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In my prayers I always thank God for His grace, His mercy and His judgment. Why judgment? Because God’s judgment is the only judgment that can be completely trusted. He made the rules. He set the standards. It follows that He be the one to judge.
God is the ultimate judge. His judgment is supreme and embodies perfect justice. With Him the facts are coupled with unvarnished truth. There are no surprises and no unforeseen manipulations to bring about a desired end. His verdict comes from law that is written in a book and (in a supreme stroke of fair play) on our hearts. Simply put, the cares of this world seem lighter when we remember that there is God who reigns and whose judgment comes from His absolute authority to judge.
Wait, there’s more. For the believer, God’s judgment is coupled with His mercy and grace. Yes, our sin is judged, but the repentant heart can obtain mercy for that sin. This is true mercy, operating with genuine love. The sin is not explained away or overlooked with an averting of the head and a wink. The judgment is there, but mercy usurps it. (James 2:13)
So, the mercy and judgment are interwoven. There are many who resist the very idea of judgment and who are especially resistant to God’s judgment. Consider this, judgment is necessary. There can be no mercy without judgment. Mercy without judgment is without substance. It is of little value and requires little effort. Mercy without judgement is deceptive. If there is no acknowledgment of what the mercy is for, then the act of mercy becomes complicit with the sin. You see, without undeniable profession of the sin, the sin is still there; but the mercy is all smoke and mirrors. That mercy is useless.
Again, no judgment, no mercy.
At the end of the day, the judgment wielded by the One who has all authority is always just. Unfortunately, without mercy it is unbearable. What a blessing that our faith and our belief allow us to have grace and mercy attached to the certainty of judgment. This is foundational to our eternal hope.
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