Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 27.07.1998
Love from the Judge
Many know the Christian gospel as a sweet message about God's love. However it is the message about the cross of Christ that also includes bitterness of God's judgement. I hope you could endure a little bit of word of judgement so that you could experience love forever.
Your heart is a judge
Everybody feels the need to judge injustice. Especially we keenly condemn wrongdoings of the others. God has put a sense of justice into our heart. And that is not sufficient for us, for our heart also demands a punishment on wrongdoers. Especially lawlessness of the others is on the top of our punishment list.
Some people give the expression that they are so tolerant that they judge nobody. However we can find out that an outwardly gentle exterior hides the same nature as the others have. After all we cannot escape the judgement of our hearts. Therefore it is better for us to seek the right judgement on ourselves and on the others than try to repress condemning matters from our minds.
How often does it happen that our heart litigates against someone! If we want to be very loving, we try to interrupt the trial and we convince ourselves that we have forgiven. However we can notice that our heart starts the trial again. The evidence is taken out again and a suitable punishment is sought for the guilty one.
The feelings of our heart are very partial! When someone wrongs us, we become angry against the wrongdoer and demand that the injustice is compensated for us. If we ourselves wrong, we don't become angry against ourselves and we don't demand compensation for our victim. However I should become angry in the same way with my own sin than with others'!
Everybody feels the need to judge injustice. Especially we keenly condemn wrongdoings of the others. God has put a sense of justice into our heart. And that is not sufficient for us, for our heart also demands a punishment on wrongdoers. Especially lawlessness of the others is on the top of our punishment list.
Some people give the expression that they are so tolerant that they judge nobody. However we can find out that an outwardly gentle exterior hides the same nature as the others have. After all we cannot escape the judgement of our hearts. Therefore it is better for us to seek the right judgement on ourselves and on the others than try to repress condemning matters from our minds.
How often does it happen that our heart litigates against someone! If we want to be very loving, we try to interrupt the trial and we convince ourselves that we have forgiven. However we can notice that our heart starts the trial again. The evidence is taken out again and a suitable punishment is sought for the guilty one.
The feelings of our heart are very partial! When someone wrongs us, we become angry against the wrongdoer and demand that the injustice is compensated for us. If we ourselves wrong, we don't become angry against ourselves and we don't demand compensation for our victim. However I should become angry in the same way with my own sin than with others'!
Self-condemnation
Many try to silence the voice of their conscience by judging other people guilty of the same thing that they have a bad conscience. In this way they will judge themselves when they judge the others. For some time they are able to silence their conscience by judging the others, but one day there comes a moment when it doesn't help any more.
One day they are cut to their heart when they realize that they themselves have done just the same injustice for what they have cursed the others. Then they can make a choice. On that day their heart demands them to punish themselves with the same punishment they have sentenced the others. In this distress they seek release from the judgement of their own mouth.
If only these people then would stop being their own judge and would give themselves to be judged by God. The punishment they sentenced themselves, was one day on Jesus when He died on Golgotha so that they could be released from it.
Unfortunately only few people turn to God when they are in distress. Then most people decide to have mercy on themselves and forgive themselves and at the same time them whom they have been judging. This may sound good but it is not. Many even consider this experience the discovery of love, although they stepped to the broad road that leads to destruction.
Many try to silence the voice of their conscience by judging other people guilty of the same thing that they have a bad conscience. In this way they will judge themselves when they judge the others. For some time they are able to silence their conscience by judging the others, but one day there comes a moment when it doesn't help any more.
One day they are cut to their heart when they realize that they themselves have done just the same injustice for what they have cursed the others. Then they can make a choice. On that day their heart demands them to punish themselves with the same punishment they have sentenced the others. In this distress they seek release from the judgement of their own mouth.
If only these people then would stop being their own judge and would give themselves to be judged by God. The punishment they sentenced themselves, was one day on Jesus when He died on Golgotha so that they could be released from it.
Unfortunately only few people turn to God when they are in distress. Then most people decide to have mercy on themselves and forgive themselves and at the same time them whom they have been judging. This may sound good but it is not. Many even consider this experience the discovery of love, although they stepped to the broad road that leads to destruction.
Self-forgiving
Many have learned not to judge themselves and the others for the wickedness they feel to be too difficult to overcome. They have learned to forgive themselves and they are able do the same for others who have wronged them.
