Romans 2:1-16 “Because the Bad News is really Bad !”

Romans 2:1-16“Because the Bad News is really Bad !”

Because our sermons are largely about BAD NEWS !!!

We want to hear Good News :

• God’s favor opening doors for our lives

• God’s blessings in His providence

• God’s wisdom guiding us in our relationships

• God’s love securing our present and future.

Sermon Titles of previous weeks :

o 15th July – Children are VIPs ? o 22nd July – Does it pay to serve

God ? o 29th July – How much to give – 10%,

$x, All ? o 12th August – What’s your heart

condition ?

Sermon Titles of previous weeks :

o 15th July – Children are VIPs ? o 22nd July – Does it pay to serve God ? o 29th July – How much to give – 10%,

$x, All ? o 12th August – What’s your heart

condition ? o 26th August – You call yourself a

Christian ?

Romans 2:1-16“Because the Bad News is really Bad !”

“Why is God’s message known as The Gospel, which means ‘Good News’ ?” or

“What’s so great about God’s good news ?” or

“Why should I share the Gospel with my mother / husband / son / cousin / niece / friend / neighbor / colleague ?”

“Why is God’s message known as The Gospel, which means ‘Good News’ ?” or

“What’s so great about God’s good news ?” or

“Why should I share the Gospel with my mother / husband / son / cousin / niece / friend / neighbor / colleague ?”

“Because the Bad News is really Bad !”

What’s the really BAD NEWS ? 1.

We are all condemned / We condemn ourselves.

Romans 2:1-2 : “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.”

What’s the really BAD NEWS ? 1. We are all condemned / We condemn

ourselves. Why are we condemned ?

Because we who pass judgment on others do the same (wrong) things.

What’s the really BAD NEWS ? 1. We are all condemned / We condemn ourselves. 2.

One Day God will judge all mankind, and the one(s) who is guilty will face God’s wrath.

Romans 2:3-5 : “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? Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? 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.”

The GreatFlood

Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by fire and sulphur from heaven.

Revelations 9:6 “During those days men will seek

death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.”

So who will pass God’s judgment and who will face God’s terrible wrath ?

Paul’s answer :a) The one who persistently do

good will pass God’s judgment and receives eternal life.

b) The one who is self-seeking, who rejects the truth and follows evil will face God’s wrath.

2 problems with a) The one who persistently do good will

pass God’s judgment and receives eternal life.

1. “persistently do good” means MUST ALWAYS do good ALL THE TIME.

2. Who/what defines the good we ought to be doing ? – what if our own definition and standard of good is not good enough ? (b) is telling us the “good” is defined by the “truth”, which comes from God’s Word.

James 4:17 –“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”

1. “persistently do good” means MUST ALWAYS do good ALL THE TIME.

2. Who/what defines the good we ought to be doing ? – what if our own definition and standard of good is not good enough ? (b) is telling us the “good” is defined by the “truth”, which comes from God’s Word.

James 4:17 –“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”

Romans 2:7-8 –“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”

2 problems with a) The one who persistently do good will pass

God’s judgment and receives eternal life.

1. “persistently do good” means MUST ALWAYS do good ALL THE TIME.

2. Who/what defines the good we ought to be doing ? – what if our own definition and standard of good is not good enough ? (b) is telling us the “good” is defined by the “truth”, which comes from God’s Word.

All mankind will be judged by God according to the good defined by the Almighty, not by the one being judged.

ISD

“Sam-seng”

2nd World War

2nd World War

Malayan Peoples’ Anti-Japanese army

Communist Party of Malaya (CPM)

It was a good and honorable goal – to fight for the people.

Communist Party of Malaya (CPM)

“Sam-seng”

三星

What’s the really BAD NEWS ? 1. We are all condemned / We condemn ourselves. 2. One Day God will judge all mankind, and the

one(s) who is guilty will face God’s wrath. 3. “So who will pass

God’s judgment & who will face God’s terrible wrath ?”

NO ONE !

EVERYONE !!

2 problems with a) The one who persistently do good will pass

God’s judgment and receives eternal life.

1. “persistently do good” means MUST ALWAYS do good ALL THE TIME.

2. Who/what defines the good we ought to be doing ? – what if our own definition and standard of good is not good enough ? (b) is telling us the “good” is defined by the “truth”, which comes from God’s Word.

God’s will :a) If you have God’s Word, then you will be

judged under God’s law.

b) If you have never heard of God’s Word, then you will be judged by a law that God has already written in the hearts of all men and women – the conscience.

Romans 2:12-15 : “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)

God’s will :

a) If you have God’s Word, then you will be judged under God’s law.

b) If you have never heard of God’s Word, then you will be judged by a law that God has already written in the hearts of all men and women – the conscience.

A son or daughter of Israel had to fulfill all 613 laws throughout his / her whole life.

For the people of Israel, the 613 laws are laws of prohibition as well as commandments to obey and acted upon.

Therefore sin was not only something wrong that they had done, but also something right which they failed to do.

God’s will :a) If you have God’s Word, then you will be judged under

God’s law.

b) If you have never heard of God’s Word, then you will be judged by a law that God has already written in the hearts of all men and women – the conscience.

God will judge them by their own conscience and their collective consciences.

God will judge them by their own conscience and their collective consciences.

On their own, or with other like-minded individuals, they began to formulate rules on right living, and what it means to be good before a righteous deity (ies) / force.

On their own, or with other like-minded individuals, they began to formulate rules on right living, and what it means to be good before a righteous deity.

Confucius

What’s the really BAD NEWS ? 1. We are all condemned / We condemn ourselves.

2. One Day God will judge all mankind, and the one(s) who is guilty will face God’s wrath.

3. No one will pass God’s judgment & Everyone will face God’s terrible wrathSo how would God judge the peoples of the world, those without the knowledge of God’s Word ?

God will judge them in accordance to their own conscience, and the higher standards of religious beliefs that these people hold to.

What’s the really BAD NEWS ? 1. We are all condemned / We condemn ourselves. 2. One Day God will judge all mankind, and the

one(s) who is guilty will face God’s wrath. 3. No one will pass God’s judgment & Everyone will

face God’s terrible wrath4.

Even the religious will fail God’s judgment and face God’s wrath.

Romans 2:16 –“This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.”

Romans 3:21-24 –

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

We can escape God’s judgment and God’s wrath only if we trust in Jesus Christ to save us.

What if your loved one refused to believe in Jesus ?

Don’t give up • praying for them• loving them • sharing the Gospel with them.

The Gospel is the answer. And the key to sharing the Gospel is love, faith and prayer.