You Need Jesus — Bob Caldwell

Romans 2 and the Delusion of Self-Righteousness

What we're going to do now is go to the Scriptures, the book of Romans chapter 2, and we're going to talk about the delusion of self-righteousness. We're going to talk about the shield, this false shield that people can put up in their life that keeps them from avoiding or keeps them in avoiding things that they really should be responsible for in their own life by having a false sense of self-righteousness.

We're going to look at it from a couple different contexts. The larger context I want to talk about first and then we'll start digging into the Bible here. Paul the Apostle, his goal in the first three chapters is to explain from a lot of different angles why people would need a Savior.

I mean, what's the deal with that? You know, he dealt with it in chapter one with the Gentile society, with what we would probably call hedonists, and people that were pretty, you know, full-blown in living a lifestyle in ways that would have really offended the religious people of their day in Judaism.

Things that were very against things in the Bible, and so he deals with those things. He expresses them, and he says, you know, sin is sin, and you need a Savior, but he then turns to the religious people and says, you know, I can just hear it coming.

I'm so glad I'm not like those people, and so he says to them in chapter two and chapter three, you know what, ultimately you are no better, in some ways you might be worse, because you actually judge people, and you yourself, at the core, have the same problems, even though you're religious.

The conclusion that he makes with that is in verse 19 and 20 of chapter three. I'd like to read it real quick, because I think he really captures what I hope we can find as we look at this passage. In chapter three, verse 19, he says, now, we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so in other words, those who, the law of God, the word of God, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh, no person, will ever be justified in God's sight. Actually, he says, by knowing the law, the scriptures, is just knowing the knowledge of sin. That just because you know the Bible, or you can quote the Bible, or you can point out people's sins, doesn't in any way legitimatize you.

It doesn't make you better than somebody else. It actually should confirm that when it's all said and done, we all need a Savior. So we'll let Paul kind of play this out for us. The first thing we'll look at is judging people, how that can become a shield of facing ourselves.

Judging Others as a Shield Against Self-Examination

Chapter two, verse one, this is the way he puts it. Therefore, you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are, who judges. For whenever you judge another, you condemn yourself, for you who judge practice the same things.

Then he says it again in verse three. Do you really think, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and yet you do the same, that you'll escape the judgment of God? Now this introduction of what he says, a mind of a self-righteous person would automatically say, what are you talking about?

The things I'm judging that people do, I don't do. That's why I'm judging. And now what he's going to do is say, well, let me show you that in many ways you do commit the same things. But before we even look at that argument that begins in verse seventeen, have you ever judged anybody?

Let's just start with kind of some reality therapy here. You ever like judge somebody? Okay, you've done it. Do you have any, do you have children? A lot of you guys have kids, right? A couple thousand kids, evidently.

You're real busy. And now we are too, taking care of them here on Sundays. But the point is, if you have children, have you ever talked down to them? When you, when you, you see them doing something wrong, like, let's say that they lied to you.

Most children lie, correct? And you've caught them. And what tends to be the demeanor of the moment? How dare you lie to me? I cannot believe that you would lie to me. I'm your parent. This is not acceptable.

Where's the soap? It's in your mouth right now. I am spanking you and spanking you or whatever it is your technique is. You've had it. I'm not putting up with that. Have you ever caught your children not taking the trash out, doing their chores, cleaning the room, doing their homework?

Have you ever talked down to them in that moment? So I cannot believe, I don't know what you are doing. You go to school. You have your homework. Why do I have to babysit you to do your homework? I get this note from your teacher, you know, listen, we are making some tough rules around here.

I can't, this is horrible. But let me ask you a couple questions. Have you ever lied? You're kidding. You have actually lied. Have you ever not fulfilled your obligations? Have you not fully prepared for certain things you were responsible for?

Did you go to school? Have you ever not fully prepared for your job? Have you not fulfilled all the obligations at your job? Have you ever kind of skirted by because it's like, well, you know, he said dig three holes, I'll dig two, who cares?

I don't need to put that on, you know, backup memory on the computer. I'm sure it's going to be fine. I'm really busy right now. What am I trying to say? Hey, look, what is wrong with us? What is wrong with us, honestly?

What is it that we somehow shield ourselves as if we're somehow isolated from the problem, the sins of other people? We have got to be in a place, I believe, and I think this is part of what we're trying to learn here, is honesty about ourselves before we try to figure out anybody else.

