People of God, in Christ, the anger of God, indeed the wrath of God, is undoubtedly a difficult subject, but one that we shouldn't try to avoid. And we shouldn't avoid it because God's Word certainly doesn't. We don't have to go very far into Paul's letter to the Romans before we come across a first reference, again, not just to the anger of God, but even to his wrath. Romans 1 verse 18, which we surpassed some weeks ago already, says, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. And now, as we begin chapter 2 of Romans, there are further references to the wrath of God. In Romans 2, verse 5, we hear, But because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. Again in verse eight, but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. Here there is even a certain intensification of Paul's reference. It's not just the anger of God, it's the wrath of God. And it's not just the wrath of God, but even the fury of God. And this verse might remind us of another verse, if we know it, from Revelation 19, verse 15, referring even to our Lord Jesus himself. It says, from his mouth comes a sharp sword with which he will strike down the nations and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. We've all heard the words of the Battle Hymn of the Republic based on this text. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. So anger, wrath, and even fury. And yet the Apostle Paul has really already intensified the word wrath by connecting it unmistakably to the judgment of God. That's what we are hearing in Revelation 19, as Christ upon his return treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty. It's the judgment of God in the end. And it's what Paul is warning in Romans two, first in verse two, we know, he writes, we know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things." So 1st Paul teaches that the knowledge of God is plain. Remember that? It's plain to all mankind through what God has made in creation. And at the same time, his point is that the knowledge of God also is the knowledge of his wrath. But now his teaching gets even more intense. Now it's the knowledge of his judgment. We know, Paul writes, that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. And he goes on to teach, but because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. So we know it, teaches Paul. Because it is revealed, but there is coming a further revelation of the wrath and judgment of God. And how should we hear this teaching of God's Word? That's the question this morning. How should we hear this? And really, will we hear it? If Paul is correct, we already know it. But will we truly hear it? and will we take it to heart? The best thing to do, the best way to proceed, I think, is what we usually do. Let's just follow the logic of the passage. And it begins with the judgment of man. Before Paul gets to the judgment of God, he first mentions the judgment of man. He writes, therefore you have no excuse, oh man. Every one of you who judges, or in passing judgment on another, you condemn yourself because you, the judge, practice the very same things. So the first step towards accepting and not denying the judgment of God is to consider your own inclination toward judgment. Here is the inescapable problem for those who deny that God exists. If there is no God, then nothing really is morally wrong. But no one really thinks that. They try to claim it, that there is no God and no real right or wrong. It seems to me that people usually say this when it comes to sexual morality, because they want the freedom to experience sexual pleasure. However, wherever, with whomever they choose for themselves. But no one really thinks this, at least not consistently. And this is Paul's starting point by pointing out that as much as we might be tempted to deny the wrath and judgment of God, we contradict ourselves when we stand in judgment of others. Wait a second, I thought it was impossible to think of a good God who judges sin. But you are good, at least you claim to be, and you judge others. But even worse, we judge others even as we do the same things. We get angry when someone steals from us, but what about the time when we stole from someone else? We get angry when someone tells a lie about us, but what about the time when we told a lie? or at least spoke rashly and participated in the gossip going around. It is possible, of course, for us to block out the memory of our past sins in order to make ourselves the righteous judge of others. But that's why we need God's word to tell us to stop and to consider our own sins. Our Lord, was teaching the same lesson in his Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 7, he said, why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye when there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite. first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." And his point was not just that you have to be better than another person before you can judge them. His point is that the only way to avoid being a hypocrite is never to judge another person. But we can't do that. We shouldn't do that. We should recognize when others are sinning and even sinning against us. But when we do that, as we certainly always will, we only prove that a good God must be the God who judges sin. So on the most basic level, our own judgment really proves the reality of God's judgment. And yet at the same time, our judgment proves that we are not God. Because in passing judgment on another, you condemn yourself. Even when our judgment is correct, when we call a murderer a murderer and agree that he should be punished, or maybe more to our common experience, Even someone steals from us and we object. But what happens in our judgment? Anger is not wrong. You should be angry when someone hurts you. But what most often happens when we get angry? Either we overreact and retaliate