Questions and Answers from Lloyd-Jones' Romans Sermon on God's Judgment

What does Lloyd-Jones say about the universal nature of God's judgment?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, God's judgment will be universal and individual. He emphasizes this point three times in the passage, noting that judgment will be "upon every man according to his deeds," "upon every soul of man that doeth evil," and "to every man that worketh good." Lloyd-Jones stresses that judgment is not national or familial – people won't be judged as nations or families. Everyone will appear individually before God, regardless of their nationality, family background, or church membership. He directly challenges the notion that people can "ride into heaven on the back of a saintly father or mother" or rely on being born in a certain country or belonging to a particular church.

How does Lloyd-Jones describe the two groups of people at the final judgment?

Lloyd-Jones identifies two distinct groups who will face different fates at judgment:

1. The Righteous: These are people who "by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory and honor and immortality." They are characterized by:
2. Seeking God's glory, honor, and immortality
3. Patient perseverance despite stumbling

4. Working good and keeping God's commandments

5. The Unrighteous: These are described as "contentious" people who "do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness." They are characterized by:

6. Having a contentious attitude toward God, arguing with His Word
7. Living according to "the lusts of the flesh and of the mind"
8. Doing evil in their conduct

Each group is examined in a threefold manner: their attitude toward God, the general tenor of their life, and their actual conduct.

What does Lloyd-Jones teach about works in relation to the judgment?

Lloyd-Jones addresses a common misunderstanding about Romans 2:6-10, where Paul states that God "will render to every man according to his deeds." He points out that this doesn't mean some people will be justified by works. Rather, our deeds reveal which group we belong to – the righteous or the unrighteous.

The righteous aren't perfect or sinless, but they demonstrate "patient continuance in well doing" – they keep fighting the good fight of faith. They may stumble but don't abide in sin. Their works don't save them, but their works demonstrate their salvation. Lloyd-Jones is careful to balance this teaching with the broader context of justification by faith, which he references from other parts of Romans.

What will be the eternal destiny of each group according to Lloyd-Jones?

Lloyd-Jones describes two distinctly different eternal destinies:

1. For the righteous: "Eternal life" – being forever with the Lord in God's presence, experiencing the fullness of life that is incorruptible and everlasting.

2. For the unrighteous: "Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish" – experiencing God's settled wrath and the manifestation of that wrath. Lloyd-Jones describes this as endless suffering that includes both external tribulation (being beaten and bruised) and internal anguish (intense suffering of spirit).

Lloyd-Jones explicitly rejects the idea of a second chance after death or the concept of conditional immortality (eventual annihilation). He insists that the Bible teaches that punishment, like eternal life, is everlasting.

How does Lloyd-Jones explain the concept of tribulation and anguish?

Lloyd-Jones provides a detailed explanation of these two terms:

1. Tribulation: Comes from the Latin "tribulum," which was a flail used to separate wheat from chaff. It means trouble, affliction, and pressure – being "beaten and battered and bruised." It refers to the external suffering.

2. Anguish: A kind of suffering in spirit that results from tribulation. Lloyd-Jones references 2 Corinthians 4:8 where Paul says, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed," using the same Greek terms for tribulation and anguish. Christians may experience tribulation without anguish, but those condemned will experience both.

He connects this to Jesus' teachings about hell, citing the rich man in Luke 16 who was "in torment in the flame" and references to "weeping and gnashing of teeth" – descriptions of "intense suffering in spirit and in mind and in heart" and "endless, eternal remorse."