Most people know or at least recognize John 3:16. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” We’re not as familiar with John 3:36, “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
I don’t know why so much attention has been given to John 3:16 and not so much to John 3:36. I have a good idea, though. We don’t typically want to discuss this part of God’s nature. It’s much more palpable and sweet to discuss His love and mercy for sinners. We appreciate a sermon on heaven and what it might be like, but, we don’t want to dwell on hell, at least not very long. But what we need to understand about God is that where there is love, forgiveness and mercy there is also anger and judgement.
Brian Jones in his book, “Hell is Real but I Hate to Admit it” says, “if everyone goes to heaven, why bother with Jesus at all? Why attend church? Why serve? Why tithe? Why share our faith with others? None of this makes any sense. Why would we do anything beyond that which makes us feel good? If there is no hell, then giving less than our best to our faith makes perfect sense. But if hell is real, it changes everything.”
I’m not going to preach a sermon on hell this morning, but, we are going to give some healthy attention to the judgement nature of God.
Psalm 75 teaches us some things about God’s final judgement.
First, according to verse 2, only He knows when He is going to make it happen. “At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked” Jesus said that even though He is the Son of God he doesn’t even know when the day or hour will be. Discussing this very topic Jesus said, “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” Matthew 24:36
Second, in verses 4-6 we’re told it’s silly for human beings to be defiant against God because we have no power. This is the conclusion Job came to when responding to God he said, “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.” Job 42:2
And then Psalm 75:9-10 teaches us that the judgement of God provides the ultimate reason to praise Him. “I will always proclaim what God has done.” Romans 2:7-8 says, “He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.” The most benevolent act in all of history belongs to God; He offered Jesus Christ as the means through which you and I may receive His mercy.
How does all of this affect how we live though? How does this change the way I live or make decisions? Three quick things:
Do not defy the Judge: vs. 4-5
Make sure that you are living in agreement with God and His Word and not against it. Jesus said, “But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.” John 12:48. We’re told in the very beginning of the book of John that “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Make sure you are living in the Word of God and not rejecting it. Rejecting God’s Word or His Son Jesus as truth is the ultimate act of defiance and all who do so will be punished.
Zechariah 7:11-12 - Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the LORD of Heaven’s Armies was so angry with them.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 – And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.
2 Peter 3:3-14 - Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
God is Judge alone: vs. 7
One of the reasons I hear most often for why people don’t like Christians is that as a crowd we are considered judgmental. This is ironic. If there is any group of people on the earth who are convinced that they are not the judge, it should be us! I have a good idea why this is. Jesus gave us the model for how to present His message to the world. It’s simple. Serve first. Jesus always served others first. He met their needs, he fed them, he offered healing, he loved their kids, and then he taught. I’m not convinced that is how we are perceived in our community. We talk first. We teach first. We say, you’re a sinner, you’re not like us, you’re different, your behavior needs to change if you want to hang with us. Then we wonder why they consider us haters. Jesus served first. Jesus accepted people and he helped them without approving their behavior. How many of you would come back next week if I said I had a youtube video of every wrong thing you’ve ever done and I was going to show it? If I knew that someone could do that and had the video to show every wrong thing I’ve ever done, I wouldn’t be here next week. But that is the power of God. He has that video.
Matthew 7:1-2 – Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged
1 Corinthians 4:5 – So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due
Hebrews 10:30-31- For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The LORD will judge his own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God
Romans 2:1-3 - You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?
Everyone will face the Judge: Hebrews 9:27
This is the truth that provides us the urgency we need to be bold with the truth of Jesus Christ. Everyone will face the Judge. Death is the ultimate liar. Jesus said of his enemy, “he is the father of lies and there is no truth in him.” John 8:44 If the body and face of a dead person, who died as an unbeliever, could directly reflect what was happening to the spirit of that person, there would be no doubters. The most difficult thing for me as a minister is to conduct a funeral for an unbeliever, especially for those in my family. I have to remember that I’m not judge. And I can’t know what happened between God and the heart of a person before they passed. But, the Bible is clear. If a person dies without a relationship with Jesus Christ they fall into the hands of an angry God. God is angry because He gave the best gift that anyone could receive in His Son, and when that gift is discarded it ticks Him off. This truth alone should drive how we think, how we live, and how we make decisions. The first thing I want my kids to know is that God is their judge and that they will face Him either with Jesus or without Him, and if they face God without Jesus, they won’t go to heaven. Period.
This is why the Bible says this, “Listen, Church, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9
2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
Matthew 7:13 – You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
Romans 2:4-5 – Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
Only God knows when we will face Him in judgement. Those who defy him will suffer His wrath. For his divine Nature He alone is worthy of our praise and adoration. These truths change the way we live because we believe His Word as truth and live in obedience, we recognize He alone is Judge so we accept each other and serve others so we can share Jesus with them, because we understand that everyone will stand in His presence to answer for how they lived.
