What's So Good About Being Judged By A Holy God?

     According to John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, the judgment belongs in the category entitled "The Everlasting Gospel"  see Revelation 14:6,7.  The reason this is so significant is because the word gospel means 'good news,' or 'glad tidings.'  It could even be rendered, 'happy message'.  From a purely Biblical point of view, unmingled with our misconceptions of God's character, the judgment is a truth intended to impart happiness.
     So what's so good, glad and happy about being judged by a holy God?  Well, like every truth of Scripture, the judgment becomes clear in the light of God's love, I repeat, because it's worth repeating, only in the light of God's love does any part of reality make "decent sense," to borrow my troubled friend's lingo.
     Think together with me for a few minutes as we build an understanding of the judgment on the sure foundation of God's love.  Let's begin with the Lord's basic intent toward us:
     "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish"  2 Peter 3:9.
     "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end"  Jeremiah 29:11.
     "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" 1 Timothy 2:4.
    There has never been a human being, and never will be, for whom God's desire is anything short of eternal life.  Because His very nature is love,  it would be more impossible for Him to want any person to be lost than it would be for you to want a child of yours to die in the flames of a car crash.  Such feelings have not even the slightest place in His infinite heart of perfect love.
     Then why will He ever judge anyone?  Actually, He won't.  That is to say, God the Father won't.  He has "committed all judgment unto the Son"  John 5:22.  And for very good reason.  Notice how Jesus explained why the Father has given Him the responsibility to judge the world:
     "For as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man"  John 5:26,27.
     Did you catch the point?  Jesus is our judge by virtue of His humanity, "because He is the Son of man."  That ought to seriously alter our thinking about the judgment.  Why?  Just think about it.  One who became our "brother" in the flesh, One who is "touched" with our feelings, One who was "tempted in all points like we are,"  One who "carried our sorrows and griefs,'  One who suffered and died for our eternal salvation--it is this One who is our Judge.  He has invested His very own nature and life in our salvation.
     The real question to ask is not, "How can I possibly make it?", but rather,"How can I lose?"  With Jesus on my side, as my Brother and companion in temptation, I can have the total assurance of ultimate victory in the judgment.  "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ"  Philippians 1:6.

     (Do you have confidence in Jesus to complete what He has started in you?  The Bible says we can be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.  I believe that with all my heart, because I know if it were left up to me I would be lost, but it is not up to me, it is up to Jesus to save me, I just need to surrender.  Isn't that right?  Grandma Joan.)