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We’re All Guilty!
Romans 2:1-16
1.
Last week in Romans 1 Paul made a stinging
indictment against blatant immorality;
a.
We learned that when a person or a culture
rejects God, it begins a downward spiral of immorality, living life to fulfill
the lust of their heart.
b.
Paul gave us a long and detailed list of the
sins that would prevail, even being celebrated in that culture.
c.
And the reality is that we see these sins all
around us – pick any news cycle and there are terrible acts of sin and
immorality reported.
d.
Most people would agree: Those who perpetrate these terrible acts are
deserving of judgment!
2.
But, there is a catch to Paul’s argument, an
exception, because some of us could say, “I know a person that while they
aren't a Christian, they don't believe in God, they don’t go to church, they
don’t read the bible…
a.
And yet they’re a good person. They don’t lie, or cheat, or steal.
b.
They’ve never been mean to me, never yelled at
me. I couldn’t make one accusation
against them.”
3.
And thus arises the question: What about the moral person? The person that obeys the law, doesn't speed,
doesn't flip out at the person who cuts in line,
a.
They give blood, volunteer at the food pantry,
donate to Greenpeace, they help little old ladies across the street…
b.
These are the people that if you asked them
about God, they might have a belief in God, “sure there’s a God up there
somewhere…”
c.
If you asked them what would happen when they
die, why should God let them into heaven, they might say, “well I’m a good
person.”
4.
In all honesty, these are often the hardest
people to witness to, to share Christ with.
a.
I mean the hardened sinner, deep down, knows
he’s done wrong, that person has seen firsthand the consequences of his sin,
and once they come to that point, they’re ready to come to Christ (or they've
conceded that they're going to hell!)
b.
But the moral person, the good person, often
does not see themselves as needing to be saved from anything.
5.
As we come to Romans 2, this is the next person
that Paul turns his attention to: The
moral person.
2 Therefore you are
inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge
another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But
we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who
practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those
practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment
of God?
6.
Now this is a shocking statement to the
moralist, because basically Paul is accusing the moral person of committing the
same sins that the immoral person commits.
a.
"You're just as guilty, and you're
judgmental about it!"
b.
In other words, a moral person usually looks at
the immoral person, and thinks to himself “i may not be perfect, but I’m not
that guy!”
7.
Now, I would say that the moral person does not
necessarily see himself as being judgmental, “hey, I’m not judging.”
a.
But the reality is this; if a person thinks themselves to be ANY BETTER
than another person, that person is sadly mistaken.
b.
They mistakenly believe that God will judge them
differently than the outwardly obvious immoral person.
c.
In other words they are both the same.
8.
You say “wait a minute, you mean to tell me that
I’m no different than a psychopathic murderer like Jeffery Dhamer? I’m no
different than a swindler like Bernie Madoff?
a.
Well lets look at that; What was Dahmer’s crime? He was a murderer. OK, I’ve never committed
murder, so I’ve got to be a little better, right?
b.
Except Jesus taught:
“You have
heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever
murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is
angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”
Matt 5:21-22
c.
Have I ever been angry with someone? Yes, so then that makes me a murderer.
9.
What about Bernie Mahdoff? What was his crime? He stole. Well I can tell you, I've never
stolen $6 Billion dollars!
a.
Have I ever stolen anything? Well, yes, so that makes me a thief.
10. Well,
what about Bill Clinton? He had an
affair, and lied about it!
a.
Have I ever looked at a woman with lust? Have I ever told a lie? Yes, to all…
b.
So apparently I’m a liar, a thief, an adulterer,
and a murderer.
c.
Suddenly I don’t feel quite so good about my
self! (I need to see my therapist!)
11. In
a way, this helps us to understand #1 a person is no less guilty before God
because we think their sin is smaller,
a.
#2 God doesn’t just strike down people who
commit great sin right on the spot, or we'd all be dead!
b.
