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Pastor's Blog September 30, 2021
"View of God in Romans XXX"
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I think all of us are familiar with judgmentalism, whether we're the ones who have been judgmental toward others or we have been the recipients of someone else's judgmentalism. But apart from this being an unattractive character trait, did you ever think of judgmentalism as proof of a future judgment that will demonstrate God's justice?
Such a notion probably sounds a little far-fetched, but that's exactly the position Paul takes in Romans 14:10-12. In light of the fact that Jesus is the Lord of the living and the dead (verse 9), Paul states in verses 10-12, "But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.' So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God" (NASB).
Paul's argument follows three moves: 1) when you judge or are contemptuous toward someone, you are using a standard against which to compare them and thus show that you believe in a judgment and that it is right for people to be judged (verse 10); 2) however, the only judgment which it is proper for anyone to render is praise to God, because only God is worthy of being judged and the only judgement anyone could possibly give is recognition of his praise-worthiness (verse 11); 3) and that is why each person can know they will face God's judgment, but that is also why each person can take comfort in the fact that God isn't as judgmental toward us as we are toward him and everyone else (verse 12).
In the face of our judgmentalism, God demonstrates his justice toward us - a justice that is not judgmental, arbitrary, bigoted, or filled with contempt, but rather a justice that takes into consideration who we are, what we've been through, and the place which each of us holds in God's heart. The compassionate justice of God is why Paul encourages us in verse 10 not to judge or be contemptuous toward others (including ourselves).
Friends, if you struggle with a judgmental spirit, know that you can give that to Jesus today and exchange it for his compassionate justice.
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God bless,
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
