From Valley to Victory (Part 3)

You know all you need to do is to be alive to realize that nation is bitterly divided we been divided before but bitterly divided we are seeing some spectacular self-righteousness and judgment. Realism in display between the various political factions, each side calls the other evil insiders convinced of their own self-righteousness, and of the rightness of their political position. I'm not here to condemn or judge either, but according to God know me, but according to God.

There will both be judged severely by him. In fact, all of creation would be judged by God and that they seem to be closer than we think. That is unless they repent of their sin. That is unless I confess that they are sinners and in desperate need of the Savior. That is unless they declare that there is no salvation. There is no hope.

Apart from Jesus Christ. In fact, God's word makes it very clear the time of ignorance God has overlooked, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent. For he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world by this man Jesus, whom he raised from the dead. That's a promise of God, and that's only basis of the judgment of God on the day of judgment in the last message we saw how God will judge those who have inverted this truth we saw how God is going to judge those who have perverted his gifts. We saw how God will judge those who have darkened mind and immediately following that pronouncement that we saw in the last message literally if Paul was speaking of not writing. You can literally sense that he has not taken a breath. He did not even take a breath in, without immediately jumping straight immediately upon those moralistic self-righteous religious fantasies immediately from chapter 1 to chapter 2, there is no division in the original. Those who probably was saying when they heard Paul talk about those people who will be judged by God would inverted the truth will perverted his gifts. They probably were the ones were saying at the Borges Paul socket to them. Paul whacked him on the head by this truth.

Paul well with you Paul because we are not like these are wicked people, where much better. We are good and that is why as I said without even taking a breath. Paul turns immediately and he won't those who have perverted truths about God and those who moralistic people religious self-righteous Pharisees and says YouTube busters.

That's my word notice. You are not going to escape the judgment of God and that is why in verse one, and now be said, therefore, whenever you see the word therefore in the Bible. Find out why it is therefore it is to tell those moralist do-gooders religious hypocrites that you two are without an excuse.

If you think that God only going to judge the pagan Gentiles and you've got a big shock, coming to you for YouTube going to be judged in fact, you will judgment probably going to be much stricter than theirs.

Why because you have refused to acknowledge the Messiah your Messiah beloved. This principle applies today to Christians who are nominal Christians who are professing Christians only because they have greater knowledge of the truth. Therefore, they gonna be held more accountable with the stricter standard of accountability. I'm going to come back to this because the text does not because I want to but because the text does question why is Paul so anxious to condemn those self-righteous people those legalists who think that they are better than somebody else who think that they are really a privileged people. The answer is because these self-righteous people have committed to grave errors. In fact, every self-righteous legalist pharisaic hypocrite. I commit to eras. First of all there under estimate the height of the standards of righteousness by God both inwardly and outwardly and also do something else.

They minimize the depth of their own sin.

Okay, I'm good.

I haven't done one of the big ones and they do this by exaggerating the sins of others, and they minimize their own sin. Jesus said in Matthew 7123 day notice the spec in somebody else's lie, but the overlooked dialogue that's in your own eye.

Look at verse one. Therefore you have no excuse. You will pass judgment on someone else, you need to remember at whatever point you judge another person by that same judgment you are condemning yourself if you're committing the same sin that this is really need a lot of explanation there can be no doubt that in chapter 1 Paul speaking to pagan Gentiles because that's where the epistle is going to Rome, but here in chapter 2 here speaking to the religious Jew in verse 10 makes that very clear very very clear both Jews and Gentiles are equal in their sin, both Jews and Gentiles are equal in the need of salvation, both Jews and Gentiles are equal and facing of God's judgment. He brought please the Jews in Paul's day, believed that if they go through certain rituals, life to keep certain babies and festivals that if they keep this holy higher in the holy day. All of that is gonna reduce righteousness with God. There really that bad, even if they fail to keep all these religious rituals. They are still not to be condemned like the Gentiles. They did some of the rabbis actually taught that on that day Abraham is going to be standing at the gate of hell and he will not allow any Jew to go in and that is why Jesus said, let me tell you something I got news for you, and that he tells them the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Both were Jews. One was righteous.

