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  All Who Have Sinned with or without the Law (Romans 2:12-16)

AVOIDING ACCOUNTABILITY
A friend once shared about a time when she didn’t read and study her Bible because she did not want to be held accountable for what was in it.

Well, there is a certain responsibility that falls to those who know this book, that those who do not possess it do not have. 

But God has made it available not for you to seek to escape responsibility through neglect. Willfully neglecting the truth made readily available to you doesn’t get you off the hook. 

That’s taking one’s talent or mina and hiding it in the ground because you see the Judge of all the earth as nothing more than a severe master — rather than One who is worthy of your service.

We won’t avoid judgment by our negligence to study God’s Word.
But what God’s Word might do —
which I assure you will not take place without it —
is show us the way to LIFE!

But to know the way to life — we must first come to terms with the fact that outside of Christ awaits only judgment and death.

CONTEXT
It’s important that we recall what came before.
Verse 11. God shows no partiality.
As such, verse 6. He will judge each one according to his works — not according to what one knows, or has heard, or professes. 

But this immediately raises a question.
What about those who do not know the law of God?
How can God judge them according to their works if they didn’t know what such works should even look like? 

JUSTICE?

How is that justice?

Well, it’s no surprise that Paul anticipates the question. And that’s exactly what he addresses in verses 12-16. 

All will receive a fair judgment from God because all will be judged by a fair standard —judged based on the law they have — not the law they don’t have.

READ: Romans 2:12-16

VERSE 12A – PERISH WITHOUT THE LAW
Verse 12. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law.

That God shows no partiality, does not mean that God does not take into account the various situations people find themselves in. 

Speaking primarily of the Law of Moses — the special revelation of God’s Law — those who sinned without the law will not be judged by the Law they did not have.
They will still die for their sins. But they won’t be judged by the standard of the Mosaic Law. 

Not having the Law means they won’t be judged by the Law. But not having the Law also means they can’t be saved by the One to whom the Law bears witness. So, don’t think that Gentiles who don’t have the law are any better off. 

DISSERVICE?

If that were the case, we do a disservice to take the gospel to anyone! But we know that’s not true. 

Romans 5:12-14. Sin was indeed the world before the law was given. But sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned form Adam to Moses. Death reigned without the law. 

So, Gentiles, while they might not have the written law, they still perish. They are still far from God. They are still far from life — because they are far from the One who is life. 

But while Gentiles perish apart from the law, those who possess the law will be judged by the law. 

VERSE 12B – JUDGED BY THE LAW

Verse 12. 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.

MERE POSSESSION SAVES NOT

The mere possession of the law saves no one. Having the law does not automatically put one in favor with God. Nor does having the law necessarily lead to a more favorable judgment. 

GREATER RESPONSIBILITY

In fact, the judgment of those who have the law bear a greater responsibility and will face a stricter judgment. (Consider James 3:1.)

Luke 12:47. Jesus says of the servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

ADVANTAGE

Having the law can be a tremendous advantage — but the law itself saves no one. The advantage is that the law shows sin to be sin — and our need for a Savior. The Law also bears witness (Romans 3:21) to the gospel — and specifically to God’s gift of grace in Christ — the coming One. But the law doesn’t save anyone.

Gentiles do not need a Bible to make them guilty before God. (This is exactly what Paul argued in Romans 1.)
But for those who know and have the Law — knowing and having offers no protection — no covering.
But it does point to the covering where true protection may be found.

FOR DOING NOT MERELY HEARING

The Law is not for hearing but for doing. The purpose of hearing the law is to do it.
Verse 13. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

First: It’s not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God.

ROLLING STOP

For many of us, it’s been a while since we took the test for our driver’s license. For some of you, it’s been in the past couple years. 

We all know what we’re supposed to do when we come to a stop sign. But let’s say, for whatever reason, you roll through the stop sign. And some blue lights come on. So, you pull over. While the officer is approaching, you’re thinking of your defense. Officer, I know. I ran the stop sign.

Well, says the officer, in that case, since you know the law, don’t worry about it. Stop signs are for those who don’t know the law.
Not at all. Knowing the law makes you all the more responsible to do the law.

DOERS JUSTIFIED

It’s not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 

Justified means to be declared righteous. It’s those who actually do the law — uphold and fulfill the law — who will be justified. 

GOSPEL CONTRADICTION?

This goes back to verse 6, that God will judge each person according to his works. Which raises the question — if it is the doers of the law who will be justified, doesn’t that contradict the gospel? Doesn’t Paul go on to say in chapter 3 (3:20) that by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

TECHNICAL

Well, let’s get a bit technical with the grammar here in verse 13. What verse 13 does not say — it does not say that those who do the works of the law will be justified by their works — but that it is the doers of the law who will be justified. Justified how? 

The text doesn’t actually say in this particular verse. But it does recognize that justification will take place for those who genuinely uphold the law. Ultimately, the doers of the law will be justified by their faith, but that faith by which they are justified is never alone — it’s a faith that does.

Far from contradicting the gospel by suggesting that salvation and justification is by doing the works of the law — the doers of verse 13 fulfill the gospel. As Paul asks in Romans 3:31. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

FAITH THAT DOES JUSTIFIES

It’s the faith that produces doing that justifies the believer before God.
Faith that merely hears justifies no one. 

Information and intellectual assent makes one no better than a demon. Even the demons believe — yet they tremble. True faith, however, trusts and obeys. 

This is not gaining salvation through law keeping.
It’s law keeping that flows from salvation.

To be merely a hearer of the law — a hearer of God’s Word — and think that somehow means you are right with God is to deceive yourself. 

JAMES 1:22

Or as James 1:22 says: Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

HEARERS OR DOERS

So, we must each ask ourselves. Are we merely hearers of the law — hearers of God’s Word. We come in Sunday by Sunday — maybe even Wednesdays too. 

Hearing the Word — and failing to respond appropriately to the Word by conforming your life to it is a dangerous place to be. But if we are truly doers of the Word — not perfectly — but as we looked at last week, there’s a clear change in direction in which we are ordering our lives according to what our Lord commands — we can have confidence before the Lord that we are among those who will be justified when we stand before the throne.

Perhaps, up till now, you’ve only been a hearer. Ask yourself, “Why? Why is it that you listen to the Word, but continue not to trust the Lord so as to obey Him?”

You can put an end to that today. You can start following Jesus today. But you’ll only do that if you see His worthiness — that he is worthy to be followed. 

THOSE WITHOUT ACCESS — NOT TRULY WITHOUT

So, back to our earlier question: How can God judge those, condemn those, leave those to perish who have never heard His Word? What about those who don’t have access to the Bible? Who don’t have access to the Gospel? How can God rightly judge them and hold them accountable. 

Even though they might not have the written Word — the written law code — they are not without God’s law. And they prove such in two ways: by many of their actions and by their conflicting conscience.

VERSE 14

Verse 14. For when Gentiles who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

While not possessing the written Law of Moses, the Gentiles are not without the law entirely. 

We could retrace Paul’s arguments in Romans 1:18-32. Everyone knows! Why? Because God has made it plain to them. 

NOT ENTIRELY LAWLESS

Here, Paul points out that Gentiles prove they are not entirely lawless. Which raises the question: where does law even come from? Surely man would never place himself under any law that somehow stands as a barrier to many of his fleshly desires. The fact that there are any laws at all is evidence of a Law-Giver. 

THE THINGS OF THE LAW

But Paul’s argument here goes further than the mere existence of law among Gentiles. He says that there are times when Gentiles do the things of the law. 

Pause. Paul is not saying that unbelieving Gentiles uphold the Law.
What the text actually says is that Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things of the law. 

While no unbeliever truly loves the one true God, many if not most believe parents should be honored, and that it’s wrong to murder, commit adultery, steal, and bear false witness. They do aspects of the law. They promote the things of the law — not all — but some.

DOING PART VERSUS KEEPING

Let’s be clear. Doing the things of the law is far from keeping the law. 

At judgment, the Judge doesn’t charge you for the things of the law in which you did, but the aspects of the law you broke — you transgressed.

The criminal is tried for his infractions of the law — not for his observances of the law. He’s not charged for his compliance but for his infringement of the law.

ILLUSTRATION: MURDER RESTRAINED?

A murderer doesn’t come before the court and present as his defense — Your honor, if you would notice how many times I didn’t murder anyone. Look at how many people I have yet to harm. How many days I have restrained myself from harming anyone. 

That’s not how justice works.

JUST THIS ONCE

Now, I get it. Murder is a bit extreme. But it helps bring the point home. Because adultery, theft, bearing false witness — tend to be more easily passed over in our society — as “It was just this once.” — as if that makes it excusable.

And sadly, our society is beginning to treat violent crimes and murder this way. 

EVEN SEARED CONSCIENCES

But everyone knows the wrongness. How do we know that? Because even the most extreme and hardened individual — whose conscience is seared — who has been branded by the devil himself — who celebrates the murder of another — celebrating even the anniversary of another person’s death —

When the trespass is against them or their loved ones, they want justice. They recognize the wrong when it happens to them. They know! And they prove that they know! They — even they — “do the things of the law” in calling certain actions wrong — or even evil.

DOING INSUFFICIENT TO SAVE

But doing the things of the law is insufficient to save anyone.
Again, borrowing from James 2:10. Whoever keeps the whole law — yet stumbles in just one point — is liable for the whole of it.

LAW TO THEMSELVES

By doing the things of the law, Gentiles — while they do not possess the written code — they are a law to themselves.

By saying that they are a law to themselves — Paul is not saying they are their own law as in they just make up their own rules as they go. The idea here is not that of “follow your heart.” Rather, Paul is saying the exact opposite — that Gentiles are confronted with the very law of God — and that they display this in many of their judgments and actions. Paul’s saying that even though they don’t possess the written law, they still have a copy of the law in some measure.

REMNANT OF A COPY

First half of verse 15. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. A copy of God’s law — or we might say a remnant of the copy of God’s law — is found on the heart of every man and woman.

Why do I say a remnant of a copy of God’s law? Well, notice what Paul does not say. He does not say that the law is written on their hearts. But the work of the law is written is written on their hearts. 

RESERVED EXPRESSIONS

Expressions such as “fulfilling the law” and “the law written upon the heart” are reserved for a state of heart far beyond that which describes unbelieving Gentiles.

NOT A DIFFERENT LAW

This work of the law is not a different law. Both the law written on tablets of stone and the work of the law still imprinted upon the hearts of men are of the same law — the law of God. 

It’s the same law that confronts both the Jew and Gentile. The difference is the means of revelation and the degree of specificity. But the source of the law is the same. Both are from the One and Same Lawgiver.

ATTEMPTED ERASURE

That it is merely the work of the law that is written on the heart shows a willful attempt to erase this law. (Again, that’s Romans 1 — the suppression of the truth.) But try as man may, he cannot fully erase or remove the law of God from within him. 

ILLUSTRATION: Palimpsest – (scrape again)

HALEY: SLIDE

In ancient and medieval times, writing materials such as parchment were expensive and scarce. (Parchments were made from animal skins — such as sheep, goats, and calves — due to their durability. These skins were scraped and treated to produce a smooth strong medium — or sheet — for writing.)

Because of the cost and work to produce such writing mediums, it became common to reuse them. But unlike our number 2 lead pencils and erasures, they had to re-scrape the skins in order to remove the writing. These re-scraped parchments became known as palimpsest (παλίμψηστος – which means scraped again.)

But this erasing process wasn’t entirely effective. The original work — the original writing could often be distinguished under the newer writing.

(Approximately 20% of ancient New Testament manuscripts are palimpsests — where the parchment was scraped over and repurposed.)

WRITE OVER

In a similar way, fallen man has sought to erase and write over God’s law. But the work of the law remains. Try as man may, he cannot fully erase the imprint of God’s law from his heart. The law may be marred — but the work of the law remains.

CONSCIENCE

Which takes us to conscience:

Verse 15. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.

TWO WITNESSES

One witness that the Gentiles are not entirely without law is that there are times when they do the things of the law. The other witness is their own conscience. So, there’s a public witness and a private witness. 

FORCIBLE TESTIMONY

What more forcible a testimony is there than the conscience. Calvin says that the human conscience is equal to a thousand witnesses. 

When man does good, his conscience testifies, and he is comforted. When a man does evil, his conscience testifies, and he is inwardly harassed and tormented.

FALLIBLE YET INDESTRUCTIBLE

Now, Paul is not suggesting that in anyway that the human conscience is infallible. 

Nevertheless, the human conscience is evidence of our indestructible moral nature. And that nature had to be implanted from something other than ourselves. 

There’s no way man would subject himself to such a moral witness that so often stands against his desires and his peace. 

But try as we may, we cannot free ourselves from the conscience. — And loved ones, that’s a good thing. It’s a good thing that God does not allow us to be at ease in our sin…

CONFLICTING THOUGHTS

Notice that Paul says that their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. The thrust is that: We seek to reason for our actions, all the while our conscience stands as a witness against — or even at times — for us. In other words, the conscience at times plays the role of the prosecution, and at other times, the conscience plays the role of the defense.

ACQUITTAL BY CONSCIENCE?

Which raises a question. Is Paul saying that it’s possible for unbelieving Gentiles who do not have the law, by their conscience bearing witness for them — that is — excusing them or defending them — that they will be acquitted before God on the day of judgment based on their conscience? 

ABIMELECH

I think Abimelech, in Genesis 20, provides a helpful case study for us to answer that question. Abimelech was a pagan king who took Abraham’s wife Sarah to be his own. But he did so, believing Sarah was Abraham’s sister, not Abraham’s wife. 

And the Lord comes to Abimelech in a dream and says, Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for she is another man’s wife.

Now, Abimelech had not approached Sarah. And he asks the Lord, Will you kill an innocent people? Did not Abraham says to me, “She is my sister?” and she herself say, “He is my brother/” In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.

How does God respond? Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart — and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore, I did not let you touch her.

DEFENDED

Abimelech’s conscience defended his actions in taking Sarah as his wife. But get this. Now that the Lord has made known the truth as to Sarah being Abraham’s wife, if Abimelech failed to respond appropriately to this new information, he would then be guilty. 

But something more, Abimelech’s conscience defended him on this one incident. At final judgment, there will be far more incidents for which Abimelech will give an account. And it’s doubtful that his conscience will defend him for them all — or even for most.

And the same is true with all of us. How many times have we sinned against conscience? We aren’t judged for that which we are truly innocent of, but that for which we are guilty.

VERSE 16

Last verse. Verse 16.
while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when according to my gospel God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

MY GOSPEL?

A couple things. First, what does Paul mean by my gospel? Is Paul suggesting, well, you know, you have your version of the gospel, and I have mine. So, whatever the gospel means to you, go with that.
Not at all. Recall that in the very first verses of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he tells his readers that God set him apart for the gospel — but not just any gospel — the gospel of God. 

Paul speaks / writes as a servant of God — proclaiming the one true gospel. This is the gospel he preaches. This is the only gospel that can save.

GOOD NEWS OF JUDGMENT

But get this. This gospel also entails judgment.
How often is that left out?
According to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men.

We tend to think mercy good, judgment bad. And we react that way, because we know we are sinners. But I assure you, God failing to judge, God failing to execute judgment is by no means good news. It is good news that God will judge the wicked. The question is: will it be good news for you?

WILL IT BE GOOD NEWS FOR YOU?

Will it be good news for you when God judges the secrets of men?
By secrets, Paul’s not merely referring to the thoughts and intentions of the heart, though they are certainly included. But secrets here refer to every deed done outside the public’s view. Those deeds may be hidden from others, but they aren’t hidden from God. He sees them all. And all will be disclosed on the day of judgment. Nothing will remain hidden.

Quote: What man is when he is alone before God, that he is and nothing more.

TERRIFY IF NOT FOR WHO THE JUDGE IS

Judging the secrets of men should terrify everyone! Except for one thing … the Judge himself — Christ Jesus — is not only Judge but also Savior. 

Now before breathing a sigh of relief —
knowing that Jesus is Judge should only comfort you if you are actually in Christ. Revelation paints a terrifying picture of this slain Lamb who sits as Judge. 

Revelation 6:16. Many will cry out to the mountains, Fall on us and hide us … from the wrath of the Lamb.

FULLY EXPOSED

Whether the written law on tablets of stone, or the work of the law imprinted on hearts of stone, the secrets of men will be judged according to the law revealed to them — the truth available to them — regardless of how much they might suppress it. All will be disclosed. Nothing will remain hidden — because God always judges according to truth. 

EVIDENCE AND ASSURANCE

What evidence is there that you are in Christ? That you have died to self, and your life is hidden in Christ? 

John offers us some assurance. 1 John 3:19-21.
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him. John wants us to know whether we are of the truth that we might have assurance. Now he’s going to lay out two possibilities. 

CONDEMNING HEART

Verse 20. For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
Many have recently taken this verse to mean the exact opposite of what it means, suggesting, don’t worry about whether your conscience condemns you or not, because God is greater than whatever your heart may feel. But is that what John is expressing here? I don’t think so. I think John is perfectly in line with Romans 2. 

GOD IS GREATER

If your conscience condemns you, how much more will God, who is greater than your conscience — who sees even those secrets hidden from your conscience. 

Calvin on this verse: If our heart condemns us, it proves that we possess in vain, the name and appearance of Christians. For any condemned by his own heart, much less can he escape the judgment of God. When John says that God is greater than our hearts, he says that in reference to judgment — because God sees more keenly than we do. 

Every earlier commentary on this verse takes the same view. Which is why John doesn’t stop there. 

CONFIDENCE

Verse 21. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God. 

We cannot expect to have assurance of salvation, so long as our hearts condemn us — and why would our hearts condemn us? Well, most likely because we are living against God’s law. Grace hasn’t impacted us. Grace hasn’t softened our hearts to make them malleable so that they conform to God’s standard — who is Christ.

