11/9/17 CCP SERIES STUDY WEEK 12 – GOD IS...A GOOD JUDGE

COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY AND DAILY STUDIES BASED UPON OUR PREACHING SERIES AT COMMUNITY CHURCH PUTNEY

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COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY STUDY

'Do you believe in divine judgment? By which I mean, do you believe in a God who acts as our Judge? Many, it seems, do not. Speak to them of God as a Father, a friend, a helper, one who loves us despite all our weakness and folly and sin, and their faces light up; you are on their wavelength at once. But speak to them of God as Judge, and they frown and shake their heads. Their minds recoil from such an idea. They find it repellent and unworthy. But there are few things stressed more strongly in the Bible than the reality of God’s work as Judge.' (J. I. Packer, Knowing God, Page 156)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR GOD TO BE A JUDGE?

For God to be a good judge means:

1.    He defines what is right and wrong (righteous or sinful). 

2.    He must judge everyone or He will be compromising on righteousness.

3.    He being infinite in knowledge (omniscient) can judge us perfectly according to His righteous standards.

The most pivotal point in the bible and world history – the cross – was about God’s judgement upon Christ in our place. 

Read Romans 3:21-26 and discuss:

Ø What does the law (keeping the mosaic law) have to do with our righteousness? (v.21)

Ø How are we made righteous? (v.22)

Ø Who needs this salvation? (v.23)

Ø How is one ‘justified’ (v.24)

Ø How does Christ’s death achieve our redemption? (v.25)

Ø Why is Jesus’ death vital if God is to remain ‘just’ whilst ‘justifying’? (v.26)

LET’S RESPOND TO WHO GOD IS

Ø Do you live like Romans 8:1 is true, and will always be true, of you?

Ø Does God’s wrath and judgement compel you to pray and seek to share the gospel with your friends?

Ø What does 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 say about the judgement you will face and how is this passage designed to convict us to action?

GOING DEEPER PERSONAL DAILY STUDIES

Monday: False hope

Judgement is a sobering truth. The modern church can sometimes give the impression that God’s goodness does not contain judgement, as if any good person can be without concern for justice! God is a good judge; His judgement of every human soul is based upon perfect standards and with perfect knowledge.

Today I want to talk about false hope. Some, who call themselves Christians, think that they are safe from God’s judgement when they are not.

The following text from the Apostle Paul shows us that if our faith in Christ is not also accompanied by a striving to live a holy life we are not true Christians.

Ephesians 5:5-7 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person – such a person is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

Tuesday: God will judge those who live according to the flesh

Yesterday we saw how an immoral life is not a Christian life – such people will face condemnation from God. Today, let’s allow the Spirit, through His word, to test us further: are we those who live for the flesh or for the Spirit’s desires. Only those who bear fruit are true Christians and can be confident of heaven.

Galatians 5:19-25 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Wednesday: Salvation by Christ alone

We are all worthy of God’s condemnation. We have all done the things that we have looked at over the last couple of days. How can one be saved from death and hell? Only through faith in Jesus who died in our place – His death for our sin has given us reconciliation and life eternal.

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.

I have to emphasise again that we are saved by faith alone but faith in Christ causes a Christian to be born again by the Spirit. This new life will give us a heart for holiness and against sin.

Thursday: Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved from judgement

Judgement is a great inspiration to our being active in sharing our faith. Outside of Christ everyone faces eternal judgement in hell. How will we respond to this? How can we be unmoved? Let Paul’s words inspire us to prayer, compassion and courage, 

Romans 10:13-15 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Friday: Live like you will be rewarded 

Wayne Grudem put it like this,  'It would be morally and spiritually beneficial for us to have a greater consciousness of this clear New Testament teaching on degrees of heavenly reward. Rather than making us competitive with one another, it would cause us to help and encourage one another that we all may increase our heavenly reward, for God has an infinite capacity to bring blessing to us all, and we are all members of one another.’

Matthew 25:23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Saturday: Entrust judgement to God

We all face hurt personally or witness atrocities happening to others and in other nations. Forgiveness is only possible if can entrust judgement and mercy on wrongdoers to God. Bitterness is holding onto judgment ourselves as we curse people in our hearts. Forgiveness is choosing to hand them over to God who has the right to show mercy or judgment as He desires.

Every sin will be paid for in perfect justice. Either sin is dealt with, as we pray it will be, by Christ leading to their salvation or one must face judgement oneself.  

Romans 12:19-21 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The song ‘imagine’ asks us to imagine a world in which there is 'no hell below us, above us only sky’. Sounds good if you don’t actually think about it! If we remove God’s perfect judgement (heaven and hell) it means that evil people are not brought to account. A world without divine justice creates a world in which we are left to deliver revenge and so bring hell to the earth!