One was living godly one was not and he said they both ended up with two different destination even though I know start to appeal to Abraham which that's what some of them about thought and work. Abraham said nonowner. Now you're receiving your judgment seat. This era was rampant among moralist Jews, but also was rampant among the moralist Gentiles. Did you know that, for example, I believe with all my heart that Paul was thinking of this Roman philosopher by the name of Seneca Seneca was a well-known Roman philosopher Seneca was a moralist man is Seneca condemned evil in the Roman society and Seneca was nearest future. Seneca was so moralistic that some of the Christians in Rome referred to him as one of us Seneca exalted the great moral values. Seneca exposed hypocrisy. Seneca acknowledge the pervasive nature of evil. Seneca promoted self-examination. Seneca renounced idolatry and how far can you go Seneca assumed the role of a moral guide in Rome so he was a moralist Gentiles and instructor moralist Jews makes no difference. He tolerated his own failure most flagrantly when he supported Nero when he killed his own mother, Agrippina, beloved.

There are so many syndicates in the media. Today there are so many syndicates in the entertainment industry today. There are so many basilicas in politics today. There are so many Seneca in the professing church today they might share some of our Christian values.

They might stand with us and some issues that they might fight alongside of us in some battlefields, but at the root of it, that I have never discovered that there is only one way to righteousness, and that is through the Christ with God on the cross and shed his own blood, and that is why Paul tells him. Romans chapter 2 verses 1 to 16, he tells a little bit more about the judgment of God three things. First of all, he tells him that God's judgment is inevitable's inevitable verses 1 to 5 second Lisa God's judgment is going to be so fair. It's very fair versus 6 to 12 and, thirdly, God's judgment will be impartial versus 13 to 16 is look at these very quickly God's judgment is inevitable. No one anywhere who ever lived on the face of the earth would be able to escape the judgment one day when the heavenly courts are open there will be no hung jewelry.

There will be no loopholes in the law, there will be no acquittal based on technicalities, there will be no statutes of limitations.

Everyone is going to stand in the dock is what he say when you judge one another. We are often hard on others but were easy in ourselves of being there of done that we are often harsh with others but were very lenient in ourselves, we are often gain satisfaction from condemning others and what might be the same faults which we make excuses for in ourselves. This ploy of pointing to others in order to get their eyes off ourselves will not provide an escape his regular work in the day of judgment, because he sees all secrets of all hearts. He sees what nobody else is able to see it even sees what you can see on the contrary, by the very standards that we judge others. We ourselves are going to be judged listened to what my friend and mentor, the late John Stott said about this. He says this is of course nothing invitation to suspend our critical faculties or renounce all rebuke of others.

No, that's not at all, but what the word of God is saying to us is this you cannot judge others. If you don't judge yourself. Are you with me. You cannot judge others before you judge yourself why because that would be pure hypocrisy that this is double standard and my beloved friends.

Our society is filled with hypocrisy today to place higher standards for others and losing those same standard for ourselves will not be taken lightly by God he's watching this has become rampant in the modern church.

So what do they do in the face of this dilemma. Here's what some of them are said just let us lower the standard list lowered the bar for everyone from everyone and just pretend that we really don't know. Let's just say nobody sure what moral absolutes are prominent pastor who defected from the truth.

He said I don't know what the truth is, but I know what love is. I wanted to vomit. The big word among the emerging churches ambivalence just be ambivalent about these things will really don't know. We're not sure. That way we avoid judging ourselves. Live and let live on him. It was very clear to you at the risk of placing myself in earshot of the enemy because the enemy always attacks you in whatever area testify about that you know that several years ago a dear friend of mine called me one afternoon and he was shocked to see the lunchtime of the Bible study and not testified about how wonderful our marriages and hundred marriages and so forth is allowing her to come home. I had the biggest part of my life. Riverhead is it that you know whatever you testify whatever your testify about his that's where he's going to attack you.

That's what he's going to go off to, but I know the Lord will provide the protection on the cover, and here's what you say and I'm going apply this to myself, so that one of four in figure anybody also pointed to me. I cannot stand here or say to somebody how important it is to be faithful stewards not only of money by the time of resources and of talent and of all the things of God placed in your hand.

When I am a faithful steward I can do this. I cannot say to husbands.

You must love your wife as Christ loved the church when I'm not loving my wife and looking out only for number one. For one thing, she will let me get away with it.

Thank God for that. I cannot tell somebody to develop a lifestyle of repentance of immediate repentance when you fail in sin when I'm not practicing it myself. Why because I am too going to be held accountable for the same biblical standards which I profess now. My beloved God's judgment is inescapable and that is why the psalmist in 139 says where shall I go from your spirit, or where shall I flee from your presence. Today we see immoral people in the media and entertainment industry and politicians even standing in judgment upon the godly people is not amazing spectacular in many ways. Listen, if there were living up to their moral standards would've been okay but the sheer hypocrisy is absolutely spectacular. Here's the good news there will not get away with it.