What we need our new hearts — hearts of flesh — not with the faded work of the law upon them — but God’s very law written upon them — and His Spirit so that we delight in that law in our inner being.

With new hearts and God’s law plainly written, we will truly follow Jesus. And our hearts won’t condemn us — granting us confidence before God.

EVERY EFFORT APPROVED

So, loved ones, we must make every effort to present ourselves to God as those approved — those who aren’t mere hearers of the Word but doers. 

Or as our tenets of the Gospel — the Westminster Confession chapter 18 says: It is the duty of everyone to be very diligent in making his calling and election sure…

If your conscience is convicting you now. Praise God!
You need not remain there. 1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. 

REPENTANCE

You don’t need to put a certain amount of time between you and your last sin, so that your conscience can set that sin aside, and you can feel better about yourself. 

What you need is to turn to Jesus. True repentance leads to true assurance. And you can have that now.

SAMSON’S PRAYER

Last week in class, we looked at Samson. Samson cast off every grace and advantage given to him — because he didn’t want to be devoted to God as a Nazarene. He wanted to be like every other man. But do you remember how we wrapped up. 

Amid such failure and sin, Samson finds himself imprisoned in a pagan temple. And while Samson’s prayer was one of the weaker prayers found in Scripture — God heard, and He restored Samson.
The Lord hears the cry of his servants — not only in times of desperate need — but in the wake of great failure. Maybe your sin has found you imprisoned in pagan temple. Cry out.

SYMPATHETIC HIGH PRIEST AND JUDGE

The Judge — Jesus Christ — he is not unaware of the temptations. God hasn’t appointed a judge who is not intimately aware of our human experience and weakness. But one who can sympathize with our weakness — who has been tempted in every way we have — yet without sin. 

QUALIFIED TO JUDGE — AND SAVE

Because of that, Jesus is most qualified to judge everyone impartially. And he is most qualified to save.

It will be of no use to say before the Judge that I believed and professed. The only evidence that matters is a transformed life — a change in direction from a life that was once self-seeking to a life that is God-seeking. Without that evidence, we shall be condemned as frauds. So, we are saved entirely by grace — but will be judged entirely by our works.

It’s the direction, not the perfection of our lives that provide the evidence of our faith. But that direction will be most obvious.

  Romans 2:7-10

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing to look at Paul’s indictment against humanity — which isn’t merely Paul’s but God’s through the Holy Spirit. 

The point of this section — especially that of chapter 2 — is to show that all are in need of repentance without exception — regardless of lineage — whether being born in the family line of Abraham, or even Israel, or being among any religious group.

Why? Well, Paul will sum up his case with these words.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

All are therefore in need of salvation — a great salvation — and hence all are in need of a great Savior — namely Jesus Christ.

And all are in need of repentance. This great salvation is only received through faith and repentance — which as you’ve likely often heard are two sides of the same coin. True faith repents. 

So, for review — what is repentance?
We can describe it as a change in direction. And that’s tremendously helpful, so long as we understand that there are ultimately only two directions —
— a godly direction versus an ungodly direction
— a direction toward true glory versus vain glory
— lasting honor versus lasting shame
— life in its fullest sense versus that of mere existence and death
— peace versus hostility

REPENTANCE – TURN

The Hebrew word for repentance — a very simple word — שׁוּב(shuv) — means to turn — or return. 

In the Garden, mankind turned from God. The call ever since has been for mankind to returnto God. 

But how? How could we possibly return to God in the Garden? We have sinned, and our sin is great. For us to return, doesn’t that mean death?

Isn’t that why the cherubim bear a flaming sword? 

But understand this. A failure to return to God in the Garden is to continue in death. A failure to return to God in the Garden is a failure to return to Life — because the Tree of Life is only to be found with God in the Garden. 

And yes, to return to the Garden does mean death. It means death to our old selves and our waywardness. And only through such a death will any of us know the fullness of life. Sounds utterly paradoxical, I know. But the deceit of the serpent has turned our thinking upside down. God’s Word, illuminated by the Spirit, gazing upon Christ, restores clarity, so we might again find life.

[ILLUSTRATION?]

Now, if we’re called to repentance, isn’t it helpful to know what repentance looks like? 

If we’re going to be judged according to our works — as we looked at last week, wouldn’t we want to know what works will ultimately render us life — and what works ultimately end in death? 

Well, that’s exactly what Paul addresses in these verses — particularly v.7-10.

READ: Romans 2:6-11

STRUCTURE

First, let’s address the structure of this paragraph. I mentioned it in passing last week, but here’s why it’s important: it will help us better understand the two different paths people are on, and it will help us to see more clearly the contrasts between those paths.

Chiastic structure — or some refer to it as inverted parallelism:
A – B – C – C – B – A

Paul begins with God’s impartial judgment
— and then we have the two categories of people
those who do good and their reward
followed by those who do evil and their reward

Then in reverse order, Paul backtracks by restating these ideas again but filling in important details

We have again, the two categories in reverse order this time:

The reward for those who do evil — Jew first and also the Greek
The reward for those who do good — Jew first and also the Greek
Closing with God’s impartial judgment

VERSE 7

We’ll focus primarily on verse 7, and compare and contrast that with the other verses.

Verse 7. To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

The word patience carries the idea of perseverance and endurance. The phrase — patience in well-doing— then is perhaps a bit clearer translated those who by perseverance in good works. 

God is going to give to each one according to their works — so Paul begins with category 1 — the category each of us should want to find ourselves in — those who persevere in good works. Not those who have done some good works here or there and are banking on yesterday’s righteousness. (We’ll return to why that matters — but for now — the point is direction, not perfection.)

DEFINING GOOD WORKS BY PURSUIT

So, Paul, what does persevering in good works look like? Interestingly, Paul doesn’t say here: feed the poor, clothe the naked, visit the sick, help your neighbor, be kind, speak the truth in love, or any of those more tangible ideas of what we might constitute as good works. (Not that these aren’t important; they are.)

But instead, what Paul addresses is that this group, who by perseverance in good works seek for glory and honor and immortality.

In other words, whatever these good works look like, they are a pursuit of something greater than the works themselves. They are a pursuit of glory and honor and immortality.

[Illustration: LEAP! The heart behind why we do what we do.]

BUT DOESN’T THE WORLD SEEK AFTER THESE THINGS

The most obvious question regarding verse 7 would be: Doesn’t the world seek after these things? Doesn’t the world pursue glory and honor and immortality. Isn’t that what the average person yearns for and gives themselves to in some measure?

Paul, if that’s what defines those who do good, it sounds like everyone gets an A on this one. Don’t they?

AUTHORIAL INTENT

But it might help to remind ourselves regarding authorial intent. The text doesn’t mean whatever we might be able to make it mean. The text means what the author intends. That is the number one rule of interpretation. How do we find out what the author intends? We look at the context of the words. That’s rule number 2 of interpretation. 

We don’t have to look very far for the context to correct any suggestion that the glory, honor, and immortality described here is not the glory, honor, and immortality most people seek for themselves. 

This is why we looked at the structure. 

GLORY

Let’s begin with glory.
Verse 7 — those who seek for glory — is contrasted with verse 8 — those who are self-seeking.

So, glory and honor and immortality must fit in Paul’s context and the overall biblical context as to how God would define true glory, true honor, and true immortality.

In the Garden, God bestowed man with incredible glory — the greatest glory that could be bestowed upon a creature — mankind was fashioned in God’s likeness to reflect the glorious One.

But mankind was unpleased with such a call and sought what they believed would be a greater glory. And in doing so, now mankind lacks the glory of God. Isn’t that Romans 3:23? For all have sinned and fall short — or literally — lack the glory of God. 

Why? Because instead of resting in God’s glory, man sought a separate glory of his own. In the Garden, mankind lost his original God-given glory. And has failed to seek that glory ever since. Instead, man seeks a different sort of glory — an empty glory, a vain glory, a perishing glory.

Why? John 12:43. For they love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

LASTING GLORY

This is why I opened with repentance being a turning back to God in the Garden. Because the only way this glory is recovered is by putting aside our selfish pursuits and pursuing the One in whom true glory is not only found but abounds.

VAIN GLORY

While most seek for some measure of glory, the glory most pursue is a vain glory — a self-seeking glory. It will come up empty with nothing to show. All their self-seeking pursuits — will one day crumble. 

One’s best attempts to write their own name down in the history books — or set up monuments for themselves — they will be gravely disappointed. O how insignificant those monuments — even should they stand for a few thousand years — how insignificant they will look in light of eternity — and even more so, when the glorious Almighty rolls up the sky as a scroll, and His glorious presence overwhelms the whole of creation. 

How empty and pathetic those pursuits will be shown to be in God’s presence. 

CHRIS-LIKENESS

There’s only one glory that will last — the restored glory of reflecting God — the glory of pursuing Christ-likeness — who is the true radiance of the eternal God and the exact imprint of His nature.

Any good work that does not have that as its pursuit is not a good work according to God’s definition. Instead, they are vain, self-seeking, man-centered works. And will be rewarded accordingly.

HONOR

The same is true of honor. Rather than honor, when mankind determined to decide good and evil for himself, all it brought was dishonor — all it brought was shame. 

Again, seeking honor is contrasted with verse 8 — those who do not obey the truth. Literally, those who refuse to believe the truth. What honor is there in believing and holding onto a lie. 

We call such a person a fool. What sort of honor is there for a fool? 

Those who seek honor — true honor — are those who pursue truth. But o how the world loves to distort the truth in order to pursue it’s own desires and agenda.

ABORTION

Take the abortion issue — and those who are prochoice. If you listen to most who hold to this horrific position, they refuse to acknowledge that the baby in the womb being put to death is a human being. They look for other words to define the baby, but whatever they do, they refuse to come out and acknowledge the truth that what is actually going on when a woman seeks an abortion is that she’s seeking to kill her baby. We call that murder.

GENDER

Take the trans issue. This is one of the most obvious distortions of the truth in our day. Not that same-sex relations aren’t also a distortion. Supporters of both of these have to deny the obvious truth of nature itself. 

SHAME AND DISHONOR

No one actually pursues dishonor. But the honor they pursue, the honor of the public, the honor of their peers, is an honor that will perish. At judgment day, those who refuse to believe the truth will face everlasting shame.

But those who pursue the honor that comes from God alone — How? By seeking to honor Him in all they do — they will not be put to shame on the day of judgment. Instead, they will be honored by the Lord Himself before all of creation.

IMMORTALITY

Those who by perseverance in good works seek for glory and honor and immortality.

This last one, immortality, like the other two, raises the question:
Paul, what sort of sane person doesn’t seek for immortality?

Well, everyone — or at least most — seek to avoid death. Many would prefer to continue their existence rather than face the grave. But that’s not exactly what Paul is referring to here. 

INCORRUPTIBLE

This word — immortality — refers to that which is incorruptible or imperishable. It’s not that it’s mere existence continues — but that it’s purity and fullness of existence doesn’t fade in the least.
In other words, immortality and incorruptible go hand in hand. When something becomes corrupted, it fades into something less than what it was until what it was is no longer recognizable; it becomes something utterly different. Corruption and death go together.

Not only was man fashioned with glory and honor, but man was made without corruption. When God made man, He made both man and woman perfectly good. 

It’s not that God made mankind without the potential to become corrupted should man sin. But mankind was made without corruption.

ILLUSTRATION

Steel, so long as it is covered won’t rust. Timbers under the roof and within the walls of a house won’t rot. But leave either — steel or wood — out in the harsh elements of this fallen world, they will rust and rot — corrode and decay.

In the Garden, under the shade of God’s glorious presence, man would remain uncorrupted. But when sin entered the world, man lost his glorious covering and was found naked, and corruption immediately set in. 

ADAM AND EVE

Adam and Eve weren’t made corrupted — though they were given the potential to become corrupt. But get this. They never needed to become corrupt. They never needed to die. 

What brought death? Their refusal to reflect the incorruptible One — by seeking something that was not theirs for the taking. 

They bought into the lie — you won’t surely die — when eating meant exactly that — it meant death — it meant letting go of immortality — letting go of life itself.

Only God is eternal. As such, immortality is to be found only in Him — not outside Him — not seeking to have a life apart from Him. 

TABERNACLE

We’ve been walking through Exodus on Wednesday nights — and we’re currently studying the God’s instructions to Moses concerning the tabernacle. 

Something interesting about the articles used is the more precious the materials for the Holy Places versus those materials on the outside. 

Exodus 26 — just consider the coverings of the tabernacle. The inner fabric was made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns. Then over that you have curtains of goat’s hair. After that you have tanned ram skins — and last of all is a covering of goatskins. 

HOLINESS INCOMPATIBLE WITH DEATH

One thing to be gleaned from this is that holiness is incompatible with death. There’s no death involved in the fine twined linen and yarn. But then you have goats hair — which is a little closer to death — although it does not require the death of a beast to get its hair. But then you have the skins. You can’t take the hide of a beast and it still live. Death and holiness are incompatible.

The same was true of the Garden. Corruption could not remain in the Holy Place of the Garden. Corruption is incompatible — not only with holiness but with life.

IMMORTALITY VS. UNRIGHTEOUSNESS

When we recognize the connection between immortality and corruption, we see how those who seek immortality in verse 7 contrasts with those who obey unrighteousness in verse 8 — literally those who are persuaded by unrighteousness.

Unrighteousness brings corruption which brings death — not life. 

In mankind’s self-seeking bent, they refuse to believe the truth, and are instead convinced that unrighteousness will bring them the happiness, satisfaction, and life they so desire. But it won’t. Indeed, it can’t. 

Living contrary to God’s ways can never bring about life.

REWARDS

Let’s look at the rewards.
To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

What’s the reward for pursuing good? Eternal life. Eternal life as God defines it. 

Every soul will continue from conception into eternity. So, like immortality, eternal life must mean more than mere existence — because those in verse 8 who are self-seeking, for the most part, seek to live — seek to keep their current lives for as long as possible. 

But, as Jesus says, whoever will save his life will lose it.

So, what is eternal life. John 17:3 is one of my favorite places to go for understanding what eternal life is. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Knowing God — the eternal One — rightly and intimately — that is life. That is what we were created for — WHO we were created for.

Or as Samuel read for us from Deuteronomy 30. I have set before you life and death… Therefore chose life… loving the Lord you God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him. Why? For he is your life and length of days. The Lord Himself is your life. 

SAME REWARD

Understanding what this reward is — eternal life — enjoying God Himself in Christ — helps us to better understand this next important point. That God judges and repays each one according to his works does not necessarily entail that there are a variety of different rewards. 

For those in this first category — those who persist in doing good — the reward is the same — eternal life. There is one reward — summarized as ETERNAL LIFE and all that it encompasses. 

You know Jesus’ parable about the laborers in the vineyard. Some worked longer, some came in later. But all received what? All received the same wages. All received the same reward for their labors. 

(Now, we want to be careful in how we understand this. And I’ve covered it before. We also have to take into account, for example, Jesus parables on the minas, and Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 3 about building upon the foundation, and if it work does not burn up, he will receive a reward. But I believe the best way to understand those is not that there is some greater reward than what is described here by the phrase eternal life. But that the reward is made all the sweeter when we bring others along with us. 

In other words, Jesus himself is the Pearl of Great Price worth selling everything for. But Jesus’ infinite worth is sufficient to share with all. And it only serves to increase one’s joy in bringing others along to enjoy Jesus with you.

But ultimately — the reward is one — it is the same for all — eternal life.

TWO SELF-SEEKING APPLICATIONS

There are two important applications regarding this. Our self-seeking bent — and the self-seeking bent of those in verse 8 don’t like this at all. Those who are self-seeking don’t like the idea that those who seem to have worked less and came into the vineyard later would receive the same reward as us when we’ve labored longer and harder.

LEAST I CAN DO OR BELIEVE

The flip side of this — which also deals with our self-seeking tendencies — is what I’ve heard from some as the: what’s the least I can do approach. 

Or, I remember when Jenny and I first started following Christ, the church we were going to at the time — What's the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian? by Martin Thielen.

Listen loved ones. That’s a dangerous approach.
Those seeking what’s the least I can believe, or what’s the least I can do to get into heaven so I don’t have to go to hell, are not those who are pursuing glory and honor and immortality as Paul outlines them here in Romans 2:7. 

LEAST I CAN FOLLOW

That’s like asking Jesus: I know you said whoever seeks to save his current life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it, but just how much hyperbole are you using. I mean, how much of my life can I hold onto. How much of my own cross do I really have to take up and carry. How far do I really have to follow you?

Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy in such people. Remember the guy who said, Lord, I will follow you wherever you go? What was Jesus reply? Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. In other words, Jesus is asking, “Really? Will you really follow me wherever I go?”

The self-seeking man of verse 8 balks at both — the reward and the cost of the reward — and both of these will leave one far from God who is the joy of heaven itself. Such a person doesn’t have their hope set on Christ.

INSURANCE POLICY?

For them, Jesus is nothing more than an insurance policy. 

You know what you do with your insurance policy? I’ll tell you what I don’t do. I don’t pull out my insurance policy — pouring over it line by line — rejoicing over it — and being brought to my knees in worship over it. I have no affection for my insurance policies at all. They are kept in a file. And I hope I never need them!

How belittling it is to the eternal Son of God to treat Him like an insurance policy. But that’s what many who profess to believe do. He’s tucked away as a file in their mind, as they go about their own selfish pursuits — all the while hoping they never actually need him. 

TREASURE

But if Jesus is your treasure — your reward — that changes everything.
But we’ll only be motivated to press on in this pursuit of glory, honor, and life if we are looking forward to Him!

Do you gaze upon Him in the Word — pouring over this glorious Book God so graciously gave us that we might know Him? Is your delight found in Him. Do you seek to have your affections stirred for Him?

SELF-SEEKING

Where those who persevere in doing good can expect life, those who are self-seeking are promised wrath.

Verses 8 and 9. But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek.