beyond justice, or if we can't do anything about it, We harbor that anger for years and years, maybe. Either way, our anger, our judgment goes awry and only adds another sin to the sin we're responding to. At the same time, we fail to see that we are receiving the grace of God every day. It's what we call common grace. In other words, it's not the grace that saves us, but it's still the matter of grace that God continues to bless us after we have sinned against him. Here then is the second point, the presumption of sin. Paul writes, do you suppose, O man, you who judge those who practice such things, and yet you do them yourself. that you will escape the judgment of God, or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? The Apostle Peter teaches much the same thing in 2 Peter 3, verse nine, when he writes, the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you. not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." The point is this, that if you are a sinner, even a small one by your estimation, your question really should be, why am I still alive? Why are you still being allowed to experience pleasure in God's good creation? Why are you still being allowed to breathe God's air and to stand upon God's good earth? But remember that Paul is building a case here. 2,000 years separate us, but surely he dealt with the same objections to God's judgment that we hear or objections even that we voice. And his case begins with the revelation of God through what he has made. And so complete is that revelation that we even know that God is holy and just. And in knowing that God is holy and just, we also know that he is rightly full of wrath for sin. And being rightly wrathful, then it's because of his grace. that we continue to live. As Peter writes, he is patient toward you, not wishing that we should perish, but that we should reach repentance. So here's the thing to see, that Paul is not being sadistic by teaching about the wrath and judgment of God. His interest really is the gospel. He is not focused on sin for the sake of sin. He would have his readers, including us, he would have his readers see our need for the gospel. He would have us not stand in judgment of God's judgment. Because isn't that what is really happening? That when people condemn the idea of a God who judges sin, they stand in judgment of God's judgment. and they contradict themselves. They judge, which is wrong to do by their claim. God's wrong to judge, but they judge in their judgment of God. But as they persist in their judgment of God's judgment, they really place themselves above God, which is really what sin is in the end, the sinner thinking to take the place of God himself. that Paul would have us understand and confess that God's judgment is right, and it is true, and it is just. He would have us see that we need Christ. He would fit the pieces together for us. Why do we know about this thing called righteousness when we can't find it anywhere in this world? And we certainly can't find it in ourselves. And yet we know this, that there is this thing called righteousness. Why do we judge others even while we deny that God is a righteous judge of sinners? Why do we expect blessing from God when we know that we deserve his judgment? Within our modern culture, more than ever before, I think, I haven't been around for the full time, but within our modern culture, there is this idea of finding ourselves, of trying to figure ourselves out. But who better to ask? You wanna find yourself, you wanna figure yourself out, who better to ask than your maker? And by the Holy Spirit's inspiration of the teaching of the apostle Paul, I would call upon you to let God explain you to you. That's what the teaching of God's word is. When we are hearing the teaching of God's word about sin, God is explaining you to you. And again, the point is not to teach sin for the sake of sin, but to teach sin for the sake of what's right and true. and for the sake of salvation. We cannot arrive at faith, if it be saving faith, until we know, until we have knowledge. But that knowledge must include first the knowledge of sin, the realization of what already is, the understanding of the problem that God has solved through the gospel. And we can get all up in arms about God's wrath and judgment Or we can say not just that it's true, but that it really does make sense. I am a sinner. God is the just judge of sin. That's what God's word would lead us to do. And so Paul's last point in this passage is the equity of God's judgment. Remember that if God is holy, such that He stands in judgment of what is unholy, including you and me, then He is not going to turn around and join us in our sin when He judges sin. His judgment is just. His holiness extends to His judgment. In verse five, Paul teaches and warns, but because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. And the judgment of God in that day will be his just wrath. Verse six, he will render to each one according to his works. To those who by patience and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. The problem, of course, which is the problem of sin at its deepest level, is that there is no sinner who seeks for glory and honor and immortality. It is true that God's judgment will be just. The wicked will be justly punished. The good will be rightly rewarded. But where are the good to be rewarded? Who are they? Some people want to take references like this from Paul, that wickedness will be punished and the good will be rewarded. They want to take that as the teaching that salvation can be earned. Others take a kind of middle ground to say that while salvation must first come by grace, yet Paul is teaching that once salvation has been received by grace, then the rewards of heaven must be earned and can be earned. That's not what Paul's teaching here. His point is the equity of God's judgment, or to put