This morning we're beginning
a study of Chapter 2, which will not take as long as it did in
Chapter 1, but there are some very important things for us
not only to study, but to apply to our personal lives. This morning
we will only be studying the first five verses of Chapter
2. The chapter has to do with judgment. Therefore, we're familiar with
Paul's therefores and wherefores. Looking back to what he previously
said in chapter 1, especially in verse 32, therefore thou art
inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein
thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest
doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment
of God is according to truth against them which commit such
things. And thinkest thou this, O man,
that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same? that
thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the
riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 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. Most students of the Bible divide
chapter 2 into two divisions. The first division taking in
the first 16 verses. The second division taking in
verses 17 through the last verse of the chapter. At the very outset, there are
some things I want to share with you concerning the principal
thoughts of chapter 2. There have been many outlines
given on Romans 2. As I read this chapter, the outstanding
things that come to my mind are, first of all, the judgment of
God is sure. The judgment of God is sure,
verse 2. Secondly, the judgment of God
is according to truth. Reveal truth, if you please,
not human truth. Thirdly, the judgment of God
is according to words. I'm not breaking it down in verses.
We will do that later. I'm only giving to you the principal
thoughts of the chapter. Number four, the judgment of
God is according to Paul's gospel. Paul's gospel, of course, being
the gospel of Christ or the gospel of God, the gospel that was committed
to Paul. Number five, the judgment of
God is according to life, the life that a person has. Number six, the judgment of God
is according to the heart, Finally, we see, as we go back
in the chapter, that God's judgment is without respect of persons. God's judgment is sure, according
to truth, according to works, according to the gospel, according
to the light that a person has, according to his heart, and all
of this without respect of persons. Those are important things for
us to consider. There are differences of opinion
as to the way this chapter should be outlined and taught. I will
share with you two principal views of Chapter 2. There is some truth in the first
view that I will give to you, but I do not believe it to be
the whole truth. As we look at chapter 2 in the
light of Romans 1, we know that man stands before God inexcusable
in the light of God's revelation of himself in nature. This we
have already studied in Romans 1, verses 19 and 20. Every person under the canopy
of heaven stands inexcusable before God. There has been enough
light given, even in nature, to make every person inexcusable
before God. In chapter 2, man is seen to
be inexcusable, not just because of the light of nature, but because
of the light that exists in the human conscience. Now this is
given in the first part of the chapter. I will elaborate on
that more in just a few minutes. So the conscience of man also
makes him inexcusable. If man can sit in judgment on
another man, in order to do that, There has to be some awareness
of that same sin which he's judging in the other person in his own
heart. Did you get what I said? I don't
take all the starch out of it from now on and that's what it's
for. We'll see what a lawful judgment
is and what an unlawful judgment is. So we see in chapter 2 that man
is inexcusable before God because of the light that exists in his
own conscience. As I look at chapters 1, 2, and
3, and I'd like to share this with you by way of introduction
to our study of chapter 2, because it gives to us a wonderful thought
that we will gradually develop in the study of the first three
chapters. In chapter one, the world is seen standing in the
presence of God's justice. The whole world is seen standing
in the presence of God's justice. That's chapter one. In chapter
two, the whole world is seen standing in the presence of God's
righteous judgment. In chapter 3, especially the
latter part, man is seen standing in the righteousness of God. It's the latter that gives to
you and me great comfort. All men by nature are condemned All men by nature stand under
the justice of God. All men deserve wrath, deserve
punishment, deserve hell if you please. In chapter 2, all men stand under
the righteous judgment of God. God is righteous in His judgment.
In most cases, man is unrighteous in his judgment. There is a contrast
in verses 1 through 5, which we will be studying this morning,
between the unrighteous judgment of man and the righteous judgment
of God. That's the great contrast in
verses 1 through 5. Some have divided Romans 1, 18
through chapter 3 verse 8 in this manner. The rationalist in chapter 1
verses 18 through 32. The rationalist is one who has
substituted human opinion for divine revelation. Now that is
true according to the context of Romans 1. who exchange the
truth of God for a lie, verse 25, and worship and serve the
creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Now, I think there has been too
much stress on the next division I'm going to give you. Some say
that the rationalist is seen in the latter part of chapter
1. The reformer is presented in verses 1 through 16 of chapter
2. Now there is no element of truth
in that. But the religious Jew could have been the reformer.
