God's Divine Standards

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Sunday AM                                                                                                          June 24, 2007

GOD’S DIVINE STANDARDS

Romans 2:1-16

The theme of Romans is in Romans 1:16-17 – READ

          A righteous person continues to live by faith, and in so doing grows from one level of

          maturity to another.  In this way, we the believer progress along the path of righteousness

          to live a rich and full spiritual life.

Sounds easy don’t it?

Turn to Romans 2:1-16

God will judge us by 3 DIVINE STANDARDS (verses 1-16)

Divine Standard

 

1.       Truthfulness – 2:1-4 READ

          Who ever we are or what ever denomination we attend.

          We will ALL be judged the same.

          There are many different beliefs:

                   Some don’t believe that the Spiritual Gifts are for today.

                   Some believe we are not to eat meat.

                   Some believe once saved always saved.

                   Some believe we are to pray to saints.

                   Some believe that Saturday is the day to worship the Lord.

                   Some believe that Sunday is the day to worship the Lord.

                   Some believe that we can earn or work our way to Heaven.

          God will judge us by His DIVINE STANDARDS,

                   no matter whom we are or what we believe.

          God’s DIVINE STANDARDS are absolute and infinite, condemning every person.

          The first divine standard of judgment is TRUTH.

                   Nowhere in Scripture is God identified as “TRUTH.” 

                   John 4:24 says, He is as “SPIRIT”

                    I John 1:5 says, He is as “LIGHT”

                   And I John 4:8 and 4:16 say He is as “LOVE”

                   But Psalm 31:5 and Isaiah 65:16 calls Him “THE GOD OF TRUTH”

          TRUTH – complete, never-ending TRUTH  

                   is undeniably one of God’s important qualities.

          As a result when GOD’S JUDGMENT

                   of people is declared to be based on TRUTH,

                             no escape from that judgment is possible for ANYONE.

          Romans 2:1 says ALL are without EXCUSE and

                   and ALL are without ESCAPE.

          We may be moral and may even judge our equals as totally

                   trapped in an immoral lifestyle,

                             but yet we are judged by God because we do the same thing.

          By not exacting His divine penalty on sinful humanity immediately,

                   God is displaying the riches of His kindness,

                             tolerance,

                                      and patience.

          Not realizing God’s purpose, we show contempt for God’s qualities and actions.

                    We know of God’s Being through natural revelation,

                             but we do not know the purpose of His kindness,

                                      tolerance,

                                                and patience.

Divine Standard

2.       Impartiality of His Fairness – 2:5-11 READ

          Why are people ignorant of God’s intention to be kind?

                    Why do they despise it?

                             It is because of their stubbornness or hardness and their unrepentant hearts.

          God’s anger against people’s sins is being stored up like a great lake

                   until the day when it will all be poured out

                             in His righteous judgment.     

                                      (Imagine the Nushegak River being damned up for years and years,

                                                than that damn breaking.)

          On that day God will give to each of us according to what we have done.

                   Remember that is from the time we surrender to Jesus and allow Him into our life

                             and heart.  So, everything I have done since Dec 4, 1996 I will be judged on.

          Everything we did before we surrendered to Jesus is forgotten by God,

                   It is in the sea of Forgetfulness.

          God’s judging will be based on His STANDARD of TRUTH

                    and it will be FAIR.

          God will give ETERNAL life to us who are determined to live by His Word and,

                   keep seeking GLORY, HONOR, and EVER LASTING LIFE.

          On the other hand fury and anger will be the cost of the selfish,

                   who keep on disobeying the TRUTH and following evil.

          Each one who does evil will receive trouble and suffering,

                   while each one who does lives by His Word will have

                              GLORY, HONOR and PEACE.

          This just reward by God is without regard to nationality, color or cultural background

                   or any other consideration except what each person has done.

          Our ordinary conduct,

                   whether good or evil,

                             reveals the condition of our heart.

          ETERNAL life is not rewarded for good living;

                   that would contradict many others Scriptures which clearly state

                             that salvation is not by works,

                                      but is by God’s GRACE to those of us that BELIEVE.

          Our doing good shows that our heart is regenerated.

                    We will be redeemed by God and have ETERNAL life.

          Equally those who continue to do evil and reject the TRUTH shows that they are not

                    repentant,

                             and therefore will be an object of God’s anger.

          The statement “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile”

                   does not imply special kindness for Jews.

          Instead, in the light of the DIVINE STANDARD of FAIRNESS,

                   it stresses that the entire human race is dealt with by God.

Divine Standard

3.       Jesus Christ – 2:12-16 READ

          God’s fairness in judgment is also seen in the fact that

                   He will deal with us in accordance with the indulgence in which we live.

          John 1:17 says, “The Law was given through Moses.”

                   This marks the beginning of the dispensation of Laws

                             that God gave to Moses in the Old Testament.

          Paul declared, “all who sin apart from the Law will also perish apart from the Law.”

         

          Again God does not give ETERNAL life or JUSTIFICATION

                   to us who perform good works,

                             but to us who BELIEVE and TRUST in Him

          Our conduct reveals our renewed hearts.

          It is also well-known in our hearts and is reflected in our actions,

                   consciences, and

                             thoughts.

          The Law given to Israel is in reality only a specific statement of God’s

                   moral and spiritual requirements for everyone.

          This is completed by “our consciences,”

                   the ability within us that evaluates our actions,

                             along with “our thoughts,”

                                      that either ACCUSES or EXCUSES us of sin.

          Our conscience is an important part of our nature,

                   but it is not an absolutely trustworthy

                             indicator of what is right.

          Our conscience can be “good” and “clear,”

                   but it can also be “guilty,” “corrupted,” “weak,”

                             and “dry as a bone”.

          All people need to TRUST the Lord Jesus Christ

                   so that “the blood of Christ” might

                             “cleanse our consciences.”

          The certainty of DIVINE JUDGMENT

                    is stressed by the words “God will judge.”

          The Agent of DIVINE JUDGMENT is “Jesus Christ.”

          This judgment will deal with “men’s secrets.”

                   Or things we have hidden in our heart.

          This judgment will reveal those things and

                   prove God’s JUDGMENT is right.

          Paul’s “gospel” is not the STANDARD of God’s JUDGMENT.

 

          The idea is that the RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT of God

                    is a necessary part of the gospel Paul preached and

                             a reason for TRUSTING in Jesus’ finished redemption.

          In Romans 2:1-16 God is seen as the Creator-Sovereign of the universe

                   conducting the moral government of His human creatures.

          God’s absolute STANDARDS are known.

          God punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous fairly

                   according to whom we served,

                             if we served Jesus or

                                      if we served Satan.

          Which ever one we served,

                   it will show in our heart.

          Since no human being – Jesus Christ accepted

                   can be declared righteous or

                             justified by God on the basis of our own merit,

                                      every human is condemned by God.

          Here the stress is on the justice of God’s JUDGMENT,

                   leading to the conclusion that

                             nobody on our own can be declared righteous by God.

We can not EARN,

          WORK,

          PRAY,

          WORSHIP,

          or SERVE

                   our way to becoming righteous.

There is only ONE way to becoming righteous.

          SURRENDER all to Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

          Live our lives according to His Word.

          Completely TRUST and have FAITH in Jesus Christ.

          And SERVE Jesus Christ with all that we are and with all that we have.

After all He is the reason we have everything we have.

Closing Prayer

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