The Judgment of God
Dr. Harley Howard- www.fotbc.org

Before we go on any further in this study tonight, I believe that I need to establish some important ground rules for our thinking. 
The first ground rule is the most important of all, and that is, I am speaking to you about the God of the Bible. This means that any other concept of God, regardless who or where it comes or originated from, I am not the least bit concerned or interested in hearing about it tonight or forever. I am talking about the God of the bible, which means that whatever I teach about the issue of God’s judgment and wrath comes from the Bible.
The second ground rule is this: Unless you commit your life to God the Father tonight through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, this topic probably will have no meaning to you whatsoever. If you have already predetermined to reject the reality of eternal judgment, for whatever reason, then this topic may well be a waste of your time. 
The third ground rule is this. God has already spoken with finality about the issue of judging sinners, so there is no need of any discussion, just repentance. If you are not saved, you have but 2 responses tonight. You either receive Jesus Christ by faith, leading to genuine conversion, or you continue in your rebellion against God and His wrath remains on you this second.
With these ground rules in mind, let’s delve into this issue of the judgment of God. Probably one of the most misunderstood and unpopular teachings of scripture is that God is a God of wrath and that He has condemned, is condemning and will condemn sinners to an eternal punishment in hell and the lake of fire.
We are going to approach our study on this issue from 3 truths.
1. God is angry with mankind, every day and His full wrath is but a second away from every unconverted sinner this moment.
2. God’s righteousness demands that He judges the wicked, or else He would not be a righteous God.
3. God loves all mankind and has displayed the greatest act of love for all eternity in that He gave His own Son to be a sacrifice for the entire world of sinners. However, only those who receive this love gift will be saved from the judgment to come. His love does not eliminate His wrath and judgment, if you refuse to receive the gift of His Son. Make no mistake about it, God is a God of Wrath.
So what is the judgment of God?
When the bible speaks of the judgment of God, it speaks about the sentence of condemnation, a damnatory judgment of eternal punishment to all sinners who refuse to receive the salvation that He provides through His Son Jesus Christ. 
God’s judgment is the result of God’s wrath against unrepentant sinners.
God’s wrath is the personal manifestation of God's holy, moral character in judgment against sin. Wrath is not an impersonal process, rather, it is holy indignation--God's anger directed against sin.
God is a God of Wrath
Contrary to popular belief, the God of the bible is a God of wrath. This wrath and judgment of God is just as much an attribute of God as His mercy and love. The scriptures are conclusive and uncontested about this truth. Only those who are willfully ignorant, and persistent in their love of their sin refuse to accept the reality that the God of the bible is a God of wrath. The day of wrath is God's final judgment against sin, his irrevocable condemnation of impenitent sinners.
Let’s look at a very few examples to prove this truth that God is a God of wrath and of judgment
1. God is angry with mankind, every day and His full wrath is but a second away from every unconverted sinner this moment.
Psalm 7:11
God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
God will exonerate His own, but God has indignation towards the wicked every day. Who are the wicked? All those who are not His true worshippers! God is righteous and He will vindicate those who are the righteous, and also God has indignation towards the sinner day after day after day. Day after day, and with unbroken continuity, God is angrily indignant with mankind, God is abhorred with mankind. The very fact that the wicked are allowed to live another second under God’s wrath proves His love, mercy and grace even more than His wrath, but make no mistake about it, God’s wrath is over your head this second!
Romans 1:18-19
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 
God’s wrath is present, you are the recipient of it, and that’s a fact. This is what the text says and that demands a response from you tonight if you do not know the Lord. 
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 
John 3:36
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (pres-act-ind) on him. 
The same truth applies here as in Romans 1. God’s wrath is present, it is active against you, and that’s a fact, according to the text.
Jonathan Edwards, in the year 1741, preached one of the greatest sermons ever, entitled, "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God". I want to quote just a small portion that is relevant to this issue of God’s indignation towards sinners and at the same time, show how merciful God is in allowing anyone an opportunity to receive His Son. 
