GETTING USED TO EXCHANGING GOD'S JUSTICE FOR MERCY
- Romans 2:5
- Charles E. Whisnant, Pastor/Teacher
- April 25, 2010
Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Romans 2:5
"BUT after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God: who will render to every man according to his deeds:"
People see themselves as deserving. "Well, I am not so bad!" They never are thankful for life. They just take it for granted and get the idea that they deserve it all anyway.
RESULT IN TODAY'S MODERN CHRISTIANITY: It's all about self image, worth and value. How I look, how big my house is, the brand of car I drive, the clothes that I wear.
GOD'S POINT OF VIEW ABOUT US WOULD BE? Sinners.
- Today salvation is viewed as "what can it do for me, and not how it affects God.
- Too many of us are indulging ourselves in God's mercy
HOW DO WE SEE THE JUSTICE OF GOD?
- Child dies? Wife/Husband dies? Sickness? Can't find a job? Too many things are going wrong?
- As a result, we question God's love, mercy and goodness.
MY QUESTION IS "HOW CAN PEOPLE QUESTION GOD'S GOODNESS?"
TAKE A NOTE OF HOW GOD WORKED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT DAYS
- He turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt.
- Told Abraham to burn up his son.
- Sent a bunch of snakes into the camp of Israel.
- Fire kills hundreds in Elijah's time.
- 35 sins in which God prescribed the death penalty.
We misunderstand the SIN principle. We don't see what we do as sin against God. We don't see SIN as a blow at God's character, or misrepresentation of God's image, or His intention for us. We don't see it as insulting to God.
- Originally all sin required death. But God being merciful, by the time of the Mosaic Law you have only 35.
We have gotten so used to God's mercy and grace, getting away with our sins, not being punished, getting accustomed to Grace, we have just abused it. So when God does act in justice, we believe He is unjust.
GOD DOES CHOOSE AT TIMES NOT TO BE MERCIFUL
- If God didn't choose to act in justice, think how much worse this world would really be.
- Truth of the matter is, more of God's justice should be seen.
- If there were no examples of the consequences of sin we would go on joyfully, without a thought of His mercy. We get used to exchanging God's justice for mercy.
- I Corinthians 10:11: "for our example."
- To build into our hearts an attitude of thanksgiving.
- "Every day we live we should say "Thank you God for your mercy, and for overlooking my sin today, which should cause my death."
- Never allow yourself to tolerate insubordination and disobedience just because God does show us mercy.
Luke 13:1-5 The Jews of the first century believed that all suffering was due to God's judgment on sin. This concept is shared by some Christians today when they ask, "Why do the righteous suffer? The Scripture teaches that God allows temporal disasters to happen for various reasons-one of which is to lead people to repentance. Why God Permits Accidents? One answer would be to lead to repentance.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU KEEP ON BEING STUBBORN ABOUT YOUR SINS?
- God's wrath, though it comes not on you yet, is like a stream that is damned up. Every moment it gathers force. It bursts not the dike, yet every hour it is swelling it. Each moment of each day in which you remain an unbeliever you are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath when the measure of your iniquity is full.
- You are storing up divine fury that will be turned loose on that day of wrath. The Great White Throne of God. And you keep trading on God's mercy and you will feel the eternal damnation of God for ever in Hell.
- So be grateful for God's mercy today and come to God in a repentant heart and turn to Christ.
- Today if you sense the wind of God's Spirit coming over you, today is the day of salvation.