So reformation, some say, is the principal fault of the first
16 verses of chapter 2. And the reformer is one who prides
himself in being better than the non-reformer. And that's
why he sits in judgment on others. Now that's the view that many
hold. And when I say many hold, I'm
talking about men who are basically sound in the faith. And then
the third view being the religionist beginning with the 17th verse
through the last verse of chapter 2. So some have divided Romans
1 18 through chapter 3 verse 8 actually. Because you remember
in the third chapter, what advantage then have the Jews? That's the
question that is raised in verse 1 of chapter 3. Much every way. Why? Because unto him has been
committed the oracles of God. So that's why they take this
thought through the verse of chapter 3. I think that the internal
evidence of verses 1 through 16 could very easily apply to
the religious Jew who is acting the part of a reformer. I believe there are some things
found within the context of verses 1 through 16 that would give
evidence that that passage as well as verses 17 of chapter
2 through verse 8 of chapter 3 would apply to the religious
Jew. So much for that. I wanted to
share that with you. I wanted you to think about it. Now it
is true that the Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews represent
the three elements of the personality of man. This is seen in the study
of the Scriptures. For instance, the Greeks are
presented as the most intellectual people, the Romans the most powerful,
and the Jews the most religious. You can't get away from that
because those things will stand up in the light of Holy Scripture.
Now for our study of verses 1 through 5. I hope you're ready for it. I hope you will listen attentively. I am hopeful that there will
be an attitude of mind that wants to apply what you hear. In chapter 1, man is inexcusable
in the presence of the testimony of creation. In chapter 2, man
is inexcusable because he knows how to judge others when they
do wrong. This proves that man has some
knowledge of right and wrong. Isn't that self-evident? Whenever
a person sees some act of another individual and he judges that
act by the very fact he is judging that act proves that he has some
awareness of good and evil or he could not judge that act as
being wrong. or that act as being good, whichever
the case might be. The key word to the argument
of chapter 2 is the word inexcusable. In other words, when one criticizes
another there is recognition of that same sin to some extent
in oneself. Let's carry that a little further
in the light of the first verses of this chapter. Paul makes reference
to the conscience later on, not in the portion that we're studying
this morning, but in the latter part of the first division of
Romans. The conscience that recognizes a certain sin in another individual is guilty of that same sin to
some extent in himself. I would apply that. I said this
will take the starch out of all of us. I mean just exactly that. If the truth of this portion
of Scripture is applied by us as it should be applied, it will
make a tremendous difference in our attitude concerning ourselves
and in our attitude concerning others. In fact, it will enhance
the spirituality of this church. the principle that I'm going
to give to you is ignored, then of course you'll not be helped
as an individual and the church as a whole will not be benefited. What do you mean that in order
for a person to judge evil in another he is guilty to some
extent of that same sin? I am saying to you this morning
that Barry is not a person sitting in this auditorium. who can sit
in judgment on another person for stealing, who is not aware
of the sin of theft to some extent in his own life. How do you like
that? You say, I'm no thief. You're
lying now. And so you're sinning in that
that you're telling a lie. There is not a person in this auditorium
who has not taken something at some time that did not belong
to him. You see, not me. You're the biggest
hypocrite that ever walked, and so there's no hope for you. All
I can say is that the harlots and the whoremongers will go
into the kingdom of God before you. I'm giving to you a biblical
statement. Whenever a person sees another
individual committing, for instance, an act of adultery, and he judges
that act of adultery by the very fact that he can judge that act
of adultery in another person, means that he is guilty to some
extent of adultery in his own heart. Don't tell me that you never
have taken a lingering look. That is sin. And it is called
the sin of adultery by Jesus Christ himself. Take for instance
the sin of covetousness. If you can sit in judgment on
another person because he is coveting something and he's striving
for it and you can see the sin of covetousness manifested in
his life and you say, he's guilty of covetousness. You could not
judge covetousness in him if there were not covetousness to
some extent in your own heart. You want me to stop preaching
now? Do you want me to continue? Beloved, this is heart-searching.
