Judge

Depending upon your own choice, today’s title of the Lord offers joy or despair.  God appointed Jesus Christ as Judge of all the earth.  As scripture says, one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Personal accountability, judgment, is a theme woven throughout scripture.  Each will give account for their time on earth.

Praise God, the Judge, who is Truth and Light, is also eternal love.  Before Creation, He prepared for the Day of Judgment in love.  Love does not demand that another bow to it.  Yet love shows interest and appreciation for others; it even accepts responsibility for another.  Jesus, the Judge, did just that.  He cared about the plight of man.  He appreciated the unique treasure of every soul.  Knowing the self-will of man would bring sin and destruction—and require a judgment of death—He offered His own life as payment.  The Judge chose to step down from the bench that He might give rewards instead of condemnation.  Such a Judge is a joy to contemplate; oh, how He deserves our worship!

While the final judgment is inevitable, free will determines whether we face Him with joy or despair.  Facing the Judge with joy requires us to relinquish our sin and our ‘right’ to determine what is good and best.  Sin—walking in the light of our own minds instead of the light of Christ—is natural to man. Sacrificing our right to self-determination opens the door to living in the righteous life of Christ.  In essence, the Judge offers us the most unfair exchange in eternity: our sin for His righteousness. Giving Him our sin allows us to enter eternal life.  Living in His love allows us to receive the rewards of living for Him.  Having entered into His light while we live prepares us to face the Judge with joy.

Tragically, many prefer to hold onto their sin and walk in the light of their own determination.  Such a choice brings one before the Judge clothed only in the best efforts of self.  The filthy rags of self-righteousness cannot withstand the blazing, glory of the Righteous One.  Absolutely no one can stand upright in the presence of His glory for the inherited nature of man is sin—self-centered, self-directed and self-righteous.  A life lived only in the light of self brings nothing for the Judge to reward.  The Light and Truth of the Judge exposes the eternal, dark doom of sin. If we enter the presence of the Judge before we enter His love, despair is as inevitable as the judgment.

God appointed Jesus as Judge in love.  Jesus prepared for the role of Judge with love; we prepare to face the Judge by living in that love.  Living in the light of the coming judgment, prepares us to face the Judge and points others toward His light.  Let us be determined to live in love, that we might help others accept Him joyfully as their Judge.