We’re not going to retrace the details here. 

But what I want us to see is that self-seeking heads off the list of the evil person — not the fact that they do not obey the truth but give themselves over to unrighteousness. Why does this matter? 

ESSENCE OF SIN - SELF

Because self is the essence of sin — all sin is self-seeking. The others flow from this selfish bent — this covetous bent — this worship of the self.

From that flows the refusal to believe the truth and to be persuaded that unrighteousness will somehow be more satisfying than obeying and trusting God. The evil-doer is ultimately the one who self-seeking. (See that in verse 9, the compliment of verse 8?) Self-seeking is the opposite of God-seeking. All evil flows from this disease called pride. And it is nothing to celebrate, but mourn.

ETERNAL RECOMPENSE

And then the reward for self-seeking: wrath, and fury, tribulation, and distress. 

Why these four terms, and how do they relate to one another?
John Murray is helpful.
Wrath and indignation describe the retribution of the ungodly in terms of the displeasure of God to which [the self-seeking] are subjected.
Tribulation and distress (or anguish) describe the ungodly’s punishment in terms of their experience.

PEACE

But, verse 10, there will be glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.

Notice how Paul substituted peace for immortality. That’s an interesting exchange. But when we understand that peace with God is the only means to life, it makes perfect sense. If you are truly seeking immortality according to how God defines it, you will seek peace with God. And those who genuinely seek peace with the One True God will find it. 

You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.

PRIORITY OF THE JEW

And finally, notice that the priority of both the punishment but also the promise is applied first to the Jew and then to the Greek or Gentile. 

JEWS AND GENTILES INCLUDED

Part of the point here is that the gospel hasn’t excluded the Jewish people. There are many who continue to suggest that God has a separate plan for Israel. But you won’t find that in Paul. Rather, Paul says just the opposite. The gospel and all it offers is the promise made to Israel — for those of Israel who receive it. But rejecting the gospel carries consequences, just as rejecting God’s other promises came with consequences. 

And this is important too. The gospel is also for the Gentiles. The promises were never for Israel alone — but were given through Israel. We’ll look at this closer in weeks to come. But for now, Romans 3:2 — The Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful. Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God. By no means.

TWO GROUPS

Everyone falls in one of these groups. This alone is the fundamental division of the human race.
Not Jew and Gentile.
But God seeking versus self-seekng
His glory versus your glory
Obeying the truth versus believing a lie
Seeking His righteousness versus seeking unrighteousness
Pursuing good according to God’s standard versus pursuing evil by doing what’s right in your own eyes 

NO STRADDLING

Your life will bear this out — whether you belong to Him or not. Many try to have it both ways — straddle the fence (as Matt shared last week.)

NATIONAL ICON

A national icon passed a week ago — one who received the world’s praises — an individual whom the world suggests was “good with God and ushered directly into heaven.” 

THE TRUE JUDGE

Well, I’m not the Judge. But get this. Neither is the world.

It’s not those whom the world smiles upon who enter the kingdom of heaven, but those whom God smiles upon with the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Those who live contrary to God’s revealed truth, who take stances and promote worldviews contrary to God’s clear Word, show that it’s not God whom they trust — at least not the God of Scripture. 

Worldly philanthropy doesn’t make God pleased with me. God desires obedience, not sacrifice. Why? Because obedience is the fruit of faith. 

Group A isn’t hypothetical — but those who have been transformed and transferred from Group B to Group A by the Spirit.

DIRECTION NOT PERFECTION

It’s important to note that those who do good are not described as being perfected, as if there is no longer any sin in their lives. The point is direction not perfection. We see that in verse 7 — to those who persevere in good works — so there’s a perseverance — and who seek for — they are in pursuit of — they haven’t yet attained it but are pursuing. 

Rewarded according to works doesn’t suggest that us believers get what we deserve. We are saved by grace, not our works. 

So, why judgment according to works? 

At judgment, the full disclosure of our lives will accurately reflect and prove whether we are in Christ. 

We are saved by grace and grace alone. But we will be judged entirely by our works — for saving grace works in the believer to produce the fruit of good works.

CHRIST

Now, most of the time, since Jesus is the One we want to emulate and reflect,  I try to show how Jesus fulfills expectation of every passage perfectly.

But in going to the cross, it didn’t seem like Jesus was seeking immortality — but death. Jesus came to die, didn’t he?

From an outsider’s perspective — it would seem that either Jesus failed or he wasn’t pursuing the glory and honor and immortality Paul is calling us to. But is that truly the case?

Hebrews 12 describes Jesus’ pursuit like this: for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Jesus wasn’t pursuing death. Death holds no joy. He was pursuing his greatest joy — found at his Father’s side. 

He despised the shame. He despised the shame of death. He despised the shame of bearing our sin. He despised the shame of being forsaken by His Father. He despised the shame of nakedness and it seeming as if the enemy had one. 

O but bearing this shame was the road to glory and honor and life in the fullest sense. And it was the price Jesus paid to purchase life for us.

Love ones, that is the pursuit — glory and honor and life — and to be rid of this present corruption — both in the world — and all the more in ourselves. 

CONCLUSION

The promise is not for those who have achieved perfection but for those whose lives are obviously headed in that direction — those who seek for glory and honor and life. And when you seek for something, you head where? You head in the direction you believe it to be. 

Jesus has told us the direction. Follow me.

INTRODUCTION

READ: Romans 2:6-11

CHIASM / INVERSION

Obvious chiastic structure: A,B,C,C,B,A.
Today, we’ll focus on verse 6 and 11, the outer brackets, as they parallel one another. Verse 11, God shows no partiality. As such, verse 6, he will judge everyone by the same criteria — according to their works. 

CONTEXT: DAY OF WRATH FOR THE IMPENITENT

Must keep in mind where this falls in Paul’s articulation of the gospel.

Most immediately, verse 5, he warned that those who are impenitent, those who fail to see their own need for repentance, are storing up wrath for themselves on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 

But this day when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed is not merely a day of wrath. It is the day of final judgment for all — the day when all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and receive the rewards for the works done in the body.

It’s a day of wrath for many, but not wrath for all. It’s not a day of wrath for those in Christ. Nevertheless, it’s still a day of judgment in which the righteous will receive their reward.

Look down at verse 16. On that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. It’s one day — one event. (And we can see this throughout the New Testament.)

In other words, the day of wrath for the impenitent — or unrepentant — is also the day in which the hopes of the repentant will be realized — those who heeded the warnings and believed the promises.

Which takes us to verse 6.

VERSE 6

He will render to each one according to his works:

First, let’s notice 4 features of this coming day of judgment. Then will address their implications and some concerns some raise about this particular verse.

1) The Judge: God Himself will carry out this judgment. He will render to each one according to his works. God doesn’t leave the judgment up to another. The omnipotent omniscient omnipresent holy God will Himself render each person’s judgment. 

2) The Certaintyof Judgment: That each person will be judged according to his works is certain. He will render or repay. Not, he might, but he will. This isn’t a hypothetical judgment, but what God says He Himself will do.

3) The Universalityof Judgment: this judgment is universal. He will render to each one. Each person will receive his just reward / recompense. No one is excluded from judgment. It’s universal.

4) The Criteriaof Judgment: the criteria by which everyone one will be judged is their deeds / works… according to his works. God’s not going to judge some by a different standard such as their ethnicity, their sex, their status, what they identify as — even if they choose to call themselves a Christian. Each person will be rewarded or repaid based on his or her works.

GOSPEL CONTRADICTION?

Now the first question that verse 6 often raises is: doesn’t this contradict the gospel? What happened to us being saved by grace through faith alone apart from works? Some accuse Paul of contradicting himself, as if the apostle has difficulty following his own argument. As if Paul hasn’t read the rest of his own letter or referenced his other letters.

I mean, sometimes my arguments are not as cogently articulated as they are in my mind. But this is the apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So, we can be confident that there is no contradiction.

HYPOTHETICAL JUDGMENTS

So, if this isn’t a contradiction, many have suggested that Paul is speaking hypothetically. That if it were possible for one to earn salvation by works, then God would reward them accordingly. But since it is impossible, this is merely a hypothetical statement Paul is making in order to prove that all are under sin, and that no one would want to be rewarded based on his or her works. 

For if God judges any based on works, who could possibly merit life? No one. So flee to Christ.

And we can see the attractiveness with this interpretation. It eliminates any apparent contradictions. It doesn’t call into question that salvation through faith alone apart from works. And many solid theologians hold to this interpretation.

But here’s my pushback on the view that Paul is speaking hypothetically. The text does not say that this is what God would do if He were to judge people on the basis of their works — but that this is what He actually will do. He will render to each one according to his works. 

There’s not even a hint of this being hypothetical. Moreover, if we interpret this concept as hypothetical here, then we are forced to figure how to do so with the resto of the New Testament that affirms judgment according to works. 

(Perhaps verse 14 may, but we’ll address that then. Why? Because to be honest, I don’t know. But I may by the time we get to it.)

RECONCILING THE TEXT

But first, if verse 6 isn’t a contradiction with the gospel itself, and if it isn’t hypothetical, then what are we to make of it? How do we reconcile what Paul will later write in 3:20 — For by works of the Law no human being will be justified in God’s sight, since through the Law comes knowledge of sin. How do we reconcile that with, He will judge each one according to his works?

WORKS OF FAITH, NOT OF LAW

Well, for one, rendering judgment according to works is not necessarily judgment rendering according to works of the law. Now that might seem like splitting hairs. But that’s actually much of Paul’s argument throughout this letter. The Law is holy and righteous and good. But the Law in incapable of saving.

Works of faith and works of the law are not the same. 

Listen to this from the end of Romans 9.
What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is a righteousness that is by faith. But that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but is if it were based on works. 

What sort of works? Works of the law versus works originating from faith.

REWARDED, NOT JUSTIFIED

The second important difference is that of justification and reward. (Justification is pronouncing one: Not Guilty.)

The text doesn’t say one will be justified by his works, but that he will be rewarded according to his works. 

Again, this is a small nuance, but nuances are extremely important. The straight and narrow is meant to keep us from running off into a ditch on either side of the road. 

Receiving repayment or rewards based on one’s deeds is not at odds with one being justified by faith.

But what it does is negate the possibility of easy believism. The idea that you can say you believe but that such belief has no impact on how you live. That’s not saving faith.

SCRIPTURE AFFIRMS

Which takes us to the most important argument in reconciling this with the gospel: Judgment according to works is not uniquely Paul’s idea. This is what Scripture has always affirmed. 

The gospel doesn’t contradict any of God’s Word but is in line with the whole of it. Indeed, the Gospel — or we might say, the New Covenant — is the fulfillment of the entirety of Scripture’s witness.

It’s important that we recognize what Jesus came to do. He came to fulfill all that Scripture had long anticipated — which includes not merely saving us from our sins — but making us entirely New. 

Ephesians 2:10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

PROVERBS 24

Paul is likely quoting Proverbs 24:12.

Proverbs 24:10-12. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? (sees the heart, that is). Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it; and will he not repay man according to his work?

Wisdom recognizes that there are expectations laid on the image-bearer to reflect the One they are imaged after. Wisdom recognizes that there is a Rewarder in heaven — a judge who will hold those to account who fail to live out his calling on their lives.

REVELATION 2

At the end of the Script, judgment according to works hasn’t change.

Revelation 2:23. One of the letters to the seven churches. To the church in Thyatira. I know your works, your love, and faith, and service, and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. BUT I have this against you… that you tolerate that woman Jezebel…. And those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works…. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

You can belong, in one sense, to a church such as the one in Thyatira. But if you are in bed with the world, you will be condemned along with the world. Belonging to a church — or to make it more personal, belonging to Grace Bible Church — doesn’t make you immune from judgment. 

We — to quote another of Paul’s letters — 2 Corinthians 5:10 — we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

So, in addition to the warning, each of the seven churches are also promised rewards for their perseverance. Revelation 2:26. The one who conquers and who keeps my word until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations…

Judgment goes both ways. Rewards and recompense will be render according to one’s works.

OLD TESTAMENT

To hammer this home and see how it relates to the previous section of Romans 2 on repentance, let’s look at a couple Old Testament passages.

Jeremiah 18:7. If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation… turns from evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.

Likewise — And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build up and plant it, and if that nation does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. 

Why? Because God always judges men according to their works. Not according to their supposed chosen-nessas His people. To genuinely be among God’s chosen will show itself in one’s life.

Ezekiel 18:25. The people accused God of injustice saying, “The way of the Lord is not just in his judgments for exactly this reason. They presumed that because they were the chosen people of God, they were immune from His judgments regardless of how they lived their lives.

So, the Lord rebukes them: Is it not your ways that are not just? 

And the Lord goes on to describe how justice works:
When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice he has done he shall die.
That is justice! You cannot live on past righteousness!

But notice God’s mercy. And when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

MERCY DOESN’T EXCLUDE WORKS

That is mercy. But get this, God is not being unjust in granting mercy to those who repent. He’s upholding justice. And he will judge both the repentant and unrepentant according to their works.

Works aren’t excluded in the judgment of the repentant. Their lives will be marked by their repentance. And they will be rewarded with life. Why? Because repentance is trusting and obeying the Lord. 

And get this. All fall in the category of needing to repent! The question is whether repentance is evidenced in one’s life.

And yet, the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is not just.”
O house of Israel, are my ways truly not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways. 

JUST AND PATIENT

The Lord is always just. But as we looked at over the past few weeks, the Lord is also patient — granting time for repentance. 

The promises of God are not for those who abuse those promises and live contrary to the promises. The promises are for those of faith, those who trust the Lord and respond accordingly. What does that response look like? It looks like repentance — turning from any of your ways that have been contrary to God, and aligning yourself with Him. 

BELIEVING, NOT DOING

It’s absolutely true that salvation is through faith alone, not works. Salvation is through believing, not doing. 

But what you believe will be manifest in what you do — what you think, say, love, worship. 

If I truly believe a peanut will likely kill me if I eat it, I’ll be very careful not to just eat whatever. I’ll be cautious as to what goes into my system.

How much more diligent should those who have come to a knowledge of the truth — be cautious not to partake of just anything. The wages of sin is death. It will kill you. It will lead to a far worse death than a peanut.

Your actions will reveal your heart commitments. 

Again: there is no easy believism. It’s easy to say, “I believe.” But genuine belief will be followed by action. Many profess. But many will be gravely disappointed. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord.

So, while salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, the rewards that accompany salvation (and likewise, condemnation) will be rendered according to one’s deeds. 

In other words, there is no easy believism associated with the gospel. Belief is not mere lip service — but heart service, and body service, and mind service. Your whole being gets behind and involved in what you most believe to be true. 

AFFECTIONS TESTED

Suppose you tell your husband or your wife that you love them. But then you pay little attention to them. You spend little time with them. You’re always too busy with other matters. Your leisure time doesn’t involve them, because they aren’t what you truly enjoy. You’d rather look at some screen, whether 60 inches or 6 — than look at your spouse. The words, “I love you,” become quite hollow. Your actions betray your words. 

At the same time, one could never say those 3 words: “I love you” to their spouse. And you know what? I’m confident they would know. 

How? Because of their actions. And I’m not speaking, wives and husbands, of you doing something on those special holidays out of obligation (obligatory attention is the worst) — but your everyday life. 

Well, in the same way, Christ knows. God knows. You can’t fool Him with empty love, empty faith, the duties you perform on holy-days like coming to Sunday service. 

Many say they love Jesus. But guess what? Jesus has offered each of us a very simple test to see if your words are true. (This goes back to our memory verse for FDC.) John 14:15. If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

So, Jesus himself makes clear that your love — your faith — will be displayed in your works — in your keeping his commandments.

NEW TESTAMENT WITNESS

So, judgment according to works isn’t just an Old Testament concept; it is upheld in the New. What does faith in Jesus look like? It takes up its cross and follows him. And when Jesus returns, he will judge people according to their works. 

This judgment isn’t some hypothetical judgment that happens apart from Christ. This judgment has Christ at the helm. This is the same judgment Jesus himself promises. 

MATTHEW 16

Matthew 16:24-27. If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 

Now, listen to verse 27, because it’s exactly what Paul says in verse 6.
For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

SAME FEATURES

Hear the same features of judgment?
The Judge: God himself — in the person of Christ.
It’s universal! He will repay each person.
This judgment is just as certain. He will repay. That’s the exact same word Paul uses that the ESV translates “render.”
The criteria is the same. He will repay each person — based on what? — according to what he has done.

Or we could look at the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. One judgment that involves rewarding the wicked according to their works, and the righteous according to their works.

There is no conflict between saved by faith and judgment according to works!

PRESSING THE POINT

I’m pressing this hard, because there are a lot of people who think they are saved — who think they are in Christ — but have no evidence of such in their lives. 

When they stand before the Judge, they will be gravely disappointed. Why? Because being a just Judge, God always judges according to truth (v. 2) and according to the same criteria — the same standard — according to what one has actually done — not according to what one might have done if they only had more faith.

Their works will prove their faith or they will prove faith’s absence in their lives.

GALATIANS

Let’s look at one last passage — there’s many — but for the sake of time, let’s go to Paul’s letter to the Galatians — the letter which has as its dominant theme that salvation is by faith apart from works of the law. 

At the end of his letter, 6:7, he warns the church:
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. — In other words, those good works must persevere to the end. (Next week, verse 7)

This is nothing less than what James stresses — faith without works is dead. Dead faith saves no one.

WHY ACCORDING TO WORKS?

This brings us to the question, why is judgment, or we might say, God’s recompense — why is it according to works? 

Because God is a just Judge. Verse 11. For God shows no partiality.

When one stands trial, the judge doesn’t try your case and pass judgment based on your heritage, what family you belong to, or even your name dropping. You will be judged based on the evidence that either stands for you or against you. He’s going to judge you based on what you did.

