Leeds Vineyard

Romans 2:1-13 The Gospel turns all the lights on 

HeadingleyrugbyIt may demand some imagination on your part but in my youth I was a rugby player. I played in the junior sides at the old Headingley RUFC. But one strange day I found myself on a rugby pitch turning out for a medics team in Stoke and discovered that the opposition was a women’s rugby team.

Now rugby is a contact sport and I found myself comprehensively compromised as we tackled, rucked and mauled. At one point I noticed that our winger was carrying the ball to the touchline unimpeded by any opposition. I realised this just at the point I was tackled by what seemed like all fifteen of the women - who tried very hard to disrobe me. Somehow, they failed.

Sometime later I was recovering in the club bath. Let me explain, in those days, after a rugby game the players would all leap joyously into a huge, deep, hot bath (one for the home team and one for the opposition. Again, as I lay there soaking, I was slow to cotton on as it became clear that the opposition, the women, were coming in to use the same bath. I was not prepared and my towel was a vulnerable ten paces from the edge.

I decided that the best course of action was to wait it out - to wait until all the women had left before I made a quick dash to my towel. That turned into a long wait which had the two-fold effect of giving the remaining women the wrong impression about my intentions and of turning me into a wrinkled prune.

This is what Romans 2 is all about. Mixed rugby.

The point is that, eventually, everything is going to get exposed. I did not want to be exposed – neither on the rugby field, nor in the bath. I wanted to stay modestly hidden in the appropriate way. But the time was going to come when the club caretaker was going to pull the plug on the bath and everything was going to be exposed, including me.

In Romans 2 Paul is warning us that one day God is going to pull the plug on the bath and clean it up. One day the lights are all going to get switched on.

Have you ever been there at the end of a dance party when they play the last song and then the lights come up? When the lights were dim and we couldn’t see what we were standing in it seemed like a great place and we were all having such fun. And then the neon comes on and no one looks quite as glamorous, we’ve spilt wine down our front and we are standing in pools of beer and litter.

Verse 1 – you who pass judgement do the same things

Paul is warning us that all the lights are going to come on one day.
Mankind is making a mess of life and God’s world. One glance at the newspaper shows us that there is something wrong. And when we think about it we realise that it’s not them, it’s me.

GK Chesterton in correspondence with the Times about what was wrong with the world is reported to have written, “Dear Sir, What is wrong with the world? I am. Yours etc.” (It may be a myth but it is still a good line).

Paul identifies this and makes the point that we’re all in this together, none of us have the right to judge anyone else because we do the very same things.
The gospel of Jesus is a simple response to the brokenness in the world and in us. We have done wrong and turned away from God. He has pursued us in love, and in Jesus’ death on the cross the price for our sin has been paid.

Verse 4 - God’s kindness leads us to repentance

Repentance: when we see the truth we have the opportunity to repent and turn to him.

When:

  • our conscience warns us (see the next talk);
  • the beauty & power of creation opens our minds to existence of a designer
  • the astounding discoveries of science and the evidence of history
  • the gospel presented in the bible speaking into our hearts
  • Holy Spirit moves us through worship and teaching and the word of God
  • The joy of testimony
These are lights in the darkness – are we seeing? Are we hearing?

These are the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance and patience – he is graciously leading us toward repentance. He is a God of second chances, and third chances, and four …. If you have turned him down before or fallen into sin again – do not despair, He is not waiting with condemnation, he is pursuing you in love, offering you another chance.

Repent, turn to him, receive his grace.

Each time we turn down the opportunity to repent and get straight with God we build up another layer of resistance toward him. What Paul describes as storing up wrath against yourself.

Verse 5a – storing up wrath


This doesn’t mean that God is getting angrier and angrier. On the contrary his mercy is continually extended to you and me. What it means is that we are building up more and more brokenness - which will eventually be revealed.

The lights are down, I can’t see much, and I think I am having a good time. Occasionally I get glimpses of the mess I’m in but ignore it and carry on dancing.

We think we’re doing okay and then all of a sudden our conscience perks up, whispering, “What you just said wasn’t right.” Or you look over your shoulder and suddenly become aware of all the people you’ve hurt without thinking. Your colleague gets a promotion or your friend gets a bigger car and you realise how envious you’ve become. Maybe it’s more serious and you get arrested for something or the bailiffs are knocking on the door or the judge restricts access to your children.  Sometimes a serious illness opens our eyes.

These are all examples of the patience and kindness of God – giving you a chance to change your direction of travel before all the lights come on.

Verse 5b - the day of God’s wrath when his righteous judgement will be revealed

One day it will all be over, all the lights will come on – where am I? Covered in dirt standing in a mess, or have I taken the opportunities, the kindness of God, to sort things out, get cleaned up? Am I ready for his judgement, for justice?

Justice“We want justice, we want justice” – it’s the frequent battle-cry of the activist.
We all want justice don’t we? When we see corruption, when people treat us badly, when someone commits a crime.

The thought that there may not be a God who can ultimately bring about justice and put right what is wrong – is depressing. It’s such a relief to know that our God is a God of justice and that the day will come when he will judge fairly, when the lights will be switched on and nothing can be hidden anymore.
That’s what it means when Paul uses the words wrath and righteous judgement. The wrath is not just an emotion – it’s a legal state – it’s the lights being switched on. His wrath has been held back, the lights have been kept off, in order to give us time to repent and get straight with him before the day of judgement.

We have mixed feelings don’t we? On the one hand we want justice but on the other perhaps we’re not too keen on what it means for us. We know that it’s mercy we need - not justice! The gospel presents us with a wonderful way of facing the bright white lights of the day of judgement.

Romans 3:23-24 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

The life, death and resurrection of Jesus reveals a God who is not distant but close; who is not dispassionate about us but pursuing us with compassion; our God is quick to forgive and show mercy. All that is needed is for us to repent of our sin, receive his mercy and follow him.

This is why we look forward to the day when all the lights come on and we get to live in a new heaven and a new earth, cleansed and healed, forever.

Summary

You may be here as someone who has already chosen to follow Jesus. This message then is by way of a reminder. Keep short accounts, deal with sin whenever it rears its head, walk in the light, repent frequently, look forward to the day when we stand before our loving heavenly Father and walk into glory, honour and immortality. (Verse 7).

You may be here as someone who has never yet made that major life-saving decision to follow Jesus. I want you to understand that God loves you, he has made a way for you to be cleansed and re-clothed. He invites you to surrender to his love, repent, turn round and receive his forgiveness. You can live a new life knowing the presence of his Holy Spirit in you today and one day meet him face to face without shame or fear.

You may be here as someone who doesn’t believe in God at all. I would urge you to listen to your conscience, to consider the evidence in the lives of many around you who know Jesus the Son of God, as a friend and Saviour. I invite you to give God a chance to, in his kindness, reveal himself to you. If he doesn’t then maybe you were right all along. But if he does…! What have you got to lose if you can gain a whole new life?

Conclusion

There will always be pain on this earth, doubts and uncertainties. But whilst we wait for the day to come, we can know joy, forgiveness and God’s presence in our lives – today.

The day will come when all the lights will be switched on. We may not bow to our creator God today but one day every knee will bow. One day, justice will be finally done.

I urge you not to show contempt for the riches of his kindness and instead, bow the knee to him today. Repent and give your life over to him. Receive his forgiveness and invite the Holy Spirit to fill you. And when that day comes, may it be one which you and I can rejoice to see.

David Flowers
9 November 2014