Their strength to forgive others comes from their self-forgiving. From where have they got their strength to forgive themselves? They have invented good means of defences for their deeds. They have accepted their bad tendencies as their natural qualities. They are humanists and they understand the weaknesses of people, their own and the others'. They are so well freed from all judgement that they are smiling at their own wickedness. These smiling devils are proclaiming their message of "love" and tolerance all over the world.
Many say that God has forgiven them, although actually they themselves have forgiven themselves. Because they have made their self into a god for themselves, they consider self-forgiving their divine quality. They are so quick to forgive themselves that God doesn't even get any possibility to forgive them.
A self-forgiver has fallen into a slippery road. Little by little wickedness changes harmless in his mind. He forgives himself more and more, until he finally is able to do what so ever. Only forgiveness coming from God is able to cleanse a heart of sins and to lead to a good road. The cleanness given by the blood of Jesus causes love for goodness. In a pure mind wickedness changes little by little more and more evil.
Do not be satisfied with your own forgiveness or with the mercy from other people, but seek the forgiveness of God. A heart with a bad conscience cannot adjudge impartially. A requirement of justice that has been repressed from consciousness is an insidious factor and gnaws at heart, because the trial has always been cancelled. It would be better to finish the trial before a qualified judge. In that way the case would be removed from your life.
Many have learned not to judge themselves and the others for the wickedness they feel to be too difficult to overcome. They have learned to forgive themselves and they are able do the same for others who have wronged them.
Their strength to forgive others comes from their self-forgiving. From where have they got their strength to forgive themselves? They have invented good means of defences for their deeds. They have accepted their bad tendencies as their natural qualities. They are humanists and they understand the weaknesses of people, their own and the others'. They are so well freed from all judgement that they are smiling at their own wickedness. These smiling devils are proclaiming their message of "love" and tolerance all over the world.
Many say that God has forgiven them, although actually they themselves have forgiven themselves. Because they have made their self into a god for themselves, they consider self-forgiving their divine quality. They are so quick to forgive themselves that God doesn't even get any possibility to forgive them.
A self-forgiver has fallen into a slippery road. Little by little wickedness changes harmless in his mind. He forgives himself more and more, until he finally is able to do what so ever. Only forgiveness coming from God is able to cleanse a heart of sins and to lead to a good road. The cleanness given by the blood of Jesus causes love for goodness. In a pure mind wickedness changes little by little more and more evil.
Do not be satisfied with your own forgiveness or with the mercy from other people, but seek the forgiveness of God. A heart with a bad conscience cannot adjudge impartially. A requirement of justice that has been repressed from consciousness is an insidious factor and gnaws at heart, because the trial has always been cancelled. It would be better to finish the trial before a qualified judge. In that way the case would be removed from your life.
The only competent judge
Your heart is not a capable judge nor is mine. There is only one competent Judge. Do you agree to a trial against yourself? When God is the judge it is safe. It is far more dangerous for you to be your own judge.
God says as follows: "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18 God is the judge of all His creations.
Many think that listeners experience the grace of God and His forgiveness, when a skilful singer presents a sweet love song about God. They try to open by singing the hearts of people to receive the message of God's love. However God advises us to arrange a trial and "let us reason together".
Have you ever heard that love was found in a court room? The door of the court opened and a happy man run out. "Then he comes to men and says, 'I have sinned, and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved. He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light'." Job 33:27-28
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
When God judges you guilty, you will perish in the fire of His anger. God loved you so much that He prepared for you the way out from His own wrath.
Maybe hearing this gospel doesn't touch your heart, because you have already forgiven yourself. Therefore you don't know to fear the judgement of God.
Maybe this gospel touched you only partly. You heard only the word: God loves you. All words that told about the judgement of God that you deserve, you let go past. You repressed them out of your mind as fluently as you used to do with all the earlier judging thoughts.
Do not deceive yourself with a half-truth! You have to meet God as the Judge so that you could experience Him as your loving Farther.
Your heart is not a capable judge nor is mine. There is only one competent Judge. Do you agree to a trial against yourself? When God is the judge it is safe. It is far more dangerous for you to be your own judge.
God says as follows: "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18 God is the judge of all His creations.
Many think that listeners experience the grace of God and His forgiveness, when a skilful singer presents a sweet love song about God. They try to open by singing the hearts of people to receive the message of God's love. However God advises us to arrange a trial and "let us reason together".
