Amazedনমুনা

The Good Judge

The “good news” about judgment is disclosed in John 5:24: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (NIV, emphasis mine). Hence, the freedom from being judged coincides with crossing over from death to life in the present. Why? Because for those who believe, their judgment has already occurred. Christ has taken it away.

When Jesus shed his blood and died on the cross, he took all the punishment and judgment our sins deserved, paying for them with his life. Thus, the first aspect of Jesus’ authority to judge was not a rendering of judgment, but a complete absorption of the judgment that should have been ours. He takes our sin and judgment and gives us his righteousness. The Bible says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, emphasis mine). Therefore, anyone who trusts in Christ and his death in their place no longer lives under the judgment and condemnation of God (Romans 8:1).

One year in an East African nation, the driver of our vehicle was a good-natured man with limited English. There was, however, one thing he could say and did so several times. More than once, our driver looked at someone in the van, hit his chest with his hand, raised it upward, and announced, “Sin gone.” Then, as if he were pulling something out of the air to put back into his chest, he said, “his righteousness mine." A straightforward way of articulating 2nd Corinthians 5:21. The exchange he was referring to is the result of Jesus taking his judgment on the cross. That’s the “now” part of Christ’s authority to judge. The capacity to take away our condemnation and make us a dearly loved child of God (1 John 3:1). Consequently, all who believe will not incur the future coming judgment.

Reflection: Please take a moment to look at the words us and we (in bold) in 2nd Corinthians 5:21. Reread the verse, substituting your name for those words. How does that personalize the good news of Christ as judge?

John 5:24-30
John 12:47-48
Romans 8:1-4
Revelation 1:5-6