INTENT AND MOTIVE

Now, intent and motive do have a place in the court of law. Just as manslaughter and homicide differ based primarily on intent and motive. 

When the Judge of all the earth takes the bench, He will not judge by lesser standards. 

So, when Paul says according to works, he’s not excluding the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (That’s important to note.) He’s including all that flow from the individual — his thoughts, his words, his actions, his intentions, his affections, even his faith — the entire manifestation of the person. 

And when you think about it, these things often come out in criminal trials. Don’t think faith or belief are excluded.
Did you intend to kill Mr. So-and-so? Did you believe that when you pulled the trigger it would kill Mr. So-and-so? Did you feel Mr. So-and-so deserved to die? What were your feelings toward Mr. So-and-so?

UNSEEN EVIDENCE

Yes, the cold hard concrete evidence is front and center. Is this the weapon? But a good prosecuting attorney is going to do his best to draw out the internal evidence that is unseen before the jury. (And likewise, if it helps his case, the defense attorney will do the same.)

God isn’t just some prosecuting attorney. He’s not going to attempt to draw out the internal evidence of the heart. He will indeed draw it out. 

But listen loved ones. For those in Christ, we have the perfect defense attorney. Who will do the same regarding the evidence in our favor — the evidence that we truly have and are trusting in Christ. 

What Paul is excluding, as well as the rest of Scripture, is the idea that you can simply claim to be a Jew, and that somehow makes you innocent before God. Or to bring it home a bit, saying you’re a Christian or a member of Grace Bible Church doesn’t make you innocent before God. 

DOES NOT RECEIVE FACE

God is impartial. Which means God doesn’t judge based on appearances. Literally, the word impartial in verse 11 means, God doesn’t receive someone based on their face. God doesn’t receive face. 

LOOKS ON THE HEART

Many of us are often fooled by appearances. But God looks at the heart. And what follows the heart?

Well, Jesus tells us. Luke 6:45.
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

COMMENDED BY WORKS

So, long as our hearts are evil, so long as our hearts are hardened toward God, we will have no works at all to commend us as belonging to Him. But the gift of the Spirit is a new heart to where we delight in God and the things of God. And that delight will produce much good which will commend us as belonging to Christ.  

Or as Jesus says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Our affections, our thoughts, our good deeds toward one another, the conversations we hold, speaking the truth in love, rescuing those who are being taken away to death, holding back those who are stumbling to the slaughter, bringing back those who wander from the truth, having mercy on those who doubt, saving other by snatching them from the fire, opening our hands to our brothers and sisters in need, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, welcoming the stranger, praying for both the church and her enemies … and so much more. 

What about guarding our eyes, our thoughts, our hearts, refraining from every form and appearance of evil, putting the deeds of the flesh to death … 

CONSPICUOUS

It will be manifest whether you are in Christ. O some may seek to fool others for a time. As Paul writes to Timothy. The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. All will come to light.

JACOB AND ESAU

God receives no one based on appearances. Isaac may have been fooled by Jacob dressing himself with his brothers clothes, covering himself with his brothers scent, carrying before his father what appeared to be his brothers accomplishment — the fresh game Esau was sent to hunt and prepare as a meal for his father. Even Jacobs hands, which are symbolic for one’s works, were clothed in a way to imitate his older brother. 

Isaac may have been deceived, but God is not. God will not be mocked with one’s pretending — one masquerading as a disciple but not actually being one. 

We need more than to pretend to be like our older brother. If we are truly clothed in Christ, we are to reflect Him — not merely by appearances but in our very works — our faith, our affections, our compassion, our endurance, our love for our neighbor, our laying down our very lives and taking up our cross to follow him. 

While works do not save, faith that truly believes the promises we have in Christ, will take His word to heart and follow Him. 

DAY IN COURT

When your court date comes, and you stand before the Judge, you won’t get off simply with the defense stating to the Judge: “Judge, he’s one of ours. He bears the name …”

The Judge will ask, The Judge will ask: Well, what has that looked like in his life? Paint me a picture.(The Judge knows, just like He did with Adam and Cain and others, questions in which He already knows the answer.)

Well, your honor, she went to church much of her life. I mean, she attended 17 Christmas Eve services and 23 Easter services, as well as an occasional Sunday here and there. She got wet, and even has a certificate to show for it.

She had a few seasons in her life where she did those online devotions. Sir, you know that YouVersion App. They have a verse from the Bible. She’d read a sentence or two of Your Word, Your Honor, and then a very nice uplifting message of someone else’s words. 

Has she read my Word? 

Well, Your Honor, you know, she’s read some of it here and there. You know, it’s kind of hard. All those genealogies and names and places. And some of those prophets of Yours, they’re a bit harsh. But those devotions, they cover those sweet little gems you hid in there. 

Hmmm.

O and one more thing, Your Honor, in her car, she has K-Love on preset. 

K-Love? 

Yeah. It’s positive and encouraging music. I know, it’s nothing deep, and hasn’t really contributed to any spiritual growth, but she likes it, and it makes her feel good about herself.

Has it led to any repentance in her life? Well, Your Honor, it’s hard to say. 

NO PARTIALITY

Listen loved ones. I don’t know what each of your testimonies are. But when Scripture says God shows no partiality, it means it. 

Name dropping won’t do you any good. Name dropping won’t do your loved ones or your neighbors any good. Many will come to the day of judgment and name drop Jesus’ name, and he will say, “I never knew you.” 

Is there evidence in your life? 

Next week, we’ll look at the middle verses and what this evidence looks like, as well as its rewards.

PERFECT JUSTICE

For now: God’s perfect justice: He is perfectly impartial, not swayed in the least by appearances. 

We may imagine that there is something special about us that will persuade God to make an exception — (list). No.

The standard of judgment for you will be the same as for everyone else regardless of religious heritage, the name you identify with, how we you may have gotten and when, your upbringing (my father was a preacher, my mom sang in the choir, my uncle was a deacon) none of those count for anything. 

Unbelievers will be judged and awarded according to their works. And believers will be judged and rewarded according to their works. 

BIG DEAL

Why make such a big deal? Because Scripture does. 

We can fall into the same temptation that Israel did. “Well, I belong to the people of God, so I’m immune for judgment.”

Loved ones, that’s a dangerous way to think. The warnings and consequences Israel received have been written down for our benefit that we might not do as they did — that we might not fall into the same sin and perish.

As God’s chosen, we are called to be all the more diligent, not less.

If we have truly received the Spirit of adoption as sons, it should show itself in our lives. Sons aren’t called to lower standards but higher.

CHRIST

What about Jesus? Do you think Jesus, as the eternal Son, was judged by a lesser standard? No. He was all the more diligent to honor his Father in all things.

And get this. He was rewarded for His perfect work. 

Philippians 2:9. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knew shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue shall acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

His reward? A Bride, who is currently being made perfectly beautiful and unblemished. The Church — a multitude no one could number from every nation, tribe, people, and language.

His reward? Eternal glory at his Father’s right hand — not simply as the eternal Son, a glory he has enjoyed for all eternity, but as the God-man, the second Adam. 

Loved ones, there is a reward for your work. We’ll look at that in more detail next week. For now, take these words to heart. He will judge each one — each of us — according to our works.

Or do you presume upon the riches of God's kindness and forbearance and patience not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. (Romans 2:4-5)

INTRODUCTION

I mentioned a few weeks ago how Scripture is primarily a defense of God’s glory. Now, the dominant way Scripture defends God’s glory is by His making Himself known — making Himself known rightly. And He does that through the display of the perfection of His attributes.

LISTING ATTRIBUTES

Now, Scripture doesn’t simply list God’s attributes. It proclaims and displays them. 

I can tell others about some of the attributes my wife has — that she’s beautiful, kind, funny, warm, gentle, discerning …

But could you possibly know her if I merely listed them? You wouldn’t know my wife at all. But if I described her beauty, and how it often arrests my attention — if I gave examples of her compassion for others — if I shared some of my biggest failures and how she patiently bore with me — you’d begin to picture this incredible woman as she truly is. 

That’s how God makes Himself known — not merely by telling you His attributes but putting them on display. 

This morning, we’re looking at the glorious attribute of God’s patience. And one of the unique aspects of God’s patience is that it makes room for Him to more fully display the rest of His attributes.

I would commend to you that there is no greater study than the study of God. People often sigh over the idea of studying theology, but that’s precisely what theology is — it’s nothing other than the study of God. 

And everyone without exception practices theology to one degree or another. More than that, everyone lives out of their theology. But more often than not, it’s a distorted theology — a skewed man-centered theology of who God is. Scripture’s design is to correct that.

No where are God’s attributes — all of them — more fully displayed than in the person and work of Jesus Christ. If you want to know God rightly, gaze upon him. 

Of course, the whole of Scripture illumines the glory of Christ. So, we set none of it aside but look at the whole. 

So with that, let’s look at the glory of God made known in His patience.

READ: ROMANS 2:1-5

LONG-SUFFERING

Last week we looked at God’s forbearance, that of God bearing with, or putting up with sin and sinners — and specifically in reference to his delaying judgment for a time. 

This week, we’re looking at this word the ESV translates “patience.”

But we need to be careful not to make too much a difference between God’s forbearance and patience. God’s forbearance is a type of patience.

But these words aren’t exactly synonyms. Rather, the word patience here has to do with God’s long-suffering. It’s the word: μακροθυμία — which comes from two Greek words: μακρός long and θυμός wrath, passion. 

You can hear the meaning in its use in Exodus 34:6. God is slow to anger.

WRATH RESTRAINED

Or we might say that God restrains His anger. 

In other words, God is not easily set off — which is quite contrary to most of us…

Which takes us to the first helpful way to view God’s patience:

POWER OVER HIMSELF

God’s patience is His control or power over Himself. 

Now, that might seem a strange lens through which to view God’s patience. But think about the times you have lost your temper. Isn’t that how we put it. Don’t make me lose my temper!

Most of the time, what took place is that you lost control of yourself. Our temper, our anger is rarely righteous, regardless of how often we like to tell ourselves otherwise. 

We’ll throw around phrases like: O she pressed my buttons! But what exactly does that mean? Are you a robot? Do you not have control over yourself? 

Well, that’s exactly it. Most of us lack an abundance of self-control. 

But isn’t that the fruit of the Spirit? Patience and self-control. 

But if we’re honest, even as believers, we have room for this fruit to develop and ripen in our lives. I know I do. Which is why we need to fix our eyes all the more on Jesus and how he exercised patience and self-control perfectly — so that we might honor him by imaging him.

UNDISCIPLINING PARENT

Many mistake God for the sort of parent who always threatens but never actually punishes a defiant child. Such a parent loses all respect of the child. And it only proves to produce spoiled brats. We’ve seen them. You know exactly what I’m talking about. 

And why does such a parent fail to discipline? Not because the parent has power over himself, but most often out of fear — fear for what others may think — fear of losing the affection of the child — fear of the cost of discipline. And how do we know that’s the case? Because these are the same parents who lose their temper and blow up in rage — and often over significantly smaller things.

That’s not power over oneself. That, loved ones, is weakness — and not a godly weakness at all. It’s weakness, not meekness. 

A STRONG LOVING FATHER

But God is not at all such a pathetic excuse for a father. Instead, God is a strong and loving Father who will not withhold discipline from those He loves. 

Even morse, we should be in awe of His great restraint and patience toward us — Who instead of carrying out our punishment on us, He carried it out on our older Brother instead — our older Brother who volunteered to receive the belt in our place — our lashes on himself. 

How can that not move you to repentance?

MORE FULLY DISPLAYS JUSTICE AND POWER

Like His forbearance, God’s patience is not opposed to His justice.
God’s patience is wrath restrained, not nullified. 

God does not, by His patience, dispense with His other attributes such as His holiness and righteousness and power.

At the same time, if God had executed the fullness of His justice immediately, think of how much of His glorious character we would be ignorant of. Without God’s patience, we couldn’t know the extent of His justice and power. 

God’s justice is made all the more illustrious by His immense patience.
His power is shown all the more glorious because of His patience. 

PHARAOH STRENGTHENED

Consider God’s patience with Pharaoh, and how that served to more fully display God’s justice and power. 

Consider Pharaoh’s refusal to let God’s people go and God’s immense patience through all ten plagues.
Romans 9:17. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

So, the Lord strengthens — that’s the primary word used in the Exodus account regarding the Lord hardening Pharoah’s heart. The Lord hardens Pharaoh’s heart that Pharoah might go a full ten rounds. Otherwise, God could have bat an eyelash and won by a knockout. 

God’s patience, rather than showing a lack of power to enact justice, displays a fullness of power over Himself.
For who can stay the omnipotent Almighty’s hand but the patient long-suffering Almighty Himself!

O the restraint to hold back His wrath from such vile rebellious creatures who mock and scoff and show no gratitude despite all the good God bestows upon them.  

MAKE HIMSELF KNOWN

So, one reason for God’s immense patience is to make Himself more fully known through the display of His attributes. 

If God simply listed His attributes, we’d have a shallow knowledge of God at best. But His patience makes room for Him to more fully display the perfections of all of His attributes. 

MEASURING PATIENCE

And yet, God’s patience is glorious in itself.

So, we might ask:
How does God make His patience known?
Or, we might ask, is there a way we might we measure God’s patience? 

Well, I have at least four ways we might measure the glorious patience of God.

#1 THE GREATNESS OF THE PROVOCATIONS:

First, consider the greatness of the offenses, the provocations, the testing of God’s patience.

For some of us, the smallest thing sets us off to where the rest of us scratch our heads asking, “What’s wrong with her?”

But God hasn’t endured little frustrations and inconveniences. Nor is it about God not getting His way.

God endures great acts of defiance and rebellion.

WHO IS THE LORD THAT I SHOULD OBEY

Recall Pharaoh’s response when Moses delivers the message: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Let my people go.” How does Pharaoh respond? Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice.

That, loved ones, whether spoken aloud or not — apart from the Spirit’s regenerating work — is the whole world’s disposition towards the one true God.

EASILY AGITATED

Consider those who have tested your patience — and deliberately so. We lose our cool over much smaller things. I was thinking of Balaam’s donkey. Three times he struck his donkey because he didn’t like the donkey’s walk — when the whole time the donkey was keeping Balaam from harm. 

I have a neighbor, and to hear him yell at his dog as if the dog is dumb and disobedient. The dog is just being a dog!

We get agitated over the weather, over the traffic, over our vehicles, over appliances failing, software glitching — so many things that are amoral at best — things that aren’t acting out against us. 

DELIBERATE DEFIANCE

But God is tested by those in deliberate defiance and rebellion. And we’re talking about His creatures — whom He fashioned for a specific purpose — that of displaying His glory, His goodness, His righteousness in the world. 

Well, Josh, we don’t want to be any of those things! We prefer unrighteousness and ungodliness if that’s what it takes to promote our own glory instead of God’s! And that’s precisely the issue!

How patient would you be if your own creation raised its fist against you?

We might consider some sins small — but even the smallest sin is no light thing. Rather, all sin is an attack on God’s goodness and His character. 

Sin is an assault on God’s greatness and majesty, indeed, His very perfections.

So, that’s the first measurement of God’s patience: the greatness of the provocations He endures.

#2 THE MULTITUDE OF THE PROVOCATIONS

The second measurement of God’s patience is the multitude of these provocations. 

MY SIN ALONE

My sin alone — a single day of my sin alone — should leave me in awe and amazement of His divine patience. And the fact that often times, such is not my response only leads to greater offense for my lack of worship and gratitude.

Now multiply that over the course of a week, a month, a year, a lifetime.
And I’m but one man! 

ADDING YOURS

Now add yours to the mix. Consider how few the moments of your day you spend seeking to reflect His glory, focus on His will, loving Him with your all.

And even when we do have those moments — how blemished — how distracted and divided our hearts, our attention, even our intentions are!

And so far, we’re just considering those of us in the church!

ADDING THE MULTITUDES

Now consider the multitude who shakes their fists at God each and every day in total defiance — the countless idols set up in His place — the bowing down in worship to creations infinitely inferior to the Holy One.

Consider the innumerable gifts of grace and mercy — the common grace and mercy that God in His kindness bestows on the whole of humanity — and the ingratitude shown for this breath — this beat of the heart — the energy to rise up out of bed this morning — the daily sustenance whether meager or abundant. 

What are the offenses that all the men and women of the world receive from their fellow creatures in comparison the injuries God receives from man. 

PICTURE THE CROSS

Now picture the cross. Each lash upon an innocent man — but not just any innocent man — but the One who gave those who scourged Him life and strength to swing the whip. 

Consider the mocking of the One who gave them the breath to mock — the crown of thorns placed upon Jesus’ head by creatures He gave dominion to. 

The crowds chants: Crucify Him.Being stripped naked and exposed. A bloody mess nailed to a gnarly beam of wood. 

Or what about the reviling while He hung there: He saved others, but he can’t save Himself. Let him come down from the cross, and we’ll believe in him. 

O the patience to hang there like that for hours, bearing the sins of the whole world.

NOT JUST A SINGLE WRETCH

We’re not talking about the sins of a single wretch in the span of his seventy or eighty year life. Who could possibly calculate one man’s sins — from his entrance into the world to his exit — from his first use of reason to the separation of his soul from his body. 

That’s one man. What about a village? What about Lebanon TN. Can you calculate the offenses. Or what about a great city like Nashville — or New York. What about just the sins of this young nation.

What about the world. Eight billion people now. What about every generation since time began. 

That’s the second measurement of God’s patience: the multitude of the provocations He endures.

#3 THE DURATION OF THE PROVOCATIONS

The third measurement of God’s patience deals with time: the duration of the provocations and God’s sustained patience.

Most sin isn’t a mere blink of an eye — but a settled disposition against God. Why? Because sin isn’t an accident. And rarely does one begin to sin and quickly move to repentance — and certainly not without the Spirit.

