His Judgment Cometh, And That Right Soon...

Last night at seven:ten (the college ministry at evbc), Tyler Johnson delivered a phenomenal message on a topic that is very difficult to accurately present and clearly communicate. The subject he was speaking on was none other than the judgment of God. The key passage he drew from was at the end of wisdom literature written by King Solomon:

"The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil" (Eccl. 12:13-14).

Tyler spent most of the message comparing our typical view of an earthly judge versus what God reveals in His word about the Lord as a perfect, holy, and just judge. His basic points were as follows:

• A judge is a person with authority. A judge has the ability (and the right) to assert authority over an individual because they are bound by the law. Similarly, God has authority over heaven and earth, including authority over every human being, because they are His creation. He is the potter, we are the clay.
• A judge is identified with what is good and right. Moses describes God as such, "The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He" (Deut. 32:4). Tyler made a great point that you would never want a neutral judge. Although it's becoming increasingly popular in our culture for a judge to maintain an attitude of neutrality ("claiming" to hold to no specific beliefs) when discerning every court decision, a judge whose convictions rest on neither side of an issue is unable make fair judgments. For example, let's say your best friend was mugged by a thief with a baseball bat and beaten to a bloody pulp. He manages to survive the atrocity but serious brain damage destroys his mind and he becomes a human vegetable, barely recognizable as the friend you once knew. Now, in court you stand in his defense and seek for justice to be done to the man who committed this terrible crime. But the judge cannot say whether or not what the man did was actually "bad" because he may have been the victim of a mental disorder or was the product of an imperfect society. The judge decides not to pass sentence. You would instinctively cry out that the judge was unjust and unrighteous in his decision. No one wants to stand before a neutral judge. But God is not neutral. He is good and righteous and holy. Indeed, He is the very source of all that is good and upright. He will not do violence to justice...
• A judge is a person with wisdom; that is, a judge is able to discern the truth in a matter. God being omniscient and filled with all wisdom and knowledge clearly separates Him from others. David confesses in Psalm 139 that he can not escape God's presence. Whether he ascends in to the heavens or makes his bed in Sheol, he cannot escape Him. The prophet Jeremiah proclaims something very similar: "'Am I a God who is near,' declares the Lord, 'and not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?' declares the Lord. 'Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?' declares the Lord" (Jer. 23:23-24). God knows our very thoughts. We are utterly naked and layed open before Him. He knows the truth, and there is no denying the judgments He makes concerning us.
• A judge is one who has power to execute sentence. Because God is good and loves righteousness, he must punish evil. Sin must be paid for in only one of two ways. Either by Jesus on the cross, or by the sinner in hell. But praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself as a ransom for our sins.
  
  It was deeply convicting to be reminded of the seriousness of God's judgment against sin. David Crowder wrote these powerful words:
  
  

  "We speak easily of Jesus as our pal--our friend who comes to us on bended knee to wash feet and bring hugs-- but we forget, with little difficulty, that it was God's justice, the necessity of His holiness, that brought death to givelife. It is His holiness that required the shedding of blood, the losing of life, to be the only way to make things right."

  
  Anyway, Tyler gave a great message that moved my heart to repentance for treating God's acts of mercy and grace with subtle disregard so much of the time. It also made me pray deeply for my friend Kaitlin who has been coming to seven:ten for a couple of weeks. I don't know whether or not she is a Christian but my assumption is that she is not. She was there when Tyler gave this message (a very difficult one to swallow if you're not a believer). Please pray that God would bring her to repentance and faith.
  
  Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
  
  Jonathan