Judgment of God by His Word

I am truly amazed by the humility of God the Father and God the Son. Their divine humility is revealed by their unwillingness to judge men.

God the Father by His sovereign eternal right is the Judge of all men. But, in John 5 Jesus reveals that the Father has chosen in His sovereign wisdom to commit all judgment to the Son:

"For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him" (John 5:22, 23, NKJV).

"For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man" (John 5:26, 27).

The above passages of Scripture reveal two reasons why the Father has committed all judgment to the Son.

1. The Father wants all men to honor the Son just like they honor the Father. This is made possible when the Son becomes the judge. By being the judge Jesus receives the honor due to a judge.

2. The Son being the Son of man as well as Son of God, enables Him to understand the nature of men - the weakness and temptations of the flesh, so that he is able to make allowance in His judgment by His own human experience.

Jesus the Son being gracious and merciful in divine nature, just like the Father is unwilling to administer judgment but in turn transferred the final authority of judgment to God's Word.

Jesus says, "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him - the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John 12:47, 48).

Therefore, the final authority of all judgment is vested in the Word of God. This is the impartial, unchanging standard to which all men must one day answer.

The Principles of Judgment of God by the Word

The Scripture reveals at least five principles of the Judgment by God's Word:

1. Judgment according to truth

Jesus prayed to the Father concerning His disciples, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth" (John 17:17, NKJV).

The standard of God's Word is the revealed truth for very believer.

Paul says, "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things" (Romans 2:1, 2, NKJV).

Paul was speaking to Christians who judge other people by one standard and themselves by another standard. God's judgment is according to one standard - the revealed truth of God's Word. If we apply the truth of God's judgment to other, we must apply precisely the same truth to ourselves and our own lives.

2. Judgment according to "deeds"

Paul says, "who (God) will render to each one according to his deeds" (Romans 2:6).

Peter says, "And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct youselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear" (1 Peter 1:17, emphasis added).

In the final Great White Throne judgment (for unbelievers) in Revelation we read:

"And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books" (Rev. 20:12).

God uses special "book" or scroll to record the deeds of each person so as to judge him one day.

3. Judgment according to the secret of man's heart

The Scripture makes it clear that God, in His judgment of man, takes into account not merely external actions such as can be observed by other men, but also the deepest and most secret thoughts and motives of the heart.

Paul says, "....... God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel" (Romans 2:16).

Paul says, "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" (1 Cor. 4:5, emphasis added).

The writer of Hebrews confirms that the above judgment will be by the Word of God:

"For the word of God is living and powerful, ...... is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:12, 13, emphasis added).

4. Judgment without partiality

Paul says, "For there is no partiality with God" (Romans 2:11). The King James version says, "without respect of persons".

In other words, God is not influenced in His judgment by a person's external characteristics which do not necessarily give a correct indication of that person's real character and conduct.

The Lord said to Samuel, "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7).

5. Judgment according to the light made available to those being judged

Paul says, "For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law" (Romans 2:12).

In other words, each person is judged according to the measure of God's Law (moral light and understanding) made available to him. God's Law also includes God's moral standards revealed to the people throught the law of Mosses.

Jesus applied this same principle of judgment according to the light made available to the people of His days (Read Matt. 11:20 - 24).

Jesus said, the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum will be judged even more severely than Tyre and Sidon because of the higher measure of moral knowledge made available to the cities of His days.

We need to apply this principle to our generation. We will be judged by the measure of moral light and knowledge available available in our generation. I believe countries with a long history of Christianity will be judged with higher standards than countries where Bibles and and other Christian reading materials are not easily obtainable and where professing Christians are being persecuted.

We should take heed of the words of Jesus:

"For everone 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, NKJV).