Judging By The Law Of God: Are We To Judge?

For there is no partiality with God.

for as many as have sinned without law,

and as many as have sinned in the law

will be judged by the law (for not the hearers

of the law are just in the sight of God,

but the doers of the law will be justified;

for when Gentiles, who do not have the law,

by nature do the things in the law, these, although

not having the law, are a law to themselves,

who show the work of the law written in their

hearts, their conscience also bearing witness,

and between themselves their thoughts

arousing or else excusing them) in the day

when God will judge the secrets of men

by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

Romans 2:12–16

            So often is there a cry that we are not to judge people. This cry has no foundation in Scripture or in any common sense. Two things need understood when it comes to judging a person. First, we cannot know who are and who are not converted Christians, and as to their salvation which is a free–gift of grace by God. That alone is for God prerogative and not ours. Secondly, we judge a person as to their lives, their actions and this accordance with the law for it is God’s law that is our guide in this matter: “But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things” (Romans 2:2). Yes, it is God who has the final judgment. We who are to fight against all unrighteousness must use this same foundation by God revealed in Scripture. We, as Christians, do not sit apathetically, and by doing so give tacit approval of such unrighteousness, no, we are to clear out from the congregation those who are willfully, and unchangeably, sinning. God is not partial and He will judge both the Jew and the Gentile by His law. Man is made in the image of God and this has a meaning that we have the ability, a moral law within us, and can choose to do what is right even if we do not have the law. Do we do this perfectly? No! But it is done as can be seen in such documents as Hammurabi's Code of Laws, list of 282 laws governing almost every part of life to ensure that society would be protected from such evils as are presently found in our present day culture. Whether one has the Ten Commandments given to the Jews or not does not matter for we know what is right and good towards one another and not to do so is to blaspheme God who gave to man His law, both written and in our hearts. Every nation has laws against murder, stealing, false accusation; history tells us that even incest governed by such as Hammurabi's Code of Laws, #157. If any one be guilty of incest with his mother after his father, both shall be burned. Prostitution, fornication, all covered by this ancient law and many others: Hammurabi's Code of Laws, #130. If a man violate the wife (betrothed or child-wife) of another man, who has never known a man, and still lives in her father's house, and sleep with her and be surprised, this man shall be put to death, but the wife is blameless. Paul in this letter to the Romans, inspired by the Holy Spirit to be written and codified into our Bibles for us does not give that which has always been condemned, by God, and by men, and yet we so willfully ignore that God will not be mocked by our refusal to obey His law. We cry out: “There is a war against Christians!” It is true that there is, but we so often bring condemnation upon ourselves because we say: “Do as I say, and not as I do!” We allow sin to reside in our congregations, and that by our own disposition towards sin, and a false idea that we are not to judge such unrighteousness as though by lowing our standards somehow we will aid others to rise to the standard we preach and not do. These pagans show the law of God even though they may ascribe such law to other gods, and we who have the law as revealed by God in His revealed word to us, seem to militate against the law making excuses for why the law is not our guide in all things of life. For instance: I just had a conversation about keeping the Sabbath as required by the Ten Commandments and yet there was an outcry against making this law to be active in today’s world. Is not our culture different from that of Moses day, therefore, we must not keep the law, we can work, do anything we desire to do. Of course, it is better if we go to Church first. Although many are dressed like some beach bum: (although this would not happen in our work where we have to meet with owners, or in sales, etc.). So often we do not set aside time to keep the day holy. There are those who believe to be holy due to their fact they are “Christian,” and yes, by God you are holy, except in this life our holiness is shown to the world that we live by the law for we are taught the law, in our Churches, and Bible studies, in our own reading of the Bible. Our dispositions are our secrete things and God will judge us by the Gospel. Are you, and me, disposed towards God? Are we willing to believe that God will bless us and care for us when we do the things that He has commanded? Are you living for the “now” and not for the eternal? Is your life a living witness to the glory of God? I do hope and pray that this is true of you and of me and that our lives are being lived according to His perfect law.

Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.

As it s written: “That You may be justified in Your words,

and may overcome when You are judged.

                                                Romans 3:4; cf. Psalm 51:4

Live Your life to the glory of God

Richard L. Crumb