Romans 2:5-11
A young woman was making popcorn. Her boyfriend, (who always thought he was right) tried to tell her she was doing it wrong. She was stubborn; she would not listen to what he was saying. When she was finished, she had badly burnt popcorn. When confronted with the results of her stubbornness, she remarked, “I like burnt popcorn.” This true story is my go to illustration about stubbornness and unrepentance.

Stubbornness is a character trait that we all have to one degree or another. It can be a good trait, when it causes us to persevere when the going gets tough. It becomes a negative characteristic when it causes us to refuse to admit an error and to refuse to turn back from the wrong path. The earthly consequences of stubbornness and unrepentance can be both large and small. It can mean we eat burnt popcorn or it can mean we destroy lives, both our own and others’.

Paul tells us that there are eternal consequences for having a stubborn and unrepentant heart. The wicked are storing up destruction for the day of God’s wrath. Wicked men are mistaken to believe God will show His wrath on the Day of Judgment as He does now. Today God shows his wrath to wicked men by giving them over to do is they please. On the Day of Judgment God’s permissiveness will end.

On the Day of Judgment, all humanity will stand before God guilty. God’s judgment will be both righteous and just. The same Greek word translates the English words righteous and just. The judge we will face depends upon our choice. All those both Jew and Gentile who repent and have faith in Jesus will stand before God the Father, the righteous judge. The stubborn and unrepentant will stand before the God of justice. God the father will judge His children guilty, but because of love forgiven. The God of justice will judge the unrepentant as guilty, and condemned. The choice is ours, guilty and condemned or guilty and pardoned.