Well, if you look in your bulletin,
it says the scripture reading was Romans 2. And that was my
mistake too. Not that Romans 2 isn't a good
passage. We're going to be turning to
Romans 2 here in a moment. But I wanted Robert to read that
passage in Revelation 18, which is our text on the subject, the
vengeance of the Lord, because I wanted you to get an idea of
this context here, which is very negative as you saw. I mean,
Robert read through it. A cause for much anguish, much
sorrow, negative things, destruction. But what this The passage is
relating is the vengeance of the Lord, His vengeance against
those who spend their lives connected and tied to this world so much
that they refuse to seek the Lord, to seek His truth, to seek
righteousness. You remember Christ in the Sermon
on the Mount, He said, He said, don't worry so much about what
you have, what you wear, what you eat, but seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be
added unto you. And so we see an example here of God's vengeance. And you know the word vengeance,
you know what it's talking about, it's talking about revenge. In
the book of Romans chapter 12, God instructs us by the Apostle
Paul as believers to not seek personal revenge, even against
those who do us wrongly. And you know why? Number one,
vengeance belongs to God. And when we seek personal revenge,
we're in essence trying to rob God of something that belongs
to him alone. Now think about that. Will a
man rob God? You know, people, they go back
to, I think it's the book of Malachi or Micah, I can't remember
which one. Will a man rob God? And they talk about tithing and
stuff like that. My friend, if you don't know
Christ, if you don't know how God saves sinners through Christ
and are well-versed in God's mercy and grace towards you in
Christ, Your whole life is an attempt to rob God, even in your
religion. And what we have here in this
passage from verse nine, I'm not gonna go through and read
all these things again. Robert did a good job with it. What it's talking about is the
things that men and women by nature are tied to and connected
with by which they gain comfort and peace and ultimately think
that God is blessing them. All of these things. And they're
symbolic. I mean, you can talk about every
one of these in a spiritual aspect. Merchants, he talks about. They
buy and they sell and they get gain. And usually, based upon
natural reasoning, ungodly reasoning, Like the man in Luke chapter
12, oh, the Lord's really blessing me. I put $100 in the stock market
and I made $10,000. What they don't realize, none
of us now by nature, what we don't realize is that without
Christ, without salvation by God's grace, without glorifying
God, what we see as blessings will end up being nothing but
curses. and they'll be removed. All these are symbolic of the
merchandise and the treasures of works based free will religion
which will end in death. You may fare sumptuously like
the rich man in hell on this earth. But my friend, without
a righteousness that answers the demands of God's law and
justice, you will be a subject of his vengeance. Justly so. Another reason God forbids us
to take personal vengeance is because our vengeance is usually
selfish and sinful and unfair. But God always judges according
to truth and righteousness. His vengeance is not just God
throwing a temper tantrum. It's not God in emotional anger
getting back at people. It is His justice. Turn to Romans
chapter 2. And look at this passage. Verse 1. I'll just read a few
verses here. It says, therefore, and what
happens here is the Apostle Paul is acting like a good prosecuting
attorney who's bringing evidence against natural man who deserves
nothing but God's justice and wrath and hatred. And when men and women judge
themselves to be good or to be righteous apart from Christ,
God requires righteousness. Well, where's righteousness to
be found? Only in Christ. Nowhere else. You're not going
to make it in God's court of justice based on your works. Now you may think that you're
working hard and doing good and God's blessing you, but without
a perfect righteousness that can only be found in Christ,
his righteousness imputed, the righteousness of God revealed
in the gospel, all you will receive is the vengeance of the Lord,
wrath of God. And so he says in verse one of
Romans two, therefore thou art an inexcusable old man, whosoever
thou art that judges. When you look at any other person
and you make this statement, I want you to listen to me. When
you look at another individual, whoever it is, and you say, well,
that person is an evil person and deserves to go to hell, unless you're found before God
in Christ, you have just judged yourself worthy of damnation. Did you know that? Now think about that when you
think of the vengeance of the Lord. You know why? You may say, well, I'm not as
bad as that guy or that lady, but you're still a sinner. And the only way you're gonna
pass judgment is to be found before God washed clean in the
