Greater Responsibility: Understanding God's Judgment and Grace

Devotional

Day 1: Greater Knowledge, Greater Responsibility

The Jews, having received the law explicitly through Moses, are held to a higher standard of judgment than the Gentiles, who possess an inherent understanding of fundamental law but not in the same explicit manner. This distinction highlights the principle that greater knowledge and opportunity come with greater responsibility. The Jews were given the law directly, which means they had a clearer understanding of God's expectations. This principle is not limited to the Jews and Gentiles but extends to all believers today. As we grow in our understanding of the gospel, our responsibility to live according to that knowledge increases. This is a reminder that with the privilege of knowing God's word comes the duty to live by it. [24:42]

"For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified." (Romans 2:13, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life have you been given greater knowledge or opportunity, and how can you ensure you are living up to the responsibility that comes with it?

Day 2: Accountability in the Light of the Gospel

Our responsibility as believers increases with our understanding of the gospel. The more we grow in grace and knowledge, the greater our accountability becomes. This principle underscores the importance of living in accordance with the light we have received. As we delve deeper into the teachings of Christ, we are called to reflect that understanding in our daily lives. This is not about earning salvation, but about living a life that honors the grace we have received. The more we know, the more we are expected to embody the teachings of Christ in our actions and decisions. [29:13]

"Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." (Luke 12:48, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively apply the knowledge of the gospel in your daily interactions and decisions today?

Day 3: Jesus as Fair and Just Judge

Jesus Christ, as both Savior and Judge, will judge not only our actions but also the secrets of our hearts. His judgment is fair and just, as He has lived as a man and understands our human condition. This should lead us to live with integrity and sincerity. Knowing that Jesus understands our struggles and yet calls us to a higher standard should inspire us to live authentically. We are encouraged to examine our hearts and ensure that our outward actions align with our inner convictions, knowing that nothing is hidden from Him. [38:02]

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." (2 Corinthians 5:10, ESV)

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where your actions do not align with your inner beliefs? How can you bring these into alignment today?

Day 4: The Full Scope of the Gospel

The gospel is not merely about personal happiness or solving life's problems. It includes the full scope of God's judgment and the necessity of recognizing His wrath. This understanding is essential for a complete grasp of the gospel message. The gospel calls us to acknowledge the seriousness of sin and the profound need for salvation through Christ. It is a message of hope and redemption, but also one of accountability and transformation. Embracing the full gospel means accepting both the grace and the call to live a life that reflects God's holiness. [43:18]

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." (Romans 1:18, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding the full scope of the gospel, including God's judgment, change the way you view your relationship with Him?

Day 5: Embracing the One True Gospel

There is only one gospel, committed to the apostles and preached in its fullness. It is our responsibility to embrace this truth and live in accordance with it, recognizing the weight of our actions and the grace that has been extended to us. The gospel is unchanging and calls us to a life of faithfulness and obedience. As we embrace this truth, we are reminded of the grace that saves us and the call to live a life that reflects that grace. This is a call to authenticity and commitment to the teachings of Christ as the foundation of our lives. [48:57]

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you more fully embrace and live out the one true gospel in your daily life?

Sermon Summary

In exploring the profound differences in the standards God applies to Jews and Gentiles, it becomes evident that the Jews, having received the law explicitly through Moses, are held to a higher standard. This is not to suggest a difference in ultimate destiny, but rather a distinction in the severity of judgment due to the greater light and opportunity afforded to them. The Gentiles, while possessing an inherent understanding of fundamental law, did not receive it in the same explicit manner, thus their judgment is less severe. This principle is echoed in the teachings of Jesus, who emphasized that to whom much is given, much is required.

This understanding extends beyond the historical context of Jews and Gentiles to our own lives. As believers, the more we hear and understand the gospel, the greater our responsibility becomes. Our works, while not determining our salvation, will follow us and influence our eternal rewards. This is a sobering reminder that our actions, thoughts, and even the secrets of our hearts will be judged by Jesus Christ, who is both our Savior and Judge. His judgment is fair and just, as He has lived as a man and understands our human condition.

The gospel, therefore, is not merely about personal happiness or solving life's problems. It encompasses the full scope of God's judgment and the necessity of recognizing His wrath. This is an essential part of the gospel message, as it underscores the seriousness of sin and the profound need for salvation through Christ. The gospel is singular and unchanging, committed to the apostles and preached in its fullness. It is our responsibility to embrace this truth and live in accordance with it, recognizing the weight of our actions and the grace that has been extended to us.

