Are we judging unbelievers when we warn them of God’s judgment on their sin? Now, that is a loaded question. We immediately picture the placard-waving zealots at sporting events or on street corners shouting out with bold diatribes, “Repent, you sinners!” Or we think of people on social media ranting against the sinners of the God-rejecting world for doing what sinners do. Shades of an angry prophet—or is that evidence of a self-important sycophant walking in lockstep with those who have an abundance of zeal but not of the love and kindness of God that leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4)?

If we can move beyond the caricatures, there is a place for warning non-believers of hell and God’s anger. Not that we should lead with that truth in our evangelism, for we need to establish by our actions that we are genuinely loving people as Jesus did. But if we are going to be like Him, we must remember that He spoke of hell as one of His prominent topics. He spoke judgmentally about sexual immorality when He told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more.

The apostle Paul—an evangelist, a church planter, and the writer of thirteen NT books—was personally commissioned by Jesus to be His representative (Acts 9:15). By his own testimony, he was “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God…” (Rom. 1:1). His understanding of the gospel is the central theme of the book of Romans. Therefore, what he has to say about judgment carries weight and concurs with Jesus’ teaching about hell. And we must emphasize that talking about the judgment of God does not contradict acting in love toward unbelievers. For the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to pen the ultimate love sonnet found in 1 Corinthians 13, which presents love as an action, not just a feeling or theological concept.

In Romans 1:18-31, which Paul authored, we find the terse judgment of God on people who reject Him and spiral down into complete immorality. Paul does not sugarcoat the truth of God’s judgment to make it more palatable. What do we make of this? Some Christians think it is a depressing passage to be sloughed over for the “nicer” parts of the NT. But it was written by the apostle of grace under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so we can’t dismiss its importance.

Others point out that Paul is writing to Christians so that we would know the truth, but the passage is not for non-believers’ eyes. Yet, the thrust of it is a warning to any and all who reject the knowledge of God. Should not love compel us to warn others of God’s judgment, even using God’s own words to describe it? How do we think we can improve on the Holy Spirit’s wording?

No human being can indeed look down on others for their sin, as Paul writes:

Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. (Rom. 2:1–2)

He even writes, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). So none of us escapes the judgment of God—except through confession and faith in Christ. And that is the point of what Paul is saying in the book of Romans.

But, while we are not to pass judgment on other people, God does, and He puts it right out there. How can we follow the example of Christ, who spoke of hell, and the example of the apostle Paul, who described God’s judgment so severely, and never comment to unbelievers on the cause of God’s judgment— rejecting Him and living contrary to His standard?

Many people say that since we believers are also sinners, we should never talk about God’s judgment on sin and sinners, and there is no difference between our sin and their sin. But that is a myth; there is a difference. As believers, we have repented of our sin and rejection of God and have turned to Him in faith. This does not give us the right to act like Pharisees toward those who have not yet come to faith, who remain as we used to be. No, the difference of faith should compel us, who have experienced God’s love and forgiveness, to present the whole gospel, that salvation is ultimately a rescue event from the judgment of God. How can unbelievers know they need to be rescued if they don’t understand how dire their circumstances are? Therefore, taking our cue from the apostle Paul, we must ask:

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (Rom. 10:14–17)

So we would do well to share all the “good news of good things.” God has a rescue plan for those who recognize their need and turn in faith to Him.