Have you ever heard that love was found in a court room? The door of the court opened and a happy man run out. "Then he comes to men and says, 'I have sinned, and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved. He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light'." Job 33:27-28
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
When God judges you guilty, you will perish in the fire of His anger. God loved you so much that He prepared for you the way out from His own wrath.
Maybe hearing this gospel doesn't touch your heart, because you have already forgiven yourself. Therefore you don't know to fear the judgement of God.
Maybe this gospel touched you only partly. You heard only the word: God loves you. All words that told about the judgement of God that you deserve, you let go past. You repressed them out of your mind as fluently as you used to do with all the earlier judging thoughts.
Do not deceive yourself with a half-truth! You have to meet God as the Judge so that you could experience Him as your loving Farther.
Mercy experienced
Your heart is partial and therefore it is an incapable judge. Instead, God is unbribable, "who judges each man's work impartially." 1 Peter 1:17 To be able to experience cleansing from your sins you have to confess your sins to God. Of course it is easier to confess one's deeds to oneself, but it is harder to do it before the Judge.
The consciousness of guilt, influenced by God, is not only an indefinite feeling of inferiority, but it is a feeling of deep shame concerning what we have thought, said and done. Due to the clear evidence we feel we deserve the judgement of God. The atmosphere is like from a trial when the accused has been exposed completely.
In this trial there is the Witness in the place of a prosecutor. The Spirit of God proves a person's guilt. He proves God's righteousness to us. He convicts us of our iniquity and of the punishment we deserve. The purity of Jesus makes us ashamed of our sins, but His sacrifice purifies us as pure as He Himself is.
One who sweats in fear of the judgement is allowed to hear that there is One who once suffered the judgement instead of him/her. Jesus comes and says to the one who regrets sins: "Take heart, your sins are forgiven."
So the gospel gives the faith that purifies the heart which God presents with His Holy Spirit to witness that He accepts the person. "God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. ... for He purified their hearts by faith." Acts 15:8-9 "And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us." 1John 3:24
When the Bible speaks that we are saved "by grace through faith", it speaks about the experienced grace and not about a doctrine of grace. "God made us alive with Christ - it is by grace you have been saved." Eph.2:5,8 So to be saved by grace means to become alive, and not only to trust the doctrine telling I need to do nothing to be saved.
If you have not experienced grace, there is something wrong with your hearing. "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Rom.10:17 Was it so that you didn't hear the message of Christ, but of men? Paul had a clear vision of how to proclaim the gospel so that hearing it could give the faith which also leads to experiencing grace. "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." 1Cor.2:4-5
Your heart is partial and therefore it is an incapable judge. Instead, God is unbribable, "who judges each man's work impartially." 1 Peter 1:17 To be able to experience cleansing from your sins you have to confess your sins to God. Of course it is easier to confess one's deeds to oneself, but it is harder to do it before the Judge.
The consciousness of guilt, influenced by God, is not only an indefinite feeling of inferiority, but it is a feeling of deep shame concerning what we have thought, said and done. Due to the clear evidence we feel we deserve the judgement of God. The atmosphere is like from a trial when the accused has been exposed completely.
In this trial there is the Witness in the place of a prosecutor. The Spirit of God proves a person's guilt. He proves God's righteousness to us. He convicts us of our iniquity and of the punishment we deserve. The purity of Jesus makes us ashamed of our sins, but His sacrifice purifies us as pure as He Himself is.
One who sweats in fear of the judgement is allowed to hear that there is One who once suffered the judgement instead of him/her. Jesus comes and says to the one who regrets sins: "Take heart, your sins are forgiven."
So the gospel gives the faith that purifies the heart which God presents with His Holy Spirit to witness that He accepts the person. "God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. ... for He purified their hearts by faith." Acts 15:8-9 "And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us." 1John 3:24
When the Bible speaks that we are saved "by grace through faith", it speaks about the experienced grace and not about a doctrine of grace. "God made us alive with Christ - it is by grace you have been saved." Eph.2:5,8 So to be saved by grace means to become alive, and not only to trust the doctrine telling I need to do nothing to be saved.
