Here Come the Judge

A while back, the comedian Flip Wilson found a way to insert this phrase into his TV show every week. The audience began to anticipate it, ready to laugh. "Here come the Judge."

What isn’t funny to me is that I have begun to realize that I, that most of us in fact, seem to claim that by-line almost daily. We judge ourselves and others around us. We can always find someone who’s a worse person than the one smiling back from our mirror. Compared to (fill in the blank), I’m not so bad. The only problem with this: God doesn’t  compare us with each other; He gave the world Ten Commandments for us to compare ourselves to, so we would see that no one of us lives up to His standard of perfection, personified by His Son Jesus.  He doesn't grade on the curve. His math is a simple binary choice, based on our response of yes or no.

God either sees us through the veil of the blood Jesus shed to pay our sin debt or He sees us in our unforgiven state, condemned to death by our refusal to accept the incredible gift of Jesus’s loving sacrifice. As great as His love for us is His justice and hatred of wrongdoing, knowing our sin nature condemns us all, God sacrificed His Son to pay our sin debt and offered each of us a pardon from the death penalty--It's our choice to accept or reject.

Even when we have accepted His gracious offer of eternal life, without realizing we're doing it, we often rate people's behavior as we go through our day. How often do we whisper to ourselves "He just ran the light on deep orange. He could cause an accident." or "Those kids are causing an uproar in the store--what kind of mother lets them behave like that?"

What do we say to someone who refuses to see God's love "because no god he would worship would let someone die of cancer" or "God of love? He would never send anyone to Hell if He loved them"?

Not only do some of us judge each other, but also dare in our lack of understanding to judge Holy God. God sees us as dead or alive in Christ, and sees all sin a death sentence. Can we then decide which sinner should be punished? If not God's judgment, whose should we accept? There are probably those who would judge you or me and condemn us. Who elected me Judge?There has to be an absolute standard, and by trusting Him to have answers to all our questions, I should take off the black robe and resign. Let God do His job.

For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.   Romans 3:23

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:14

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matt 7:2

Our Worst Enemy

I’ve often heard it said that “you are your own worst enemy”.  Andy Stanley made this truth easy to understand in his series comparing happiness vs. pleasure.

            The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they
            may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

I always thought this “thief” was the devil, tempting us to waste our talents and resources, and it's true that he hates us, but Andy went right to “you are your own worst enemy”! When we choose temporary pleasures, we are killing our peace with God, missing the abundant life we could have.

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and

love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the

other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24

Spending our resources, energy and time (which is limited) for temporary whims leaves us spiritually and physically depleted, ill-prepared for life’s trials and burdens, bankrupt when it counts! Psychologists tell us that repeated behavior becomes a self-perpetuating habit, whether good or bad. A bad habit will imprison us; with each repetition it intangles us deeper in its control. We are no longer free; we are slaves. The good news is we can choose our master!

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as

obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey--whether you 

are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which 

leads to righteousness?   Romans 6:16

Choosing pleasure (which is short-lived) over long term happiness through the obedient life is like buying a melting ice cream cone with a sorely over-used credit card. After the pleasure has passed comes the stress of paying the bills. Andy points out that by choosing obedience first, you can have both happiness and pleasure. Choose pleasure first (since it has diminishing returns as you  give it control in your life) and you lose the pleasure that habit once gave as well as happiness. If I am going to be a slave, or servant, I prefer a loving Master who cares for me. That’s Jesus Christ, who died for me.

          
          I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for
          the sheep.     John 10:11