"God has laid Himself under no obligation, by any promise, to keep any natural (unsaved) man out of hell one moment. God certainly has made no promises either of eternal life, or of any deliverance or preservation from eternal death, but what are contained in the covenant of grace, the promises that are given in Christ, in whom all the promises are yea and amen. But surely they have no interest in the promise of the covenant of grace who are not the children of the covenant, who do not believe in any of the promises, and have no interest in the Mediator of the covenant.
Thus all of you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that never were born again, and made new creatures, and raised from the dead in sin, to a state of new, are in the hands of an angry God. However you may have reformed your life in many things and many have had religious affections, and may keep a form of religion in your families and closets, and in the house of God, it is nothing but His mere pleasure that keeps you from being at this moment swallowed up in everlasting destruction." 
The fact is that if you are sitting here tonight, alive and breathing, rejecting Christ in your life, it is only because of His grace that you this second do not receive what your sins deserve from God
Psalm 103:10 
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 
Lamentations 3:21-22 
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 [It is of] the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 
Lamentations 3:39 
Why should [any] living mortal, or [any] man, Offer complaint in view of his sins? (NASB)
2. God’s righteousness demands that He judges the wicked, or else He would not be a righteous God.
Daniel 9:9-14
9 To the Lord our God [belong] mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; 
10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 
11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that [is] written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. 
12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. 
13 As [it is] written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. 
14 Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God [is] righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. 

Romans 2:1-6
Therefore you are without excuse, every man [of you] who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 
2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 
3 And do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things and do the same [yourself,] that you will escape the judgment of God? 
4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 
5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 
6 who will render to every man according to his deeds: (NASB)
Then how does one escape this terrible wrath from the righteous God of the universe?
3. God loves all mankind and has displayed the greatest act of love for all eternity in that He gave His own Son to be a sacrifice for the entire world of sinners. However, only those who receive this love gift will be saved from the judgment to come. His love does not eliminate His wrath and judgment, if you refuse to receive the gift of His Son. Make no mistake about it, God is a God of Wrath. Understand that God's wrath is an expression of His holy love. If God is not a God of wrath, His love is no more than frail, worthless sentimentality; the concept of mercy is meaningless; and the Cross was a cruel and unnecessary experience for His own Son.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14-16
Now know this one thing: "Without Christ, you will surely die in you sins and perish because of it." So what does it mean to perish? To perish, means: "To be given over to eternal misery in hell and the lake of fire." This punishment is eternal separation from God as well as eternal destruction. This is the predetermined choice of God for all that who refuse His love gift, His Son Jesus Christ. Notice also that eternal judgment is closely seen whenever we find the offer of saving faith. Judgment is seen as the only alternative to those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord, Ruler, Master, Savior of their lives. There is no purgatory, no second chances, no scales to weigh my good and bad works, and nothing like these. The judgment of God is the only alternative for those who refuse the salvation offered by God through Christ.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 
One of the greatest attributes of God is His love. Many unfortunately see this as the ONLY attribute of God, which it is not. God loved you so much that He gave His Son as a sacrifice to redeem the world. God demonstrated His love by the death of His Son and He did that for you. The question is never and issue of God’s love, He’s already proven that, the issue is with you. The question is what will you do with this gift of love that God had given you tonight? Again, notice that either you receive the love of God through His Son Jesus Christ or you receive God’s judgment You have no other alternative given in scripture.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 
Why did God send His Son into the world to save the world? That’s a good question. A better question is, why did God send His Son in the word to save the world if the world is already on good speaking terms with God? The answer is in the next verse.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 
The world is NOT on good speaking terms with God at all! The fact is that every sinner, every unsaved individual, and all of them combined, are ALREADY condemned. It’s not that you are GOING to be condemned, you are condemned right NOW! God has already judged you guilty and your sentence is eternal judgment The only way of escape is from Jesus Christ.