If you have not experienced grace, there is something wrong with your hearing. "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Rom.10:17 Was it so that you didn't hear the message of Christ, but of men? Paul had a clear vision of how to proclaim the gospel so that hearing it could give the faith which also leads to experiencing grace. "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." 1Cor.2:4-5
Nullified cross of Christ
Paul, the apostle says: "Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel - not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." 1Cor.1:17 Later he says the reason why he didn't want people to believe through wisdom. "So that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." The faith that rests on God's power is got from the cross of Jesus. "For the message of the cross is the power of God to us who are being saved." 1Cor.1:18
The cross of Christ was emptied of its power in your life, if you didn't hear the message of God's judgement. If you were persuaded with beautiful words into becoming a believer, your faith rests on men's wisdom, and not on God's power. The cross is the place of judgement. When Jesus died on the cross, it was the day of God's wrath. The judgement with great anger struck against Jesus because of our sins. "The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him." Isaiah 53:5
Thus we understand that it is necessary to speak about God's judgement (=cross) to people, so that hearing could give the faith through which God's grace can be experienced. Because it is displeasing for us to speak about the judgement of God, we try to replace it with human wisdom.
Because the cross is the place of judgement, the message about God's judgement is God's power to us who believe. Of course this is "foolishness to those who are perishing". They cannot understand how it is possible to make people love God by speaking about God's wrath! These conceited people surge their scorn for this kind of message. Religious people absolutely disapprove of that kind of rude words.
Paul, the apostle says: "Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel - not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." 1Cor.1:17 Later he says the reason why he didn't want people to believe through wisdom. "So that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." The faith that rests on God's power is got from the cross of Jesus. "For the message of the cross is the power of God to us who are being saved." 1Cor.1:18
The cross of Christ was emptied of its power in your life, if you didn't hear the message of God's judgement. If you were persuaded with beautiful words into becoming a believer, your faith rests on men's wisdom, and not on God's power. The cross is the place of judgement. When Jesus died on the cross, it was the day of God's wrath. The judgement with great anger struck against Jesus because of our sins. "The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him." Isaiah 53:5
Thus we understand that it is necessary to speak about God's judgement (=cross) to people, so that hearing could give the faith through which God's grace can be experienced. Because it is displeasing for us to speak about the judgement of God, we try to replace it with human wisdom.
Because the cross is the place of judgement, the message about God's judgement is God's power to us who believe. Of course this is "foolishness to those who are perishing". They cannot understand how it is possible to make people love God by speaking about God's wrath! These conceited people surge their scorn for this kind of message. Religious people absolutely disapprove of that kind of rude words.
God's judgement in Jesus gives love
So what did happen on the cross? God's judgement against sin is this: "The wages of sin is death." The judgement for a sinner is this: "You will surely die." This judgement of God met Jesus on the cross due to our sins. Then He experienced the real essence of death, when the Farther forsook Him for a while. He cried out: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Surely dying means that God forsakes and drives away from His presence.
Could there be any more terrible experience than to hear God say: "You cursed one, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matth.26:41 If a bad and evil man drives me away from his presence, I don't feel unhappy. On the contrary I feel relieved when I get rid of him. But that is terrible when God, who is full of goodness and love and purity, forsakes me.
Woe how much that experience on the cross hurt Jesus! Sufferings in the body were light pains compared to that forsaking. He experienced it because of us. Do you accept that you deserve to be forsaken by God? If you don't, you resist the gospel of God.
God has not yet forsaken you, although you have forsaken Him. Faithfully He is waiting for you to repent and you will take the responsibility for your sins. Answer to Jesus when He cries out: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Say to Him on behalf of God: "Jesus, God forsook you because of my sins!"
So what did happen on the cross? God's judgement against sin is this: "The wages of sin is death." The judgement for a sinner is this: "You will surely die." This judgement of God met Jesus on the cross due to our sins. Then He experienced the real essence of death, when the Farther forsook Him for a while. He cried out: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Surely dying means that God forsakes and drives away from His presence.
Could there be any more terrible experience than to hear God say: "You cursed one, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matth.26:41 If a bad and evil man drives me away from his presence, I don't feel unhappy. On the contrary I feel relieved when I get rid of him. But that is terrible when God, who is full of goodness and love and purity, forsakes me.
Woe how much that experience on the cross hurt Jesus! Sufferings in the body were light pains compared to that forsaking. He experienced it because of us. Do you accept that you deserve to be forsaken by God? If you don't, you resist the gospel of God.
God has not yet forsaken you, although you have forsaken Him. Faithfully He is waiting for you to repent and you will take the responsibility for your sins. Answer to Jesus when He cries out: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Say to Him on behalf of God: "Jesus, God forsook you because of my sins!"
The Bible version used in references is NIV