SUSTAINED PATIENCE

But more than the duration of the individual offenses, is the duration with which God has sustained His patience. 

O it’s one thing to be patient when you know you just have to bear it for a moment or two. But time quickly wears down one’s patience. 

Later on in his letter, Paul will quote Isaiah 65:2. All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and rebellious people. 

We touched on forbearance last week, so I’ll make this brief. How long has God born with the provocations of man? All of man’s day and all of God’s. Remember, with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 

From the first sin of Adam to this very day, the line of God’s patience has endured without wavering. There’s not a single one of Adam’s descendants who hasn’t enjoyed some measure of God’s patience. And still that patience continues — bearing with the gross of mankind’s offenses.

That’s the third measurement: duration. 

#4 THE FULL SENSE OF EVERY PROVOCATION

The fourth and final measurement of God’s patience: God endures the full sense of each and every provocation. 

What do I mean by this? 

Well, when someone does something against you, you only know a portion of that offense. You can’t see inside their heart. You don’t know the fullness of their intent. You don’t know if they meant more harm or less. You don’t know their agenda, or the “why” behind what they did or didn’t do. 

OMNISCIENCE

You and I are not omniscient. But God is. God has a distinct view of the entire catalog of man’s sin. He knows the depth of hostility behind every sin. Nothing escapes his purview. Nothing exists outside of God’s total awareness, and that includes the depths and details of man’s hostility towards Him — every evil notion and intention of the heart — from the vilest of thoughts — to the smallest grumblings of the heart displeased with His providence.

And yet, the earth still spins. He has yet to arrest the world. Mankind continues to cover the globe — most shaking their fists at God and at His image-bearers. 

All the while, God is solicited by His justice to call sin to account — all the while He is directed by His omniscience, perfectly knowing what ought to be done — all the while armed with His omnipotence and judgments to vindicate Himself. But His mighty arm is restrained — it is restrained by His immense patience. 

WORSHIP

Okay, Josh. So, God’s patience is great. What are we supposed to do with that bit of information.

Well, one, we should worship. We should be in awe that despite the greatness, the multitude, the duration, and the full sense of every provocation — God continues to restrain His mighty arm of judgment.

O that we’d tremble in worship!

APPEASABLE

But the second thing we should recognize is that in displaying such immense patience, God shows Himself to be appeasable — that God’s patience opens the door for reconciliation.

Ask yourself this: Why does a parent delay in carrying out punishment against a defiant child? Because their desire is not to punish. What parent doesn’t desire reconciliation with their children? How much more so does God, the perfectly loving Father desire reconciliation with His?

APPEASEMENT

But while God’s patience shows Himself to be appeasable, we must never confuse God’s patience for appeasement. God’s patience does not mean that He is or has been appeased with those in rebellion against Him.

Patience and reconciliation are not the same thing. His patience does not mean that one is in favor with God. His patience declares that He is willing to be appeased — willing to be reconciled — that it is possible that one might find favor with Him.

DO GOOD

That God did not utterly root up mankind in that initial sin — or you and I in our most recent sin — demonstrates God’s willingness to do good to us.

Though the earth has been cursed from the Fall — the pillars still stand. The heavens continue to declare God’s glory. The rain continues to fall on the just and unjust. All of this is a sign that God still delights to do good to His creatures. 

SPRINKLINGS OF WRATH

And yet, there are sprinklings of His wrath and judgments as a warning of greater wrath to come — as a reminder that He has been and still is grievously offended — and that His patience will one day — in His perfect controlled timing — give way to final judgment.

THE HEAVENS DECLARE

That the heavens continue to declare the glory of God declares not merely God’s glory but the gospel. (That’s Romans 10:18.) Have they not heard. Indeed they have. For their voice goes out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. 

O the heavens don’t declare the gospel in a saving sense, but in the sense that God is a long-suffering God. The voice of the heavens continue to declare that God isn’t yet finished with humanity despite all of man’s sins against Him. The heavens declare — and we saw this when we looked at the sign of the rainbow last week — that God has no desire to be at war with humanity even though all of humanity has been hostile towards Him.

LONGS TO RECONCILE

You see, God is not like us at all. There’s no bitterness in God. He doesn’t harbor enmity in His heart. 

He longs to reconcile. And He is patient not wishing any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

The riches of His kindness, and forbearance, and patience suggests that there must be available some possible means of pardon. But what is that means?

Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? 

The heart of man is so hardened toward God, that he doesn’t even look for the means of pardon and reconciliation. 

NO DESIRE TO SEEK

All the while God calls out — you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. But sinful man doesn’t want to find God — not the Living God — not the God of truth and justice — not the sovereign of the universe. 

So man fashions his own little gods and seeks to appease them according to what is right in their own eyes.

But here’s the question for us all — and for your unbelieving family members and neighbors so that you can communicate this to them.
What sort of pardon can there truly be for the unrepentant?
What sort of reconciliation can there be for one who refuses to repent?

By His patience, God shows that He is most ready to receive them into His mercy upon their return. And so, by His patience, God invites all of mankind to repentance. 

A DAY OF JUDGMENT

But like God’s forbearance, God’s patience does not entail that He is equally patient with all, nor that His patience toward each person will endure forever. 

The time of patience will end.
As verse 5 warns: But because of your hard and impenitent heart, your are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 

THE WORLD’S DAY

In other words, a day of judgment is coming. God has a calendar. And a day of judgment has been fixed on that calendar. 

The day of God’s patience will give way to the day of His judgment. The whole world has a day.

THE NATION’S DAY

But not only does the world have a day, nations have a day.
Consider Ninevah. Jonah warned: Forty days! Now, Ninevah repented … that time. And judgment was averted. But Jonah isn’t the last prophet sent to Ninevah. We also have Nahum. And the Chaldeans made quick work of rendering God’s judgment on the Ninevites. Nations have a day.

THE CITY’S DAY

Cities have a day. (Consider Jerusalem in 70 A.D.)
Even as Jesus weeps over Jerusalem: Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace. (Luke 19:42).
Cities have a day. 

Societies also have their day, as well as peoples have their day. And persons have their day. 

The day of persons is often sooner than that of nations and cities.

The first generation of Israel was given forty years max in the wilderness for their defiance and refusal to enter Canaan. But get this. Not every person saw forty more years. Many died within days of God’s forty year verdict on the nation. 

NINEVAH’S WARNING

So, what does a right response to God’s patience look like?
How about Ninevah?

Jonah delivered a very simple message. Yet forty days, and Ninevah will be overthrown.

Now, Ninevah’s response is somewhat shocking — when compared to the rest of humanity. Or perhaps, it’s the rest of humanity’s response that should seem shocking to us. 

But at the simple preaching of Jonah, the people of Ninevah repented — and their repentance was one that recognized their guilt before God — expressed their grief over their sin — turned from their evil ways — and called out to God in faith. 

NINEVAH DEDUCES

God’s patience is meant to lead you to repentance. And Ninevah seemed to recognize just that. How so? Well, they must have deduced that if there be a warning, the warning must have been given for some purpose — that the warning itself was an act of kindness and patience. 

A warning suggests that there must be some means of avoiding destruction — and that such avoidance must come from the One who sent the messenger to warn. 

If the people of Ninevah repented at the preaching of Jonah, how much more so the preaching of Christ — the final messenger — God’s own Son?

DEMANDING A SIGN

The people of Jesus’ day demanded a sign. Rather than repenting they wanted signs of his authority. 

Have you ever considered, what sign of authority did Jonah march into Ninevah with? Just a message. 

RESPONDING TO A MESSAGE

Now consider that Ninevah was given but forty days — a much shorter verdict before their judgment day, and they repented. While Israel was given forty years, and we see no sign of their repentance. 

And get this. Ninevah hadn’t witnessed any of God’s mighty works in Egypt. The most they had were the accounts. They heard the stories. Yet they repented. 

All the while, Israel had front row seats to God’s mighty works. And they refused to repent. 

AUTHORITY ISN’T THE ISSUE

You see. The problem isn’t the question of authority. Paul has already covered multiple times just in these first few verses that the whole world knows their guilt before the Holy God. 

What can be known about God is plain to them.
Although they knew God, they did not honor or give thanks.
They did not see fit to acknowledge God.
Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval.
Therefore, you have no excuse…
We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.

EVERYONE KNOWS

Everyone knows! But they willingly suppress the truth that judgment is coming. 

So, when God is kind in sending a warning, the messenger doesn’t need any additional sign of authority. The whole of creation already serves as a witness — a witness to God’s kindness and patience and forbearance that is meant to lead to repentance!

You should know that! They should know that! The whole world should know that! Don’t you know this? Paul exclaims. Because you should. 

And now, something greater than Jonah is here!

The men of Ninevah will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah — the reluctant prophet! — and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

TIME OF SINNING

Though God is patient with most, He is not, in the same degree, patient with all. 

Every sinner has his time of sinning — beyond which he shall go no further. Once sin is filled up, so is the delay of God’s wrath. The plumb line is set. And sin shall not pass beyond it. 

When God puts an end to the abuse of His patience, His wrath will make quick and sure work of it. 

Though His wrath be visibly delayed, that delay may prove more dreadful than a quick punishment now. God gave them up to their sin — may only serve to store up greater wrath for oneself.

The abuse of God’s patience is a dangerous place to be. The abuse of the riches of God’s kindness, and forbearance, and patience is a dangerous place to hang out. 

And the impenitent heart who abuses such (verse 5) is treasuring up wrath for themselves. Rather than enjoying the riches of God’s kindness, they treasure up wrath. The irony shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s a sad irony. 

REPENTANCE

But here’s the thing about repentance. God’s kindness is intended to lead sinners to repentance. It doesn’t force. 

The saying, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. 

Where God shows grace to all — grace is efficacious only for some.
Repentance requires a new nature wrought by the Holy Spirit.

But without that new nature, you know the effect God’s goodness has on hardened hearts? It only proves to further harden them.
Just as the sun hardens clay, the brilliant sun of God’s goodness only serves to further harden clay hearts. 

COMFORT

But God’s patience is not intended to harden you. 

Rather, God’s patience should be an immense comfort for believers.
For if He has been so patient toward His enemies, surely He will be patient to those who trust and obey him.

VERSE 5

With that, it’s important to pause and jump down to the word in verse 5: impenitent. The impenitent are not those who are striving to live out their faith but fall short. 

TENDER CONSCIENCE

We need to address this because some of us have more tender consciences. This doesn’t mean that there are no expectations for us. Rather the reverse — the expectations are greater for those of us in Christ. But those expectations are not cause for despair. Christlikeness on this side of glory is a direction — not perfection. We will continue to come up short until He finishes His work in each of us, and we finally see Him as He is, and the work of sanctification is complete.

THE IMPENITENT

The impenitent refers to those who refuse Christ, refuse to repent, refuse to give heed to the Lord’s commands. 

But if you are in Christ — trusting and abiding in Christ — you can count on His patience toward you. He will never leave or forsake you. But will patiently finish this good work He began in you. 

And as He has been patient with us, so should we to others.

DEFAULT DISPOSITION

I know last week we looked at some of the more severe examples such as Uzzah, Nadab and Abihu, Ananias and Sapphira. And it’s important that we don’t overlook those. But they are far from the norm.

God’s default disposition is that of bearing with sin — that He might reconcile the sinner to Himself. 

God’s default position is long-suffering. And that has been the case since the very first sin of Adam.

RECKONING WITH ADAM

When the Lord God came to reckon with Adam for his rebellion, the Lord walked in the Garden in the cool of the day. He didn’t run with sword drawn. He walked. And He called. 

Why? Why would God walk and call out? Why would He ask a question He already knew the answer to if not for Adam to repent and be reconciled by owning his sin? But instead, Adam hid. Instead, Adam blamed. 

And when it was Eve’s turn, she did the same.
And so too with Cain. Where is your brother Abel?
But instead of confessing and repenting, Cain lies and excuses himself.

But here’s the thing. There’s no reconciliation apart from owning one’s guilt. There’s no restoration so long as there’s a denial of the truth. The wall of hostility and separation remains.

CREATION AND JERICHO

In six days the Lord created, made, built up the whole of the heavens and the earth. 

But it was a full seven days in destroying a single city — Jericho — a city God had beforehand devoted to destruction. But seven days of patience while the people marched around.

Why is God so much quicker to build up than to tear down? Because He has no delight in the death of the wicked.

Why is God so much quicker to reconcile than pour out His just wrath? Because He is not wishing that any should perish.

THE FIRST MAJOR PROPHET

Isaiah, the first major prophet proclaims these words from the Lord in the opening verses:
(1:5) Why will you be struck down?
(1:18) Come now, let us reason together.

O how the Lord pleads!
(1:19) If you are but willing and obedient.

Yet, the Lord cannot forsake justice. He can’t!

Therefore, He cannot restrain His wrath indefinitely.

THE CROSS

And what is the cross if not at least a sign of God’s immense patience and desire to reconcile.

Have you reconciled with the Lord of the universe?

And if you have, do you extend that same patience toward your fellow image-bearers that He has extended toward you?

And if you have been reconciled, now you know how to present the truth of God’s patience to others.

Someone asked about what I might say to someone on their deathbed. Well, perhaps this is a good place to begin. Tell them about God’s glorious attributes — His kindness, His forbearance, His patience. Ask: Do you know these? And point them to Jesus who is the embodiment of the fullness of these glorious attributes — and their only means of reconciliation. 

While you still have breath, the invitation is open. Be reconciled to God.

Let us pray.

Or do you presume upon the riches of God's kindness and forbearance and patience not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance (Romans 2:4)

GOSPEL

Reminder: Romans 1:16-17

Paul is presenting the gospel. For I am not ashamed of the gospel…

But to present the gospel — Paul must first show our desperate need for the gospel — he must show how all are guilty — all stand under God’s righteous judgment apart from Christ.

THREE ATTRIBUTES

In light of that — here in at the beginning of Romans 2 — Paul raises the question as to our response to God’s kindness and forbearance and patience.
Do we give these attributes of God proper consideration.

That’s Paul’s word “presume” in verse 4.
It means to think lightly upon — or even despise — by giving something less consideration than it deserves — esteeming something to have little to no value in comparison to other things. 

So, we’re taking some time to deeply contemplate and meditate on these glorious attributes — that we might know God’s character rightly. Which ought to lead us to awe and worship — and — as our text says — to repentance.

KINDNESS

Last week we looked at God’s kindness …
This week — God’s forbearance.

READ (Romans 2:1-5)

WHAT IS FORBEARANCE?

So, what is forbearance?
(ἀνοχή noun — ἀνέχω verb to bear with)

Most simply, the verb form means to bear with or tolerate or to get really basic and literal, it means to put up with. 

TOLERANCE

And we see this in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthains. 

2 Corinthians 11:4. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.

Which means, not every form of tolerance — or bearing with — is good or godly. Here, Paul pretty much accuses the Corinthians of the same abuse of tolerance as we see in our society. 

THE WORLD’S USE OF TOLERANCE

Today, tolerance is often used synonymously with that of acceptance, or worse celebration and participation. The problem with the world’s tolerance is that it is most often intolerant. 

The world is not tolerant of those who do not accept and celebrate its ways — most specifically, the world is not tolerant in believers not joining in its sin and debauchery. As Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:4, because of this — because you refuse to join them their reckless and wild living, they heap abuse on you. In other words, the world’s view of tolerance is one sided.

SIN EXPOSED

This is not at all to suggest that we are sinless. But we can’t celebrate sin and willingly engage in sin. For one, the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes to see sin as it truly is — as an attack on the God who has been nothing but kind and loving to us — so much so, that He gave His only Son for us. Sin has been unclothed for the ugliness that it is.

HOW LONG MUST I PUT UP WITH YOU?

So, then, what is the biblical view of tolerance and forbearance?

Well, perhaps we should look at Jesus’ use of the term. Matthew 17:7.

When he comes down from the mount of transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, a man comes up to him, pleading, Lord have mercy on my son… for he has seizures and suffers terribly. For he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.

Now, hear Jesus’ words.
“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”

This is not a popular verse. Can this really be Jesus speaking? The world would likely entreat Jesus to doing little reading of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. 

Is Jesus being insensitive? I don’t believe so. There are a few things going on with Jesus’ words. More than we’ll take time to address this morning. 

FROM MOUNTAIN TO VALLEY

First, let’s not miss Jesus’ mountaintop experience, where Jesus shone with glory and enjoyed the loving praise of his Father. This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.

That’s as close as Jesus, the man, will be to heaven until his ascension. And before his ascension comes the cross — the painful death he is to endure — which he foretold to his disciples on both sides of this passage in Matthew — the mountain and the call for genuine mustard size faith that can move mountains.

Coming down the mountain, Jesus was back in the valley of sin and unbelief. He’s reminded of this by the crowd.
He’s reminded of this by the suffering of this man’s son.
He’s reminded of this by the disciples lack of faith. 

“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”

Second, Jesus is identifying himself with YHWH of the Old Testament — the echo of How Long? as the Lord bears with Israel’s unbelief — whether that be the people’s grumbling, trusting Him for manna, refusing to enter the promised land.

They were always testing Him. And the Lord in His immense patience bore with their sin for a long time — 40 years in the wilderness.

POSTPONEMENT

God’s forbearance is never to be confused with the world’s idea of tolerance. (Which is why forbearance — or to bear with — better captures God’s disposition.)

God didn’t tolerate Israel’s sin and unbelief with any amount of approval or acceptance. God bore with their sin for a time. Just as Jesus, on the road to the cross, bore with sin for a time — until he bore it directly and in full on the cross.

Which brings us to a more precise way Paul uses this word forbearance, and that has to do with postponement. God puts up with sin for a time — often a long time — rather than executing judgment immediately.

To use a dictionary definition: Forbearance is a refraining from the enforcement of something (such as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due.

FORBEARANCE ON A LOAN

Forbearance on a loan is where the lender allows the borrower to delay making payments toward a debt without incurring additional penalties. 

Now, here’s an important clarification. Forbearance on a loan is not the same as forgiveness. And so long as the debt isn’t paid, do you know what happens to the balance? It grows. Interest continues to accrue.
GOD’S FORBEARANCE

God’s forbearance is His postponement of calling debts to account for a time. In other words, God’s forbearance is judgment postponed — but not forgotten. 

Which takes us to the Jesus’ parable of the dishonest manager, which Silas read for us. 

God cannot do as the dishonest manager did and change your bill. Instead of a hundred measures of oil, make it fifty. Instead of a hundred measures of wheat, make it eighty.
God cannot simply change your bill and still be just.
The debt must be paid in full.
And who can possibly pay it? Only Jesus.

Romans 6:23. The wages of sin is death.
Psalm 49:8. Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit.

The bill can’t simply be changed to a different amount. God’s justice demands it to be paid in full. 

Yet in His mercy, God postpones calling many debts to account — and instead calls everyone to repentance — that their debts might be satisfied on the cross rather than the debtor having to satisfy a debt he could never afford himself.

TOLERATES EVERYTHING?

Which brings us to some dangerous misinterpretations of God’s forbearance.

Many interpret God’s forbearance to suggest that God tolerates everything and punishes nothing.
Since He has yet to call their sin to account and execute judgment, perhaps He never will.

They treat God’s forbearance as a license to sin. 

DOES NOT EQUAL FORGIVENESS

Many interpret God’s forbearance as forgiveness. But forbearance is not forgiveness. Forbearance doesn’t cancel the debt. Rather, interest continues to accrue.

Divine forbearance grants time for repentance. But if abused, only makes eventual judgment more severe.

Think of it like this. A creditor may wait to collect on a debt. But the waiting does not cancel the debt — nor diminish the debt.

Delayed punishment, however does not pardoned.

WRONG EFFECT

When we misunderstand God’s forbearance, people tend to think their okay in their sin. Such misunderstanding has the wrong effect. 

Ecclesiastes 8:11. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

NEVER PUNISH?

They believe that because God has not yet judged them — then perhaps He never intends to judge — or he may never punish my sin.

Or maybe the chances are that since He’s delayed judgment for this long — He’ll likely continue to delay. And if God’s going to continue to delay judgment, we can get a few more sinful pleasures in! 

But such a heart is not one that knows the grace of God. It’s a heart that misinterprets the grace of God and has no clue regarding the horrors of one’s own sin and the sacrifice Jesus made to pay for sin.

SOLOMON’S WARNING

Solomon warns against misinterpreting God’s forbearance. Ecclesiastes 8:12-13.
Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life (hear the forbearance?), yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God…
But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow because he does not fear before God.

SAFE IN SIN?

Because there is no immediate recompense, many believe they are safe in their sin. Loved ones, don’t be deceived. 

I’m reminded of Mr. Beaver’s words in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, when he first tells the children of Aslan.
“Who’s Aslan?” one of the girls asks.
“Aslan?” said Mr. Beaver. “Why don’t you know who is King of beasts? Aslan is a lion — the Lion, the great Lion?”
And the two girls ask if he’s safe.
“Safe?” Mr. Beaver says. “Who said anything about safe?” ‘Course he isn’t safe … But … he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” 

Don’t misinterpret God’s forbearance to mean He is safe. Rather, we should tremble at such mercy and forbearance — tremble in worship!

BUILDING A CASE

How many lawbreakers think that because there is no immediate recompense, that they must have gotten away with their crimes?
But how many crimes are solved — and the suspect ascertained — but not yet detained — while a greater case is made against the suspect — even allowing the suspect to continue in his misdeeds so that a greater sentence may be place on him on the day of trial.

And even if justice may seem to be avoided in this life — a day of reckoning fast approaches (verse 5).

WHY THE DELAY?

Which brings us to the question: Why the delay? Why the postponement of judgment for a time?

FORBEARANCE NOT PROMISED

Well, first, recognize that not everyone receives the same delay — the same amount of forbearance — nor does each sin receive the same amount of forbearance. In other words, forbearance isn’t guaranteed, and it is certainly not owed. It is grace dispensed in accordance with the purposes and pleasures of God.

OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

UZZAH

Consider Uzzah. He stretched out his hand to steady the Ark of the Covenant from falling to the ground — presuming his hands to be cleaner than the dirt from which he came. Ask Uzzah about God’s forbearance.

NADAB AND ABIHU

Or what about Nadab and Abihu. They entered the Most Holy Place and offered unauthorized incense — or strange fire — before the Lord. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them.

And don’t miss that what they were doing was an act of worship! But what exactly were they worshiping when they chose to worship how they wanted instead of how the Lord prescribed! 

And yet, many argue that they will worship according to what’s right in their own eyes. Listen. Such worship is not of the Holy God. It demeans God. It make light of who God is. 

When you worship how you want while disregarding what God says, you don’t make much of Him — but yourself.

NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

Well, someone might say, that’s the Old Testament. That’s before Jesus came. God is much more patient now. 

First, God calling sin to account does not call into question His patience.
Second, let’s look at the New Testament — after Jesus’ payment for sin on the cross. 

KING HEROD

Acts 12, King Herod gave a speech, and the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not a man!”
Doesn’t seem that big of deal. Herod simply gave a speech.
Immediately, the text says, an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory.

I can imagine some scoffers’ response. Are you kidding me! Just because Herod gave a speech, and the people praised him, and Herod didn’t give the glory to God.
Absolutely! Why? Because that is the greatest of sins. Indeed, it’s what all sin has in common — the idolatry of self. 

Okay. So, worldly Herod didn’t give God the glory. But what about those within the church. 

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

So what about the church. How about Ananias and Sapphira? You’re familiar with them in Acts 5. People were selling property in order to supply for the physical needs of the brothers and sisters within the church. In fact, one of the brothers, a man named Joseph, received the name Barnabas — which means son of encouragement. Why? Because the name fit. One thing Barnabas did was sell a field he owned, and he brought the money to the apostles and laid it at their feet.

Well, I like to be made much of. What might I do to get recognized too? [Pride]

So, this couple, Ananias and Sapphira, they sell a piece of property too. And together they determine that they will keep a portion of the proceeds and give a portion to the apostles. Nothing wrong with that — except their intention. They intended for people to think they gave the whole of the proceeds to the apostles. They intended a bit of glory for themselves. In reality, their sin was the same as Herod’s. And this is a couple within the church. 

You know what happened to them? The same fate as that of Herod. 

Ask them about God’s forbearance. 

RIGHT EFFECT

But you know the result — the effect their immediate judgment had on the rest of the church and those who heard? Great fear! So that they might not presume upon God’s kindness and forbearance and patience.

Listen. Part of Paul’s point is don’t count on God’s forbearance. God is not obligated to bear with sin — not my sin, not your sin, not any sin.

O in His mercy He often does, but don’t take it for granted. Don’t think lightly of it. Be in awe!

Don’t deceive yourself thinking that because God often and for a long-time bears with sin that He always will. Sooner or later, all sin — all debts are called due. 

POSTPONING JUDGMENT

And yet, God has shown tremendous patience in postponing judgment. Why? Why the delay?
Why a 40 day notice for Ninevah?
Why 120 years for the people in Noah’s day?

Why did Adam and Eve walk out of the Garden on the day they were supposed to die?
I know, some will say that they did die that day. They died spiritually. And that’s true. 

But that wasn’t the fullness of judgment. Instead, another died in their place — an innocent substitute to clothe their sin and nakedness.
Indeed, an unspecified substitute. The text simply says “robe of skin.”

Why didn’t God execute the fullness of judgment that very day?
Why does God exercise His divine forbearance at all?

Well, there’s at least three reasons. 

NOT HASTILY OR IN PASSION

First, God’s forbearance shows that God does not punish hastily or in passion. God is unlike us.
He does not react in fits of passion. He makes no decision lightly.

God waits a full ten generations after Adam is exiled from the Garden before the Flood of His Judgment rains down in the days of Noah and his sons. 

Ten generations after the Flood, God reigns down His judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Abraham, the son of Terah. 

It’s another ten generations after God’s judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah before he carries out His judgment upon the Canaanites — and specifically the Amorites — whose sin is finally filled up. 

(Genesis 15. Recall God’s words to Abraham. God waited a full ten generations, allowing the Canaanites to continue in their sin.)

God doesn’t punish hastily or in passion. 

(You can count the generations in Luke 3.)

DOES NOT DELIGHT IN DEATH

Second, God’s forbearance demonstrates that He does not delight in the death of the sinner. 

God warns before striking in order that He may not strike.
And all the while He’s preparing His arrows of judgment,
he looks for an occasion to lay them aside and turn them away. 

Indeed, God publishes His wrath before it is ever executed — and a long time at that. Why? So that He might not have to carry out sentence upon the sinner.

And just consider how long He publishes His warnings.

The people in Noah’s day received a 120 year advertisement before the Flood of Judgment finally came upon them.
Everyday Noah and his sons were felling timbers.
Everyday they were cutting them to size.
Everyday … fitting the timbers in place.
Everyday hammering one board upon another —
nail upon nail driven into the wood. 

And when Noah and his sons weren’t felling, and cutting, and fitting, and hammering the timbers of wood, they were covering them with pitch (whatever pitch is) — literally, covering it with a covering. It’s where we get the word atonement — atoning for it with an atonement.

TO DISPLAY HIS GLORY IN CHRIST

Which brings us to the third reason for God’s forbearance — and that is to display His glory in Christ — the only true atonement for sin.

I know at this rate we’re a ways from the end of Romans 3, but this points to what is perhaps one of the most significant verses in all the Bible, Romans 3:25. 

God put Jesus forward as a propitiation by his blood — an atoning sacrifice — a wrath covering sacrifice — to be received by faith in order to show God’s righteousness. Why? Because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

PASSED OVER FORMER SINS

Remember, Adam and Eve walked out of the Garden. Their sin was passed over. 

Israel — when the angel of death came through and judged the Egyptians, the children of Israel were spared — not because they were sinless — but God was passing over their sin.

Throughout all of history, God’s forbearance seemed to call into account God’s justice. Of course, there is no injustice on God’s part. But the question was, how could God possibly pass over sin? How was God to offer any forbearance at all? Surely the blood of bulls and goats and Passover Lambs weren’t a sufficient substitute for sin. 

The debt of sin still had to be paid. And that debt is costly — infinitely costly. Who could possibly cover it?

Only one could — the God-man — the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world — the eternal Son of God. 

TRULY MAN — TRULY GOD

This is why Jesus had to be truly God and truly man. This is why the doctrine of the incarnation is so important. Apart from a proper Christology, there is no gospel.

Man must pay the debt because it is man’s debt to pay — hence Jesus had to be truly man.
But only God Himself has a life of infinite worth to cover such a debt — therefore Jesus had to be truly God.

When people question our doctrine — rather the Bible doctrine — regarding Jesus being both God and man — it’s important that you know why it matters. Indeed, this is one of the many proofs of the Bible’s veracity. (This is a core apologetic issue!)

BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD

God’s forbearance, rather than displaying God’s righteousness, raised a serious question concerning God’s righteousness.
O the tension. How can God be righteous and pass over any of our sins? 

There is but one answer. Jesus is the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:19-20.)

WRATH TURNED AWAY

You see, after the Flood, part of the message found in the Rainbow was that God doesn’t merely look for an occasion to lay His arrows of judgment aside and turn His bow away — He already had a way. 

The rainbow showed that God was willing to pay the consequence of sin in our place. His bow of judgment took aim at Himself. He would receive the piercing we deserve. He would receive the injuries for our sin upon Himself. 

He would pay the debt of sin Himself.

DISHONEST MANAGER – PART 2

Remember the dishonest manager who was fired by his master, so he called his master’s debtors and had them change and reduce their debts that they owed his master. And why did he do this? In order that people would invite him into their houses. In other words, to provide for himself dwelling places. 

God is not like the dishonest manager — who, in order to provide Himself with dwelling places, reduces or changes people’s debts. 

In justice, God cannot simply reduce or dismiss any debt. All debts must be paid in full. 

Instead, God covers the debt Himself with the blood of His own Son — who pays the debt in full — not merely reducing the debt but fully satisfying the wages for sin. 

DWELLING PLACE

And he does that — loved ones — not because He fears that He may become homeless like the dishonest manager did. No. He pays your debt fully for your benefit — that He might take up residency in you — and you with Him.

[Tabernacle]

ADVERTISEMENT OF THE CROSS

If you think God’s forbearance was great in the days of Noah, and that the advertisement of the Ark was something — the cross is a far greater advertisement.

O like the people in Noah’s day, people scoff — Where’s the promise of his coming. And they’ll continue in their sin — thinking lightly of God’s forbearance — His postponement of judgment.

But each hammer blow through Jesus’ flesh into the wood of the cross proclaims God’s loving forbearance — patiently waiting — not wishing any to perish. 

What greater advertisement of God’s mercy and love!
What greater advertisement of God’s coming judgment!
What greater proclamation of God’s forbearance!

And God is still patiently waiting.
But God’s forbearance won’t continue indefinitely. 

DEMANDS A RESPONSE

In other words, the cross demands a response.
And not just a response today — but every day.
Indeed, the cross demands that we renew that response daily.

O Lord, the psalmist says, teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
That we may live in light of your great mercy — rightly interpreting your forbearance as a call to repentance —and to walk in light of the cross.

DO UNTO OTHERS

And if God has shown such forbearance toward us, how then should we bear with the sins of others.
As image bearers, shouldn’t we practice the same?

As the proverb says: It is to one’s glory to pass over an offense — glory, because it images the God who passed over yours.

[Matthew 12:11]

   THE RICHES OF GOD'S KINDNESS

READ (Romans 2:1-5)

THINK LIGHTLY

Last week we looked at one of the most used arguments against God’s judgment — His goodness.
As if God’s goodness assures us of escape from judgment regardless of our response to that goodness.

As we look at verse 4, Paul raises the question: Do you truly understand God’s goodness? Or do you think so little of His goodness that you presume upon it, neglect it, and despise that goodness.

The word the ESV renders “presume” means to think lightly about something — which of course fits perfectly with what Paul has been arguing since Romans 1:18. Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. That is, they thought little of God, if they thought of Him at all!

RICHES OF GOD’S GOODNESS

Paul uses three terms to express aspects of God’s goodness that fallen man tends to think very little of: God’s kindness, God’s forbearance, and God’s patience.

These qualities, each of them, have been manifested most supremely in Christ, and especially the cross. But we’d be remiss to think that these qualities weren’t sufficiently and abundantly displayed throughout every generation.

What’s more, Paul describes these as riches — the riches of God’s kindness and forbearance and patience. God richly pours out these graces from His own divine storehouse. And as much as He pours out this goodness — these riches are in no way diminished — for they flow from the fount of Himself — they flow from His own infinitude, so that God finds no decrease even as He pours out His goodness in greater abundance.

PRINCE OR RULER

Whereas an earthly prince or ruler may pour out some measure of his riches on his subjects —
he is always restrained by their limits —
he is always restrained by his fears —

Not the eternal God.

UMBRELLA OF GOODNESS

Lest we think lightly of the riches of God’s kindness and forbearance and patience, let’s consider a few ways in which He displays each of these.
This week: God’s kindness.

KINDNESS: ARRIVING AT A MEANING

Kindness is a bit more specific than goodness, although this word is sometimes translated goodness. 

The word, χρηστότης or χρηστός (you might hear the word Χριστός — which means anointed) — the root of this word means useful or beneficial. 

Χριστός as in Christ, means anointed one — but anointed for what? Just as the Old Testament portrayed prophets, priests, and kings as anointed for service — anointed to be useful for service — Jesus Christ is the anointed One in that He is anointed for service — or as Paul writes to Timothy — useful to the Master — anointed for useful, beneficial service.

This helps us to understand our word — kindness a little better. Kindness is not niceness — which, in our contemporary culture, means polite or agreeable. While often used as synonyms, you can be nice without being kind, and you can be kind without being, what the world would consider, nice. 

So, what does kindness mean in reference to God? Kindness is the expression of God’s goodness in meeting the needs of His creatures — in providing them some benefit. 

In other words, kindness is displayed more tangibly in that which is fit or suitable for use — that which is beneficial and good.

WHAT’S BENEFICIAL FOR HIS CREATURES

How does God express His kindness? And to whom?
Matthew 5:44. He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good. He sends rain on the just and unjust.
Or in Luke’s parallel account, Jesus says, (Luke 6:35). He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

In other words, God displays His kindness in giving those things which are beneficial to His creatures. 

Or as Paul says to those in Lystra: In past generations God allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness — how did God witness to the nations? He displayed His kindness to them — doing good to them by giving them what was beneficial, helpful, of use — giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.

USEFUL FOR WHAT? OUR JOY

Now notice that when we speak of kindness as that which is useful and beneficial, we aren’t speaking pragmatically — as merely giving those things which primarily accomplish a physical end. Notice the rains and fruitful seasons were for satisfying the heart — satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. 

In other words, God doesn’t just give screw drivers and towels for Christmas. He also gives paintings, and fragrant candles, and personalized greeting cards.

1 Timothy 6:17 — In His kindness, God richly provides everything for our joy, not merely for our sustenance. 

I might pick on a prosperity church’s billboard — start enjoying life — but understand, we are not anti-joy. We are about abundant joy, indeed, the fullness of joy.
Psalm 16:11. You make known to me the path of life, in your presence there is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

As believers, we’ve just been awakened from our once drunken stupor that sought to find our joy in the things of this world instead of the God who pours out the riches of His kindness that we might know Him.

END FOR WHICH GOD CREATED THE WORLD

Indeed, this is the end for which God created the world — to make Himself known — to display His goodness for the good of His creatures. 

God’s kindness extends and reaches to all the works of His hands.
Psalm 145:17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.
Or verse 9. The Lord is good to all and his mercy is over all that he has made.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.

CREATION

Creation proceeds from God’s goodness. And everything God created was — you know — good. 

Not one thing was created that was without some measure of God’s kindness. All things were good. All things were useful. Useful for what? Useful for displaying something of God Himself. 

It’s important we start here with God’s kindness, because to get this wrong is to get the rest of the story wrong — and particularly the end of the story wrong.

Everything God created was to display something of His goodness. 

Genesis 1:31 — And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good —
So, God rested from all His works that He had done in creation.

GOD’S GLORY MADE PUBLIC

Creation is God’s glory made public.
Psalm 19:1-4..
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard.
Yet, their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

In creation, no creature is silent in displaying God’s glory. 

And this glory made plain by the work of His hands is made legible to all the nations, rendering all without excuse. 

Excuse from what? They are without excuse in failing to acknowledge His glory.

WHAT IS GOD’S GLORY?

But what is God’s glory?
I find Exodus 33:18-19 helpful.
When Moses asks the Lord: Please show me your glory — how does the Lord reply?
Exodus 33:19. I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name “The Lord”. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 

Please show me your glory.
I will make all my goodness pass before you.

WHAT IS GOD’S GOODNESS?

What is this goodness? 

It’s the train of all God’s lovely perfections that spring from His goodness — the entire catalogue of His kindness, His mercy, His grace, His patience — His justice, His righteousness.

Every perfection flows from this one fount of God’s goodness.

Psalm 145.
All of God’s works, the splendor of His majesty, His awesome deeds, His greatness — they all pour forth the fame of His abundant goodness.

Quoting this section of Exodus, the Psalmist continues.
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

CREATION OF MAN

God’s kindness is displayed, not just in creation in general, but in his fashioning of mankind. 

Taking a handful of dust from the ground, God copied some of His own perfection — His goodness upon this lump of clay. 

And think for a second about the body God had formed — every part ordered for displaying God’s glory — God’s goodness — God’s kindness.

EVERY MEMBER USEFUL

Every member of the body purposeful and useful. (Recall, the church — the body of Christ. God’s creation of man translates over to the church.)

This tabernacle of clay, God fashioned with such a variety of members — each in proper place and proportion — according to His wisdom and grace — each part without confusion as to what it was useful for.
(O the distortions the Fall has brought about!)

Each member of this clay tent designed with beauty, made to fit, excellent for use. 

Out of clay, God fashioned a palace of dust in which to house the viceroy of the world!

SOUL AND IMAGE

But that’s merely the body. What is masked within this clay?
A soul endowed with reason and understanding and a will. 

Greater still, and the greatest of these kindnesses in the creation of man is that God created us in His likeness in order for us to know Him and commune with Him. 

PERSONAL KINDNESS

And we could go on about how God shows His kindness in giving us health and wholeness, preserving us in many different capacities, giving us companionship through other image-bearers, granting us meaningful occupation with which to employ ourselves with, and rest — not to mention the innumerable acts of particular kindness God bestows specifically on you.

There is nothing we enjoy that is not some measure of God’s kindness to us. There is nothing man endures or experiences — (apart from final judgment) — that does not include some measure of God’s kindness.

SOVEREIGN KINDNESS

Now, consider the same measure of detail in which God created all things — in His sovereign placement of all things. 

Part of the problem with our judgment of others — is that God has placed all things according to His wisdom — and each as a measure of His kindness.
This includes that difficult neighbor, that defiant child, that overbearing parent.
In all of these — God has poured out a measure of kindness — for your benefit.

Perhaps we’d do well to consider God’s benefit in these. Because what is God’s will for you? Your holiness — or sanctification — and for you to image Him.

How are we to image Him? Matthew 5:45 — as sons of your Father in heaven — in reflecting His kindness to both the just and unjust, the deserving and the not.

Joseph and his brothers — human element to be sure.
But never precludes or works against God’s kindness.
God is sovereign — not man. No one can thwart His kindness. They can, however, despise it.

KIND TO ALL?

But some will argue, “Is God truly kind to all?” Look at the world around us. It’s broken and full of suffering, disease, violence, hatred, harm. Is that truly kind?

First, God’s kindness is not impaired in any way in His allowing or “suffering” sin to enter the world and for man to thereby fall. 

Should God’s kindness be undervalued and despised because man made ill use of His kindness and turned it into licentiousness?

NOT EQUALLY GOOD — BUT NOT EVIL

While God may not have made all things equally good — He made nothing evil. 

He is kind to all, but not in the same degree.
Let me ask you who would judge God concerning His kindness. Do you equally distribute your kindness — your gifts — to all alike?
Or do you offer your grandkids gifts that you don’t give to the server at the restaurant? Do you give to your pets the way you give to your children? 

EQUALLY KIND: ILLUSTRATION

Of course, some would suggest they show the same measure of kindness to all. I had a person recently display their moral superiority in that they gently carry the pests out of their house — supposedly treating them with the same kindness they treat all living things with.

Perhaps that’s what Adam should have done with the serpent — simply pick him up — all nice — and gently sit him outside the Garden. Listen! Even then you aren’t showing the same kindness to the beast, because you are saying you can’t live here. This residence is reserved for others. 

MORALLY SUPERIOR?

As much as man seeks to show himself morally superior to God — which is utterly ridiculous — this façade is so easy to unmask. But only if we know God — if we know Him rightly, and stop trying to align Him to the distorted morals of a fallen society that hates Him.

How pathetic it would be if the all-wise Sovereign of the universe acted according to finite man’s fallen fancies rather than according to His own divine pleasure and wisdom?

FREELY DISTRIBUTES HIS KINDNESS

Is God not allowed to freely distribute His gifts as He pleases? The self-righteous considers him or herself good and yet distributes as he or she sees fit. (What about our government? Equal distribution will never meet the equality fallen man imagines it will bring.)

If God does not give the same measure of kindness to a creature who lacks it by its own fault or demerit, can God be said to wish evil upon it?
Is God not at liberty to deny that kindness to the creature who has forfeited? 

Will you not reckon someone as generous who distributes charity to a great company, even though he rejects some?
Is he deemed less kind because he gives not a penny to those who refuse to address him for such?

Yet, God is so good, He denies not the best good to those who genuinely seek Him — promising them life and happiness. Is He somehow less kind because He will not distribute the same measure of His kindness to those who despise Him?

And still, He sends His sun and rain on the unjust as well as the just, the evil as well as the good. And yet they still think lightly of the riches of His kindness.

ESSENTIAL TO HIS KINDNESS: JUSTICE

But what about punishment? Where’s God’s kindness in that?

God’s punishment of sin is no violation of His kindness. Psalm 119:68. Lord, you are good and do good.Whatsoever God does is good and only good. God’s judgments in the world are a part of the goodness of His nature. 

This is where the man of Romans 2 is self-deceived. Thinking that he will somehow escape the judgment of God when he practices the same things he condemns in others. 

For if you yourself recognize that it is good and right to condemn such practices, how much more should God who is perfectly good condemn you for the doing the same sort of things.

It is good and right for God to condemn and punish sin according to the measure of the crime.

KINDNESS IN THE LAW AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES

Is it not a part of God’s kindness to make laws and add consequences to the breaking of those laws? 

How are God’s laws a kindness? Remember, they are a kindness in their usefulness. What are those laws useful for? They are useful for deterring evil. 

But laws without consequence are merely advice — not law. As such, there are consequences added to the breaking of God’s laws. Like the laws themselves, these consequences — or threatenings — are designed to further discourage wickedness — just as God’s promises are designed to further encourage goodness.

To fail to punish evil would, therefore, be a lack of goodness on God’s part — which cannot be. 

NOT GOD’S PRIMARY INTENT

But understand. Punishment is never the primary intention of God. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. 

Therefore, God, in His kindness, puts up a barricade to evil by His prohibitions and severe warnings — in order that He might by such warnings prevent sin — and consequently prevent any occasion of severity against His creature.

It’s in His kindness that God sends messengers to warn and persuade men and women to turn from their waywardness and return to the good way for which they were created — to reflect Him and His goodness.

Even when God brandishes His sword of judgment, He wishes for someone to stand in the gap to placate His anger that He might not strike a fatal blow. (Ezekiel 22:30)

And even when that fatal blow is stuck, such judgments preserve God’s goodness. For it is a kindness that God gives so gracious a warning to others that they may not venture upon those same crimes.

Don’t be like Lot’s wife! (Luke 17:32-33)

God would rather have the repentance of the sinner than his punishment.

HELL?

But what about hell? Is hell inconsistent with God’s kindness? Not at all. For how could God be good without it? 

WHAT ABOUT THE TREE?

Okay, Josh. But what about the tree. You know, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that if you eat of it, you shall surely die. What was God’s kindness in putting the tree there? What’s our benefit in the tree?

Well, what of the tree? Was that to be the tiniest of blemishes on God’s kindness? Considering He had given mankind everything else — everything for their possession, everything for their pleasure, everything for their purposes, everything for their dominion — EVERYTHING BUT THE HIGHEST THRONE — the throne of God Himself.

WAS THE TREE GOOD?

But perhaps we should ask: Was the tree a kindness? Was the tree good? Yes.
But what was the tree good for?
(Remember our definition of kindness?) What was the tree useful or beneficial for? 

GOOD FOR FOOD

It was good for food. Eve herself recognized that. But it was not good for her or Adam to physically eat from the tree themselves. The beast could eat from it. But not them.

Moreover, the tree, while not given for them to eat from, it was certainly given for their sustenance.
So long as they refrained from eating of the tree themselves, they’d be sustained in life!

DELIGHT TO THE EYES

The tree was a delight to the eyes. God made the tree beautiful, just as He had made the rest of the trees in the Garden beautiful. 

The tree was also a delight to the eyes in that it was a reminder of the riches of God’s kindness who has so richly lavished us with so much!

The tree was also a beautiful display of God’s sovereignty, God’s authority. 

Mankind was given dominion over all the earth — but how comforting and kind it was knowing that God had not abandoned His throne. He hadn’t left them alone to figure it all out on their own. He was still God and would always be so.

DESIREABLE TO MAKE ONE WISE

And the tree was to desireable to make one wise.
Is that true? 

First, it’s helpful to see that the word desire is also used in Genesis 2:9, in which the Lord God made every tree desirable or a delight to take pleasure in. 

This tree was desirable to make one wise. But how? By refraining from eating from it. This tree served as a beautiful display of what wisdom is.

This tree truly represented the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve would demonstrate such knowledge by delighting in what the tree represented. It was good not to eat and evil for them to eat. 

What a delightful ornament that served to display one’s wisdom — or the lack thereof.

CAN BE LIKE GOD?

Where Eve went wrong was not in recognizing the tree was good for food, or a delight to the eyes, or desirable to make one wise — but in buying into the serpent’s lie that she could be more like God than she already was, when eating would only serve to make her less like God.

But to suggest that the tree was in anyway unkind, would be a distortion of not only God’s character but His purposes for the tree. 

What is sin? Sin is the abuse of God’s kindness. 

DO YOU NOT KNOW?

Which brings us back to our passage in Romans 2:4.

In verse 4, Paul is saying, not only have you missed the point that in your judging of others you condemn yourself, but you also miss the point of God’s kindness toward you. 

God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance — not to the judgment of others.

So, let me ask. Have you actually understood God’s kindness? Have you studied it? Have you thought deeply about it? Or do you simply presume upon it by thinking lightly of it?

Because when you rush into sin, it is evidence that you don’t truly know God’s kindness. O you’ve been the recipient of so much of it. But you don’t know it. 

That’s what Paul hits this man with. Do you not know? You think lightly of God’s kindness, and therefore, you don’t understand it.
Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance, not to indulge more and more in sin. 

GIFT EASILY SET ASIDE

God’s kindness to them is like a gift they easily set aside.
They open the gift. Perhaps they offer a few niceties. But their attention is already on to the next gift, hoping for something better. And if nothing comes along from the gift giver, they’ll simply determine their own gift and seek to get themselves or from some other source.  

Now, I understand that some gifts are given that never receive much thought at all from the giver. They simply give a gift as if it’s a duty, rather than a delight. But that’s not at all how God gives.

God knows exactly what is most useful, most beneficial, for the recipient. And He only gives good gifts.

And yet, how many benefactors despise His generosity by setting aside any meaningful response to His kindness because they have already moved on to something else.

KINDNESS IN REDEMPTION

Which brings us to the greatest act of God’s kindness: the Gospel.
God’s greatest act of kindness is seen in redemption. 

This is a far greater act of kindness than that of creation as beautiful as that act of kindness is. But it’s one thing for God to display His kindness in creating that which is useful out of nothing. It’s an entirely different level of kindness that converts enemies — entirely of grace — turning men and women who were pleased in their own misery — those who would prefer hell before God Himself. 

So much greater is God’s kindness in redemption than in creation — because in creation there was nothing to oppose Him, but in redemption, God offers up the greatest of gifts to those set in rebellion against Him.

And yet, fallen man continues to despise even this greatest act of kindness.

KINDNESS IN AFFLICTIONS

Perhaps you look at your life and see it full only of afflictions and hardships. And you wonder how God could possibly be kind in allowing — or better — purposing such afflictions and trials. 

Well, we can’t draw out the fullness of God’s purposes here. But what I can assure you of is this. Every affliction and suffering is no less a part of God’s kindness toward you. Every one of them is intended to point you to a far greater need — and to His greatest kindness of all — the offer of His Son for your sin.

But get this. Because there’s both a promise and a warning here. Everyone who trusts in God’s Son to cover the penalty for their sin (which we’ll look at more closely next week) is promised life — which is a way of describing the restoration of our communion with God Himself. 

THE PROMISE OF THE GOSPEL: GOD HIMSELF

You see. God is the promise of the gospel. Jesus died on the cross in order to give you God — to restore you to God.
1 Peter 3:18. For Christ, also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…

The gift of salvation is God Himself. That is the greatest kindness anyone could possibly receive — because God is the greatest good — the greatest benefit. For there is nothing good in itself but God alone. 

THE WARNING

But the flipside of this is the severest of warnings. Since sending His only Son is the greatest act of kindness expressible, the rejection of His Son is the highest reproach — the greatest despising of God’s kindness.
O to think lightly of the offer and the cost of salvation held out to you.
O how heavy will the Lord’s vindication be. 

MEANT TO LEAD YOU TO REPENTANCE

God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance — not to a confession of faith — not to religious activity — not to a new standard of outward morality — but to repentance. 

Is your life marked by repentance — by a constant turning toward God. Why constant? Because in this fallen world, in this fallen flesh, our walk is far from perfect. 

So, rather than thinking lightly of these things, we meditate and contemplate, and keep adjusting the course of our hearts ever more toward Christ — until we reach that blessed shoreline on the other side of glory.

Our journey will be marked — the whole of it — by God’s kindness toward us. But what might that kindness look like? Well, different for each of us. 

But to jump ahead to Romans 8:32

He who did not spare His own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, with him, graciously give us all things? What are all things? Well, they are all things which Jesus himself partakes of, which in this age, on this side of glory, includes suffering with him.

As children of God, we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Loved ones — that is God’s kindness toward us — granting us to know Christ in his sufferings — that we might rejoice all the more in his glory. 

Don’t despise this great kindness. Lean into it, as you lean in to Christ.

But God shows His love — or we might say — His kindness to us — in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Pray. 

  The God who Breathes Life (Genesis 2:7)

INTRODUCTION:

As we were celebrating some birthdays this morning, I asked myself, how often we celebrate that of our new birth. You know, the Holy Spirit is responsible for both.

So, preparing for today’s message, I’ve been asking myself the age old question: What is the meaning of life. Before we can answer that, though, we really have to ask ourselves some other questions.

What exactly is life?
What makes something alive versus dead?
When and how does life begin?
How much of it do we truly grasp?
 - answer: mysterious

DEAD ENGINE

Is life kind of like that of a machine? Because many will suggest life is nothing more than chemistry and electrical charges.

When our car or lawnmower won’t run, we says it’s _____ dead. Right. So, when it runs, it obviously has some sense of life, doesn’t it?

Is that what our life is like? How different are we really from a machine that runs on electrical charges? What gets us going — what makes us alive? Is it like pulling the string on a mower, turning an ignition switch, pushing a power button? 

With AI, how many people wonder if we aren’t truly all that different from a machine. At what point will we begin to suggest that AI is no longer artificial. So many sci-fi movies. Anyone remember Short Circuit’s Johnny 5?

Our topic is very relevant.

LIFE IN DIFFERENT SIZES

First, there are varying degrees, or better, different senses of life.
- animation and movement
- biological
- spiritual

NICENE

One of the older Christian creeds — The Nicene Creed — says this about the Holy Spirit:
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
  the Lord, the giver of life.
 He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
 and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.

Whatever life is, it is a gift that comes through the Holy Spirit who is the Giver of Life.

So, it’s no surprise that our understanding of life, especially due to the Fall, is a bit blurred. Life is as mysterious as the Spirit who gives life. 

SERIES: 

The Holy Spirit and Discipleship
We’re not going to get very far with the idea of discipleship this morning. Today, we’re looking at something more foundational — something that must proceed any discipleship — and that is life — or more specifically, receiving NEW LIFE. Before anything else, that is our first need — it’s everyone’s greatest need.

So, we’ll begin this morning with THE GOD WHO BREATHES LIFE.

READ: Genesis 2:4-7 and John 7:37-39

TRINITARIAN ASPIRATIONS

When considering this theme for our FDC, I thought I had narrowed it down quite a bit from going with the larger theme of the TRINITY. I mean, I believe I cut my material by a third — or so I thought. 

But we can’t really have a discussion on the other members of the Godhead without their reference to the Holy Spirit.

Here, we don’t overly focus our discussions on the Holy Spirit. It’s not that we neglect Him. But often times, He sort of hides in the background unseen. 

