With Whom is God Most Angry?
Romans 2:1
September 2, 2007
Hopefully you noticed the title of the sermon tonight.
“With Whom is God Most Angry?”
And I think after coming out of Romans chapter 1, that is a legitimate question.
I mean we saw Idolaters, Homosexuals, and Immoral Pagans.
IDOLATERS
Those who “exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man.”
Those who “worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator.”
Certainly God is furious with them.
I can’t imagine anyone committing such a heinous or ridiculous sin.
And we think about Muslims, or Buddhists, or Hindu’s, and how they give God’s glory to an idol.
CERTAINLY THEY ARE THE ONES THAT GOD IS THE ANGRIEST WITH.
But then we see the next section.
HOMOSEXUALS
Those who “exchange the natural function for that which is unnatural”
And this “degrading passion” is really an abominable sin. It is backward to say the least, and many of us cannot even comprehend the urge, let alone think of participating in it.
It just defies logic, and God’s natural design.
A sin so backward…
CERTAINLY THEY ARE THE ONES THAT GOD IS THE ANGRIEST WITH.
But then we see the next section.
THE INDIFFERENT
Those who “did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer”
Those who “do the same and give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
At least an idolater can be shown the truth and begin to give his worship to the true God.
At least a homosexual can be shown the fallacy of his lifestyle and be led to the forgiveness of Jesus.
But those who are indifferent, they don’t even want to know God any more. They don’t want to hear from God.
Of the three, these are really the ones who defy God’s call like no other.
CERTAINLY THEY ARE THE ONES THAT GOD IS THE ANGRIEST WITH.
I mean it’s a real toss up isn’t it?
Which would you pick?
NONE OF THEM
We haven’t even talked about the type of person God is the angriest with yet. In fact, while Paul spent 2 verses on idolaters, 2 verses on homosexuals, and 5 verses on the indifferent; Paul will spend a whole chapter on the sinner that wins the gold.
WHO IS IT?
THE HYPOCRITE
Now the hypocrite wouldn’t dream of actually bowing down to an idol of stone or wood.
The hypocrite wouldn’t dream of entering a homosexual lifestyle.
The hypocrite wouldn’t dream of telling God to get lost in order to engage in open wickedness.
BUT IT IS THE HYPOCRITE GOD IS ANGRIEST WITH.
WHY?
1 Samuel 16:7 “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
God is concerned about the heart, for that is where the real sin is.
Matthew 15:19-20 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. “These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”
Matthew 12:35 “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.”
It is the heart that is the root…
It is the heart that is the source…
It is the heart that concerns God.
Deuteronomy 10:14-17 “Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. “Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day. “So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer. “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.”
Jeremiah 4:3-4 “For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns. “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.”
God wants the heart clean.
AND THOSE WHO PRETEND TO BE RIGHTEOUS, BUT WHO ARE FILLED WITH INIQUITY, ANGER GOD MORE THAN ANY OTHER.
WHEN JESUS WALKED THIS EARTH:
Matthew 11:19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Jesus walked with the meek, the lowly, the sinner, and the reject.
In fact, you could argue that those are precisely the type of people He chose as disciples.
WAS HE EVER FRUSTRATED WITH THEM?
Sure – The man with a demon possessed son
Mark 9:19 “And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”
DID THEY AGITATE HIM AT TIMES?
Certainly – The man who couldn’t hear
Mark 7:33-34 “Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
DID HE WANT THEM TO CHANGE?
Absolutely – The woman caught in adultery
John 8:11 “She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, ” I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
BUT IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHO DREW OUT HIS MOST FIERCE WRATH, LOOK TO THE HYPOCRITE.
Matthew 23:25-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
These are the ones that angered God the most.
Even in the Old Testament, it was the religious hypocrite that drew the strongest warnings from God.
Jeremiah 7:8-11 “Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’ — that you may do all these abominations? “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.”
Isaiah 1:11-15 “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”
GOD IS ANGRIEST AT THE HYPOCRITE.
(Even more than the idolater, the homosexual, and the immoral pagan)
WHY? Because they know better…
Luke 12:41-48 “Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”
We can talk all day about idolaters
We can talk all day about homosexuals
We can talk all day about the indifferent immoral pagan
But look at what Jesus said.
Matthew 11:20-24 “Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. “Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon inthe day of judgment than for you. “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. “Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”
Tyre and Sidon were pagan lands who were indifferent to God.
Sodom and Gomorrah was the most homosexual and immoral society ever
BUT JESUS WAS ANGRIER WITH HIS OWN PEOPLE
Matthew 12:41-42 “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. “The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”
Nineveh and Egypt were highly idolatrous,
Yet Jesus is angrier with His people.
THE POINT IS THAT GOD IS ANGRIEST
WITH THOSE WHO KNOW THE TRUTH, AND STILL REBEL.
THIS LEADS US TO OUR TEXT TONIGHT.
Tonight there are no points, we are simply going to look at verse 1, by way of introduction into this “no nonsense” chapter in the word of God.
Paul says.
“Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”
And let’s look at that first statement for a moment.
“Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment,”
The “therefore” of that verse must tie us back to the previous verse.
Paul wants you to remember how angry God is at the indifferent.
Because (1:32) “although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
And then Paul says, “Therefore you have no excuse”
Now first, you must notice the change in pronoun.
In chapter 1 Paul constantly used the word “they” or “them”
He was always talking about those people outside the religious circle. He was talking about that godless pagan outside the church.
But in chapter 2, the pronoun changes. We are no longer talking about those pagans outside the church. Now we are talking about those pagans inside the church.
And Paul says, “you have no excuse”
WHO IS HE TALKING TO?
“everyone of you who passes judgment”
NOW WE MUST DO OUR HOMEWORK HERE.
Let’s talk about judgment.
Our world has it horribly messed up. We have talked about this before, but it is necessary to make sure everyone is clear in their mind what we are talking about.
“judgment” translates KRINO (kree-no)
“to distinguish, to decide, condemn, determine, decree”
It is to sit in the seat of God and to pass down the final condemnation or judgment to an individual.
THIS IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN IN SCRIPTURE
Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.”
James 4:12 “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?”
It is totally forbidden for us to pass a final sentence on anyone.
It is totally forbidden for us to “put a person in hell”
WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO PASS THE FINAL JUDGMENT
WHAT IS NOT FORBIDDEN (but commanded)
Is that we warn a person who is headed to hell of the danger they are in.
THIS GREEK WORD IS:
ELENCHO (el-en-ko)
“to convict, confute, with a suggestion of putting the convicted person to shame”
Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”
2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
We are commanded to convict one another.
We are commanded to challenge one another.
We are commanded to shame one another.
WE ARE FORBIDDEN TO CONDEMN ONE ANOTHER.
And this is what Paul is speaking of here.
It is the person who looks at a sinner (idolater, homosexual, indifferent pagan) and says, “They might as well be in hell already; they’ll never change.”
And Paul says if this is what you are doing…
If you are passing judgment, then “you have no excuse”
“excuse” translates ANAPOLOGETOS (an-ap-ol-og-ay-tos)
“indefensible; without excuse”
In other words, it would do you no good to hire a defense attorney, because there is no defense for you. YOU ARE GUILTY.
Now that is pretty strong what Paul is saying.
If you judge one of these immoral pagans,
Then you are absolutely without excuse in your own judgment.
WHY?
“for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself;”
Now that is a bold statement.
Paul says, when I condemn others, I in turn condemn myself.
HOW CAN THAT BE?
When you judge another,
It reveals the fallen state of your heart.
Luke 9:51-56 “When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But He turned and rebuked them, [ and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.”
Did you catch that?
“You do not know what kind of spirit you are of”
They were not like Jesus, they were like the devil.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Not only are we called to have a different outlook,
But if Jesus is really in us,
WE WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK.
Luke 6:27-29 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.”
If we judge others, then we automatically reveal a heart
That would rather condemn men than save them.
And that condemns us.
BUT THERE IS YET ANOTHER REASON.
God is not just angry because our heart is in the wrong place.
“for you who judge practice the same things.”
Now that is getting serious isn’t it?
YOU SEE THE POINT.
The outsiders in chapter 1 suppressed the truth.
We know what truth they had available to them,
(creation, glory of God, natural function, ordinance of righteousness)
WE KNOW WHAT THEY HAD AVAILABLE
BUT DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY KNEW
BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT AT ALL,
THAT THE PEOPLE IN CHAPTER 2 KNOW BETTER.
THEY KNOW ENOUGH TO KNOW
THE PEOPLE IN CHAPTER 1 ARE WRONG.
This makes them twice as guilty.
For they certainly cannot plead ignorance.
THEIR JUDGMENT REVEALS THEY KNOW THE STANDARD
This makes their sin even more heinous to God.
AND THIS IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE.
THE ISSUE HERE IS NOT PASSING JUDGMENT
THE ISSUE IS COMMITTING SIN
THAT YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW IS WRONG.
People get off on judging, but that isn’t the point.
The issue is the hypocrisy of a person
Who condemns others for the sin they live in.
Matthew 7:1-5 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
The issue is living in the sin you condemn.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE JEWS IN ROME
WHERE CLUTCHING THEIR CHEST AND GASPING FOR AIR.
We don’t do those sins.
“I’ve never bowed to a graven image…”
“I’ve never been gay…”
“I’ve never spurned the Word of God…”
OH YEAH.
IDOLATRY = It denies the Deity of God
It is to put self in the place to receive God’s glory.
1 Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.”
Colossians 3:5 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”
Matthew 6:1-2 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
Matthew 6:5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
Matthew 6:16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
HOW IS WORSHIPING BUDDAH ANY DIFFERENT THAN DOING YOUR DEEDS TO BE NOTICED BY MEN?
Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”
HOMOSEXUALITY = it denies the Design of God
A usurping of God’s natural order.
Colossians 3:18-22 “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart. Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 11:3 “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”
HOW IS IGNORING THE NATURAL FUNCTION OF THE WOMAN ANY DIFFERENT THAN IGNORING THE NATURAL FUNCTION OF THE WIFE?
1 Peter 2:19-23 “For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”
INDIFFERENCE = it denies the Decree of God
It is disobedience to the Word of God.
And there is only a slew of them.
Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
HOW IS IGNORING GOD’S COMMAND TO BE SAVED ANY DIFFERENT THAN IGNORING GOD’S COMMAND TO GO ON MISSION?
Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
THE POINT IS THIS.
God is angriest at the person who knows better, but who sins anyway.
He is angriest at the hypocrite who pretends righteousness to Him.
Tonight I just want to ask you to make sure to put hypocrisy aside.
Don’t pretend obedience to God.
But genuinely and fully devote your life to Him.
Psalms 81:15 “Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him, And their time of punishment would be forever.”
Instead surrender your life to Jesus Christ, let Him change you, and allow His righteousness to be credited to your account.
Romans 5:8-9 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”