blood of Jesus Christ. Standing before God in His righteousness,
not your own. So you're inexcusable whosoever
thou art that judges. Now, I know a lot of people will
tell you they don't judge. Well, they're lying. We judge
everything. The problem is, without Christ,
without the Holy Spirit giving us a new heart and bringing us
to faith in Christ, all our judgments are from a deceptive, wicked
heart. He says, for wherein thou judgest
another, thou condemnest thyself. If you say that somebody's going
to hell because they're a sinner, you've just condemned yourself
because you're a sinner too. If you judge that somebody's
going to heaven because of their works, you've just condemned
yourself because they're not gonna make it by their works
and neither can you. For thou that judgest doest the
same things. Now you may not do the same thing
exactly on earth, that another person does, but you're still
a sinner. I'm a sinner. And what do sinners
need? We need God's grace. We need
mercy. Look at verse two. But we're
sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against
them which commit such things. God doesn't lie. When God makes
a judgment, it's always according to straight truth. We can't always
say that about our human courts, can we? People are accused and
excused for political reasons, for social reasons, whatever. But in God's court of justice,
it's always according to truth. So that when God brings judgment
down upon these who follow, if you look back, hold your finger
there at Romans too, because I'm coming back to it. But listen
to verse nine of Romans 18, the kings of the earth who have committed
fornication and live deliciously with her. Who's the her there? That's the great harlot, Babylon,
false religion. And it says, they shall bewail
her, lament for her when they shall see the smoke of her burning. She's gonna burn up in the vengeance
of the Lord. Verse 10, standing afar off for
the fear of her torment, saying, alas, alas, that great city Babylon. False religion. Works-based religion,
free will religion. That's what it is. For in one
hour is thy judgment come. Verse 11, the merchants of the
earth shall weep and mourn over. They made money off of her. There's
big money in that, see? Because it's so popular. For no man buyeth their merchandise
anymore. Nobody's gonna buy what they're
selling. In this day, now what day is he talking about? He's
talking about the day of the coming of the Lord for vengeance. This
is when Christ is going to come in the cloud, and that day, everything
is going to be exposed and revealed for what it is. There'll be no
lies, there'll be no deception. It'll all be out there in the
open. Those who are buying into false
religion today, they won't buy into it anymore, because they'll
see it's worthless. It's worthless. The merchants
of the earth shall weep and mourn, verse 11, over her, for no man
buyeth their merchandise anymore. And then it goes down through
and describes her merchandise as the things that draw people's
affections. Gold, silver, precious stones,
silk, all of these, ivory, brass, marble, cinnamon, odors, ointments,
things that smell good to man, but are stench in the nostrils
of God. You know, in the tabernacle there
was a great picture of Christ in the coals that burned in the
altar, of the smoke going up, and that represented Christ and
his merits and his prayers going up for the people of God, and
it was a sweet-smelling savor to God. But false religion is
a stench in his nostrils. Why? Because it doesn't glorify
and honor him. And it says here, what she and
her followers had brought them pleasure on earth is now departed. That's what it is, verse 14.
The fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee,
and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from
thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. Gone. And so what follows now is sorrow
and tears. Their hope has gone up in smoke.
Look back at Romans 2, look at verse 3. Thinkest thou this,
O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the
same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Now here's the fact. If God ever gave any of us What
we deserve and what we've earned, it would be his vengeance, his
justice, damnation. And so we as believers in the
Lord Jesus Christ, again washed clean from all of our sins by
his blood. standing before God in His righteousness
imputed, so that God will not lay anything to our charge, the
Bible says. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
can condemn us? It's Christ that does. We who
are described in those scriptures, we're to live our lives in thanksgiving
and gratitude for the mercy and the grace and the unconditional
love that God has shown to us. Because I look at those who are
lost in their sins, who are deceived, and I say like the old guy said,
I can't remember his name, and I don't even know if he was a
believer. But he made this statement, and it's the right statement.