They might get away with it for a day or two a year or two at 10 years old. Whatever this livestock, but there will not get away with it for eternity today. We have some apostate people.

These are the people who've known the truth of the gospel, who lived who practice who preach the truth even and they turned their back on it condemn those of us who love the truth and endeavor to live according to God's truth there will not get away with it. Verse five is a use of translation. The reason God is patient and he does not whack people on the head as soon as they sin is because he wants them to repent as a homespun translation, but you understand it right. God longs for people to repent and because of that longing in his heart he gives them time again and again and again and patient with them as he was patient with us, but instead of repentance they develop sclerosis of the heart is like the sword misused here in the Greek is where we get the word from from the Greek word sclerosis of from which we get the hardening of the arteries in the spiritual realm. It refers to the hardening of the heart.

The heart that is no longer responding to the love of God. The heart does have become so insensitive to the conviction and to the leading of the Holy Spirit payment please.

The Bible says about Samson that his strength has left him but he did not know how my confession to you, my beloved, this sentence keeps Romani and also Lord do not allow this to happen to me. The hardening of the arteries in the physical realm might send somebody to an early grave, but the hardening of the heart on the spiritual realm will take a person to judgment every day's sometimes many times a day. I bless God for his patients are blessed God for his long-suffering and for his mercy toward me. I'm so grateful he doesn't judge me as I deserve is because I judge myself. I am much harder on myself and among the word of the apostle John said even of our conscious condemn us is greater than our conscience. Secondly, God's judgment is fair. Look at verses 6 to 11.

The idea of God's fairness and judgment is the theme run straight through the Bible old and New Testament stretch of the Bible. But before I get to this I since there probably some of you when you heard or read verse six of chapter 2 of Romans you came unglued right and he said why do you personal about salvation by grace alone, says that God will judge everyone on the basis of what they've done.

Known.

A million. They'll be patient. Wait a minute when I will explain to you what the apostle Paul is saying is this the day of judgment is going to be a public occasion where the public verdict is going to be pronounced the day of judgment is going to be a day of separation. A day of sifting a day of sorting out and while those sort receive Jesus Christ as their only Savior and Lord will escape the judgment of hell for the Bible said. Therefore, there is no condemnation upon those who are in Christ Jesus. They will escape the judgment of hell, but they will not escape the accountability of God will be held accountable to God, that's was talking about. Networks can save you, but being a believer. I'm going to be held accountable for how I lived for God how faithful a printer here how I walked with him.

This is what I like to call it our award or reward giving ceremony. There are some people going to get a lump of coal and some will give crowns second Corinthians 510 the apostle Paul said we notice it. We talk about himself and made a new and all the believers in Jesus Christ and we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. This is not the judgment of hell. Let me make sure you understand this, but we must to stand before the accountability seat of Christ. So each of us may give an account of the stewardship of the hazardous.

In other words, is going to mean where they can receive a reward or not.

Henry arteries the subjective criteria of salvation is by grace alone through faith alone that can never be changed. This is the gospel. The objective reality of salvation is how we conduct our lives in other words, the way we lived our lives should testify draw salvation. Matthew 716 to 20.

Jesus said you shall know them by their fruit. That's the deed is talking about the fruit report. Another way a person whose return that is saved through the power in the blood of Jesus Christ through faith alone must give evidence of that salvation is or how you do this by doing the work that God has planned for you. Ephesians makes it very clear we are created unto good works were being reborn unto good works, each one of us when we come to Christ and be converted to Christ we are given certain things to do. Not all the same.

Not all in the same measure, but yours.

And that is what you will be judged by mine and that's what I will be judged by Romans 1412 says each of us believers. Each of us shall give an account of himself and herself to go now beloved, you must understand our God is not a prejudice God, God will not judge us on the basis of our ethnic background or educational background. Church affiliation or denominational affiliation or any of these label known a million. She would do that with each other. We judge each other on a very superficial level, but not God's judgment is going to be so fair, so fair to judge what is going to be so righteous. His judgment will be based on the level of their submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is all about for both the old and the New Testament. A very clear, the judgment upon those who have heard the message and rejected it is going to be based on that rejection and the judgment of those who have never heard of the message of Christ will be based on the rejection of the natural revelation of God as we saw in the last message and the law of God that is been imprinted on their hearts by the virtue of being created in God's own image. Look at verses seven all the way to 10. It tells us that there are two groups of people, the saved and the unsaved. The accountability judgment for those who are saved, and was going to be based on how much did they seek the glory of God. How much did the other God in the life how conscious they were of the presence of God in every moment of every day two groups of people to destination two different judgment.