But you know what this does? This makes all of us see ourselves
as God sees us. As God sees us. And if we're
honest with ourselves, we want to see ourselves as God sees
us, not as we look at ourselves. I may not even get beyond the
introduction because there's so much in this subject this
morning. The only judgment that is allowable in this world, and
this is important, the only judgment that is allowable in this world
is that permitted to those who hold up the Word of God in order
to mirror the sin of mankind. That's the only judgment that
is allowable. You see, when you as an individual
Christian take the Word of God, when I as a minister take the
Word of God, the only judgment that is allowable, I said, is
that which permits us to use the Word of God or to hold up
the Word of God in order to mirror the sin of mankind. There is
no individual who is absolutely pure from sin. Paul is leaving the pagan Gentiles
and now he is beginning to discuss something as he brings in the
religious Jews. I want you to know that the judgment
of religious people is going to be more severe than the judgment
of pagans. Now if you think you can get
any comfort out of this this morning by being a religionist,
I'm not saying a Christian, I said a religionist. A religionist is worse off for
having heard the truth than a person who has never heard the truth.
Now every individual is without excuse before God because there
has been enough evidence of the existence of God and the power
of God even in nature to make him inexcusable. But when an individual has been
subjected to the revelation of God's mind in Holy Scripture,
he is then more responsible because he has been exposed to more light. I'm saying to you that God is
righteous in his judgment. God is righteous in his judgment.
You see, all judgment other than that which is allowable to us
by holding up the word of God to mirror sin in mankind is blind
and arrogant. The judgment on the part of these
religious Jews that Paul is exposing in chapter 2 is blind judgment. Yes, it is arrogant judgment. That which is pronounced wicked
and a heathen will be pronounced equally wicked in a religious
person, yes, it will be even a greater sin because he is exposed
to a greater light. Not only is he exposed to the
light of nature, but to the light of the revelation of God's mind
in Holy Scripture. That is why the Apostle Paul
makes the statement he does, What advantage then hath the
Jew? Much every way, because unto the Jew has been committed
the oracles of God. That's chapter 3, verse 1. The deluded Jews fancied themselves
free from condemnation merely because they possessed the oracles
of God and enjoyed national privileges. Oh, I want to make an application
of this. I want to make an application that will sink deeply into our
hearts. I said the deluded Jews, and
I want you to know there are many deluded, professing believers
today. I hope there aren't any in this
auditorium this morning. But I'm not so sure of what there
are not some. I'm never to take anything for
granted. The deluded Jews fancied themselves free from condemnation
merely because they possessed the oracles of God, the Old Testament
scriptures, and enjoyed national privileges. In other words, they held their
representatives in professing Christendom today. Yes, I believe that they have
their representatives in professing Christendom today. There are
many people who think that they are really blessed, that they
are safe, they are secure because they have a Bible. I'm not so sure, but what there
are not some. I'm never to take anything for
granted. The deluded Jews fancied themselves free from condemnation
merely because they possessed the oracles of God, the Old Testament
scriptures, and enjoyed national privileges. In other words, they have their
representatives in professing Christendom today. Yes, I believe that they have
their representatives in professing Christendom today. There are
many people who think that they are really blessed, that they
are safe, they are secure because they have a Bible in their home,
because they attend church frequently, because they give their money
occasionally, that they are free from God's judgment. And they're
just as deluded as the religious Jews were to whom Paul wrote
these words. This is important. Look at verse
1 again. Therefore thou art inexcusable,
O man. O man. Notice that expression.
It's repeated again in verse 3. Thou art inexcusable, O man. Whosoever thou art that judgest,
for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for
thou that judgest doest the same things." That's why later on
in the chapter he makes the statement in verse 21, you teach others. Do you teach yourself? Do you
teach yourself? He said, You preach that a man
shouldn't steal. Do you steal? You teach that
a man shouldn't commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You say
that idols should be abhorred. Do you commit sacrilege? Then he said, the name of God
is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. Now let's make that
practical. With all of my heart I believe
that the name of God is being blasphemed today because of professing
Christendom. In the same manner that the name
of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles because of the terrible
errors of the religious Jews. I believe that when a person
says he's a Christian, he ought to act like one. And beloved,
I believe if he is a Christian, he will act like one. He isn't
perfect, but he's bent on the things of the Lord. He's leaning
in the right direction. He's concerned about righteousness.
He's concerned about the things of the Lord. He puts the Lord
first. himself has to take second place. Let us now begin our study of
the first five verses. I think we'll have time to hit
most of the high points. God's judgment is according to
truth. There are several contrasts given
us in the first five verses. It is these contrasts that I'm
going to spend my time discussing with you this morning. First
of all, man's judgment we see is contrasted with God's. According to verse 1, man's judgment
comes from the distorted mirror of his own imagination. That's
a statement made by one of God's noble servants of the past. How
true that is. man's judgment come from the
distorted mirror of his own imagination. When we look at verse 1, we have
to come to this conclusion that man's judgment is ridiculous.
Someone has expressed it like this, for every knock, the knocker
knocks another, he gives himself a knockout blow. That's true. And that's exactly
what Paul is exposing in verse 1. Yes, every knock the knocker
gives another. He gives himself a knockout blow. Man's judgment is not only ridiculous,
but it is hypocritical. It draws a veil, you see, over
its own evil deeds while condemning the evil deeds of others. That doesn't mean that there
is not a lawful judgment of the deeds of others. This does not
take away from a lawful judgment within the church and a lawful
judgment of others. But you see, this is an unlawful
judgment. Here is a religious Pharisee
judging others while covering the same sins that he was judging
in others. And this is what Paul was convinced.
So it's hypocritical. You know the scribes and Pharisees
regarded their own lives in a very different light from that in
which Christ pictured them. I want you to know that the average
religionist today pictures his own life in a different light
than that which the Bible pictures him. Now all you have to do is
just witness a little bit for the Lord this week and you will
see that that statement is true. It was the Jews, you remember,
who said, quote, we have a law, and by it Christ ought to die. John 19, 7. They were not without a zeal
for God. Don't forget that. They were
religious Jews. They were not pagans. They said,
we have a law, and by our law, Christ should die. Yet they sought to kill the very
person in whom the law was fulfilled. Do you see the blindness of the
Jews? I'm talking about spiritual blindness. There is not a weak
past, but what the believer who has some knowledge of the Bible
as he witnesses for the Lord, he sees spiritual blindness. manifested on every hand. Man's judgment is ridiculous.
It is hypocritical. His judgment is contrasted with
a righteous judgment of God. Look at verse 2. We're sure,
Paul said, we're sure. We're sure that the judgment
of God is according to truth. This is revealed truth. Truth
revealed in His Holy Word. Are you acquainted with His Holy
Word? You say, no, I hardly ever read it. God's judgment is according to
revealed truth. Therefore, every judgment that
is made must be made according to the revealed truth of God,
not the opinions of man. What does he mean when he says
we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth?
He simply means the judgment of God is according and shall
be ever according to the facts and the case. I said the facts
and the case. There is no escape from divine
truth. Therefore there is no escape
from the righteous judgment of God which is according to truth. I can illustrate that in this
manner. No person can get the right sum if he neglects the
laws of multiplication. No person can get the right melody
if he neglects the musical scale. Now as those two things are self-evident,
beloved, it is also self-evident that no person can have the right
kind of life who neglects Holy Scripture, divine truth if you
please. And yet this is neglected even
by most religionists. Most religionists are not concerned
about what the Lord says. They just start giving their
opinions. Don't you become amused sometimes at individuals who
don't even hardly ever read the Bible and yet you ask them a
question and they are full of opinions. They can talk loud and long about
something they know absolutely nothing about at all. Man perverts truth, Galatians
1, 6-9, God personifies truth. Jesus Christ is the way, the
truth, and the life. Sanctify them through thy truth.