There but for the grace of God, Go I. Do you understand that? Do you really believe that? Well, look at verse four of Romans
two. Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance
and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth
thee to repentance. If we really see, you know, false
religion and these merchants and these kings who follow the
great harlot, Babylon, They think they're partaking of the goodness
of God with their material blessings and their religious thoughts
and ideas. They really do. They think, well,
God's really being good to me. Well, my friend, unless you see
the reality of God's justice, the reality of our sins and what
we deserve and what we've earned, and the reality of God's free
grace of salvation in Christ, you haven't even come close to
seeing the goodness of the Lord. Because if you do, That's a revelation
from God by the Spirit through the preaching of the gospel that
will bring you to faith in Christ and repentance of dead works. And it's the goodness of God
that leads you to repentance. It's not God's vengeance. You
know, they won't repent under God's vengeance. We're gonna
see that in the last chapters of Revelation. There'll be no
repentance. Now they will bow. They'll bow
because they're forced to bow. But the kind of repentance that
God brings His children to, they don't come to. Because that kind
of repentance is gospel repentance. That's the repentance that causes
us to look to Christ and Him alone and see Him as precious
in our sights. Precious. Under you therefore
which believe, Peter, Christ is precious. Oh, my soul. Don't you wanna cling to Christ
for salvation? He's your only refuge. That sermon
that Robert was talking about at nine o'clock, that was the
TV sermon. It was from Isaiah 28. It's called Christ, Our Sure
Refuge, Our Sure Foundation. But that's what that passage
in Isaiah 28. He's talking about the unbelievers
in Judah, the southern kingdom, who had made lies their refuge. And that's what people do by
nature. They'll make lies their refuge. They'll have assurance
of salvation in their profession, in their baptism, in their aisle
walking, in their decision making, all of these things. Their religion,
their tithing, And all of that's a refuge of lies. And that's
what he's saying over here in Revelation 18. Everything that
they depended upon and sought as being good and holy and righteous,
it's a lie. Oh, but the goodness of God.
Look at verse five of Romans 2. But after thy hardness and
impenitent heart, treasurous unto thyself wrath against the
day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of
God. That's God's vengeance that's described in Revelation 18. And it says in verse six, who
will render to every man according to his deeds. Who's he talking
about there? You mean God's gonna give me according to my deeds?
No, because I'm a sinner saved by grace He's talking about those
who are deceived who have made refuge their lives and he says
to them that who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for glory
and honor and immortality eternal life now. Here's what he's saying
here If you're seeking righteousness by the law by your works You
will gain it if you keep the law perfectly But do you keep the law perfectly? Do I? Do any of us? Well, doesn't the Bible say that
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, Romans 3,
23? Yes, it does. Salvation's for sinners. If you
can keep the law perfectly, I'm gonna tell you something, you
don't need salvation, you don't need grace, you don't need Christ
if you can keep the law perfectly. But you can't. And you won't,
neither will I. Verse eight, but unto them that
are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness,
indignation, and wrath. Now that's us by nature, right
there. How are we going to be delivered
from that, see? Verse 9, tribulation, trouble,
anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, the Jew first,
also the Gentile, but glory and peace to every man that worketh
good, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile, for there's no
respect of persons with God. So that's the bottom line on
all of this. Bible says in the book of Galatians
that cursed is everyone that, well, let me read it. Sometimes
I can quote, sometimes I can't, but it's in Galatians, and it's
in chapter three, I believe. I want you to listen to this.
Galatians three and verse 10. For as many as are of the works
of the law, Now that means a person who's trying to be saved, trying
to be forgiven, trying to be righteous based upon their law
keeping. For as many as are of the works
of law are under the curse. Why? For it's written, cursed
is everyone that continueth not in what? All things which are
written in the book of the law to do them. If you're of the
works of the law, trying to be saved by your works, thinking
salvation's conditioned on you, you have got it all to do. But let me tell you something.
If you tried to start today, you're already in the negative. So look at verse 11 of Galatians
3. But that no man is justified by the law in God's sight, it's
evident. Don't you see that? To be justified, to be forgiven
of all our sins on that just ground, to be declared righteous
by my law keeping, well, that's evident. Look at me. Look at
you. You say, well, I'm not as bad as some. Well, that's OK.