Verse 10 and 11 tells us that God's judgment just like God. Salvation it has certain priorities as a priority of times, not a priority of people but a priority of time so might be asking what one of these priorities listen carefully because because judgment is so fair it will be based on how much knowledge a person received.

Remember our call versus it is the foundational verse with the whole epistle. Romans 116 for I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for those who believe first to the Jew second to the Gentiles hearing chapter 2 verse 10 is saying the same thing in regard to the judgment the Jews will be judge first, then the Gentiles is a part of time. Is that how come because salvation comes first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles for thousands of years. The Old Testament repeatedly. Repeatedly.

It is filled with the pronouncement that the Messiah is coming. Started with Genesis 315 all the way through Jeremiah and Isaiah and Ezekiel, all saying the promised Messiah is coming and when Jesus came patient I came to the household of Israel see God's redemption was offered first to the Jews, and that is why there will be judge first salvation was then offered to the Gentiles. Therefore, there will be judge according to whatever knowledge there may have John chapter 1 Jesus came to his own. This is his own people. The Jewish people, but his own received him not. And therefore whoever received him after that God gave authority.

God gave permission God given the power to be called the children of God, regardless of their ethnic background. First, God's judgment is inevitable. Secondly, God's judgment is fair fairly God's judgment is impartial is impartial. Paul continues here by saying that the judgment upon the Jews will be first and then there will be with is going to be with stricter standards. Why verse 12 because they had the law and the commandments on the prophets.

The Jews heard the law read in the synagogue every single Saturday while the Gentiles didn't even know what the lawyers but both will face equal and impartial judgment.

Both will be judged differently, and by different standards, but equally an application beloved verse 12 of Romans to forgot your Bible underline it because it levels the playing field between Jews and Gentiles levels. They are in the same category of sin and death. Therefore, there are in the same category of judgment and not this is the bottom line of this verse. While everyone will be judged. No one will be judged by the standards that they never knew the nonbelievers will perish because of sin, not ignorance of the law. Those who live under the law will be judged by the law and if you name somebody who is able to keep the law all the time perfectly. You need to point them to me because the only one who could do this with Jesus and that is why we going to go to heaven on his coattail is the only one who can please the father all the time. Listen to me. No one will be judged by what he or she did not know and that is why we believe that all the babies when they die they go to heaven. God shows no partiality, and judgment. So the question is what about the Hindu and the Muslim and the Buddhist anatomist and all the rest of Izzy because God's moral law is imprinted on the hardball said by virtue of being created in God's own image God's impartial judgment will be based on the heart knowledge. In fact, their conscience will testify and bear witness against them on the day of judgment.

The conscious was testify that they knew what was right and what was wrong.

What was good and what evil but they kept doing the will.

Anyway, God's judgment will be so impartial. No one no one no one no one anywhere in the globe could say of Colorado deals God's deal is a fair deal now want to conclude by giving you for things summary of the judgment of God for things. First of all, their rejection of the knowledge of God through his creation will condemn him. Secondly, their conduct based on their own knowledge of the eternal law imprinted on their hearts because they created in God's own image will condemn him. Suddenly there conscious, which they have squashed and try to suppress was testify against him forcefully. Innate knowledge of the right from wrong, will condemn God's greatest judgment is going to be upon those who have lived in the West where there is a church on every corner Christian radio and television programs all over the place that surrounded by Christian witnesses.

The surrounded by friends and family who tried to witness to them. Those will suffer the severest judgment than those who have never heard the name of Jesus is the hottest part of hell if I can save it is reserved for those who knew the gospel and there may even follow Jesus for time but then they turned their back on him and began to teach falsehood. If you're a person here and you have never responded to the incredible love of God and you know but you know he's been calling you is inviting you. You can do that today we can respond today but most of us will know Jesus and love Jesus but to plead with you, we don't know the time in the hour in which either call us home. When he comes back and therefore are pleading with you. Walk faithfully with thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org@LTW.Ward