I Am My Own Judge
The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son. John 5:22, RSV.
Now there is a thought pregnant with meaning: Jesus as our judge.
Many of us have seen pictures of the judgment in which a somewhat apathetic (if not fearsome) Father sits upon the judgment throne with Jesus prostrate before Him pleading for the salvation of His followers.
Wrong on both counts. First, the Father is not indifferent, let alone fearsome. He is not someone who has to be persuaded by Jesus or anyone else. The plain fact of the case is that He "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:16, 17).
Banish all thought of God as the stern judge who needs to be convinced by a soft-hearted Christ. No! It was the Father Himself who out of a warm and caring heart initiated the plan of salvation.
Not only did the Father begin the plan, but, according to Jesus, the Father has even handed the responsibility for judgment over to Him. And that is just the beginning of an interesting part of the story. Because Jesus tells us in John 12 that He is turning over our judgment to us.
Do you find that one hard to believe? Well, listen to Him: "If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, 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 sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day" (John 12:47, 48, RSV).
Now, I know that Jesus said that it will be His words that finally judge. But think about the implications of that statement. It is you and I as individuals who make decisions about accepting or rejecting that judgmental word. We have the final decision-making authority as to where we will spend eternity. The hinge is how we relate to Him through His Word. In that sense we are our own judges.
The same basic truth shines forth in John 3:36: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
We need to take more seriously the great opportunities and responsibilities that God has granted to each of us through Jesus.
The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son. John 5:22, RSV.
Now there is a thought pregnant with meaning: Jesus as our judge.
Many of us have seen pictures of the judgment in which a somewhat apathetic (if not fearsome) Father sits upon the judgment throne with Jesus prostrate before Him pleading for the salvation of His followers.
Wrong on both counts. First, the Father is not indifferent, let alone fearsome. He is not someone who has to be persuaded by Jesus or anyone else. The plain fact of the case is that He "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:16, 17).
Banish all thought of God as the stern judge who needs to be convinced by a soft-hearted Christ. No! It was the Father Himself who out of a warm and caring heart initiated the plan of salvation.
Not only did the Father begin the plan, but, according to Jesus, the Father has even handed the responsibility for judgment over to Him. And that is just the beginning of an interesting part of the story. Because Jesus tells us in John 12 that He is turning over our judgment to us.
Do you find that one hard to believe? Well, listen to Him: "If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, 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 sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day" (John 12:47, 48, RSV).
Now, I know that Jesus said that it will be His words that finally judge. But think about the implications of that statement. It is you and I as individuals who make decisions about accepting or rejecting that judgmental word. We have the final decision-making authority as to where we will spend eternity. The hinge is how we relate to Him through His Word. In that sense we are our own judges.
The same basic truth shines forth in John 3:36: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
We need to take more seriously the great opportunities and responsibilities that God has granted to each of us through Jesus.
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