The Goodness and Severity of God We must consider both! Many who claim to be Christians focus solely on the Goodness of God. They talk about how good God is and how good he has been to us on a regular basis. The fact that our God is a loving, forgiving and compassionate God should not be ignored. However there is another side of God that should be considered. The Severity of God! 1
In Romans chapter 11 the Apostle Paul is making a comparison between the unbelieving Jews and the Gentile Christians. Paul compares the people of God to an Olive tree. Under the Law of Moses the Jewish nation became the natural branches of this tree. They were God s chosen people. But, when Christ came the Jews rejected Him. They did not believe and were broken off. Once they were broken off of the Olive tree they were no longer God s people. They were now in a lost condition. The Gospel was then preached to the Gentiles Many accepted it and were grafted into the Olive Tree that represents the people of God. These Gentile Christians were now part of God s chosen people. Let s begin reading in Romans 11:19 2
Ro 11:19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 3
Paul is making a point to these Gentile Christians. You need to be careful! Certainly be mindful of the goodness of God and what all He has done for you. But also consider the severity of God If He was willing to cut off the Jews who did not believe then He certainly is willing to cut off you Gentile Christians if you become unbelievers! To be cut off means to be lost! I want us to spend the next few moments considering the goodness and severity of God ourselves. We could spend several sermons listing off all the good things God has done for us. Today we will look at just a couple. The greatest good thing God has done for us is He loved us. Every other good thing He has done for us has been motivated by that love. 4
The Apostle John tells us God is Love 1Jo 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. His love for us was not motivated by anything we have done for Him. 1Jo 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us. His love for us motivated Him to perform the greatest act of compassion in History. He sent His Son to pay the price for our sins! Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God s love for mankind is what motivated Him to give His only begotten son. 5
1Jo 4:9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. The greatness of the love of God for us was manifested or made known to us by the giving of His son. Christ came into the world to be the propitiation for our sins. This means He was the sacrifice for our sins He paid the price for us. Jesus did not die for us because we are such good people. He died for us while we were still considered ungodly. Ro 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 6
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Christ did not die an easy death. He was beaten, tortured and then crucified for us. Jesus suffered greatly for our sins because He loved us! Mr 15:15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. 16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. 17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, 18 and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 7
19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. All of us understand the damage caused by the crown of thorns, the hitting, the spitting on and the crucifixion. But scourging maybe something we may not have a real concept of because it is so painful that we would never allow it in our own society. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia describes scourging like this. It consisted of a handle, to which several cords or leather thongs were affixed, which were weighted with jagged pieces of bone or metal, to make the blow more painful and effective. 8
The victim was tied to a post and the blows were applied to the back and loins, sometimes even, in the wanton cruelty of the executioner, to the face and the bowels. So hideous was the punishment that the victim usually fainted and not rarely died under it. Because of the Goodness of God, our Savior endured these things for us and was ultimately hung on the cross until dead. Certainly none of us can doubt the Goodness of God. But remember Paul told the Roman Christians to not only consider the goodness of God but also His severity. Those who refuse to take advantage of the goodness of God will be dealt with severely! 9
The writer of the book of Hebrews gives us a look at the severity of God Heb 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. 26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, If, we involve ourselves in willful, deliberate and rebellious sin after knowing what the word of God teaches about that sin then we will be lost! As long as we have this rebellious attitude our sin will not be forgiven. 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 10
28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. What a frightening day it will be for those who have rebelled against God on the day of Judgment! 11
Paul tells the Thessalonian Christians a little about the severity of God. 2Th 1:6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, We understand how the day of judgment will be a terrible day for those who rebel against God and those who persecute Christians because they will reap the severity of God. 12
The severity of God is not going to be reserved for only the rebellious. It will also come to those who are ignorant of Him and His Law. Those that do not know God in verse 8. Ignorance of God s commands and requirements will not be an excuse on the day of judgment. God has done many good things for us, including paying the price for our sins so that we might have a home with Him in Heaven. But we must obey Him in order to take advantage of all that He has done for us. The answer we will hear on the day of Judgment will be very severe if we fail to do the will of God. Mt 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 13
Mt 7:22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! I believe these to be sincere people who thought they were doing what God wanted. We see then the severity of God will fall upon The Rebellious The Ignorant The Deceived The goodness of God is shown also by the reward He will give to those who obey Him. The true beauty, joy and wonder of Heaven is beyond our ability to completely comprehend 14
Similarly, I don t believe we have the ability to completely understand how bad the severity of God will truly be. God uses the most extreme physical descriptions to describe this terrible spiritual place Mt 25:41 calls it everlasting fire Mt 25:46 calls it everlasting punishment Mt 13:42 says it is a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth Conclusion Rev 21:8 calls it the lake which burns with fire and brimstone What a terrible place Hell must be! God s goodness is beyond measure to those who obey Him. Just as surely as God is good, He will also be severe with those who fail to obey Him! We need to consider both as we face temptation and choose the paths we will take in our lives. 15