After the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup last June, hundreds of people rioted in the streets smashing cars, looting stores, and assaulting those who got in their way. It was the largest crime spree in the history of British Columbia. But it wasn’t until last week, five months after the disturbance, that any rioters were charged. What took so long? Police Chief Jim Chu explained: “We made a commitment to...bring before the courts the full extent of the crimes committed by each rioter to ensure the most serious sentences.” In other words, “We took our time to investigate thoroughly because we didn’t want anyone to get away with anything.”
Chu went on to cite the case of a Vancouver Island man who, days after the riot, confessed to damaging a car. Investigators were going to recommend a single charge against the young man, but held off until further video of the riot could be processed. Within 20 minutes of putting that man’s description in the database, the computer returned new videos of the same suspect smashing up five other vehicles including a police car and breaking in to a coffee shop, a clothing store, and a department store. He is now facing six counts of mischief and three counts of break and enter. This thug never thought that the police would uncover all the crimes he had committed on that chaotic night. And five months without any Stanley Cup riot arrests must have reinforced this notion. But he was wrong. Other rioters too are in for a rude awakening, as the Vancouver police are now ready to charge up to 700 people.
You may not have been anywhere near the riots on June 15th and so you don’t have to fear a call from the Vancouver police, but were you guilty of smashing someone’s reputation, looting minutes from your employer by conducting personal business on company time, and assaulting anyone who spoke to you about your sins that day? Who can remember? That was five months ago! God can and does remember...all of your sins. And here’s the thing. Sometime in the future, on Judgment Day, God will bring charges against you. The Apostle Paul says, “…there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil” (Romans 2:8b, 9a). “Whew! You had me going there, Pastor. Paul says that God is going to be angry at those who do ‘evil.’ That’s not me.” Oh really? What makes you so certain that you’ll escape God’s wrath on Judgment Day? Let’s ponder that question with the help of our text from Romans 2.
So where did the police come up with the video footage of that Vancouver Island man? Much of it was shot by bystanders. Some was even taken by the rioters themselves. Don’t you suppose though that these people deleted any incriminating shots of themselves before turning in their tapes? That’s human nature and something that the original readers of our text were guilty of doing. They were certain that God was going to punish the pagans around them because they were full of greed, envy, and deceit. They were gossips, slanderers, and were arrogant and boastful. They disobeyed their parents, were heartless, and ruthless. And that was only the half of it (see a complete list in Romans 1:29-31). God is sure to punish people like that but Paul added this warning: “Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?” (Romans 2:2, 3)
Like the Pharisee in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18), Paul’s listeners were quick to pounce on the sins of others while overlooking their own faults. I’m sure some Vancouver rioters will take the same approach. They may even admit to their crimes but will insist that those offenses at least weren’t as bad as what others had done. But that will be little consolation to the individual whose car was vandalized by that culprit. He’ll still expect the perpetrator to pay for the damage – even if it wasn’t as bad as the damage done to the car next to his. Likewise we may not be obvious sinners but if we are guilty of any sin, there is a price that must be paid: God’s eternal anger. Paul wrote: “God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done.’ 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Romans 2:6-8).
Ah, so that’s it. If I want to escape God’s wrath on Judgment Day, I just need to do good and God will reward me accordingly. You’re right but if we want to escape God’s wrath, we must persist in doing good. That means always answering with a cheerful, “No problem!” when your spouse asks you to clean out the storage closet. Actually it means more than that. Persisting in doing good means constantly looking for ways to serve. But we’re usually guilty of doing the opposite. We actively look for ways to avoid serving. Isn’t that why kids steer clear of the kitchen after dinner? They know that if they hang around too long, they’ll end up with a dish towel in their hands. Likewise we adults find it easier to avoid that person whose life is a bit messy. Better not ask how they’re doing or we’ll get an earful and who has time for that? Don’t these attitudes show that we are really only concerned about ourselves? Take note then how Paul says that those who are self-seeking will not escape God’s wrath and anger (Romans 2:8)!
But some of Paul’s readers were thinking, “If we’re so bad Paul, God should have struck us down a long time ago. As it is, we go on living and life is actually pretty good. That must be proof that God is happy with us!” But how mistaken they were. Paul wrote: “…do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:4, 5).
I may live in a nice house. I may have cool friends. I may rarely end up in Emergency but none of this is proof that I will escape God’s wrath on Judgment Day. In fact if I continue to enjoy these blessings without giving thought to how I still daily offend my God with my self-seeking ways, I’m in big trouble because I’m storing up God’s wrath faster than squirrels storing up nuts for the winter! Are you getting Paul’s point? His point is that you won’t escape God’s wrath on Judgment Day by demanding justice – that is by insisting that God give you what you deserve. Because we don’t persist in doing good, we deserve God’s anger.
So now what? Like a Vancouver rioter we have no choice but to get a lawyer because we’re headed to court. But who can speak on our behalf before God? Our parents? Our pastor? The Apostle Paul? No! They’re guilty of sin too and will be standing in the prisoner’s box with us. God won’t listen to what they have to say. But Paul does point us to a worthy defender: Jesus. He writes: “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and [all] are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:22b-24).
The only way to escape God’s wrath on Judgment Day is by clinging to Jesus. He persisted in doing good every day of his life on earth. He never turned away those who needed his help. He always made God’s priorities, like prayer and worship, his priorities. He graciously forgave immediately and completely when he was sinned against like the time Peter disowned him. Jesus didn’t just keep God’s law for himself; he kept it for us. He is our ticket to heaven – the way that David Freeze, the St. Louis Cardinal third-baseman, was that team’s ticket to the World Series championship. Without his clutch hitting, they never would have won.
But Jesus is more than our ticket, he’s our receipt. What I mean is that Jesus didn’t just earn our salvation by living a perfect life; he also paid for all our sins with his death. This is some lawyer! Instead of charging exorbitant rates for his service he worked pro bono, even spending everything he had including his own life to wipe our crimes from God’s books. Don’t carelessly toss Jesus aside like a receipt from the Dollar Store. What he has purchased for you is much more valuable than anything for sale there or at the most glamorous jewelry store. He’s purchased peace, as you no longer have to fear God’s wrath. And he’s purchased a permanent place for you in the mansion of heaven.
Vancouver investigators may be taking a long time to bring the rioters to justice but judgment day is coming for those who showed such lack of concern for other people’s property and safety that night last June. Likewise it may seem as if God is slow in bringing Judgment Day to the world but it will come. God is collecting evidence that he will present on that day. What evidence does he have against you? That depends. Are you banking on justice or on Jesus to get you through that day? If you’re banking on justice, then God will show how you broke his commands many times over, every day. But if you’re banking on Jesus, he’ll declare that those sins are no longer on his books. Yes, the only way to be certain that we’ll escape God’s wrath on Judgment Day is by continuing to trust in Jesus. God grant us such a faith to the very end – a faith that daily repents of sin and delights, not in ourselves because we are self-seekers, but a faith that delights in our Savior who sought us. Amen.