Key Takeaways

1. The Jews, having received the law explicitly, are held to a higher standard of judgment than the Gentiles, who possess an inherent understanding of fundamental law but not in the same explicit manner. This distinction highlights the principle that greater knowledge and opportunity come with greater responsibility. [24:42]
2. Our responsibility as believers increases with our understanding of the gospel. The more we grow in grace and knowledge, the greater our accountability becomes. This principle underscores the importance of living in accordance with the light we have received. [29:13]
3. Jesus Christ, as both Savior and Judge, will judge not only our actions but also the secrets of our hearts. His judgment is fair and just, as He has lived as a man and understands our human condition. This should lead us to live with integrity and sincerity. [38:02]
4. The gospel is not merely about personal happiness or solving life's problems. It includes the full scope of God's judgment and the necessity of recognizing His wrath. This understanding is essential for a complete grasp of the gospel message. [43:18]
5. There is only one gospel, committed to the apostles and preached in its fullness. It is our responsibility to embrace this truth and live in accordance with it, recognizing the weight of our actions and the grace that has been extended to us. [48:57]
** [48:57]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:48] - Higher Standards for Jews
[24:42] - Advantage and Responsibility
[25:29] - Greater Judgment for Jews
[26:35] - Commentary on Responsibility
[27:29] - Judgment of Believers
[28:22] - Rewards and Loss
[29:31] - Increased Responsibility
[30:25] - Works and Eternity
[31:37] - Day of Judgment
[32:46] - Jesus as Judge
[33:21] - Authority of Jesus
[34:12] - Resurrection and Judgment
[35:16] - Fairness of Judgment
[36:59] - Secrets of Men
[41:52] - Gospel and Judgment
[45:14] - My Gospel
[48:57] - One True Gospel

Sermon Clips

The standard that God applies to the Jew is a higher and a severer standard than he applies to the Gentile. Now, that doesn't make any difference in the final ultimate destiny, but it does seem to indicate it seems to me that there is a difference in the punishment. God demands more of the Jew than he demands of the Gentile. [00:23:33]

The Gentile had a kind of fundamental law in his mind, in his heart, but he had never received it in an explicit external and objective manner. But the Jew, on the other hand, had received it in that way. God had given it through Moses, and therefore the Jew was in a very advantageous position. [00:24:25]

The sinful Gentile and Jew will go together to perdition, but there seems to be perfectly clear teaching that the punishment and the suffering of the Jew for his sins will be greater than that of the Gentile. And it's perfectly just, it's perfectly equitable. He has had the advantage, the greater opportunity, the greater light, and therefore he is judged according to the light which he had. [00:27:05]

Every time you and I hear the gospel, our responsibility is increased. The more we have heard the gospel, the clearer our understanding of it, the greater is our responsibility. The more we've grown in grace and advanced in the knowledge of the Lord, again, the greater is our responsibility. [00:29:03]

The man who's going to be saved, if he's built in a wrong way on the foundation, he himself shall be saved. He's going to suffer loss, yet he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. But the man who's built well, he's going to have a greater reward. [00:28:29]

The Lord Jesus Christ is not only the savior, he is going to be the judge. You remember he himself puts this very plainly in the fifth chapter of The Gospel According to St John. Let me read to you the relevant Verses first of all in verse 22 John 5:22 for the father judges no men but has committed all judgment unto the son. [00:33:02]

He is the judge in order that no one might ever be able to say that the Judgment isn't absolutely fair. We like to think of him, don't we, as our great high priest because he's touched with the feeling of our infirmities because he was the son of men because he took unto him human nature. [00:36:53]

The judgment is in the hands of one who's been through it all. He knows all about it, man as well as God, who lived in this world and has suffered under the law and under sin. Very well then, so that he is the judge in order that every mouth shall be stopped and God shall be all and in all. [00:37:40]

You and I will be judged not only by our deeds and actions but as the Lord himself said by Every Idle Word that we have ever spoken. Not only that, by every thought, by every imagination, by everything that we have ever harbored or fed or funded in mind or heart or imagination. [00:38:56]

The gospel, you know, is not just simply come to Christ and have all your problems solved and walk with a new and a lighter step tomorrow. My dear friends, that isn't all the gospel. It is the gospel, but this is a part of the Gospel, the Judgment. [00:43:18]

Unless you and I preach this wrath of God and day of judgment, we are not preaching a Full Gospel. We are holding back something in order perhaps to ingratiate ourselves with men. Of course, the argument is this, we're all familiar with it, they say you know the Modern Men doesn't like that sort of preaching. [00:43:40]

There is only one gospel, and it's only your gospel and my gospel as we continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer. Other Foundation can no man lay. This is the only gospel. God grant that we all know it as our gospel also. [00:48:57]

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