Wouldn't you think it'd be a little healthier if your child is caught lying that you said, son, not that I'm cutting your tongue out, because you lied. No, what am I going to do? I'm going to say, you know what, I know what it feels like to lie.

I understand. I've lied. Many parents will not tell the truth to the kids. I don't know why you think that they think you're like some god or something. They already know you lie, okay? So the point is, why not be real with them and say, hey, you know what, I know the temptation of just trying to manipulate life so that it falls better your way.

You know, if you tell the truth, it just sometimes hurts you, and it just doesn't help. And so there's a temptation, and I understand the temptation, and it's a struggle. And this is how I'm working through it.

This is how, when I want to lie to my boss, or lie to your mom, or not fully tell the truth to the policeman when he pulls me over and says, with your seat belt on. Let's see, he couldn't tell because I had stuff in the back seat.

I'm going to tell the truth anyways. Do you understand? Do you guys do taxes? I don't even bring that up, but anyways, leave it there. And it'd be the same with anything in our life. There is nothing that people do that, at the core, often we can't find within our own heart.

That's all. And that's all he's trying to get people to admit that are self-righteous, that feel elevated above a need for a savior, don't feel the same sense of personal accountability for their own life before God.

Religious Identity and the Hypocrisy of Judging Others

Well, what he does though, he does give some more specifics on this. You go to verse 17, he explains this a little bit more. He says, indeed, you call yourself a Jew, and you could put in there Christian, Muslim, you could put in there political activists, you could put in there a social rights organizer, you could create whatever it is that for you is, this is what I believe, and this is what is right, and what makes me feel good about myself.

He says, you rest on the law, you make your boast in God, or you could make your boast in your philosophy, your boast in your religion, your boast in your way of life, and what you think other people should follow.

You say you know his will, you say you're confident that you are a guide to the blind. Verse 20, that you instruct the foolish, you're a teacher to babes. You look at yourself as somehow a vehicle by which people should do something better, and that you have to teach them, show them, argue with them, debate with them, get them to buy into your agenda.

You're confident that you're a teacher for the babes, a guide to the blind. But then he says, let me ask you a couple questions in the context of religion, though you can apply this again to any area of life.

He says, you who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say do not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? He gives three classic examples of religion that people would feel real firm about, and yet he questions the integrity of their position.

But again, you know, it's the same with social issues or any other arena where people get real adamant about convincing other people to fix something that's not right. It's amazed, just as an example, you know, how sometimes people that will really say they're fighting for the poor and trying to change society because of its oppression against the poor, when you actually interview them and say, well, how much do you personally give to the poor?

Is there any clinics that you're working in for free to help the poor? Well, I'm too busy telling people what to do. I don't have time to, like, do it. Okay. I read a story. It's kind of embarrassing, I'm sure, for this guy.

It's a story of a guy that was real, I think, you know, over the top about, like, that you shouldn't cut trees down at all. You know, it's just like, totally leave the trees alone. And so they tried to track him down in an interviewer in this, found out where he lived in Colorado, and they went to his house, and it turned out to be this beautiful log home.

It's a true story, honestly. And I thought, man, that is going to be so embarrassing, you know? But I think we all do it. I think there's this weird disconnect that somehow by saying stuff, it makes us good.

That if I just speak against evil, or speak against injustice, or speak against other things, religion, or whatever, that that's okay. But what Paul says is that's a false righteousness. It's a false shield of your own need of facing yourself.

The Universal Sin of Stealing

And so he puts it this way, as I said, in religion. Number one, you say don't steal, but you don't feel like you're a thief. You feel that you are evaluating someone else's life, and it makes you feel better, because you can see their weakness.

But don't you think that just about everybody's a thief? I mean, honestly, right now in your life, can you tell me you've never stolen anything, ever? You still think you haven't stolen anything. Okay, let me give you some examples.

I'll just, I'll use myself. I'm weak on illustrations. I know I've stolen stuff, and it seemed like a natural instinct. As a child, I'll never forget. I was walking, my first true thievery, is that a word?

Maybe, I don't know, it doesn't matter, but I said it. Anyways, I'm standing in a line at, you know, a grocery store, you know, and strategically placed for children to see is what? Candy. And I really like Snickers to this day.