Thy word is truth. Know ye not that the word that
you hear today will judge you in the last day? The word of
truth. These are scriptural statements. When we think about God the Father,
Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, we all agree that these are all
righteous standards, eternal standards. But let us not forget
that the truth of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit is also an eternal standard. And everything is judged by the
eternal standard of God. There's another contrast. Man's
judgment may be evaded but God's judgment is a divine certainty. Now this is easily understood
in the light of present day events. When we think first of all about
man may escape lawful judgment, you see man may lie out of his
guilt. And oftentimes he does lie out
of his gift. He may go to the extent that
he will hire a lawyer to help him lie out of his gift. Are
you following me? I'm sure there are good lawyers,
but I'll tell you most of them I don't want anything to do with. A criminal lawyer is one that
I just don't want to have anything to do with. Anytime a man says
he's a Christian, and he can be hard knowing all the time
that the person is guilty, and he can stand up and defend him
as though he's not guilty, he's a liar with him. In fact, he's
a paid liar for the individual who's trying to lie out of his
guilt. That's how plain the Word of
God is, but this is not what most people want today. Man may threaten his way out
of judgment. He may be guilty of something,
and he knows an individual who knows that he's guilty, and he
says, if you tell it, you'll suffer the consequences. And
then the person who knows about it, he's afraid to say anything.
Do you know one of the great tragedies of our society today?
No one is willing to become involved even though he sees something
and he knows it to be a fact. He doesn't want to become involved. Now I could spend the rest of
my time this morning giving you one example after another of
that. So man may escape lawful judgment,
lawful human judgment. He may lie out of it. He may
hire a lawyer to have him lie out of it. He may be in a position
to threaten others in order that they will not tell it. But let's
look at that in contrast to God's judgment. We are sure, but we
are sure, Paul said, that God's judgment is according to truth.
That they which commit such things are worthy of death and not only
do the same but have pleasure in them and do them. Going back
to chapter 1 verse 32. Man cannot escape the judgment
of God. It's appointed unto man once
to die and after this the judgment. That's what the book says. You
see, the Jews thought they could escape God's judgment on the
ground of their, first of all, relation to Abraham. Abraham
is our father. Secondly, they thought they could
escape the judgment of God for the mere fact that they possessed
the oracles of God. Thirdly, they thought they could
escape the judgment of God because they had been circumcised. How
many religionists are there today who think because they've been
baptized, they've been ducked in water, had a little water
sprinkled on their heads, that they are saved from the judgment
of God? Poorly? They thought they were
saved from the judgment of God because of their national blessings. How many people in America, and
they call this Christian America, who ever heard of a Christian
nation? The only Christian nation is the Holy Nation spoken of
in the Scriptures. And that includes all who have
been regenerated with the Spirit of God. 1 Peter 2 verse 9. But there are a lot of people
who are foolish enough to think that they might escape God's
judgment even in this life by the mere fact that they live
in America. Believe me, the judgment of God
is already being poured out upon America. And the tragedy is most
persons who live in America don't recognize it. Finally, the Jews thought that
they could escape the judgment of God because of all of their
ceremonies. But the Jews were warned that
they would not escape. You want the proof of this? Turn
with me, if you will, to the 50th division of the Psalms.