Why? Because God is GOOD…
4 Or do you despise
the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that
the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
12. You
see, God doesn’t want ANYONE to be condemned; it’s God’s heart that EVERYONE
would be forgiven…
For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son
into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be
saved. John 3:16
The Lord is
not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering
toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to
repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
13. So
one might ask “why would God allow a sinner to remain? Because one more day of
life may allow that person to come to realize the truth, about God.
a.
One more meal may carry them to the knowledge of
Christ
b.
One more beautiful sunrise may show them the
glory of God
c.
One more chance will show them the goodness of
God, who draws men and women to Himself through kindness, not wrath!
14. In
other words, - this is important - it’s not OUR goodness that draws us to God,
it’s HIS goodness!
a.
See we know the immoral person needs Christ, but
Paul is saying "hey, you who think
your good, you're not all that!"
b.
“You are
just as guilty as the immoral person!”
5 But in accordance
with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself
wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6
who “will render to each one according to his deeds” 7 eternal life to those
who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and
immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but
obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every
soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but
glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first
and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
15. Paul
is making the point that it doesn’t matter whether your ancestors came over on
the Mayflower as Pilgrims, or if your grandfather was a pastor, there is no
partiality with God.
a.
For hundreds of years the Catholic Church sold
“indulgences,” where if you gave a sizable gift to the church, God would
supposedly guarantee you a spot in heaven.
b.
According to Paul those people got a rude
awakening when they died!
16. Now
when Paul says “treasuring up for
yourself wrath in the day of wrath” it goes right to the heart of an errant
belief that many moral people have:
a.
The belief that when they stand before God, God
is going to place all of their works on a scale,
b.
The good on one side, the sins on the other, and
it the good outweighs the bad, then you’ll be OK.
c.
Paul is saying “if you are trying to sock away
good works in order to be accepted by God, it ain't working, you’re only
storing up wrath!”
17. See
to God – NO SIN is acceptable. It makes
no difference to Him, if you break one law, it's the same as breaking all of
the law:
For whoever
shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
James 2:10
a.
It makes no difference whether your sins are
notorious sins or respectable sins, visible sins, or hidden sins, sin is sin
and all sin will be all judged the same.
b.
In other words it is dangerous for a person to
think they'll be accepted by God because they've lived a moral life.
c.
(It’s like saying I’m a fireman because I have a
uniform)
18. Let
me further say that it’s just as wrong for a Christian to think they are better
than or superior to the immoral person.
a.
One of the main issues that the world has with
the church is that they see the church as “judgmental,” and sadly to say, they
have a valid point.
b.
There is valid reason for the world to have this
perspective, because many Christians do see themselves as being morally
superior to others, even other Christians!
c.
I can tell you the gay community does not feel
the love.
d.
The fact is WE ARE NOT morally superior – Christians
aren’t sinless, we’re simply forgiven!
19. The
difference between the most immoral sinner and me isn't that I only have a
little sin and he has a lot, we both have sin, the only difference is that I’ve been forgiven.
a.
We are just as guilty, we’ve just petitioned the
judge for grace, and He’s given it to us!
b.
Add to that:
the immoral person is just as
deserving of that grace as I am.
20. Think
about it, the biggest obstacle that Jesus encountered during His ministry
wasn't the sinners, they knew they needed saving!
a.
The people that were the most resistive to Jesus
message were the religious leaders:
Luke 18:9-14 Also
He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were
righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a
Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with
himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes
of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so
much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be
merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he
who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14
21. For
the Christian to have the perspective that they are better than the immoral
person is not only wrong, it hinders the cause of Christ.
a.
It says to the immoral person, and the moral
person: “I’m better, I’ve got it, you don’t, God likes me better…”
b.
It’s no different than the rich man that walks
by a homeless mother and child on the sidewalk, and mockingly says, “get a
job…”
c.
That’s why Paul says in Romans 12:
I say to
everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,
but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that
God has assigned. Romans 12:3 (ESV)
22. Now
before we go into this next verse, we need to backtrack a little to verse 6
will render to each
one according to his deeds (vs 6)
12 For as many as
have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have
sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law
are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14
for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law,
these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work
of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and
between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
23. Is
Paul saying that God will judge people by their works? Not exactly…
a.
OK let’s unpack this: Paul is drawing a distinction between the
Gentile, anyone not Jewish, who were not given “the law” per se by God,
b.
And the Jew, those of Hebrew ancestry, who were
given the law of God through Moses.
24. Now
the Jews, who were given the law, have a clear benchmark of God’s standard for
righteousness.
a.
Paul is saying if that person were to obey all
of the law, it would be acceptable to God,
b.
But if that person were to break even one law,
then they would be guilty of breaking the entire law.
25. The
Gentile, who were not given the law, didn’t have this clear picture of
righteousness,
a.
But they do have the proof of God through
creation (which we discussed last week), and their conscience, the inner
knowing of right from wrong (the work of the law written in their hearts).
b.
Here is the point: Both men have a problem!
26. The
Jew will be judged by the law; Could any
Jew say “I’ve been 100% obedient to the law?”
No!
a.
Matter of fact, Paul draws the distinction
between “hearing” the law and “doing” the law.
b.
It isn’t enough to know the bible, in order to
be righteous before God you would have to obey all of the bible, 100%, for your
entire life.
c.
Anyone could see that this would be a problem,
except for one man- Jesus Christ.
27. The
Gentile, while he didn’t have the bible, is still responsible for obeying what
he knows to be right.
a.
If you were to gather all of the moral people in
the world, the do-gooders, the whale-savers, etc, and ask them a simple
question:
b.
“have you
lived up to your own moral code 100% of the time?”
c.
NOT ONE could answer yes! (Even when we come up
with our own moral code, we can't live up to it)
28. Fact
is NONE of us could answer yes to either of those questions – so I guess, we
would have to say; it’s a fact: We’re
all guilty!
a.
Let’s all try saying it one time, “I’M GUILTY” –
it didn’t hurt too bad, did it? Matter
fact, doesn't’ it feel good to get it out, to finally admit it?
b.
All this time we’ve been holding it in, the
guilt, the shame, and to finally let it out just feels so good!
c.
That was just a cathartic moment! (look it up “the
act or process of releasing a strong emotion”)
29. Look,
better to deal with it NOW, than to have to deal with it later, like say at the
Great White Throne judgment…
16 in the day when
God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
30. What’s
Paul referring to? An event described in
Revelation 20:
Rev 20:11-13 11
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who 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, standing before God, and books were opened. And
another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged
according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The
sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead
who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
31. Some
people wonder, “will there ever be justice?
Will God ever right the wrongs?”
a.
Yes - there will come a time when every person
who has ever lived will stand before God, and give an account of their lives.
b.
The Great White Throne Judgment
32. You
see, God is just; No one will be
condemned without cause.
a.
There will be a hearing. There will be testimony. Records will be
produced.
b.
And the “moral man” will be surprised at the
things about his life that will be revealed.
33. You
say “Pastor Clay, no one could pass that type of hearing, it’s impossible.
a.
You’re correct, I personally don’t want to be
judged on my on my good deeds, because I know I’ll never make it.
b.
Not one human will be found to be without sin, so
unless that person has been given clemency, they will be found guilty.
c.
That’s what Paul is making the case for, that's
what he’s getting at, THAT is the point…
d.
There is one group missing from this hearing;
Christians
34. Why? Because we have been granted clemency. We
were just as guilty, we deserved to be punished,
a.
The only reason we won’t be found guilty and
receive the just penalty for our sin is because someone stepped in and took the
punishment for us - Our Lord Jesus Christ.
For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son
into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be
saved. John 3:16
Copyright © 2013 Clay Ritter. This data file is the
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