Sermon Cloud

Morality is no excuse.

Boy, are we good at making excuses.  There seems to be a bottomless well of excuses from which we can draw.  Ask any mother.  Or teacher.  Where’s your homework?   I lost it fighting this kid you said you weren't the best teacher.   Our puppy toilet-trained on it   Some aliens from a space ship took it so they could study how the human brain works.   I loaned it to a friend, but he suddenly moved away   Our furnace stopped working and we had to burn it so we wouldn’t freeze.

As a pastor, I’ve often said that many Christians seem to have an unlimited capacity for self-forgiveness. 

Self-forgiveness can be effective.  I remember a certain president who shall remain anonymous.  His modus operandi was simple.  It was shared by all who worked for him.  Admit nothing.  Confess nothing.  Hang tough. Attack your accusers.  Eventually, you wear them out.  Make whatever excuses you can possibly make.  As many as possible.  Perhaps one will work.  What the definition of “is” is.

My favorite example of an excuse was by Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster from the 1920s. Forgive me for this.  I was raised in Chicago.  I have a lot of Al Capone stories.  Here’s what Capone said, “You can accomplish a whole lot more with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word.”

Yeah.  He was just doing business.  Yeah.

Al was Public Enemy Number One.  On the FBI’s most-wanted list.  A hardened killer. 

As bad as they come…or worse.  Anyway, here’s how he described himself.  “I have spent the best years of my life giving people the lighter pleasures, helping them to have a good time, and all I get is abuse, the existence of a hunted man.”

Poor Al.  Well, guess what Paul tells us in Romans Chapter 2?  Excuses don’t work with God.  We don’t have any.  The Bible says that we are without excuse. 

Let’s read Romans 2:1-16.   Listen to Paul.  He wasn’t kidding.  As we read it, listen for the first of the excuses.  Morality.  You wouldn’t think that morality would be an excuse.  You’d be right.  But people try to use it anyway.

Romans 2:1-16.  You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kind-ness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done."  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them). This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

At first, this sounds like a preview of Romans 3:23.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  That’s surely true.  We DO all fall short of God’s divine standard.  There are numerous illustrations.  All jumping as high as we can, trying to reach the moon.  Or all of us wading into the California surf, trying to swim all the way to Hawaii.  Some would get higher.  Others further.  But none would make it. 

But Paul is actually coming at it from a different direction.  Look at what he is saying.  He is saying that moral people are guilty – and he is appealing to their own standards.  He’s not saying that others steal and you don’t, therefore you are better. He’s saying you steal, too. 

Your standards are fine.  But your behavior is awful.  Paul is saying that our own morality will condemn us.  If that’s the case, then upon what is our morality based? 

Let’s take a look at some foundations for morality, at least here in the Western World. 

The Ten Commandments.  OK, these certainly are well-known.  Much of our legal system is based on them.  And some people, if they haven’t killed anybody or had an affair, would claim a degree of moral superiority. 

But…let’s look them over.   

The fifth commandment.  Honor your father and mother.  Have you ever done anything to dishonor or disobey them?  Ever spoken of either of them in a disparaging way, even if they deserved it?  Have you always been thankful and respectful, even when you were younger?  Well… 

The sixth commandment.  Thou shalt not murder.  Read Matthew 5:21-22.  Jesus said that even speaking one bad word about someone would be enough to encur God’s wrath for breaking this commandment. 

The seventh commandment.  Thou shalt not commit adultery.  And you haven’t.  But Matthew 5:28.  Jesus said that all you had to do was desire it, or think about it.  And in God’s eyes, you’re guilty of it. 

What about the tenth commandment.  Do not covet.  This is tough because our whole society seems to be based on this. 

Our entire economy is driven by our desire to be like other people.  To be better off than other people. 

If your standard is the Ten Commandments, you are condemned. 

What about the Sermon on the Mount?  That seems to be a little softer.  A little less legalistic.  But actually, it is even more demanding.  People like the Beatitudes.  Blessed are the poor in spirit, whose who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  Moral people prefer to see themselves in the blessed group. 

But why?  How?  Do any of us actually keep those standards?  Do any of us even know anyone who does?  There has only been one person.  Jesus.  And since He actually did live up to every word of that Sermon He gave, are we not all therefore condemned? 

OK, you say.  Now we’re starting to squirm a little.  What about the Golden Rule?  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Matthew 7:12. 

Have you always done that?  Always been patient?  Always taken the other person’s side?  Always remained calm, never angry?  Never falsely accused them?  Never even taken unfair advantage of anyone? 

No one has ever lived up to that.  No one has ever been fair to everybody always. 

In Luke 5:32, Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” 

The reason was simple.  There were no righteous people for Him to call.  There are none today.  Jesus came for everyone else.  Jesus came for everyone. 

In contrast to our excuses, Paul points to God’s characteristics.  They stand is stark contrast.  We make excuses but have none.  Look at verse 4.  We stand before a mighty God Who has the characteristics of Goodness, Kindness and Patience. 

We know this.  We just don’t think about it enough.  We need to be reminded. 

God is good.  We are surrounded by a creation that is glorious and sufficient for us all, regardless of our spiritual condition.  God is kind.  He has offered forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe.  God is patient.  He doesn’t blow His stack when we sin.  As I explained last week, He’s waiting.  His wrath is building. 

So.  Now.  What do we do?  Well, there are only two options.  We see them in verse 5.  We can either repent or rebel.   

What is repentance?  It is realizing your sin for what it is, rebellion against God.  Stopping that activity and turning away from it.  Then walking away from that sin and toward the God Who forgives you.  Repentance is more than just hitting the brakes.  Repentance is making a U-turn and hitting the gas pedal. 

In everyday life, what does that mean?  Well, for me, it’s been a whole new outlook on life.  Because of the way I was brought up, I don’t deal well with criticism.  I’m better at it now.  But I used to hate people who spoke badly of me or spoke critically to me.  I considered them my enemies.  Even today, I have to count to ten, twelve, maybe even twenty – when someone lets me have it. 

Even though this is my natural reaction, I have come to appreciate my “enemies.”  Even though this is hard for me.  Very hard.  Do you know why?  People who are critical are almost invariably telling me the truth.  They tell me what I need to know about myself.  About myself or the situation.  They don’t cause my problems.  I cause my problems. 

This is still a tough thing.  I still have to recalibrate my reaction to criticism.  But, in the Lord, I must be able to appreciate it.  And to appreciate them.  I can either do that – in repentance – or suffer the consequences if I take the other option – rebellion. 

You can reject the information that you are given.  Protect yourself.  Don’t let anyone get close enough to hurt you.  Be an island unto yourself.  And die alone.  Separated from everyone you know because of your own conduct.  Separated from God -- forever – because of your own conduct. 

Why would any rational person do that?  Remember last week when we talked about how insane it was for Adam to disobey God?  He had everything to lose and nothing to gain.  So why do people rebel?  Remember, rejection of God IS rebellion. 

According to RC Sproul, a wonderful theologian, people reject God because – are you sitting down?  People reject God because they don’t like Him. 

I know this sounds strange.  But I sincerely believe that it is true.  Just as we who believe love God.  So do people who reject God dislike Him. Even hate Him. 

What is it that they don’t like?  Well, just about everything. 

1. They dislike His sovereignty.  And that’s His most basic characteristic.  He rules everything and everybody.  1 Chronicles 29:10-13. David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, "Praise be to You, O LORD, God of our father Israel,  from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from You; You are the ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious name.

That, my friends, is the sovereign God.  So what’s not to like?

Well, first of all, sinners are just like Adam. We want to be autonomous.  To be the captain of our own ship.  And if we believe in a sovereign God Who is always in control, then control is something we can forget about.  People hate God’s sovereignty because we want to be sovereign ourselves.

It isn’t just sovereignty that people hate about God.  They also hate His holiness.  Holiness, the greatest of all God’s attributes.  It is the only that is consistently listed three times in many worship statements.  Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.  So pure that He is eternally separate.  Religious objects are holy because they are set apart.  They have a higher purpose.

When we think of God’s holiness, we think of at least these four things.

1.  Majesty.  That means dignity, authority of sovereign power, stateliness, grandeur.  The major characteristic of strong leaders.  And God is the ultimate strong leader.

2. Will.  The will of a sovereign leader.  This makes God’s holiness personal, active.  He is anything but abstract or passive.  God cares.  He cares about everything we do.  People don’t like that.  But God knows and cares about everything.  That’s a lot of what makes Him God.

 

3. Wrath.  Again, we talked about this last week.  Wrath is a part of holiness because it is His proper response as a sovereign to all who oppose Him.

 

4. Righteousness.  This – combined with God’s will – is what makes God so exciting, dynamic…and, to many people, threatening.  Our response should be the same of Isaiah in Chapter 6:5.  "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

 

Peter said much the same.  Go away from me Lord for I am a sinful man.  Job said he despised himself.  Habakkuk said his lips quivered, his heart pounded, his legs trembled. 

If an encounter with the Holy God is that threatening – for good people, Biblical people, faithful people.  Imagine how murderous must by the trauma when unregenerate people, unbelieving people, are confronted by the Living God. 

It would be totally overwhelming.  A real trauma.  People know – in their hearts – that is the case.  They don’t like it.  So they don’t like God. 

What else?  Well, people don’t like God because of another of His attributes.  He is omniscient.  He knows everything.  There are no secrets.  He knows everything about us.  And people don’t like it.  We like to hide, like Adam and Eve.  But we can’t.  There are no secrets from God.  He knows it all. 

People want to go on sinning.  We just don’t want anyone else to know about it.  And we certainly don’t want a being like a holy, all-powerful God to know all about it. 

There are a lot of other attributes that people don’t like.  But here is one more. 
 

People don’t like His immutability.  That’s an Old English word for unchanging.  God is the same, has always been the same and will never change.  The God of the Old Testament is the same at that of the New.  And vice versa.  What you learn about God anywhere in Scripture is forever relevant. 

God never changes.  He will never cease to be God.  He is Holy, omnipotent, omniscient, immutable – and he will forever be.  People hate God because his immutabi-lity will assure that all of his other attributes -- that they dislike – will always be there. 

God’s sovereignty wouldn’t bother us if we knew it would end.  His holiness wouldn’t be such an affront if we knew that someday He might change His mind.   

His omniscience wouldn’t be so bad if we thought he might actually forget about all of our wrongdoing.  Maybe we’d get off after all. 

But that’s not going to happen.  Because God is never, ever going to change. 

God is sovereign.  He is forever holy, eternally omniscient, forever.  He will always be so, and there is nothing we can do about it. 

So here’s the bottom line.  People are without excuse, at least when we are talking about morality – ours or anyone else’s.  Not only are we without excuse, we are forever without excuse. 

Notice I didn’t say that we’re without excuses.  We have plenty of those.  What I said – and what Paul is saying – is that we are without excuse. 

So this week’s excuse – morality – is bogus.  It doesn’t work.  It will never work.  Next week, we’ll talk about the next excuse that Paul covers.  And it may surprise you.  Paul says that the next bogus excuse is – 

Religion. 

I hope you’re considering inviting your friends.  Many of them, I’m sure, consider themselves religious.