Today’s Devotional: “God’s Just Judgment”

When someone used to testify in a court of law, the bailiff would have them place their hand on a Bible and say, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

This was to ensure the testimony would be true, and if not, they would be answerable to a higher court and a higher judgment, that is, God’s, whose judgment is always just.

This is brought out by the Apostle Paul, who says, “But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.” (Romans 2:2)

Paul says that God’s judgment is based on the truth and is exactly as it should be because only God knows what truly lies within a person’s heart.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

Only God knows the inner recesses of the human heart.

Jesus said, “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.” (Luke 12:2)

Unfortunately, people think that God is too good to exact such judgment on sin, so they believe they will ultimately escape God’s judgment (Romans 2:3).

While God is good, His goodness doesn’t give a person license to sin; instead, it should lead them to repent.

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

Therefore, to sin while believing that God will overlook and forgive is to despise God’s goodness. In the end, they’re storing up punishment for themselves on the Day of Judgment, when God will judge righteously (Romans 2:5).

“‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die.’” (Ezekiel 33:11)