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because You shall judge the people righteously (Psalm 67:3b, 4a,b).
Righteous judgement is fair and appropriate. Often when the boys
down in the pen are asking for prayer for up and coming sentencing,
we often pray for it to be just (the same root in the Greek as
righteous). Though sometime we pray for mercy. God will judge the
people righteously and that includes me. And I have come to the
place where I welcome God's righteous judgement on my life. It starts
with the security of knowing that if I confess my sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive me my sins. It continues with knowing
that He is also just to cleanse me from my unrighteousness (1 John
1:9). The justice in all of this comes because of the
substitutionary death of Christ on the Cross. Christ the Just, died
for the unjust, that is you and me (1 Peter 3:18).
Another
reason I welcome His judgements in my life, is that when I know
nothing against myself I can walk in “boldness and access with
confidence through faith in Him” (Ephesians 3:12). There was a
chorus years ago by Evi “Clean before my Lord.” There is nothing
more settling and peace giving than knowing there is nothing between
you and the Lord. But can we ever say there is nothing, I hear you
saying. It is a good question let me explain. In 1 John 1:7 we read
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
keeps on cleansing us from all sin.” So here is another question:-
“If we are walking in the light why would we need His blood to keep
on cleansing us?” Another good question! What I think is this, that
as we walk in the light, the light begins to expose the darkness in
us that we have no idea is there. So when we walk in the light, and
as we draw closer to Him the darkness gets exposed.
Well
you say, that sounds awful! It is only awful if you are trying to
hide the darkness. But when you are not trying to hide anything,
then we have the legal right to come boldly before the throne of
Grace so that we might obtain mercy and Grace to help in time of need
(Hebrews 4:16). But you say – obviously there is still darkness
there to be exposed. Well yes, but “there is no fear in love” (1
John 4:18). And when I ask Him on a regular basis to search my heart
to see if there be any wicked way in me (Psalm 139:24), then He has
no need to discipline me (Hebrews 12:6). But even if He does, it
yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. And in any case He is
dealing with me as a son. And as in our earthly sense, the boundaries
a loving father sets for his child helps the child to feel safe and
loved.
Father,
I haven't even mentioned the joy I feel knowing that You will bring
justice to the nations, that you will right every wrong, and rectify
every injustice. But my primary joy is morning Lord is knowing that
I am clean before You, and that I can rely on You to show me anything
that is hindering my continuing to draw near to You. Give grace Lord,
to all those reading these posts in Jesus Name Amen
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