1 Corinthians: Not in VainSample

'Only God can judge me.’

We’ve probably all heard people utter that phrase, perhaps often as a way of excusing their own behaviour. They are words that can sound inherently arrogant, as if the speaker is simply unmoved by the negative impact their actions are having on others.

So as we skim over our passage today, we may infer that Paul is similarly displaying a bit too much bravado, as if he thinks he is above criticism. And yet as we read on it’s clear that this is different: Paul cares about being ‘faithful’ as a minister and disciple of Christ (v. 2), but he doesn’t even trust the judgment of himself (v. 3)! He’s not being blasé, naive or arrogant when he says, ‘it is the Lord who judges me’ (v. 4). On the contrary, Paul is deeply humbled by knowing that nothing is hidden from God’s verdict. 

In every sphere of our lives this is a huge challenge. Every day we can be tempted to live for the judgments of others: we’re shaped by what other people think of us, or at least how we perceive they might be thinking of us. 

If we reflect on this for a moment, we might ask ourselves, ‘why am I so driven by what others think of me’? In reality, it often feels like it’s the opinions of others that really count ‘in the moment’. They have weight over us. 

Paul’s remedy to this is to stress that there’s an ‘appointed time’ when God’s judgment will be given. This ‘final day’ when Jesus returns (v. 5) makes the passing opinions of our friends, our colleagues and even our culture, pale into insignificance. It also means it’s often foolish to pronounce judgment before that future judgment. We don’t have clear windows into people’s hearts, or eyes that can penetrate the darkness. 

Reflection

Spend some time praying that you will care more about God’s judgment on your life than that of anyone else. Give thanks that this judgment will be just and true – going beyond outward appearance or bias.