it another way, that God's judgment is just. That's why he goes on to speak of the Jew and also the Greek. The point is not that some people can be good enough to earn salvation. The point is not that some higher level of reward can be earned in heaven. His point is that all sinners are equally under the judgment of God for their sin, whether they are Jew or Gentile. Paul even says that twice, the Jew first and also to the Greek, the Jew first, and also to the Greek. So God's judgment will be just, which is good. A good God judges justly, but it's not the good news of salvation. It's not the good news for sinners. The equity of God's judgment only means the equity of sinners under the judgment of God. Here's that point where we either have to stop with the good news at the end of the sermon. I'm sorry, stop with the bad news. We don't want to do that. We don't want to stop in the middle of the bad news. Or we need to draw in again where we know Paul is going with this. So for the sake of the gospel, I hope you're eager to hear it. For the sake of the gospel, for the sake of sounding forth the call to believe in the Savior Jesus Christ. Let's give gospel focus to a couple of Paul's statements here about God's judgment. That might sound kind of strange. But consider first, he will render to each one according to his works. This is true, of course. For sinners, it's the bad news. he will render to each one according to his works. But under the gospel, it becomes good news because this is exactly what God has done in sending Christ. Do you know, do you remember what Jesus said to John the Baptist at his baptism? He said, it is necessary for us to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus was making it clear at his baptism that he had entered into our life. He had come under the law. He was born in our flesh, but he also entered into a life lived under the law of God. And the father of our Lord Jesus Christ has rendered to him according to his works. By his perfect obedience, Christ earned the favorable judgment of God. He was raised from the dead according to His works. He was seated at the right hand of the Father according to His works. And He was given authority to share His reward with us according to His works. And we see Christ further in Paul's teaching here as he writes, to those who by patience and well-being and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, He will give How am I? This is what Christ did for us. This is what Christ received as his reward for being patient in well-doing. The point has been made here before that we can read the actual law of God in the same way. When we hear the 10 commandments, we have a choice. How are we gonna read them? If we read them in the arrogance of sin, we say, okay, this is what God requires, I will do it, and God will reward me according to my works. If we read the law of God in truth, we can only despair, saying, it's impossible, I'm lost, I'm ruined by the law of God. But if we read the Ten Commandments, with conviction for our sin, but with an understanding of what God did for us in Christ, what Christ did for us by the plan of his father, then we can hear each command as what Christ did for us. You shall not, says the law, and so he didn't. You shall, says the law, and so Christ did. Christ did it Perfectly. You shall make no false image of God. Christ did it perfectly. Christ fulfilled all righteousness so that his father rendered him, rendered to him according to his works. Can we hear it? And what his father rendered to him by his works was resurrection unto eternal life. His father rendered to Him the place of favor at His right hand. His father rendered to Him the authority. Here's where we get blessed. His father rendered to Him the authority to rule over a people with whom He shares what He has earned. That's the good news. and what marvelous news it truly is. In the end, God's judgment will be righteous and holy. Left to ourselves, a righteous and holy judgment means that we are condemned. But united to Christ by faith, a righteous and holy judgment means that we are saved. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also to the Greek. but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good. For God is just and holy in his judgment. How do we escape the tribulation and the distress to come? We can try to imagine it away, but that doesn't make it go away. We can imagine that we can be good enough to escape the wrath to come, but arrogance is not salvation. How do we escape the tribulation and distress to come? By entering into the kingdom of the king who has earned glory and honor and peace for us. And we enter his kingdom, we come under his reign and his rule and his reward by faith. If we deny the judgment of God for sin, even the wrath and fury of God for sin, then we deny the very cross of Christ. If we deny the coming judgment of God, we tell Jesus that he died a really foolish death. But if we accept the truth that God is holy, that he is just, that his judgment and condemnation is due to us for our sin, Then the gospel opens up for us. It becomes ours as we see who God is, as we see who Christ is, as we see who we are in our sin, and as we see who we are now in Christ. How blessed we are by the glory and the honor and the peace that Jesus gained for us. Amen. Let's bow in prayer together. Forgive our standing in judgment of your judgment of God. Grant that we would have the humility of faith to accept the conviction of sin and the warning of your coming judgment so that we might then go to Christ, that we might trust in Him, that we might enjoy all that He has done for us, all that He has earned for us, all that He shares with us as our victorious King. Lord Jesus, grant us Your Spirit that we might believe in You and receive that salvation that you yourself have earned. In this we ask and pray in your name, amen.