Judgments! We all make hundreds of them daily. We make a judgment every morning whether to get out of bed when the alarm goes off, or to just go back to sleep. When we do get out of bed, we have to make a judgment about what we’re going to wear, what we’re going to eat & drink, and what tasks we’re going to make a priority that day. We make judgments all day long about the people we drive next to, the people we work with, and the people who mistreat us.
But the most important judgments we make every day are ‘morality judgments’ - judgments about ‘right & wrong’. Ironically, it’s the tens of thousands of ‘morality judgments’ we make in our lives, that God is going to ultimately judge or evaluate - in the ‘Day of Judgment.’ (MATTHEW 11:22)
God judged Adam and Eve for their ‘immoral judgment’ in eating of the forbidden fruit, expelling them from the utopian Garden of Eden (GENESIS 3:22-24) God judged Israel for their ‘immoral judgments,’ allowing them to be taken into captivity as a nation (II CHRONICLES 36:15-21).
What will our individual ‘Judgment Day’ be like? Will the process simulate the courtroom experience of Man’s world? Does your Bible contain the criteria by which God will judge you?
In reality, the adjudication process which many nations use today, has its roots in Biblical processes given to Ancient Israel: “The Lord takes his place in court; He rises to judge the people. The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people, ’It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.” (ISAIAH 3:13-15 NIV) Just as a judge takes his place in courts today, God has done in the past, rendering judgment against the people of Israel.
Court cases in America begin with arraignments & accusations, just like we read in this Psalm: “But to the wicked person, God says: ‘What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. You sit and testify against your brother and slander your own mother’s son. When you did these things and I kept silent,
you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you.” (PS.50:16-21)
Job said, not understanding his full situation, “I say to God: Do not declare me guilty, but tell me what charges you have against me.” (JOB 10:2) In our courts of Law, accusations turn into ‘charges,’ when enough evidence is given to cause the Judge to declare a trial needs to be brought against the accused.
Satan acts as the ‘Prosecuting Attorney’ against each and every one of us: “For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” (REVELATION 12:10)
Jesus will act as our ‘Defense Attorney’ on the ‘Day of Judgment,’ having done battle Himself with Satan, Society & Self - and therefore, able to empathize with us in our struggles. The book of Hebrews tells us: Therefore He (Christ) is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. The apostle John was inspired to write: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
God’s court, is the Supreme Highest Court, and He is going to judge every Human Being on their ‘Day of Judgment’: “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” (ACTS 17:30,31) Paul told the church at Corinth: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (II CORINTHIANS 5:10)
So, what criterion will God use to judge us by? According to Jesus, we’ll be judged by what we do with the talents and information we’re given: “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” (LUKE 12:48)
We’ll also be judged by our love and care for the needy: “Then the King (Jesus) will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ (MATTHEW 25:34-36)
We’ll be judged by our speech: “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (MATTHEW 12:36,37)
We’ll be judged by God’s Law: “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” (JAMES 2:12)
We’ll be judged by the level of mercy and compassion we show others: “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (JAMES 2:13)
We’ll also be judged by the way we respond to our God-given conscience: “And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.” (I JOHN 3:19-21)
The apostle Paul gives us this to think about: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.” (I CORINTHIANS 4:5)