Behold the Severity of God

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Behold the Severity of God

Introduction: Romans 11:17-22. The book of Romans is about God’s mercy, God’s salvation, and the means by which we can obtain that salvation. But we must consider a major issue that is the primary part of appreciating God’s salvation, and that is the severity of God. Romans 1:18 begins the whole discussion on the gospel,  “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” 

God’s wrath and severity are not something most people want to talk about. Even we can get so impressed with God’s mercy that we do not consider that the reason for mercy is the necessity of God’s justice. Consider Hebrews 4:1, “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.” Judgment and mercy are seen in the same verse. The Hebrew letter is a warning that Christians can fail to reach the goal. 

1. God’s Wrath Is a Reasonable Response to Man’s Sin
   1. God’s warnings about hell, punishment, and his wrath against ungodliness are multitude. In the very beginning (Genesis 6-7), God destroyed everything and everyone on the face of the earth and started over with only eight people. In our culture, people are shocked. “How can there be such a God as that!” And yet when the world is filled with murder, rape, and child abuse, those same people complain that if there were a God, he would not let that happen.
   2. Man’s sin destroys the good God made. The exaltation of man’s ways are always destructive. Wickedness brings pain on all of God’s creation. 2 Thes. 1:6-7 “since God indeed considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” 
   3. If there is no Judgment, God is not just. It is interesting that even atheists and godless people cry out for justice against Vladimir Putin and his murder of the Ukrainian people. But if we are going to scream tolerance for all the other sinful ways of man, we have blurred the lines and Putin is justified!
2. Jesus Warned of Hell
   1. It is not unusual for people to think of Jesus as a mild-mannered, never-harm-anyone Savior. The above text warns that it is Jesus who comes in flaming fire inflicting vengeance. And Jesus himself repeatedly warned of the same. Jesus is the only one in scripture who actually uses the word “hell” (12x, with many other warnings w/o the word).
   2. Mark 9:43-48 After warning against causing others to sin and be lost, Jesus offered a radical instruction on avoiding sin. The emphasis on sacrificing something so dear as a hand (what you do), foot (where you go), or eye (what you see), tells us of the extreme danger of sin and what awaits us if we pursue it.
      1. The word Jesus uses for “hell” (Gehenna), is a graphic picture of the garbage dump outside the south wall of Jerusalem. It was considered “unclean” because of the rotting bodies of the poor and outcasts who could not afford burial and the perpetual fires that burned on the trash. The valley had its origin in child sacrifice to Molech and Baal until Josiah defiled the valley and stopped the practice. Verse 48 is a quotation of the last words of Isaiah – a final warning of the book to those who would later come during the days of the Messiah – an endless burning and rotting for those who are enemies of God.
      2. The challenge we have with this text is the’ radical sacrifice that must be made to avoid sin. We might reply, “But that’s why we have grace!” But no, you misunderstand. Grace is the reason we do all we can to avoid sin! (Rom. 6). 
   3. Matthew 13:40-43 It is Jesus who gives the parable of the tares/weeds and speaks clearly of the coming judgment when all who cause sin and practice lawlessness will be cast into “the fiery furnace” where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 
   4. Luke 16:24 “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.” 
3. Descriptions of Hell
   1. Matthew 23:37-38 As Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, he pronounced its final judgment: “your house is left to you desolate.” Chapter 24 describes the end of the temple and the nation.
   2. In the word “desolate,” Jesus reminds the people of Lamentations, in which a graphic description is given of the previous judgment on the nation.
      1. 2:1-7
      2. 2:20-22
   3. Luke 13:22-30 To me, this is one of the most graphic and sad scenes. These are religious people (the Jews, “we ate and drank in your presence”), and yet, “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.” The agony is over what could have been but has been lost forever.
   4. Revelation 6:12-17 Judgment and the people crying out for the rocks and mountains to fall on them.
   5. Revelation 14:9-13 Another judgment scene in which those who worship the beast will “drink the wine of the wrath of God poured full strength into the cup of his anger.” Further, they will be “tormented day and night forever and ever.” And again, “they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image.” 
4. Who Will Be Lost? God’s Shocking Message
   1. Matt. 5:19-20 Your righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.
   2. Matt. 7:21–23 Not those who say ‘Lord, Lord’ but those who do. “On that day, many will say…” It is the imagination of every heart: it surely won’t be me.
   3. 1 Thes 1:7-9 those who do not obey 
   4. Luke 13:24 seekers who do not strive
   5. Luke 14:15ff the Great Supper, the excuses, and counting the cost. The phrase, “is not worthy of me,” indicates that our response is in a sense measured by the greatness of Jesus’ sacrifice. He gave up his life; we are to give up ours.
   6. The expectation that I still have time (Matt. 25:11, parable of the virgins, “Lord, Lord, open to us”); Eccl. 8:11
   7. 1 Thes. 5: The suddenness of death or the return of the Lord (Luke 12, rich fool)
5. Application: Understanding the Principle
   1. First, the Lord did not give any of these warnings to give us the slightest indication that we can’t make, it’s too hard, or that he is not going to bring us to be with him. The Lord swore with an oath by himself that he would save us in spite of the fact that we will fail (Heb. 6:13-18). He never wants us to doubt that.
   2. There are two texts that explain the principle quite clearly:
      1. Hebrews 10:26 “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” We “stand” in a state of grace and mercy before the Lord. We will always remain in that state. We are to confess that we sin, always maintain a humble repentant heart, and he promises to “cleanse us of our sins” (1 Jn. 1:7-10).
      2. 1 John 5:16-17 John offers a clear difference between a person who “sins unto death” and one who “does not sin unto death.” In other words, there are the rebellious, who sin with a “high hand” (Num. 15:27-30), and upon whom there is no mercy. And there are those who sin in weakness and are repentant and fall on the mercy of the Lord. To these, the promises are made. 
   3. Therefore, when we see the massive number of description of hell, it should remind us of the seriousness of sin and the greatness of our salvation. We must live in his presence with great awe, thankfulness, and love.

Berry Kercheville