How Are We to Judge Righteous Judgment? # 2

How Are We to Judge Righteous Judgment? # 2

So in that sense, since Christ seeks the Father's will, they are both judging because they are both of the same mind and of the same character and of the same spirit, but the Father has delegated to the Son the actual doing of the resurrecting and the actual delineating and separating of the sheep from the goats.

Now in Christ's first coming, think about this: Man judged Jesus Christ. Man decided to put Christ to death. Man decided to condemn Him. Man decided to scourge Him and to heap rebuke upon Him. So it's only fair that when Christ comes back the second time, He judges mankind because in His first appearance on this earth, man judged Him. Now the tables are turned and when Christ comes the second time, He is going to judge mankind. And it is obvious that Christ will determine or judge who will be resurrected and who will not.

So let's understand that under Point One the Father has delegated to Christ judgment of all mankind.

Point B under the First Point of God and Christ are responsible for judging mankind, Point B is that:

B. Christ judges a human's works (a man or a woman's works) according to His Word.

We are judged according to the Word of God. That is the standard upon which we are judged.Now in the physical world, men allegedly or supposedly are being judged according to written law, whatever the law is. But with God and Christ, a human is judged according to the Word of God. Let's go to John chapter 12, read verse 48. Notice what Christ says.

John 12:48: "He that [rejects] me,

And many did!

"and [receives] not my words,

And many rejected His words.

"[has] one that [judges] him.

What is it?

"...the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

Now remember, back in John 7:24, the definition of the word "righteous" was observing divine laws. And Christ is saying, "Those divine laws are what you must measure up against and in the end of the day judges you - these divine laws."

Let's go to 1 Peter 1:17. Peter reinforces what Christ said in John chapter 12. The apostles understood this perfectly and they repeat it again for our benefit. 1 Peter 1:17, notice what he says about the Father: "And if [you] call on the Father, who without respect of persons [judges] according to ... What? "every [person's] work.

What they do - every person's work! He says, "If you understand that then we need to 'pass the time of our sojourning in fear' on this earth because we are being judged."

Now men often judge with favoritism. I've seen that in business. And frankly, I've seen it even more in the Church. People in upper echelons judge others with a degree of favoritism. And I've seen it were two different individuals committed the same transgression. And one got a pass and one didn't based on favoritism.

Christ judges every man - and I don't care if it's the apostle Peter who wrote these words or Herbert W. Armstrong or any of us - He judges any man or any woman according to the same standard. And that standard is God's Word. No free passes! We're to judge according to God's Word!

So Point B is A:

B. Christ judges a human's works and compares them to His Word.

Point C - the third regarding God and Christ being responsible for judging mankind.

C. We, the firstfruits, are being judged now.

Now is our time, our only time! And we're in 1 Peter 1. Jump to chapter 4 and read the familiar Scripture, verses 17 and 18.

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God [the Church of God, the Body of Christ]: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end of them [be] that obey not the gospel [that don't follow the Words of Christ]?

1 Peter 4:18: "And if the righteous ...

Now this is the same word that we quoted in John 7:24 - those who observe divine laws.

"And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?"

What is their fate? Well, we know what that is and it's a sad fate.

So, summing up the First Point, we clearly understand - we could spend the whole sermon on this, but - we clearly understand that only God and Christ judge human beings. Now we have to understand that as God's people. Shame on us, if we don't!

Because that leads to the Second Point - the obvious point - is that:

ll. We, as human beings are not to judge one another.

That is the job God and Christ have chosen for themselves. And yet, in the greater Church today, God's people just jump in and judge one another and take over, take away from God and Christ the job that They said is Theirs! And what do we do is we judge other people. We judge their hearts. We judge their motives. We judge what's going on in their head - even though we're not in their head. But God's people have done that for decades.

And so the Second Point here is that we are not to judge one another. And it's obvious because only God knows the hearts and minds of human beings. We don't. Humans cannot know the heart of another human.

Now the apostles understood that and they set an example for us in Acts chapter 2 because they prayed and cast lots on who should replace Judas because they did not know the hearts of those they were looking at, those they were considering. They couldn't tell. Notice Acts 1 and verse 24. They were trying to replace Judas. They had two men.

"And they prayed, and said, [You] Lord, which [know] the hearts of all ..." The word "men" in the king James Bible is in italics.

"[You] Lord, which [knoweth] the hearts of all, show [which] of these two [you have] chosen."

And they drew lots and God picked the one.

So let's understand that. And the apostles knew even in those early days that only God knows the heart of a human being. And we are incapable of judging the way God and Christ judge.

~Rick Railston~

(continued with # 3)