I'm glad you're not. But you're still not going to
be justified by deeds of the law. It says, the just shall live
by faith. Now what does that mean? Does
that mean that my believing justifies me? No. What is it to live by
faith? It's to live by the grace of
God in Christ, who is our justification, who is our righteousness, who
is our forgiveness. That's the whole thing. Now go
back to Revelation 18. Now he's going through here,
he lists all of these things about how riches come to naught,
what man seeks for in building his great cities comes to naught. Verse 19, they cast dust on their
heads and cried weeping and wailing, saying, alas, alas, that great
city wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by
reason of her costliness. For in one hour, doesn't take
long, does it? One hour, she's made desolate. When God's vengeance comes, it
won't take long. But look at verse 20. Now here's
something. In all of this negative description
of sorrow and destruction and vengeance, look at what he says
in verse 20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles
and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her. Isn't that something? Now vengeance belongs to God.
The destruction of Babylon, which is such a source of sorrow and
horror for the kings and merchants of the earth at this time, is
cause for great rejoicing for the people of God, the church
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And they're symbolized by the
holy apostles and prophets symbolizing the whole church and the truth.
As Babylon spent much time and effort in building herself up
with the riches of ungodly governments and false religion, she also
spent a whole lot of time persecuting the true church. The holy apostles and prophets,
men of God called and gifted to preach His word of grace in
Christ, and by which called out and established his church, for
God hath avenged you on her. Babylon's destruction is only
God's just wrath against her sin, but also God's just vengeance
upon her for her evil and her cruel treatment of the witness
of Christ on this earth. Their testimony of Christ is
the one and only true salvation from sin and from the wrath of
God. The light of the gospel that reveals and exposes the
deeds and the works of Babylon as being evil deeds. And we preach Christ the only
ark of safety from the flood of God's vengeance. That's an
affront to Babylon. That's an affront to her, she
hates it. But oh my soul, let's be thankful. for His grace towards
His people, safe in Christ. And it's not telling people when
it says rejoice that we're gonna be happy over the destruction
of people. It's telling us that we're going to give glory to
God. God has a right to do this, folks. And God is not only, not only
does He have a right to do it, He is right in doing it. Can you get a hold of that? And so he goes on talking about
Babylon being thrown with a great millstone cast into the sea. All of it, the light of her candle.
Look at verse 23. The light of a candle shall shine
no more at all. Whatever light she had is gone.
It's all darkness. But look at verse 24, he says,
and in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and
of all that were slain upon the earth. The blood of prophets.
What does that mean? She hated the truth. The truth is something
she despised. Christ told his disciples, marvel
not if the world hates you. It hated me before it hated you.
You know why they hated the Lord? Because he told the truth. That's
why. It wasn't because he healed people
or fed people. It was because he told the truth.
He told them this. Think about it. Here's Babylon,
the Israel sought after righteousness by works of the law. She didn't
find it because she sought it not by faith but by works of
the law. To seek it by faith is to seek
it in Christ. So there's Babylon. Christ came along and he told
the people, he says, don't follow them. It's a road that leads
to destruction. There's a lot of people on it
now. Don't follow them unless your righteousness exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you won't make
it into heaven. And then he went on to prove
how the law that they trusted in would be their condemnation. That's the case. He said they're
the blind leading the blind. They'll all fall in the ditch
together. Get off the road that is broad that leads to destruction. And they hated it. So the blood
of the prophets, they actually shed blood, physical blood here. Just about every one of the prophets
were martyred. And you know the apostles were
martyred. and of saints, who are saints?
Sinners saved by grace, sanctified by God in his grace through Christ,
and all of them that were slain upon the earth. Well, Christ
is the only hope of salvation for any sinner. It's his substitutionary
work on the cross and the shedding of his precious blood as he bore
the sins of God's chosen people in his own body on the tree.
He took the vengeance of God for God's elect. Every bit of
it now, not just part of it. He drank damnation dry. That cup of wrath. And he provided
a complete payment for all the sins of his sheep and brought
forth a perfect righteousness in which there is no flaw for
his sheep. To reject him is to reject what
he did. And it leaves the rejecter with
no hope of salvation, no hope of forgiveness, no hope of righteousness,
no hope of eternal life, only the vengeance of God. Vengeance
belongs unto the Lord and he will do right. May the Lord bless
his word to our hearts.