Monday, January 30

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Monday

I don’t mind watching courtroom dramas on TV, but I really don’t like actual courtrooms, they make me nervous.  A few years ago, I was asked by a friend to go with him as he stood before a judge in a custody hearing.  My role was to support my friend and to serve as a character witness on his behalf if needed.  As the court date approached, my friend grew more and more anxious and worried.  He met with his lawyer and had all of his documents in order, but he was still scared and nervous about how the judge would rule (and so was I).  I felt jumpy just walking through the metal detectors in the Courthouse lobby.  I was anxious as we waited for the judge to begin the proceedings and I wasn’t the one who was going to have to stand before him.

The Bible clearly states that there will be a day of judgment for all of us.  There is no escaping this reality; God has appointed a day when all will stand before The Judge.

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 all men by raising him from the dead.     – Acts 17:31

It is interesting that in Acts 17, the Apostle Paul tells us that we actually have proof of the coming judgment – the Resurrection! This is the foundation of Christianity. Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless ...”  (1 Cor. 15:17). Christianity is not built on religious speculations, but on the revelation God has given of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. The proof that Jesus is Lord and Judge is that God raised Him from the dead.

Paul gives us three certainties (17:31) with regard to the judgment: A certain day, a certain standard, and a certain Man.

A Certain Day - God “has fixed a day” We look around and see wickedness going unpunished and think that sinners get away with their sin.  But the court date is set in heaven: God has a certain day when He will judge the world!  If we ask, “Why does God wait?” the answer is, “Because He is patient and merciful, and we should be glad that He is!  He is giving those who have sinned against Him an opportunity to repent” (2 Pet. 3:9).

A Certain Standard - “He will judge the world in righteousness.” Many think that God will grade on the curve, and that only the scum of the earth will fail.  Years ago, when poet Robert Frost taught at Amherst College, he detested semester exams and grading, but since it was mandatory, he complied.  However, he made the tests as easy as he could. Once he asked only one question: “What good did my course do you?” and requested brief replies. One student wrote, “Not a dam bit!” “Did you pass him?” asked a friend. “Yes,” said Frost, “I gave him a 90.” “Why not 100?” the friend asked.  “He left the ‘n’ off damn.”  Many think that God will be an easy grader, like Robert Frost.  Unless we’re horribly bad people, the judgment won’t be any sweat. But God’s standard is His own character, absolute righteousness!  That character is reflected in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount.

A Certain Man - “Through a Man whom He has appointed.” That may seem strange - usually we think of God as the judge, not man.  But the final Judge is both.  Jesus Christ is both the perfect standard for judgment, in that He lived a perfectly righteous life; and, the perfect Judge, who in His divinity knows the very thoughts and intentions of our heart. Every wrong thought we’ve ever had will be exposed to His gaze!

Since the resurrection is true, judgment is a certainty.  And if you say, “All I ask is that God be fair with me,” you don’t realize what you’re saying! If God is fair, you will go straight to hell, because you have violated His righteous standard many times over. If you went into a court of law, even in our lenient justice system, with thousands of counts against you, how do you think you would fare? Never ask God for fairness – cry out to Jesus for mercy!


Jeff Frazier