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At the recent youth camp, a conversation was had regarding the difference between having to pay a penalty resulting from a court judgement following a breach of the law of the land, versus transgressing God’s will or causing Him offence (sin).

Having paid the price of breaking the law does not completely remove that crime as we may continue to have a criminal record. Sometimes when a judgement has been wrong, unjust, or unfair, the judge may decide to expunge the record of it. For those washed in the blood of the lamb this is the case as Jesus’ atonement takes away that spiritual record of sin from our soul.

When we truly grasp this concept, the nature of judgement takes on a new meaning in the light of Christ’s victory.

The Bible text, above, tells us simply that we would all be better off if we concentrated on getting our own house in order before we try to judge someone else. Jesus said the same thing, Matthew 7:3, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”

Judgement goes beyond recognising a wrong action to applying a penalty to it. When we stand in judgement of anyone, we are in danger of penalising our own short fallings. Matthew 7:2, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

When we stand before the judgement seat, it will not be our brother’s, or any other person’s report card that the Lord asks to see. He will not ask us about the actions or words of others but what we have said, thought and done. It will be ours and ours alone.

Thankfully, the righteous judge has also provided the way through faith that we can request His report card to be substituted for our own. ‘By grace we are saved through faith.’