Knowing God - The Lord Gives Sentences

Jer 4:12

 Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.

The Lord Gives Sentences

                                                                  

Jeremiah was going to give a sentence or judgment from God to His people regarding their actions.  Our God is the One who has every right to pronounce judgment on us.  He will tell us what is right and He will tell us what is wrong.  It is not up to our own standards or the society in which we live.  God is the Judge and it is He that determines whether things are sin, compromise or idolatry.  I fear our culture encourages believers to inwardly determine their own standards.  It is God, who reigns on high that determines what grieves His heart and creates winds that parch and trouble our lives.  We are the created ones.  He is the Creator.  It is the Lord who says what sexual sin is, what gossip is and every other form of sin that Christ died for.  Have we become so arrogant that we think our own understanding is to be that which determines righteousness?  Be open to the Lord’s sentencing.  Listen to the Jeremiahs in your life.  Our God is worthy and alone judges righteously.

Knowing God - God Judges the Earth

Ps 58:11

 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

Most of us are well aware that God will judge in the heavens.  We consider the Great White Throne Judgment as well as the Bema Seat where our God has every right to judge those outside of Christ and those in Him.  He will judge those who stand in their own righteousness and unfit to enter into His kingdom and those who are clothed in Christ’s righteousness, judgment will be given based on faithfulness resulting in placement within His kingdom.  This verse reminds us that our God not only will judge then, but currently judges here, on this earth.  This means that His law is in place and He will uphold His law and deal with those who disregard or refuse to obey.  God is not mocked.  When any of us, believer or non-believer acts in contrast to His law, judgment will be experienced in one way or another because He is the judge of the earth.  We may escape an eternal judgment.  We may experience His mercy within that judgment here, but He is actively involved in the matters of our day to day lives here on this earth.  If you believe you have been wronged, the Lord will judge.  You forgive.  Let Him do the legal end of things.  If you have done wrong, apologize to the person and approach the judge, knowing He judges righteously and with mercy!