Judgment

Judgment

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. ¶ And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. ¶ God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. ¶ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. (1 Jn. 4:11-19)

Your mouth is dry. Your palms are sweaty. Your pulse races like the Indy 500. Your eyes dart over your shoulder, and your heart’s in your throat. You probably know the feeling. You’ve probably experienced the moment because, if you’re like me, you know exactly what it feels like to see the flashing lights of the highway patrol cruiser in your rearview mirror.

Your prayer life immediately spikes: "Oh, Lord," or "God, help me," or "Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner." Highway patrolmen have probably stirred more prayers than a thousand pulpits. And at that time, our requests are unanimous, predictable and selfish. "Please, God, let there be a little fender-bender down the road where nobody’s hurt," or "See the kid driving that red corvette, God? Send the officer after him." But he doesn't. Your back window fills with red, white and blue strobes and you’re not feeling very patriotic at the moment. And as you pull to the side of the road, upward prayers become backward thoughts: “What did I do?” or, “How fast was I going?” or, “How could I have been so stupid?”

Then, Arnold Schwarzenegger fills your side mirror, and you don’t dare open your door because the second you do, the officer’s hand will Marshal Dillon its way to his holster and he'll say, "Keep your hands where I can see them, please." Your best option at this point is to return to prayer because only God can help you now. We dread those moments, don’t we? Remember when the teacher took you outside the classroom, or when your dad heard you climbing in the bedroom window past midnight?

We have a word for such moments. Judgment. The evidence is in, the truth is out, and the patrolman’s at your door. No one likes the thought of judgment, and the Ephesian Christians didn't, either. They feared the judgment – not the highway patrol, but God. Because knowing that God sees all sin, and knowing he hates all sin, and knowing he must hate what he sees – which is not a very comforting thought – they were afraid. So John comforted them. He dipped the quill of his pen into the inkwell of God's love and wrote, “As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world. Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us.” (1 John 4:17-18, emphasis mine)

"Perfect love expels all fear." Couldn't you use some fear expulsion? We can all probably relate to a story about Louis Armstrong. The famous trumpeter, and singer of What a Wonderful World, grew up in rural Louisiana in the early 1900’s. When he was a young boy, his Aunt Haddie often sent him to the creek for water. On one occasion, as he leaned over to fill his bucket, an alligator scared little Louie so badly that he dropped the pail and ran back to the house. His aunt told him to go back and get the water, anyway. "That alligator," she assured her nephew, "is just as scared of you as you are of it." "If that's the case," Louie answered, "then that creek water ain't fit to drink."

Alligators lurk in our creeks, too. And when we see them, we react. We fear rejection, so we follow the crowd. We fear not fitting in, so we take the drugs. For fear of standing out, we wear what everyone else wears. And for fear of blending in, we wear what no one else wears. For fear of sleeping alone, we sleep with anyone. For fear of not being loved, we search for love in all the wrong places. But God flushes those fears. Those saturated in God's love don't sell out to win the love of others. They don't even sell out to win the love of God. But do you think you need to? You know, win God’s love?

For instance, do you think, “If I cuss less, pray more, drink less, study more . . . if I try harder, God will love me more?” If so, then sniff and smell Satan's stench behind those words. We all need improvement, but we don't need to woo God's love. We change because we already have God's love. God's “perfect” love. Perfect love is just that – perfect. A perfect knowledge of the past and a perfect vision of the future. In other words, you cannot shock God with your actions. There will never come a day when you cause him to gasp, "Whoa, I didn’t see that coming." Never will he turn to his angels and complain, "Had I known Randy was going to do that, I wouldn't have saved his soul." God knows your entire story, from your first word to your final breath, and with clear assessment declares, "You are mine."

What you do may stun you, but not God. With perfect knowledge of your imperfect life, God signed on. Some time ago, I read about a woman who had tasted a form of that kind of love. Brain surgery had left her without the use of a facial nerve. As a result, she faced the world with a crooked smile. Then, after the operation, she met the love of her life. Here's how she described him: "He sees nothing strange or ugly about me and has never, even in anger, made a joke about my appearance. He has never seen me any other way. When I look in the mirror, I see deformity, but my husband sees beauty."

See what perfect love does? It drives out the fear of judgment. In fact, it purges the fear of the day of judgment. As John wrote, "So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world." (v. 17) And on that topic, John makes no apology and pulls no punches. The day of judgment is not a phrase in a fiction novel, but a day circled on heaven's calendar. Of the twenty-seven New Testament books, only the postcard-sized epistles of Philemon and Third John fail to reference our divine court appearance.  While the details of the day are unrevealed to us and debated by many, we know this: the day is coming. On that day, earthly wealth will not matter. Physical beauty won't be a factor. Fame will be forgotten. You might be positioned next to Napoleon or Julius Caesar, but you won't be asking any questions about Waterloo or Brutus. All eyes will be on Christ.

And those who ignored him have a legitimate reason to fear. "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.'" (Matt. 25:41) But those who’ve accepted him have nothing to fear whatsoever. "We can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world." (1 John 4:17)

Think about that statement. God views Christians the way he views Christ: sinless and perfect. Hence, Christians can view judgment the way Christ does: with confidence and hope. Does Jesus fear the judgment? No. A sinless soul needn't. Does Jesus fear death? No. The giver of life wouldn't. Should the Christian fear judgment or death? Not at all. "Our standing in the world is identical with Christ's." (v. 17) The Son of God stands next to you doing what the son of Robert Pape, Sr. did for me.

Robert Pape, Sr. was a square-jawed, rawboned man with a neck by Rawlings. In Bellflower, where I grew up, everyone knew him. Mr. Pape’s son, Rob, and I were best friends in high school, and we played football together. One Friday night after an out-of-town game, Rob invited me to stay at his house. By the time we reached his home, the hour was way past midnight, and Rob hadn't told his dad he was bringing anyone home. Mr. Pape didn't know me or my vehicle, so when I stepped out of the car in front of his house, he popped on a floodlight and aimed it right at my face.

Through the glare I saw this block of a man, and I heard his deep voice say, "Who are you?" I gulped. My mind moved at the speed of cold honey. I started to say my name but I couldn’t. My only hope was that Rob would speak up. And a glacier could have melted before he did, but Rob finally interceded. "It's okay, Dad. That's my friend, Randy. He's with me." The light went off, and Mr. Pape threw open the door. "Come on in, boys. Mom’s got food for you in the kitchen." Now, what changed? What made Mr. Pape flip off the light? One fact. I had aligned myself with his son. My sudden safety had nothing to do with my accomplishments or offerings. I knew his son. Period.

For the same reason, you need never fear God's judgment. Not today. Not on Judgment Day. Jesus, in the light of God's glory, is speaking on your behalf. "That's my friend," he says. And when he does, the door of heaven flies open to a banquet that’s been prepared for your arrival. So, trust God's love. His perfect love. Don't fear he’ll discover your past. He already has. And don't fear disappointing him in the future because he can show you the book, chapter and verse where you will. With perfect knowledge of the past, and perfect vision of the future, he loves you perfectly – in spite of both.

Perfect love can handle your fear of judgment – and slower driving can probably handle your fear of the highway patrol.

Grace,

Randy