THE KINDNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD
 

Romans 11:22: Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

This passage embodies the characteristics of God and how they reflect in His dealings with man: kindness to the good and severity to "those who fell." This morning I want to examine both the kindness and severity of God. All too often today emphasis is removed so much from God’s wrath, from the "fire and brimstone" of judgment that there are many who will deny even that there will be a definite punishment for the wicked from God. Just a cursory examination of scripture, however, will quickly reveal that the Lord, in His infinite love, requires of us a love of honor and respect.

Let us consider first that God is one who is loving, just, and good.
The Lord provides blessings for all men:

Matthew 5:44-45 – Christ teaches the attitude an individual ought to have toward his fellow man by noting God’s indiscriminate blessings for both the good and the wicked:

"But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you

in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

His kindness can be seen in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ—
John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Truly, as James wrote in his letter to the brethren . . .
James 1:17: Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.
But looking back at Romans 11, there is clearly an imperative—you must be IN His kindness to receive it. What must you do to earn God’s kindness? Doesn’t say specifically in v.22, but look at v.23: "And they also, if they do not continue in their UNBELIEF . . ." we see those who do not believe are cut off. Note personal obligation—IF you continue . . . one who is currently a believer can be cut off for falling away. BELIEVERS receive God’s kindness . . . but what is a believer? A believer is one who is obedient to God’s commands, not merely an inactive observer. As James wrote by inspiration:
James 2:19-20: You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons believe, and shudder.

But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

You see, there is another gift of God’s justice and kindness toward man that was borne of the sacrifice He made . . . and that was a PLAN.
Ephesians 2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

The aspects of God’s character that can be gleaned from Romans 11:22 are that not only is God one who extends kindness and severity, He is a God who is EXACT, delivering kindness to the obedient believers and severity to those who disobey. While God’s love is unconditional, His mercy is NOT.

Let’s take a closer look at familiar stories of those who were in close proximity to God’s presence, His laws, His gospel, His mercy, people who undeniably HAD to BELIEVE in God—yet met with God’s severity in consequences upon their disobedience. These individuals were not strangers to God by any means, but in some cases were men celebrated as heroes of faith and obedience. We would do well to consider what we must do to RECEIVE God’s kindness and mercy that is extended to us all.

From the BEGINNING, God’s policy has been in effect:

ADAM & EVE

Genesis 1:27, 28—we read of that first great blessing of life and dominion over the earth given to man:

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

And God blessed them; and God said to them. "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

And God continued to bless Adam and Eve, His created beings, for however long it was—days, months, years, decades—until they both knowing disobeyed Him. At which time, when they disobeyed God’s pre-established rule, God rendered judgment—
Genesis 3:16-19: To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth children; yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."

Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.

"Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field;

"By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

These were the first humans, crafted lovingly in God’s own glorious image, these beings He gave the gift of free will . . . you can imagine how much God loved these two people. And how much closer could two individuals be than Adam and Eve were to God? God is kind and good, and in His goodness He is just, and in His justice He is exacting. He punished their wickedness by separating them from His presence.

For another example of God’s characteristic dealings with man we need look no further than to the people of Israel. These people, in their wilderness wanderings experienced both the kindness and severity of God on a daily basis—commanded to wander in a barren wilderness, and yet their needs were provided for at every turn.

Let’s look at a few specific occasions, the first regarding the Israelites’ leaders,

MOSES AND AARON

Numbers 20:2-8: And there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron.

The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, "If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord!

"Why then have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?

"And why have you made us to come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink."

Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly, to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them;

and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

"Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink."

Here in the midst of not just complaints, but threats of rebellion—in v.3, "If only we’d perished when our brothers perished" is a reference to the rebellion of Korah, in which 14,000 were stricken down by God. So with this attitude displayed by the assembly and on top of that, Moses disobedience of God’s specific command to speak to the rock by instead striking it, it truly is a profession of God’s kindness and mercy that these people drank at all. And specifically, the act of giving the water from the rock upon Moses’ striking it was an act of kindness, for in doing so God preserved Moses’ honor as a leader before the people.