And so, actually, I like a lot of candy. So don't buy me a bunch of Snickers. I'd take anything. Anyways, so there's the Snickers, and I'm just, I go, you know, I think I could get it. I stole it, and I put it in my pocket.

I really didn't think I was sinning, because I thought, you know, my mom's on welfare. I'm a poor little boy, and this is a rich, rich store, and I feel deprived, and I want that Snickers. So I took it.

But, you know, as I get older, you know, you look at life, and I'm amazed at how many things people do to steal from others, whether this is how they sell their car. And you stole money from that person, because you didn't tell them everything that was wrong with that car.

There's $500 worth of repairs that are secretly in that car, and you didn't tell them. And you don't call that stealing? What do you call it? This is good business, man. It's good business. I needed that $500 so I could buy a better car.

Buyer beware. Yeah, that's in the Bible somewhere, right? How many people have stolen in business contracts, in bills that they make? Five hours. You know you only work three hours. How many people at their job have stolen from their employer?

Do you think that all of us have always worked 100 for every hour we've ever worked for a company? Come on. I live to hire you. You know, sometimes you show up a little late after lunch. Sometimes the break is a little long.

Sometimes you do those personal calls at the job when you know you're not supposed to. How many people go online on the computer on company time? Do you know the statistical averages there? That's why they're creating all these ways to stop people from doing it.

All I'm trying to say is, we all steal. If you really searched your heart. Now is he trying to justify stealing and say, well, hey, since we all steal, let's just do it. No, the opposite. He's trying to say, since we all steal, let's stop judging people who steal, and let's start admitting that I'm a sinner too.

That I need the transforming grace of God in my life. I need to face my own accountability before God. And just because I go to church, I got baptized in some water, or I memorize a Bible verse, or I sing songs, or I get emotional at church.

Therefore, I know I'm fine. And my sins aren't sins. They're just mistakes anyways. So, look at the other one. Do not commit adultery, you say. But you commit adultery. Now what's up with that? But probably not every single person had committed adultery that he's referring to.

Lust, Adultery, and the Danger of Self-Righteous Judgment

But what is he addressing? It's sexual sin. And you know, Jesus did the very same thing when he was talking to self-righteous people in Matthew, you know, the Sermon on the Mount, when he said, as far as trying to help people see their need for grace, for forgiveness, to realize that Christ is somebody for everybody.

He said, look, I know that you guys say don't commit adultery, but let me just let you know the facts. If you have lusted for a woman in your heart, you've committed the act already. Now, why would he say that?

Any idea? Do you think it's possible that most people have lusted for somebody that was not their wife at some point in their journey of life? You're not agreeing with anything I'm saying today, are you?

You were never 16. I don't know what we got in this room today. We've all lusted. Come on. So the fact is, it's like, wait a minute, before you judge other people that acted on their lust, maybe the only reason you didn't act on your lust is because you had social constraints, you had issues, you didn't want to get caught, blah, blah, blah.

I don't know, but just be slow to be too quick to throw stones at other people, when you have the same seed within you. You see, this is the problem about life, is that we're really not the best of us much better than the worst of us.

He gives one more example. He says, you poor idols. You know, it's horrible. I would never allow an idol in my church. That's so idolatrous and wicked and worshiping an idol so dishonorable to God. But he says, you robbed temples.

Religious Power, Exploitation, and Robbing God

What's that about? Well, you know, religion has got to be one of the greatest ways to do what? To rob from people. I mean, in the ministry, we do it all the time. You don't think the pastors steal from people?

Well, I, unfortunately, I can't even, they don't even let me sign checks. So, obviously, it's very common. You know, some of the wealthiest people in our country are religious leaders. Shh, don't overdo it.

I'll get distracted. So, the fact is, if you read the Bible, one of the greatest examples of misuse of power is religion. One of the greatest uses of religion is to make money. You know, there's, I heard, I think I told you this maybe a couple weeks ago, that a gal who's getting a divorce, who has a TV thing around the country, she had her net worth, because of the divorce, had to be shown of $22 million.

You know, I don't know. It just seems like a lot of money to collect and then put it in your pocket. What do you think? Maybe a little over the top on the compensation package? And, yeah, it happens all the time.

And people just keep doing it. Amazing to me how many people will give lots of money to that kind of stuff. Jesus himself walked into the temple, you remember, and what did he do? He looked at the temple, and they were misusing the power of the temple to oversell, to price rather exorbitant rates, the sacrifices.

You had to buy a sacrifice from the priest, because he would never okay the ones you brought. You had to buy temple-approved sacrifices that the priest himself happened to own and make a fortune. And he walked in there, and he tore the place up.

He just tore it up. Knocked over tables, and money's flying everywhere, and says, get out of here. It's supposed to be a house of prayer. You've made it a den of thieves. But, you know, it's not just the system of those who have the power in religion.

I steal, and you steal in another way, all of us. God himself said it through the prophet Malachi. Malachi quotes God as saying this, why do you rob me? God's speaking to his people. And then they reply, how have we robbed you?

God says, well, it's called tithes and offerings. And God, evidently, unless we don't believe that part of the Bible, takes it personal. Yeah, people misuse money in the church, but if it's being used properly, it is God's call that his people use a portion of their assets to help people, to do things to support each other.

There's no way around it. We don't talk a lot about it here, but it is a sin. And it is stealing from God. It is stealing from what God should be doing in the world, in helping the poor, in helping, as many of you do, I thank you, helping kids dying of AIDS, of helping to start this house to help women get off of meth, of helping people in our church with money who can't pay their bills right now because of the economy, with giving away food.

You know, there is a reason we do these sort of things, because there's a moral responsibility. And if you don't give what you should give, it's wrong. If you can't do that, and you say, well, I just can't afford it, I know the feeling.

I'm a regular person. I don't get paid $22 million a year. And I've had to work side jobs for many years as a pastor of this church. I know what it's like to struggle. I know what it's like to not, I get a great paycheck now, I'm doing fine.

I don't have any complaints. But you know, I spent many years having to work two, three jobs. And I know the feeling of, you know, should I tithe or not? But I know God's word that I'm stealing. And so I accept what God said to Malachi when he said, why don't you guys just test me?

Just try me out and see if I don't open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that you can't even contain it. And I believe if God, which he says in very few places in the Bible, says to test me, that's pretty nice.

He could just say, do it and be quiet. But he says, just try me out a little bit here. I know it's hard, but just see if I don't bless your life. I honestly say this, and I just, it's hard to say because people misuse it so much, but truly, you cannot get out, give God.

I have always, when I'm in financial straits, I look at my tithing and my giving. I always look and see where am I at in my faith that God is going to meet the needs of my life? Because a lot of times in my life, I can't meet my needs no matter what I do.

I need help. I need his provision in my life. And so, because I don't know if you've noticed this, but no matter how much you make, there's never enough. Because I'm American, you know, and you got to spend every dollar, you know, as soon as you can.

Despising God's Grace and Treasuring Up Wrath

So, why is this in here? Because we all need to face our own struggle with sin, our selfishness, our thievery, that we're not as holy as we think we are, that we should not be judging as a shield that keeps us from facing ourselves, that we need a savior.

We need our own transformation. Well, what he does now in verse four is one of the most shocking statements. It's scary to read it. It's in verse four. He deals with the danger of despising God's grace.

He says, do you not, excuse me, or do you despise the riches of his goodness, his forbearance, his long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? What does he say here? He says, look, if you despise how gracious God has been to you, how good, how long-suffering, how forbearing, you are really, really, really in trouble.

He'll go on to say in verse five things that are shocking as a result of this. But let's just look at the concept first. Despising God's grace, his goodness, his kindness, his long-suffering, his forbearance.

Because, you know, I don't know if you've ever been in a sin cycle where as a non-Christian, you just think, hey, you know, if God was torqued off at me, he would like strike me dead. No lightning bolts coming down from heaven.

I just got done doing this and this and this. Have you ever thought that way? Anybody? Am I the only one here today who's thought anything that I think? Anyways, I've certainly thought that out as a non-Christian.

I'm not going to get busted for nothing. He doesn't care. I didn't realize that only his goodness, his forbearance, and his long-suffering was allowing me to suck air. He was being very kind to me. He wasn't validating my sin, my arrogance, and my rebellion against God.

He was trying to bring me, as it says here, to a place of repentance, to turn. And certainly, that's been my experience as a Christian, too. Times in my life as a Christian when I go, you know, oh, this is not that big a deal, you know, small things.

