Why We Must Take the Judgment of God Seriously
Positivist Christianity loves positivity, as its gospel. The positivist has convinced himself that his god loves everyone and only wants the best for everyone. This god who “wants” but who “can’t” would be a failure, if the positivist did not save him. The way the positivist saves his god is blaming people for not believing in this deity who wants…but cannot. If people would just believe in this divine being, they would empower god, and he could then do what he wants, which is to save everyone.
The true God of the Bible judges everyone (Gen 18:25). He is angry with rebellious sinners all day, every day (Ps 7:11). Because He is holy, righteous, and just, God must judge everyone according to the Law He has revealed to us. The Law of God exposes humanity, as being children of the devil (1 Jn 3:10), from conception, only inclined to do evil all the time (Gen 6:5). Because men are slaves to sin (Rom 6:6), with sin natures (Eph 2:3), they are not interested in hearing about God’s assessment of them.
Sin festers. It multiplies like a cancer. It spreads like a pandemic. It makes people sick. It always ends up killing its prey (Rom 6:23), and we are all prey (Rom 3:23; 1 Cor 15:22). The universal scope of sin and sinners is not a very positive message; therefore, positivity preachers dismiss, even denounce the negativity of God’s revealed judgment.
The wrath of God is consistent with God’s daily hatred of the wicked. Because God hates sinners (Ps 5:5; 11:5), who sin all day long, He is ever pouring out His wrath against their ungodliness and unrighteousness (Rom 1:18). Wrath is not an attribute of God, but because justice is an attribute, wrath must follow, accordingly.
The judgment of God punishes the wicked, but it disciplines the righteous (Heb 12:4–11). It employs a myriad of people and circumstances, in order to accomplish the will of God in both cases. God may bless His children with humble poverty, to maintain their daily focus on Jesus (Heb 12:2). He may pour out material wealth on the wicked, to keep their focus off of Jesus because they do not belong to Him (Jn 10:26). God has made the wicked for the day of evil (Prv 16:4).
During times of trouble, this is exacerbated. For instance, the Corona virus/Covid-19 may have taken the life of one righteous child of God, and it might have taken the life of a wicked child of the devil (1 Jn 3:10). The first is whisked into the presence of the Lord Jesus (Phil 1:23), while the latter is consigned to their place in hell, where they wait for the Day of the Lord and His sentencing them to the lake of fire (Rev 20:14–15) and eternal punishment (Jude 7).
The righteous and the wicked must both take the judgment of God, seriously. When the government restricts or removes your freedoms, you are being warned of your enslavement to sin and ultimate, eternal incarceration. In the same experience, the Christian is also constrained by the government, but this serves him, by showing God’s restrictive discipline (wash your hands you sinners — James 4:8), which protects him from the contagion of multiplied sin (e. g. infection leading to death).
It is a remarkable revelation when God shows His people that the righteous and the wicked both suffer under God’s judgment in this world. It should also amaze us how the exact same experience of loss, under God’s judgment, is good for one and not good for the other. Those who fear God will tremble at His heavy hand to correct them. Obviously, those who do not fear God will curse God, using the holy name of God’s only begotten Son, our Lord.
It is quite reasonable to deduce that we are currently being judged by God, as nations. There are spiritual lessons, embedded in the health related aspects and in the economic aspects of our current suffering package. It is quite rare, for a child to give thanks to a parent who disciplines his wayward offspring. He is blinded by tears, from the pain of being spanked. God expects His children to give thanks in everything, however (1 Thess 5:18). The Corona virus was and still is a thing that is part of everything, literally and figuratively. Therefore, we should give thanks to God for it, in our prayers of confession and repentance.
Friend, are you a little frightened by the uncertainty of our current crisis (and yes, there will be more crises coming)? You should be. This trouble is either designed as a drawing mechanism by God (Jn 6:44), to have you come to Jesus Christ (Jn 6:37) in repentance and faith (Acts 17:30; Phil 1:29), in the only One who can deliver you from the wrath to come (1 Thess 1:10)…or, it is designed to drive you away from God, as a judgment for sin, without the mercy of God (Rom 9:15). If you think this crisis is bad, the Bible assures you that you have not seen anything yet. This may not be the end, but it is certainly a teachable moment for you, as you prepare for your eternal home, either in heaven or hell.
Christian, God begins His judgment with His own household. You must seriously consider the trajectory of your current life and ministry. If the stock market knows how to correct its investors, surely God knows how to correct His own children. The medicine you need is in the Bible, which will speak the correction, even the rebuke we all need, today, the day of judgment foreshadowing the Day of Judgment.
Therefore, let us repent of our sins, wash our hands as sinners, and purify our double minds (Jas 4:8). We cannot love this world, nor the things of this world, and then say we love God, too. May His loving discipline also be His comfort to show you, Christian, how much He loves you. Suffer well…the positively true message of God’s judgment from the Bible.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
November 20, 2022