But here again, men who spoke with God, men whom God loved and blessed, did not go without punishment for their disobedience:

Numbers 20:12: But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."
Let’s go back to the third chapter of the book of Numbers and see another blessing of God to the family of Aaron—

NADAB AND ABIHU

Numbers 3:2-3—God consecrates the priesthood, making them suitable representatives for Israel:

These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.

LEVITICUS 10:1-2—It’s at this time, for whatever reason, Nadab and Abihu respond to God’s blessing with an unapproved offering:
Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.

And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.

These men, the sons of Aaron, violated the honor and authority of God in worshipping Him according to their own methods.

Let’s consider now an example from the first century, a couple who were citizens in the kingdom of God . . .

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

Acts 2:47— We’ll stop first here to observe God’s blessing of the kingdom being presented in Peter’s sermon. We note that in v.47—

. . . And the Lord was adding to their number daily those who were being saved.
In the first days of the Kingdom’s establishment, two members of the Lord’s body, much like Nadab and Abihu, sought to worship God with a worship that was stained with dishonor.
Acts 5:1-11: But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,

And kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet.

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land?

"While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God."

And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all who heard of it.

And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

And Peter responded to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?" And she said, "Yes, that was the price."

Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out as well."

And she fell immediately at his feet, and breathed her last; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things.

Having read these illustrative accounts from Scripture, messages from God preserved for us to read—what are we to expect God to want from us? Or who are we to expect God to punish?
Nahum 1:2: A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; the Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies.
In the 660s B.C., the prophet Nahum refers to God as a destructive being of awesome power and might, a God who will soon destroy the wicked Assyrians of Ninevah—it is a destruction that is rightly deserved for the deeds which the Ninevites have thrived in for too long.

But let’s not forget that the same city of Ninevah scheduled for demolition in 612 B.C. was the city preached to by a reluctant Jonah in 760 B.C. God, in His unconditional love, offered salvation to the Assyrians, too. God reserves kindness to those who believe, severity to those who fall away. A place is reserved for both groups, the place for the wicked as real as the place for the righteous.

Hell is the home for those who are separated from God. And yet Hell today has become a place where only the TRULY wicked and evil people go—like Nazis, terrorists, child molesters, folks such as lived in those ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and Ninevah—THOSE are the truly WICKED people who will meet God’s severity. And for the rest of us Hell is a place to casually make humorous reference toward.

When did we get the notion that these individuals are any less precious to God than those who dwelt in a closer relationship to His laws or His gospel? Or when did we get the notion that those in a closer relationship to His laws or His gospel are judged by a lighter standard than those individuals mentioned?

James 1:17: Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.
What gifts he’s provided—His own Son; the church, the Kingdom of God, and the salvation found inside it . . . and yet today men are warned of the same fate that befell the unfaithful in the past—
Matthew 25:41: Then He will also say to those on His left, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels . . . .
We are to do exactly as He commands—
Colossians 3:17: Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Why must we be SO CAREFUL in our lives and in our worship? Why do we seek scriptural justification for every act of worship that is performed in service to God? Why does it matter what the name of your church is or by what means you consider a person saved? Why does it matter to you brethren that people understand that although this building used to be a home, it no longer serves as a place to receive and entertain guests? Why did that matter so much that you removed the stove from the kitchen?
II John 9: Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
Christ Himself put it this way:
Matthew 15:13: But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up."
We must build our roots in the Word of the Lord, lest we be rooted from the ground and cast aside.

The matter is so, so simple:

Obedience renders blessings—

Revelation 22:14: Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
Disobedience, on the other hand, is to be met with God’s wrath—
II Thessalonians 1:6-9: For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

And to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,

Dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power . . . .

How hard can it be understand that God asks for specific obedience to His specific demands? I want to close with a passage that should sum up the balance of God just character:
Mark 16:16: He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

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