I was struck yesterday that Judgment was a key ingredient of Paul’s Gospel:
“on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 2:16)
God’s Judgment wasn’t a set up for the Gospel. It wasn’t optional equipment. It was an essential and integral portion of the Gospel.
I think we who acknowledge God’s Judgment still don’t think of it as “according to Good News”. There’s just something about “judgment” that seems distasteful.
I suppose in one sense it is distasteful. “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.” (Ezekiel 18:32) There’s no reason to be thrilled about judgment.
But we can be thrilled about the effects of judgment. Just as we aren’t thrilled to have surgery, but are very thrilled when the cancer is removed, so we can be thrilled when finally wickedness is removed from our presence.
Would it be good news to live forever in the presence of sin? That’s one of the mercies of our father Adam’s eviction from Paradise. He couldn’t get back to the Tree of Life and live forever in a sinful state. Hallelujah! Can you give me an AMEN?
We really do want to focus on the love God has for us in Jesus. But we can’t be tricked into sound bite John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
We might even cruise comfortably through verse 17 into verse 18a:
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned,”
But notice the comma, and see the balance – the 2 1/2 pleasant verses are followed by 2 1/12 not so pleasant verses:
“but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” (John 3:18b-20)
If Paul integrated God’s Judgment with God’s love and forgiveness, shall we shortchange our world (and His people!) with anything less?