Taking a Good Look at Me
I. The Deception of Hypocritical Judgment
A.What we Feel as we Judge Others
1. They feel Indignant Over the sins of Others
2. They feel Indulgent Over their sins
B.What we Forget as we Judge Others
1. They forget to Evaluate themselves
2. They forget the Standard of God
3. They forget the justice of God
C.What we Forsake as we Judge Others
1.Forsake the grace of God
2. Forsake the goodness of God
3. his forbearance and longsuffering
II. The Devastation of Hypocritical Judgment
A.We Subject Ourselves to Become Insensitive to God
1. Unresponsive
a. As an individual rejects the message of grace and spurn God’s love, abuses His mercy and presumes on His kindness ultimately becomes hardened in their heart.
b. A deliberate choice with devastating consequences.
c. We get our English word sclerosis as in arteriosclerosis a hardening of the arteries, comes from this Greek word to harden. But here the danger is not physical but the spiritual hardening of the heart. Hardening of the arteries will send you to the grave, but spiritual hardening will send you to Hell.
2. Unrepentant
a. Failing to see themselves the way God sees them
b. Believing that there is nothing that needs to be done about their condition, they are just fine.
c. And stubbornly refuse and reject God’s grace and forgiveness
B.We Subject Ourselves to Be Indicted by God
1. God will Judge Their Conduct
a. It is evident that God will judge by the deeds one has done
b. His judgment is based on product. What has been produced in a person’s life? Basically how have you lived your life? This is not a works based salvation.
2Cor.5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Jer.17:10 I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
Matt. 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
2. God will Judge Their Character
a. Self Righteousness = I don’t need grace
b. Self Seeking = Everything they do, they do it to please and satisfy themselves without any regard to the harm it may cause.
c. Obedience to Unrighteousness
3. God will Judge Their Conscience
a. The conscience is what God has given every man to discern between right and wrong. It is a light to shine the way to Christ and His forgiveness.
b. Everyone has a moral law written in their hearts. Not to murder, steal, cheat, lie, commit immorality.
c. A conscience starts out
1. Sensitive = aware of right and wrong, accusing for the wrong, bringing about guilt and remorse.
2. Silenced = Because of refusing to listen and allowing it to guide you to Christ
3. Seared = Where there is no longer any feeling through persistent rebellion and therefore excusing the wrong doing.
1Tim.4:1-2 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
4. God will be Just in Their Condemnation
1. His Judgment will Accurate
a. For it will be Righteous
1. There will be no defense
2. No arguments
3. No Excuses
4. It will be impartial
2. His Judgment will be Appropriate v.6--9
b. For it will be Rewarded
1. Eternal Life to those who have received grace v.7;10
2. Eternal punishment to those who have rejected grace. v.6;8-9
a. All the wrath stored up against their sin
b. indignation = God’s intense anger and fury
c. anguish = ultimate isolation from God in the confinements of Hell