“For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, ‘None seeth me,'” “…thou hast said in thine heart, ‘I am, and none else beside me.'” Isaiah 47:10
Dear Ones:
The subject of the justice and judgment of God is a difficult one for man to grasp. This is because man does not see what is in the heart, nor can he sound the depths of the mercy and grace of God. It was said of the Lord Jesus, “…and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears.” (Is. 11:3) In other words, that which appeared to be true by the appearance of a person, or circumstance, was not accepted to be the truth of the entire picture. The “appearance” was often deceptive, for the hidden things of the heart and mind were not seen. With regard to what is heard, again, only a small picture of reality can be transmitted by word of mouth. When the verbal report comes from the lips and limitations of sinful man, how can it be fully trusted, and believed to be true? If this is the case, and these are the means by which the world determines what is the truth, what is right and wrong, how did the Lord Jesus TRULY judge with righteousness, and how did He reprove with equity? It was because of two things, His understanding of the objective truth of the Father and His words, and His entire dependence upon the Spirit of God, who sees and knows all things. Basic to the consideration of the justice and judgment of God is the fact of His knowledge of the truth, and His absolute grasp of the entirety of the situation. Coupled with that truth is the fact that the nature of God is revealed in by His compassion, graciousness, and goodness. It was not into a perfect, and sinless world, that He sent His Son to be the witness to the truth, and become the Savior of the world. On the contrary, it was into a pit of sin and death, where justice and righteousness did not reign. Had they done so, the King of glory would not have been crucified. Hence, mixed in with the matter of justice and judgment is mercy, grace, and love. That being said, there are certain things that we need to underline, and understand, about the justice and judgment of God.
The first thing that needs to be considered is the nature of God, His opposition and hatred of sin. Why? John tells us that God IS love. His nature never embraces that which defies His Life, purpose, and will. Sin is the single most significant factor which brings to bear God’s judgment. The effects of that judgment will always ultimately end in destruction and death. Man is born a sinner, and there is the very real antagonism of God to sin. The wrath of God is this antagonism revealed in very real consequences. In sending Christ to die for our sins, God provided for man the only alternative to avoid the descent into darkness. Only by the pardon for sin that Christ achieved on the cross, and the power of a new life by the Spirit, can man rise from the position of judgment to that of acceptance before God, having peace with God.
The second thing we need to underline is that God’s justice requires Him to respond to sin, with a consequence for sin. The Apostle Paul calls this, “wages of sin.” Those wages in essence bring to bear God’s working against the sinner, even to the point of not only afflicting the soul, but taking the life of the rebel. The patience of God towards us is revealed by the fact that He does not reward us according to our sin.
The third thing we need to see is that God, in His justice, has committed Himself without reserve, to seek the sinner. The measure of His justice, and the application of His judgment, will be determined by the sinner’s response to the overtures of His loving heart.
Dear Father, Save us from sin today, to know Thy life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad