THE HISTORY OF JUDGMENT

The Judgment of God comes certainly, if not swiftly, when we disobey God. Sometimes God moves swiftly in bringing judgment. Sometimes He moves slowly; but He always moves to judge sin. God prefers that His judgment be positive and redemptive rather than negative and vindictive. Even in judgment, God is loving rather than vengeful. God tempered His judgment of Adam and Eve by providing more adequate clothing for them than they could provide for themselves. Though He drove them out of their sheltered place in the Garden, they were not driven beyond the reach of His loving concern for their well-being. Their work now became difficult toil, and life was to be punctuated by suffering. Life was still possible in God's world. God would still give them a harvest for their labor. The whole story of redemption that emerges as the bible progresses is proof of God's continuing interest in people despite their sin. God's judgment should be understood in the light of His grace. If His judgments were not tempered by His grace, there would be no salvation of any of us. When God created man, moral laws operated in God's creation. Rebellion against God brings punishment and ultimate death. Human dominion over creation is not absolute. God sets limits which humans must obey or suffer the consequences. Creation is God's gift and retains an element of God's mystery which humans can never know. The doctrine of creation presents a call to humans to trust God and not seek absolute freedom. Human pain, broken relationships, a non-productive environment and occupational toil are all related to human rebellion and not to God's original intention for human life. They represent God's gracious alternative to the expected sentence of immediate death. The Creator set up a moral world in which wrong doing ultimately receives its proper recompense. He also reacted and reacts to wrong doing in grace, providing hope even in light of human sin. God loved His creation; but when it defied His moral standards, He knew the He must vindicate His holiness by sending punishment. Because creation was good; however, He wished to preserve it. He established propagation as He method of perpetuating His creation. Even as He punishes sinners, He made provision for propagation of the species to continue. We can be certain that God's world will go on today until He wills to consummate history with Christ's return. The world is so constituted that it adjusts to any shock or tragedy. God controls creation's destiny.

Judgment is part of God's history; for humans do not consistently cooperate to achieve God's purposes. God works in history to eliminate that which ignores His moral will. Judgment occurs in communication with God's faithful people, and in mercy. In historical judgment, God's people see the holy, righteous and just side of God's character. The righteousness of God prompted Him to consider bringing judgment upon the extreme wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. On the other hand, Abraham's plea for righteous people who might live in the City evoked the promise of God that if just ten righteous were found there, God would spare the cities. This does not mean that the wicked would go unpunished. It does not mean that God would not destroy the righteous in a destruction meant as judgment for the wicked. Sparing ten righteous persons had a greater value in God's eyes than destroying all of the wicked of the two cities. Judgment is held in reserve until people reject grace and redemption. A righteous God must act justly. God Himself is the standard of justice. It is the very nature of God to do what is right in all circumstances. God will do what is right in all circumstances. God will not do what is wrong, for that which would contradict His own nature and will. We cannot always easily determine what is right and what is wrong in any given set of circumstances. We can rest assured that God, in His infinite wisdom, will always do what is right. God's wrath comes in judgment upon those who do not repent of their sins and turn to Him. How soon that judgment comes and how that wrath is expressed is not for us to determine. God's judgment came dramatically and decisively on Sodom and Gomorrah.

The fact that God has not dealt just as openly and dramatically with other persons or cities does not mean that God will not act in judgment on them. In His grace, God often delays the exercise of His wrath to let His grace achieve positive results. God attempts through His grace and His wrath to bring people to repentance, faith, and responsible action. The wrath of God is the last resort. It is neither right nor loving for God to simply let sin go unpunished in the lives of those who will not respond to Him in faith. It is not right because God does not contradict His own basic character by continuing to overlook sin. It is not love because God will not let people have reason to believe sin is not serious. God's actions lead us to take Him seriously when He demands our repentance and right living. God's intervention can present sin against His people even though they deceive and are guilty.

Living in a sinful environment does not justify deception. Nor does it justify expecting God to save us from the consequences of our sin. God may act to achieve His purpose, but is not bound to act just because we claim to be His people. God's justice is not a blind, arbitrary, mechanical reaction to evil or the appearance of evil. God's justice take into account the circumstances involved in each individual situation. Instead of pouring harsh judgment upon Abimelech for unwittingly taking Abraham's wife, God tempered His judgment with understanding and mercy. We can always count on God to understand our circumstances at any given time. He is a loving heavenly Father, just as Jesus taught. This does not mean that we can manipulate God or make flimsy excuses for our disobedience. God's justice is informed by His perfect knowledge of us. We cannot deceive God, but we can depend upon Him to deal with us justly.

Even the elements of nature moved to bring judgment and punishment upon Pharoah and those who disobeyed God, so He could reveal His election power and purpose to foreign people in a foreign land. Sin and unbelief lead to the doctrine of election, where in God selects, delivers and trains people to be His own in the midst of an unbelieving world. Although God is gracious, loving and patient, He also judges rebellious, sinful people. Those who refuse His salvation and stubbornly reject His will inevitably experience God's judgment. Their lives result in...