But He isn’t unseen in Scripture. In fact, the Spirit shows up in the second verse of Genesis 1. 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

That’s the opening 3 verses of the Bible. And if you’ve been a believer for any duration, you’re likely familiar that all three persons of the Trinity come on the scene rather immediately. God, the Father creating. God the Spirit hovering. God the Son as the Word by which everything comes into being. 

WHO IS US?

Later in chapter 1, God will say, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” The first-person plural conveys more than one person. So, the seeds for the Trinity are right here in the opening verses of Scripture. 

Of course, by itself, our finite minds would never come to that conclusion, especially since the rest of the Old Testament hammers home the point that God is One.

But here’s the thing about interpretation. By itself, Genesis 1:2 only tells us so much, in the sense that the interpreter has no other context. But Scripture doesn’t find its meaning by one’s own interpretation, but in the divine Author’s intent. 

As such, we must allow God Himself not only interpret for us but to teach us how to interpret the whole of Scripture — even where immediate direct explanation isn’t provided. 

We know that “us” in Genesis 1:26 is plural — Let us make man in our image — refers to the entire Godhead. But at a minimum, Genesis 1:2 provides a second referent — another person — besides the referent of God in verse 1. 

In other words, when taken with verse 26, we can recognize verse 2 as another divine person — the divinity of the Spirit — before we even move onto chapter 2. 

AGENT OF CREATION

The Holy Spirit is revealed as the Agent of Creation.
We see that in Psalm 33:6
 By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 

The word is רוּחַ (RUACH) — most often translated as spirit, wind, or breath. (A couple other Hebrew terms convey the same idea.)

OVERFLOW OF HIMSELF

Out of an overflow of who God is — namely life itself — God creates and gives Himself to His creation and His creatures — filling it all with His very breath. By the breath — the ruach — the Spirit of his mouth, God made all the hosts of heaven.

As we turn the page to Genesis 2, the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

LIFELESS CLAY?

How does man become a living creature? It’s not merely his being formed, as intimate as that picture is. At that point, mankind is simply a clay sculpture.
No. It’s only in the Lord breathing His very breath — His Spirit — into mans nostrils that the man becomes a living creature. What happens at that moment is God breathes Himself into the man.

God animates the clay — the Adamah — that’s where Adam’s name comes from. He’s a clay figurine. Apart from God’s breath — God’s Spirit within him — Adam’s no more than a lump of clay. 

God animates the clay with His breath — His Spirit. And the lifeless clay comes alive. 

ALL OF CREATION

But it’s not just true of mankind. We’re told all living creatures are alive because they have the breath of life within them.
(That’s made clear in the flood, after the Fall — when God cleanses the earth, and everything on dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 

Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 — because of the Fall, the same fate — that of death — happens to all — both man and beast. They both have the same breath — the One Spirit. 

Psalm 104. When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.

God’s Spirit animates, not just man, but all of creation.
Now, not all of creation is alive in the biological sense as the living creatures. But all of creation is animated by the Spirit in the sense that creation moves — just as the wind moves the atmosphere and trees and the waters. 

This is a God who moves solar systems and galaxies. 

UNSEEN YET SEEN

But here’s the thing. You can’t see Him. You can’t see the Spirit — only His work. But His work is evidenced everywhere — in everything that moves — because He is the Divine Mover.

SIN’S INCOMPATIBILITY WITH LIFE

But with sin — God’s Spirit no longer abides in man — not in any lasting sense. Man who was created to dwell with God by His Spirit forever, now dies and returns to the dust from which he was made.

Sin is incompatible with life. How? Because sin, in one sense, is rejecting the very Spirit of life, the breath of life, given to reside within.

We don’t have life in ourselves but depend entirely on the Spirit. When Adam and Eve turned away from God in the Garden, they turned away from life itself. On the day you eat, you shall surely die. 

INSANITY OF PRIDE

All because of this prideful creature called man desired to be autonomous. Just think of how absurd and insane sin is. Out of his desire for autonomy this creature who is utterly dependent for his every breath longs to sever himself from the only source of life there is. 

SEEING THE UNSEEABLE

[It might be helpful to pause and recognize that Scripture uses several images to portray the Spirit who is unseen. A few important ones: wind, breath, fire, water, fountains, anointing oil, dove and eagle.]

NEED FOR NEW CREATION

With the Flood, most of life on earth would come to an end. But not all. Where the flood waters swept away every living creature with the breath of life, Noah and those with him on the ark were spared.

Noah had found favor in the Lord’s eyes. Noah’s name means “rest.” When Noah was born, it was said of him, this one shall bring us rest.

Noah and the ark would come to rest atop the mountains of Ararat, as the flood waters gradually subsided.

And Noah would send out a dove, which found no place for her foot, for the waters were still over the face of the whole earth. (You should hear echoes of Genesis 1 and picture the Spirit hovering over the waters of the deep.)

(We know the literary link of the dove and the Spirit from Jesus’ baptism.)

7 days later — an olive branch.
Another 7 days, the dove does not return.
Creation 2.0 has begun. But it’s not long before sin reveals itself again. So much for any Sabbath rest Noah.

REDEMPTION CONTINUES

The story of redemption continues through Abraham and Israel with God calling a people to Himself.

The Exodus is described in terms very reminiscent of Creation and the Flood. 

The waters are parted by a strong east wind / Spirit.
Israel is brought through the waters like Noah.

Exodus 19:4 — the Lord’s recounting of the event
You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to myself.

Deuteronomy 32:10-11 describes the Lord encircling Israel — caring for him as the apple of his eye — Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters / hovers over its young, spreading out its wings…

Same word as in Genesis 1:2.

Just as the Spirit hovered over creation, here the Lord hovered over His people, who are as His offspring. His outstretched wings overshadowed them. He shades them under the protection of His wings. It’s a picture of the Spirit overshadowing this new creation.

It’s not enough for God to create — nor to give life. Why? Only God has life in Himself. As such, He must sustain and protect the life He has filled His people with if they are to thrive, much less survive.

DEFINING LIFE

Which brings us back to what exactly is life?
Is it movement? Intentional self-movement?

Scientists describe biological life as that which is marked by metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction.

Philosophers define life as the aspect of existence that processes, acts, reacts, evaluates, and evolves.
Not very exciting is it. (And that’s why we have poets.) Life is certainly more than the scientist or philosopher conveys it to be.

MEANING

The popular question: what is the meaning of life? Has been answered many ways. But most often, it is answered by those who don’t even know the origin of life. It’s helpful to know where life comes from and why one has it if we are to answer such a question.

But when humanity denies the source of life, it’s no surprise that we have so much confusion as to who we are, much less the meaning of life. Why was I born this way? Was I born in the wrong body? These types of questions arise out of a denial of life’s origin. But get the origin right, these questions quickly go away.

BREATH OF ALL MANKIND

Remember, there are different senses of life. At a minimum, there’s animation, biological, and spiritual. Each of these are dependent on the Holy Spirit.

In that sense, all of creation and all persons participate to some degree in the Holy Spirit. This includes unregenerate persons. Those who aren’t believers are dependent upon the Holy Spirit for their every breath. He is the source of all life. There is no life at all apart from the Spirit. 

Hence, Paul has no problem speaking to unbelievers in such a way. Acts 17 at the Areopagus — The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to ALL MANKIND life and breath and everything.

Paul goes on to say that God is actually not far from each one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being. 

And it makes perfect sense, that God the Holy Spirit, who is omnipresent, fills creation, including unbelievers. 

REDEMPTIVE FOCUS

But usually, when we’re speaking of being filled with the Holy Spirit, Scripture doesn’t have biological life in mind, but spiritual life. Only believers — only the regenerate have the Holy Spirit in a redemptive sense.

SPIRITUAL LIFE

So just as the Spirit is the source of life and generation of biological life in creation, He is also the source of spiritual life and its preservation. 

SPIRITUALLY DEAD

While the Exodus was meant to portray new life and new creation (baptism through the Red Sea) — by the time we get to the prophets, it’s clear that the people of Israel are dead — not biologically dead — but dead in the sense that matters— they are spiritually dead. 

THE LIFE THAT MATTERS

[And why does spiritual death matter more than biological death? Because we are spiritual creatures. We have a body and a soul / spirit. What makes up our lives is not so much the physical. The physical, more than anything else, is so we can, as finite physical creatures, comprehend something of the spiritual. But the material — the physical — is all going to perish. It benefits us very little to seek to preserve that which can’t be preserved. But it matters eternally seeking to preserve that which remains forever. 

Bodily training is of some value. But godliness is of value in every way. For it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Yet how much of our focus is on that which will perish.]

DEAD WORSHIP

Anyway, Israel failed to attend to that which held the infinitely greater value — their spiritual life. Even possessing the oracles of God and His instruction — they held little regard for the God who was their life. Instead, they wanted to be like the nations and worship false gods — statues in which there wasn’t any breath — statues that were less alive than they were. And as the psalmist wrote, those who worship them become like them. 

They exchanged the fountain of living water and worshiped that which was dead and became dead themselves.

DRY BONES

Just how dead was the house of Israel? They were like dry bones. But God’s plan of redemption is to breathe life into that which is dead.

Ezekiel 37. You know this account — the valley of dry bones.

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. Bones … many bones, and they covered the surface of the valley — literally, the face of the valley. 

CAN THEY LIVE

And the Lord said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live? 

Ezekiel’s response: O Lord God, you know.
If life comes from God and only from God, unless He gives these bones life, no way can they live. But the God who breathes life into clay can certainly breath life into dead dry bones.

So the Lord commands Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones. Say to the, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.

NOT WITHOUT BREATH

What makes the bones come alive? It’s not with the sinews and flesh and skin. But the breath — the ruach — the Spirit.

Ezekiel prophesies, and the bones rattle and come together, with sinews and flesh and skin, but so long as there’s no breath in them, they remain dead. Just as in Genesis 2, forming the body isn’t sufficient. They need to be filled with life — with the One who is life — with the Spirit Himself.

Then the Lord said to me,”Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.

And the bones lived.

What do the bones represent? We’re told they represent the whole house of Israel, whose bones are dried up, all hope is lost.

I mean, being dead is about as hopeless as it gets… But God. Isn’t that Ephesians 2. But God.

MY SPIRIT

So, again, the Lord instructs Ezekiel to prophesy. Say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves… and I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live. 

GREATER SON OF MAN

Isn’t it interesting that Ezekiel’s title is Son of man. 93 times Ezekiel is referred to as the Son of man. Of course, this is Jesus’ most used title for himself — over 80 times in the gospels he refers to himself as the Son of man. (Daniel 7, I know. But don’t discount the allusions to Ezekiel. Ears to hear — 12:2.)

It is when the true Son of Man comes prophesying — speaking the Word of the Lord to the dead — that they will come alive. 

O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

John 5:25. And when the dead hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 

THE SON GIVES LIFE

Jesus says, just as the Father gives life (John 5:21), so the Son of God gives life to whom he will. How can the Son give anyone life? Because he has life in himself. (John 5:26) For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

Just as Ezekiel, as the shadow of the son of man prophesied to the breath to fill the dead corpses, Jesus, the True Son of Man speaks to the Spirit — come four winds — a picture of the Spirit’s omnipresence. Jesus sends the Spirit to fill us who were dead.

ALIVE TO GOD

Of course, Ezekiel 37 goes with Ezekiel 36.
(36:25) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanesses, and from your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put MY SPIRIT within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

The Spirit doesn’t simply make alive biologically speaking but spiritually. The deadness is expressed in the people’s heart of stone — our heart of stone. We were dead and unfeeling as regards God! (That’s what we’ve been covering in Romans 1. Although they knew God…)

AWAKENED TO GOD

The Spirit awakens us not so much physically but to God Himself.

This is the new birth that was promised throughout the prophets. We just looked at one. And this is the new birth Jesus is referring to when Nicodemus comes to under the cover of darkness in John 3 — and he tells Nicodemus, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus doesn’t know what to do with this. How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb?

Truly, I say to you, Jesus says, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

WHERE THE WIND BLOWS

Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.” The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Nicodemus is lost. How can these things be? He is Israel’s teacher — emphatically, he is the teacher of Israel, and he doesn’t understand the teaching about the New Birth and the Spirit’s role in it. 

CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM

But that’s part of the point. Nicodemus too needs to be born again, or literally, born from above if he is to see — understand — comprehend the kingdom of God. 

All of his vast education mattered not. He could memorize the Scriptures, but apart from being born of the Spirit, the things of the kingdom of God were but a fog. 

SKEPTICAL TEACHERS

Every now and then, I’ll read some of the skeptical scholars. It’s amazing how many unbelieving professors there are that teach theology — that teach the Bible. They aren’t believers, and yet they study the Scriptures far more than your average believer does. 

I’ll come across something they have written on this or that passage of Scripture, and they’ll interpret it. And at one level, they understand the passage. They know the meaning of words. They know their Greek and Hebrew. They trace out the historic background. And for the most part, what they have to share is what you’ll find in the notes of the average Study Bible. 

WHAT ARE THEY MISSING

But like Nicodemus, they are missing it. They are missing the spiritual emphasis. They’re missing the glory and the beauty. Their unbelief leaves them blind to seeing the truth of the text. Why? Because they haven’t been born from above. They can’t see the kingdom of God for what it truly is. Because they have no taste for it. And because they have no taste for it, they will not enter it.

It’s not accidental that the temple curtain was torn from top to bottom. Just as our new birth must take place from above — so to our redemption. The two go hand in hand. There are no resources here below. No physician, no education, no health regiment, no workout plan, no diet, no science, no machine, no magic drug, nothing that can make you spiritually alive but the God who is Spirit. 

Because every one of us, since the Fall, have been born dead in our trespasses and sins — and we walked in that deadness. 

We were all dry bones — dead and hopeless. How dead? Dead to the point we didn’t even realize we were dead.

It’s no surprise that there’s so much confusion as to the meaning of life. You can’t see it, you can’t grasp it, unless you are born from above. 

One must have life before they can grasp the meaning of it. 

But we can’t make ourselves alive. It must come from above.

THE SPIRIT AND CHRIST

So, where does our new birth and new life come from? The God who became man, taking on the very likeness of our flesh, relied on the same Spirit all humanity was to rely on. 

When Jesus came, he came in the sense of Genesis 1:2. Remember what the angel Gabriel says to Mary? The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. The Holy Spirit would hover over Mary like a dove. And she would conceive and bear a Son who would be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus would know life as we were to know it — filled with the same breath of life, the same Holy Spirit, the first Adam was filled with. And on the cross, Jesus would breathe his last and give up that Spirit in order to restore life and the Spirit to us.

A NEW NOAH

When Jesus begins his ministry and is baptized through the waters, it’s no surprise that he comes as one who is filled with the Spirit, upon whom the Spirit rests like a dove. He comes as the one promised in Isaiah 11:2, upon whom the Spirit will rest and thus able to give rest to his people. In other words, a new Noah has come on the scene. Jesus comes and gives us the rest that Noah’s name pointed to.

RIVERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Jesus comes as the one who will pour out the Spirit without measure. 

That’s why we read from Ezekiel 47 at the beginning of service. This is what’s Jesus is referring to in John 7. 

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now, this he said about the Spirit with whom those who believed in him were to receive. For as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

The wording can go two ways. The question is, out of whose heart will flow this river of living water? Most of our translations seem to suggest it’s the believer. But it is very likely that Jesus is the antecedent in the third person, because he is referring to what the Old Testament Scriptures have long pointed. Ezekiel 47 is just one.

THE TRUE TEMPLE FROM WITH WATERS FLOW

This helps us to understand better how we are to handle those final chapters in Ezekiel. Rather than expecting a physical brick and mortar temple to be erected in Jerusalem in the last days, Jesus inaugurates the last days with his coming. He comes as the temple. And it is out of him, the true temple that these living waters flow, giving new life to all creation.

Jesus is the temple from which the rivers of living water will flow in the giving of the Spirit to everyone who believes. 

COME FIND REST

Let me ask. Have you believed? Have you been born from above?

The Spirit in you may be unseen, but His work in you should not be. It should be evident.

If you haven’t received this new birth, then receive Jesus’ words and respond today. 

Come to me, and I will give you rest. The New Noah upon whom the Spirit rested, from whom life itself flows, invites you to come to Him and receive rest. 

Because as long as you are seeking rest anywhere other than in Christ, from whom the Spirit flows, you won’t find rest. You will only wear yourself out. Why? Because you’re searching for life and seeking to sustain and preserve life apart from the One who offers you the life itself from His very Spirit. 

Instead, simply receive the gift that Jesus holds out with outstretched arms. Just as he told the woman at the well, he has living water. What is this living water? It’s the Spirit. 

WATER AND SPIRIT

Remember Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 

There’s actually no definite article in front of Spirit. It would be better translated, unless one is born of water and spirit, or even, unless one is born of water and breath. 

Jesus is likely using two words to address the same thing, in order to cover the Old Testaments different ways of conveying the giving of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is represented by both water and breath — living water and the breath of life. Being born of water and spirit here are one and the same thing. 

And when Jesus dies on the cross, and they pierce his side, what does John say flows from Jesus’ side? Not just blood, but water. Living water falls upon the thirst ground as a picture of the Spirit Jesus is about to pour out. 

Likewise, after the resurrection, Jesus breathes on his disciples saying what? Receive the Holy Spirit. This also points to the Spirit Jesus will pour out from on high after his ascension at Pentecost — and to every believer who comes after.

Have you receive the Spirit? Those who have receive the Spirit in this age, receive new life now. You have new life now. 

HOPE

But we also have the hope, the sure hope, that when we breathe our last on this present earth, just as Jesus breathed his last — see, following our Lord, means following our Lord. These present bodies will die and rot in the ground. But not our spirit. 

And one day, those bodies will be raised anew and filled forever with the everlasting presence of the eternal God — forever filled with the Holy Spirit.