You know, Christians, we justify a lot of stupid things. And in your life, you say, well, you know, same thing, nothing happened. Why would God let you get away with something for four months? Why would he let you hold bitterness in your heart or whatever it is that you do, unkindness and unmerciful and just robbing from God or whatever this stuff is, and he just kind of seems to let it go.

Why does he do that? Because it's like he goes, oh, I don't care. It's okay. You're one of my kids. I'll spoil you rotten. Do whatever you want. No, he's waiting for repentance. He's waiting for us to get it.

Because if you've been through these cycles in your Christian life, what usually happens if you don't, if kindness, mercy, long-suffering, forbearance doesn't ring your bell, what tends to ring your bell?

It's called a two-by-four, correct? Is there anyone who knows that story? Where it's like all of a sudden, boom, and you go, oh, did you want to tell me something? Yeah, I have been trying to talk to you kindly and graciously, but you're despising my grace.

You're taking advantage of my grace. So hey, come on, wake up, smell the coffee. He will be as gracious as he can be, but he'll also be as firm as he has to be because he loves us. So anyways, he's just saying, please, those of you who reject Christ, just wholeheartedly, I don't need him.

You do not know what you're doing to yourself. And this is what he says we're doing. But he says, in a concordance with your hardness and your impotent heart, you're treasuring up for yourself, what? Wrath.

In the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. That is amazing. It's got to be the greatest shock a person will have in their life, by far, you know? You're living your life.

You're living in your delusion. I'm not that bad. You know, I'm self-righteous. I judge people. I tell other people what to do. You know, I know more than they know. Yeah, sure, I do some things, but I'm not as bad as some people over there.

And you just don't face yourself. And then you think you're treasuring up this chest full of proofs. I'm really not that bad. And the chest, this treasure chest is opened up, and what's there? Proofs of judgment.

Proofs that say, you're guilty. I'm guilty. And what will be, ultimately, the greatest guilt in our life? What will be the guilt? I mean, honestly, what are you going to be guilty for? It's real simple.

Despising the grace of God. Despising His mercies where He cut us slack. He gave us time to repent. He gave us warnings and guidance. He gave us His word. He gave us people sharing Christ with us. And we're just like, you know, whatever.

You know, you guys are just so over the top. You know, I don't know what was in Jesus' mind. He didn't die for my sins. I'm okay. I don't know, I was foolish. You know, maybe He was a nice guy, kind of hip, you know, good teacher or something.

But He's not a Savior. I don't need a Savior. You don't need a Savior. You don't need a Savior. You don't need a Savior. You'll stand before God, and you're going to open up your chest and say, here, let me prove to you why I do not need a Savior.

Why I am not accountable for my own sin. Why I'm not accountable for my own arrogance as if God and Christ was a fool to die for me. Don't need it. I know it's hard for us to see this, but how often we are no different than those who were at the feet of the cross, railing against Christ, cursing Him, making fun of Him.

If you're so great, why don't you come off the cross? If Jesus is so real, prove it right now. Manifest yourself. Let me see you. It's not a game. When Jesus Christ said, I came as a ransom, a payment for the sins of humanity.

When He said from His lips, God has so loved you that He gave me as an offering for your sin, that you could be given a gift of eternal life, a gift of freedom from all sin, a gift of zero accountability.

He will justly forgive your injustice as an act of His love if you would just have the humility to accept you need an act of love, an act of grace, an act of forgiveness that God has given in His Son.

The Gospel: Guilty Sinners Reconciled Through Christ

If you got Christianity from the essential reality that Christ died for sinners, that the world, as Paul is saying in these three chapters, we are all accountable. We are all declared guilty for our own personal responsibility to the poison of this world and the tragedy of this world.

We all have a place of accountability and that we will pay. God is just and He will hold me accountable as He'll hold you accountable for the things that are wrong. But because His love, He says, I will in myself reconcile you.

While you were my enemy, I was in my son Jesus Christ dying for you, reconciling, trying to make up with you when you are joking about me, cursing me, I loved you. That is the gospel. The good news is not good news unless you know the bad news.

And if you avoid the bad news of the reality of human accountability before their maker and think that it's just a joke and Jesus was a fool and this book is a tragic lie, you explain that when you see your maker.

So however you want to cut it, it's pretty simple. Self-righteousness is a delusion. And if we hide behind that shield, it will melt instantly in God's presence. And so that's why he closes with one final take on this position that so often we take that our good deeds are enough.

