executed justice and
righteousness in Jacob. Psalm 119, 75. I know, O Lord,
that your judgments are righteous and that in faithfulness you
have afflicted me. Psalm 119, 137. Righteous are
you, O Lord, and upright are your judgments. And those are just a few. Those
are just a few of the testimonies of the fact that not only is
God a judge and that God will judge, that God does judges,
but that when God judges, whenever God judges, it is with perfect
equity. It is perfectly righteous and
just. And that theme, as I’ve already
told you, is continued on in the New Testament. Act 1731,
which we just read. He will judge the world in righteousness. Romans two eleven. There is no
partiality with God. Colossians two three. Pardon
me. Three twenty five. He who does
wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done
and that without partiality. Second, Timothy four eight in
the future, there is laid up the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that day.
And not only to me, but to all who have loved his appearance.
First, Peter one seventeen, if you address his father, the one
who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves
in fear during your time of stay upon this earth. Speaking of Christ, in chapter
two, verse twenty-two of First Peter, he committed no sin, nor
was any deceit found in his mouth. While being reviled, he did not
revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no
threats, but kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. Revelation 19, verse 1, after
these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great
multitude in heaven saying, Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power
belong to our God because His judgments are true and righteous. Revelation 19, 11, I saw heaven
open and behold a white horse and he who sat on it is called
faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and wages war. Thomas Watson said of this very
truth, that if God is just, there will be a day of judgment. There
is a day coming when God will set things right. He will do
every man justice. He will crown the righteous and
condemn the wicked. He has appointed a day. If God
be just, he will take vengeance. God has given men a law to live
by and they break it. If there pardon me, there must
be a day for the execution of offenders. A law not executed
is but a wooden dagger for a show. At the last day, God’s sword
should be drawn out against offenders. Then his justice should be revealed
before all the world. Paul says, look, Can we stipulate? Can we agree? We know the judgment
of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. And
with that, Paul says, look, let’s be reasonable for a minute, shall
we? Shouldn’t we leave judgment in the hands of God? Shouldn’t
you with this attitude of arrogance who thinks that, you know, inherently
you’re better than everyone else? And that you can somehow sit
in judgment of other people’s sins when the truth is your sins
are far worse. Far worse. Isn’t that the great
testimony of Scripture? The constant testimony of Scripture
that we are to yield judgment back over to God, isn’t that
exactly what Habakkuk learned when Habakkuk came to God and
complained to him, do something. God says, I’m I’m doing something. I’m not idle. You’re not going
to like it. But I’m going to act. Isn’t that
exactly what Jesus told those that came to him? Consider Luke
13 on the same occasion, there were some present who reported
to him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their
sacrifices. Do you know what Jesus’ own disciples
were doing? Oh, man, they must have done
something. We don’t know what. Jesus said to them, do you suppose
that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans
because they suffered this faith? Shouldn’t you, he says, essentially
leave judgment in the hands of God? Don’t try to figure it out
for yourself. I tell you, no, but unless you
repent, you will all likewise perish. Isn’t that the same message that
Jonah ultimately got? Jonah wanted to have his own
standard of what a prophet should do and how fast a prophet should
preach. Where the prophet gets to go,
isn’t that God’s prerogative? Jonah didn’t want to show mercy
to the Ninevites. Isn’t that God’s judgment? Isn’t that for God to decide? Likewise, when Jesus’ own prophets,
when Jesus rather, his own disciples wanted to call down fire from
heaven. Let us in on this judgment thing.
We’ll take care of it, Jesus. Luke 9 says they were approaching
his ascension. He was determined to go to Jerusalem.
He sent messengers on ahead of them when they entered a village
of the Samaritans to make arrangements for him. But they did not receive
him. This is the Lord Jesus Christ,
and I mean, admittedly, this is a dicey proposition, right? No, thanks. Go on your way, Jesus. They did not receive him because
he was traveling towards Jerusalem when his disciples, James and
John, saw this, they said, Lord, you want us to command fire to
come down from heaven and consume them? Can’t we get in on this
judgment thing? He turned and rebuked them. It’s not for us. Judgment is
not our job. It’s God’s job, and God is very
good at it. God is perfect at it. He’s perfectly
fitted. He is just and righteous, and
when he judges and where he judges, it is perfect. It is perfectly
timed. It is perfectly measured. From our little theology book
from Wayne Grudem, Wayne Grudem had this little comment. He said,
we realize that it is not up to us to take vengeance and revenge
on others who have wronged us or even to want to do so. Because
God has reserved that right for himself, never take your own
revenge, Romans 12, 19, but leave room for the wrath of God, for
it is written vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord.
This entire section is an echo, really, of Romans 132, isn’t
it? Romans 132 says, although they know the ordinance of God
and that those who practice such things are worthy of death, God
will move. God is big enough to take care of his own. Paul
says, let’s agree on this one thing. That God will judge sin
and sinners. Can we agree on that? So instead
of worrying, and criticizing and judging others. The one we
really should be concerned about. Is ourselves, right? We know that God is the judge. We know that he will judge righteously. And he we know that God will
apply his righteous judgment to sinners. We know it. And if
there is one response to that on the part of any human being,
it must be one first of reverence and fear and introspection in
a pleading for the mercy of God, not an arrogance that begins
to look about at what sin we might be able to eradicate in
others. We better examine our hearts before God. Merciful King, We humble ourselves
in Your presence. We acknowledge that just like
the Jews, so often it’s so easy to steep ourselves in this attitude
of judgmentalism and to look around and to think that we are
so much superior, spiritually speaking, than others that we
could fix others. God, by Your grace, we relinquish
that judgmental spirit. We release the whole matter of
judging into Your hands. Give us the proper measure, Father,
of deciding and determining truth. And make us to be very careful
if we are ever called to discern the life of another. Grant us
your grace, Father, to walk humbly before our God. It’s in Jesus’
name we pray. Amen. Good morning. I’ll be right with
you.