Weird Ideas: Coming to JudgeSample

Most people misunderstand judgment. They think about judgment strictly as a bad thing. “Don’t judge others.” “Don’t judge lest ye be judged.” And above all, avoid God’s judgment!

In the Bible, “judgment” is value neutral. It’s simply making a decision based on the facts. People might judge wrongly, but with God, the judgment is always righteous, good, and true. At times, judgment is something to be feared. At other times, people in the Bible yearn for it. It all comes down to what kind of decision God should make for you and who is in the right. N.T. Wright puts it like this: “Sometimes we stand before God as defendants in a criminal case. Other times we come before God as plaintiffs in a civil case.“

Surprisingly to many, God will judge us by our works. Yes, you read that right. Despite being saved by grace through faith in Jesus, the quality of our life and the decisions we make will be laid bare before God and judged by him.

Some today think this means if our lives are filled with more good than bad, God will judge us righteous. That’s not true. The Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), and whoever is guilty of breaking one point of the law is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10). Others think the quality of their life won’t matter at all. It’s a distorted belief that says “I’m saved. I’ll be forgiven. So who cares.”

According to Jesus, the Bible, and those early creeds, no one will escape God’s judgment. How does the Apostles’ Creed put it? “From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead.” God is just, and he is bound and determined to right all wrongs.

Since we will be judged, what do we do? Throw ourselves on God’s mercy instead of a righteousness of your own. Bring your sins openly to him. Live as though God sees what you do in secret and as though every act will be put on display for heaven to see. Then, with the help of His Holy Spirit, seek to live up to that righteous decree he’s placed upon you. Live a life worthy of a child of God. And seek him when your heart cries for vindication or for justice. The judge of this world sees, and will make things right in the end.