Is God Judgmental? (4 of 4)

(Continued from yesterday)

The first reason God can’t lower His standard and accept sin is it doesn’t work. The second reason is that not only will it not work, it actually can’t be done. I’ll use light as an illustration. Darkness is the absence of light. They are opposites. When a light is lit, darkness flees. Even thought it may come from a small candle, no darkness has ever overcome lighter. Never has, never will.

• Jn 1:5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (overcome) it.
• 2 Co 6:14 for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
• 1 Jn 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all. His very nature as light makes accommodation to darkness impossible. They are mutually exclusive. Just as light cannot have fellowship with darkness, so our righteous God cannot have partnership with lawlessness i.e. sin. It cannot be done.

Often people who focus on “God is love” forgot that “God is just” too. Both are His attributes, among others. So although God is love and abundant in loving-kindness and forgives iniquity, He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished because He is just. The two go together because He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13):

• Ex 34:7 who keeps loving-kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, …
• Num 14:18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, …
• Nahum 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. …

Let me close by summing up what we discussed. God is not judgmental because He is absolutely just and knows everything. He loves the people He created and gave them fair and reasonable requirements to establish a loving relationship, but they disobeyed and sinned. Because He is just He cannot and will not accept sin, and must punish the guilty. But because He is love He took the penalty upon Himself. All we have to do is to forgo trying to make it on our own, and put our faith in Christ who died for us. Unwilling to do so and still trusting in themselves, some turned the attack on God by labeling Him judgmental and intolerant. That, in essence, is the heart of the matter. It does not have to happen this way. Repent and believe in the God who loved you enough to die for you. then you’ll understand how gracious and merciful He is. Judgmental? Look into the mirror. Don’t go there. For your sake.