Judgment According to Deeds or According to the Gospel

It's in verse six. He says, who will render, speaking of God, to each one according to his deeds? Oh good, he's going to judge me according to my deeds because, you know, I'm not as bad as some people.

He then says in verse 11, there's no partiality with God. He's equal opportunity. He will be fair and just in how he evaluates all of us. Then he explains it to the religious and non-religious both. He says, as many as have sinned without the law, they don't have the Bible, they'll perish without the Bible or the law.

As many have sinned with the law, they know the Bible, they'll be judged by the law. And then he explains to the religious how that the Gentile, the non-religious, the people that don't have this book, don't know anything about this book, have their own internal accountability before God that will judge them.

He says, when the Gentiles, which do not have the law, but by nature, it says, do the things in the law, these people, he says, although they have not this law, they become a law to themselves. They show the work of the law written on their hearts.

This law, it says, from their own conscience will bear witness within them, within themselves, accusing, it says, or excusing them. What is he trying to say? So, you know, look, you have the law of God written, you religious people, you know the Bible, and it will judge you, and it will judge your deeds, and the problem is, is they're going to show that you're a sinner.

And if you don't have the Bible, it doesn't matter either, because if you do what is good, like religious people will do some good things, non-religious people do good things too. But he says, you know, yes, your conscience that I gave you and my own internal law of basic moral behavior is written on your heart.

It'll judge you, you don't need the Bible. I know you've all experienced that, whether you're Christian or not, correct? I mean, did you only feel guilty after you became a Christian? I mean, didn't every once in a while, something in you say, you know, that was wrong, that was rude, that was inappropriate, that was disrespectful.

Where does that come from? It's not the social structure that forces you. God has written it upon your heart. That's why it's a part of society, that there are certain standards, because it's within the heart of a person, written by God.

And God says, your own heart's going to judge you, and you know that your heart has condemned you, and you know that your heart has excused you, said the things that are right. The problem is, is that when you stand before God, you'll be judged either by your deeds, which will say you've committed sin, or you'll be judged by the gospel of grace.

And that's why he closes this whole thing in verse 16, saying that in that day, when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. He just wraps the whole thing around this concept to say, look, my conscience, the law on your heart, or the law from the Bible, it's going to judge us.

And you can have it that way, or you can be judged by the gospel, the good news of Christ. So let me ask you a couple questions. Have any of you guys ever, I think I already referred to it, I said sped, speeding, remember that?

The Speeding Ticket and the Reality of Guilt

So many of you have probably gotten a ticket at some point in your life, right? Going too fast, correct? Okay, thank you. Now, if you got pulled over in a 50 mile an hour zone and the speed limit was 50, and you were going 56, would you get a ticket or not?

If you were in a 50 mile an hour speed limit and you were going 65, would you get a ticket? And the ticket would be a ticket, right? And so are you going to go, don't do this, this is a rhetorical question.

The cop pulls you over, you're only going 56, and you know that the guy up here before you, I've heard about people on this road, they got, were going 65 and they got a ticket. And so you roll down your window, I was going to go like this, like, see how old I am.

Anyway, so you're rolling down your window and cop comes in or comes over to your window and he, you know, they always ask you what? Do you know how fast you were going? Are you trying to make me feel guilty?

And so then you say, yeah, I was going 55, maybe 56. Correct, you're going to get a ticket. Hey, hey, hold on, hold on, hold on. I know somebody on the same road last month that got a ticket for going 65.

I want to negotiate. I mean, I'm not as bad as that person. Can I get like half a ticket? Or maybe if I gave you 20 bucks, no ticket? Do something good for you? What happens if you try to do something good for the cop?

You know, it gets really ugly. It's called handcuffs. So anyways, the point is you break the law, you break the law. If you think you can go to God and say, well, hey, I'm not that bad. I was judging people going 65.

I only went 56. You can't judge me. It's not real. I don't know what we think. God is some kind of loser that he can't think. He knows what's going on. He knows the secrets of our hearts. All of you guys have probably played sports at one point in your life, right?

The Sports Penalty and the Holiness of God's Judgment

And almost all sports have rules, right? And the rules have to be obeyed or there's a penalty. Now, the last time I checked, when you're watching a football game and a guy on the line has done a lot of things right.