I'll read you some verses. The Jews were warned about this,
and this is a warning for religionists today, who are just religious,
but they're not saved. They have no assurance of salvation,
no love for the Lord, no love for the things of the Lord. They're
not putting the Lord first. All right, let's begin with verse
7. Psalm 50. A warning was given
by Jehovah God to Israel. Here, O my people, he's talking
to national Israel. And I will speak, O Israel, and
I will testify against thee. I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy
sacrifices, or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before
me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out
of thy foals, for every beast of the forest is mine, and the
cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains,
and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I
would not tell thee, for the world is mine, and the fullness
thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of
goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving,
and pay thy vows unto the Most High. And call upon me in the
day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify
me. But unto the wicked God saith,
but unto the wicked God saith, here it is, speaking to his national
people. What hast thou to do to declare
thy statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
It isn't enough for you to take my statutes. It isn't enough
for you to say you love the Lord. And beloved, the same thing can
be applied to us today. It isn't enough for you to say,
I love the Lord. I have his Bible. I go to church. Listen to it. What does he say? What hast thou to do to declare
that my statutes are that thou shouldest take my covenant in
thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words
behind thee? How many religionists are there
today who are very pious, and yet when they're subjected to
the truths of God's Word, they cast them behind their backs. I told you there wouldn't be
anything in this passage to inflate our ego this morning, didn't
I? I'm not apologizing for it either. I want you to know that.
This is the word of the eternal God before whom we stand. Listen
to what he says. When thou sawest a thief, then
thou consentest with him. Thou consentest with him. Why
today people think it's all right to lie. Even a lot of religionists
think it's all right to lie because everybody's lying. In order to
be a good salesman today, you've got to tell lies. Have a classic
example of that. I've been lied to about something
I ordered two months ago. I went over yesterday and I let
the man know that I was tired of being lied to. Just tell me
if it was coming or not. They have my money, see. And that's the way you ought
to talk to them. Don't lie about it. Two weeks ago, it was shipped
air mail. Two weeks now, air mail. Where
from? Why, it could have come from
Japan. It could have come from Australia. And then last Monday, a man told
me, it was center mail today. Well, not just the week before
it was center mail. They must think people are nuts. Now, it
isn't necessary to talk like that to make a sale. In fact,
I let him know. I said, you know, if I have some
folk who are interested in maybe what I have purchased, do you
think I can conscientiously recommend them to you? He looked at me
kind of funny. His face kind of turned red.
I said, you don't just keep telling people things. Just tell the
truth. If you had told me the truth, I wouldn't be upset, but
you tell me one thing and I know it's not truth because you turn
right around and tell me the same lie again the next week.
Now listen to this. And yet this fellow's a religionist.
Don't forget that. He's a religionist. I didn't
say he's a Christian. All right, let's read on. when thou sawest
a thief, and thou consented with him, and hast been partaker with
adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil,
and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against
thy brother, thou slender'st thine own mother's son. These
things hast thou done, and I kept silence." Here's the reason for
it. Here's the answer. Follow it
now. Follow it, please. thou thoughtest that I, that
is God, was altogether as one as thyself. You see, the religionist
today thinks that God is a person like himself. But I will reprove thee and set
them in order before thine eyes. I think you'll appreciate this
statement. No man can escape the judgment of God. Why? There
is a future in every past. I want to go rather slow here
because this is a statement worth taking down. I said there is
a future in every past. The past has the faculty of futurizing
itself. And an evil past futurizes itself
in the just and righteous judgment of God. You see an evil past, and all
of us have an evil past, we have an evil past by nature. An evil
past is obliterated only by God's grace. Therefore the only way
to get rid of the past is to get a good future out of it by
the grace of God. No sinner can have a good future
until the grace of God wipes out his sinful past. You see, the sins of the Jews
were not identical with those of the Gentiles, but their sin
was the same. They sinned against light. As
the Gentiles sinned against the light of nature in chapter 1,
now the Jews are sinning not only against the light of nature,
but they're sinning against the light of the revelation of God's
mind to man. Now let's come to another contrast.
Man's vileness is contrasted with God's goodness in verse
4. Look at verse 4. Or despisest thou the riches
of this goodness, forbearance, longsuffering, not knowing that
the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Someone has said
this is strong evidence that the first part of the chapter
belongs to the religious Jews, even though the Gentiles described
in chapter 1, enjoyed some of the good things of God revealed
to them and made manifest to them in nature. Yet the Jews
had even a greater manifestation of God's goodness in their national
blessings and in the fact that God spoke to them through Moses,
in the fact that God gave to them the oracles of God. And
now here they are sinning in a greater way by sinning against
the revelation of the life of Holy Scripture. So man's vileness
is contrasted with God's goodness. Actually, I'd like to preach
an entire sermon on this, but let me give a few points as time
is fast slipping. Man despises the goodness of
God. The word despiseth needs to think
down upon. The word shows not only intelligence,
but reasoning and understanding. Look down upon. We're told that
the English word despise is closely related to the word spy. Its literal meaning is to look
down upon. And it presents the creature
lifting himself so high in his depraved mind that he thinks
he has reached the summit upon which he can look down upon God. Oh, beloved, I want you to think
about that. That's the place to which our society has come
today. Mankind in general thinks that
he has been lifted so high by his own intellectual capacity
that now he can look down upon God. He is in for a rude awakening. All these things men do and God
does not open his mouth, but don't forget The fifth division
of the psalm goes on to say, the time will come when God shall
roar out of Zion and shall not keep silent. The Jews did not despise God's
favor, but they did despise the purpose of His favor. Men today
accept the blessings of God while ignoring the blessing. To rebel against justice is inexcusable,
but to fight against the goodness of God is abominable. How is God's goodness despised? Oh, so many ways, but let me
mention two or three. God's goodness may be despised
by showing a spirit of ingratitude. Are you grateful for what you
have? Are you grateful for good health? Are you grateful for
a good job? Are you grateful for a good living?
Or are you ever complaining? God's goodness may be despised
by claiming it as one's due. Have you ever seen people who
think that they're just getting what they really deserve? After
all, I'm just getting what I deserve. That's despising the goodness
of God. If you got what you deserve,
you'd already be in hell, suffering the torments of hell. How else we can despise God's
goodness by despising its design? By perverting the truth of God. even by procrastinating. Well,
I'm going to do this, or I'm going to do that. And we keep
procrastinating. Now, in contrast, a man despising
the goodness of God, look with me now at God's goodness, forbearance,
and long-suffering. These three words furnish a great
outline for a message. Let's take them one at a time.
Not that I'm going to preach a message on them now. Goodness
is God's providential favor in contrast to his penal justice. God's goodness was the cause
of the universe. God's goodness was the cause
of the inhabitants of the universe. Goodness denotes positive dealings
on the part of God. It gives time for repentance,
provides the means furnishes the motive. Look at the word
forbearance. Forbearance denotes God's negative
dealings. It speaks of delay and punishment. Beloved, you and I have a lot
to be thankful for that God is a forbearing God. That he does
not speak in judgment before he does. Forbearance will avenge someday. Punishment is only delayed, not
canceled. Forbearance must be just, though
graciously delaying the justice. That's forbearance. Now look
at long-suffering. Long-suffering denotes God's
negative feelings. It refers to that which eventually
gives place to wrath. Someone has said, goodness when
exercised in withholding vengeance is patience, and when continued
under repeated provocations is longsuffering. That's good. That's
great. The same person went on to say
in commenting on longsuffering, longsuffering is the greatest
manifestation of power this side the day of judgment. Vice may
seem to overpower virtue, but God's long-suffering restrains
the power in avenging vice. Finally, God's judgment grows
out of what man is and does. Verse 5, what does he say? But after thy hardness and impenitent
heart, treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath
and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God." So God's judgment
grows out of what man is and what man does. Man by nature
is depraved. His depraved nature is actively
engaged in evil. Paul makes a statement that the
heart of man is not only hard, but it is impenitent. Let's look
at these two things. First of all, the hardness of
the human heart. Hardness is self-induced. God affects no efficiency in
hardening the heart. You might ask, well, how is it
then that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh?