God’s Judgment Is Always Redemptive

I’ve been reading and editing my husband Rich Mikelson’s Feast of Tabernacles teachings for several years now and have benefitted so much from his deeper understanding, particularly of the book of Revelation. God has been writing these truths on my heart along with the rest of the treasure house He is creating through years of walking with Him.

Recently, in one of Rich’s posts about mercy and justice, the statement, “God’s judgment is always redemptive,” burned itself into my heart. This statement is an answer to a years-long search for understanding God’s judgment in contrast with human judgment. He judges righteously from a perfect union of His mercy and His justice. In His perfection, God the Father is both mercy and judgment. God’s judgment has a purpose—to redeem us from sin, the flesh, and the devil.

God is always merciful, and His judgment is certain. Because He is love, He has the perfect balance between the two.

“Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psalms 85:10 AKJV

Now, this is something I have found most difficult for us human beings to achieve. It is challenging to resist being judgmental, including judging others for their critical and condemning attitudes and behaviors! When we judge others who display critical judgment without compassion or understanding, we find ourselves in the unhappy dilemma of being judgmental about others who are judgmental!

Human judgment of the behavior and choices of others is typically drawn from external information—what is seen, heard, or reported by others. Rarely do those who are judging have accurate information, especially about the person’s internal heart, their history, or the circumstances of those they are judging. Check out any of today’s social media platforms, and you will see just how rampant and even vicious people’s opinions of one another can be—and this is in the Christian community!

Whether it is entertainment, politics, sports, business, or personal life choices, judgment displayed with lack of love is thriving. Such judgment is the reason the great Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi said, "I like your Christ, but not your Christianity." (as quoted by Dr. J.H. Holmes. 1927). As with Gandhi, judgmental attitudes and opinions displayed by Christians and the conflicts these generate are a common turn-off for those who have not met the Lord.

Our human judgment, our opinions and reasoning, is an ugliness that is far too commonly displayed, even among close Christian brothers and sisters and within Christian families. Judgmental attitudes and behaviors are spots on our garments, yet appearing to approve ungodly behavior is not the answer either. How can we avoid human judgment while remaining true to our own Christian beliefs?

God’s judgment differs from human judgment in its purpose of redemption, so how are we Christians to display this godly judgment? There are things that are wrong, sinful, and missing the mark that God will not wink at in our lives or the lives of others. How do we show mercy and compassion to others whose choices differ from ours? How do we exhibit love and mercy that does not seemingly agree or approve of what we know is not according to God’s word?

Consider what Paul taught Timothy about dealing with others from a pure heart:

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

Opponents must be gently instructed in the hope that God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:22-26 NIV

Many a fiery sermon from the pulpit is not delivered with gentle instruction, using zeal rather than God’s ways to convict sinners. God desires us to have the right attitude and motive of the heart because that’s where our words begin. We are to gently edify and lift up others, particularly those in our faith communities. When God’s love is the Master of our motives, His love will check our spirit, pricking our conscience when we say critical, judgmental things that tear down rather than build up.

More than one Christian has had their testimony or even ministry destroyed by words spoken by others who neither know nor care about the effects of their words. Without mercy or grace, words hurt!

“…but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16 Berean

There is only one way we can grow the Body of Christ: by building each other up in love. As we mature, growing up in the Lord, we become more skilled at speaking His truth in love. Love is the strongest, most powerful force in the universe! What people will do and how they can change under the power of true and faithful God-love is amazing! God is able to teach us to show love and mercy to everyone, even the unlovable, though we disagree or even hate what they might do.

We all need to be covered in grace and love when we are in this battle to live the right way, God’s way, in our sin-filled world. We can leave the judgment to God as He draws those missing the mark —which is all of us—more powerfully. There’s a God-place in all of us that brings an awareness of the very things about which others are judging us. Deep down, where God’s seed is, there’s a hidden awareness when we are falling short of the mark.

It’s a built in awareness of sin, unless the consciousness is seared.

“Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron". 1 Timothy 4:2 NIV

This describes those who still teach laws about what is forbidden rather than grace through faith. Their conscience has become numb, insensitive to right and wrong, often due to hypocrisy and a hardening of the heart, leading to a callousness toward God's will and the ability to commit evil without remorse.

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.” Ephesians 4:17-18 Berean

The heart is hardened so that this God-given small, secret awareness of truth and righteousness is quenched and eventually deadened in some who practice evil on a daily basis, but it is still there. God knows the hearts of humans, including ones whose hearts may be softened in this life. Others must wait until their time to appear before the judgment seat of God to change and redeem their natures.

We humans are usually unaware of what is in that person’s heart when we judge another. We do not know what happens in the privacy of another’s life and relationships. Careless or critical comments are discouraging, rather than strengthening, for hope of any possible change. After all, what can one expect from a person who believes they are so bad that there is no hope for them? God came to save the world, so there is no one who is beyond His love.

Most of us would be surprised at the self-condemnation in others' hearts who seem to be doing wrong without conscience. The last thing some need is to have others joining in their own self-condemnation and even self-loathing. Hatred of sin does not bring us to full life, Christ does! People do get trapped into wrongful situations, and some have are even beseeching the Lord to free them.

Others have done no wrong, but circumstances may appear as if they have. God gives wisdom not to speak words that are wasted on those without conscience or ability to hear. We are not to “cast our pearls before swine” but we are to:

“…Therefore, encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Berean

We are to encourage those who can hear along the way, building each other up by edifying our brothers and sisters in love. God’s way is not our way but it can be! He does not look at what a person is doing, judging casually or carelessly. His judgment always has the purpose of redemptive change. It’s always focused on reconciling us to Christ! Let’s ask ourselves: is this the pre-eminent motive for us Christians when we judge another individual or group? Is it possible that self-righteousness and superiority are harbored in our hearts when we do this?

The apostle Peter says this to Christians:

“Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 NIV

Love covers first, it does not first expose sin. This, above all, includes every single thing that we judge when someone misses the mark. Covering sins is not the same as excusing, denying, or ignoring them. We lay the blanket of love over the sins of others, covering them rather than broadcasting them. We see them there but cover in mercy and compassion, interceding with God on their behalf rather than exposing them. It is God’s choosing, not ours, to reveal unrepentant behavior of others.

“Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value and only ruins those who listen.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:14-16 NIV

Speaking negative things to or about others is so easy, particularly with our intimate friends! At these times, many motives other than love are present in our hearts. Perhaps we want to gain status, sympathy, get attention, appear to be in the know with the inside scoop, displaying our righteousness in contrast to the person we are discussing, or even gossiping under the guise of a prayer request!

We can catch ourselves repeating past categorical judgments, holding them in our hearts when we have no idea of what has currently transpired nor God’s will in the matter. We apply laws rather than mercy, when Jesus Christ came for offer a way for all. We all grow up with cultural blind spots that are not truth about others. These may unknowingly offend but the desire of love is not to offend but to enrich. Here we need more covering in love and less exposure of others. Paul further told Timothy:

“Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.” 2 Timothy 2:16 NIV

The words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts are to be pleasing to the Lord, as David says in the Psalms. Love and respect–what we social workers call unconditional positive regard–is displayed just because someone is another human on this planet. It is acceptance of humanity as is, as God sees us all. Who else knows everything about us and loves us just the same?

God enables us to show forth His nature to others, including those who choose to reveal their innermost struggles or when God allows us to see their hearts. When we understand that human judgment is ineffective in redemption of others, our ears are open to learning what life-giving spiritual principles of God are available in the matter. We may be right in principle, standing for the truth, but very wrong, unloving and critical, in our hearts.

There are untold examples of many Christians who have committed grievous errors against God and man who have been redeemed by the love of God in His people. The most dramatic of these is the conversion of Saul, the persecutor of Christians. One powerful appearance of Jesus to Saul changed him to Paul, a great apostle of Jesus Christ. But what if the Christian community’s justified judgment of Saul would have led them to refuse his entry into the Kingdom? Thank the Lord He sent Paul to an obedient servant who did not judge him from his past!

Christians are to be known particularly for their love and mercy towards others, most especially for the people of faith. “They will know us by our love.” Well, do they? Redemption from our old ways of judging by external behavior or appearance leads to new life in Him. In our human judgment, we prioritize many external factors that God does not prioritize, just as the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day did:

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.’

Jesus replied, “‘Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.’” Matthew 12: 1-7 Berean

These religious followers of the law also condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbeth and for eating and drinking with sinners and tax collectors. Read the Book and you will find that these workers of the Jewish laws looked at outward appearance rather than the heart. But now, we have His love, an unlimited source within us. We go to the Source of love when we don’t have what we need.

Faith through love is the only answer, as Paul told the early Christians who were being persuaded to get circumcised according to the Law. He stated that if you insist on part of the law, you are required to fulfill it all, nullifying the sacrifice of Jesus Christ:

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” Galatians 5:6 ESV

God does not look at or evaluate our righteousness by all the outward things our society, specific culture, or even Christian community relies upon to measure the godliness of a man or woman of faith. How we treat one another is much more important than the sins of the flesh we love to condemn. God is able to teach us to respond to others through His judgment and mercy which are never separated in Him.

This is godly judgment, coming from the pure heart of love God has for the world. God does not change His standards, but He does change what is in our hearts. It’s not a matter of pretending not to see what misses the mark (sin), but a choice to focus on the love of God, to see others with empathy and compassion. Learning to speak the truth in love is a most refining characteristic God is working within His people.

Even when we don’t speak our judgments out, as many in this age are doing, we still need them purged from our hearts to become ever more like our Lord. When we speak to others with these things hidden in our hearts, we speak with guile that is unacceptable to God. It is not that we cannot see or are not given spiritual discernment about what is righteous. It is about the attitudes of our hearts when we do. And guile is something we may hide from ourselves. It’s in the mixed motives of God and self from which we speak our words.

God always prioritizes having the character of Christ working in our hearts over what we do for Him, flowing out into righteous behavior towards all. Understanding that God’s judgment is always redemptive means that His heart, His sole purpose and intent, is always and eternally focused on redeeming or saving the individual. Always. God looks at a man's heart to see the underlying motives of human behavior and judgment. Father God and the Lord Jesus Christ have no mixed motives like we do!

Judgment with condemnation rather than compassion causes a loss of hope for many who are struggling with sinful conditions or unexpected changes in their lives. Many have a story or a history that we know nothing about. To put it bluntly, it doesn’t help! Even well-meaning but continual correction meant for good is discouraging to others. Watch a child being raised with continual criticism and judgment for their failures. A child who is repeatedly told she or he is worthless or bad loses hope, often becoming what he or she hears.

Everyone needs someone to believe in them, encouraging them on their way. When a person is criticized for every mistake, regardless of its purpose, their confidence as well as their hope and ability to change is decreased. Who is it, indeed, that is without sin, thus able to cast that first stone of condemnation? All fall short of the glory of God. And what sense does it make to judge others according to our principles when many people do not even know these same spiritual life truths by which we are living?

Others’ choices and behaviors are often incomprehensible to us because we are outside their situations. How can we know why a Christian is facing divorce or loses their job or appears to be involved in an activity that seems fleshly to us? We have not faced all of the past and present things that others have walked through. How do we presume to understand and empathize with an issue or problem, let alone repeat it to others, when we have not personally dealt with it?

Only God can work this within when we have not walked the same path. He is wisdom so He prepares us to help those who have walked paths we know nothing about. The key is realizing as well as sharing that we do not know from experience while we do know God’s ways. Jesus was tested in all things, yet was without sin so He is the only One who enables us to walk with those who are transgressing. As our High Priest, He understands. He has been there and overcome it all, providing hope and a way of escape for all.

Through many experiences and interactions, we learn to empathize with another’s pain and suffering; we better understand what it is like for them in their particular troubles should God reveal it. We also learn godly responses when someone treats us in a way we would never dream of treating another. God says:

“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 NASB

Sadly, treating others well is no guarantee they will treat us well in return, but it does increase the chances! We do it to please our Lord, not to gain a reward from man. God is building this principle into good character within us. Though it should not be so with Christians, it is rare for others to treat us well when we are not treating them well! When we expect others to treat us well, as we have treated them, it is disappointing when they don’t!

Sadly we cannot earn being treated well by others. God will teach us what we need to know as we humble ourselves to learn. We need to listen to others with a heart that desires to understand. So many people are isolated, having no one to care, let alone share their struggles. But when we do hear what experiences another has lived through, instead of judging them, we often wonder, considering their history, if we would do as well as they are doing!

It is very easy to judge someone’s actions by outward appearance, by what we can see externally, but that is not God’s way at all. The Word is full of God’s prioritizing of the heart of humans. Redemption is defined as “the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.” In the Bible, it means the promise and power of God to deliver us from sin and death. Jesus Christ, our Lord, came, ministered, and died for this purpose. Any judgment He has is to redeem that person, with truth in love creating that change.

Jesus came to save the world, not condemn it, by swallowing up darkness in the light of His presence. Do you realize that Jesus never condemned the sinners to whom He ministered in His earthly life? Jesus never spoke one word of judgment to any sinners with whom He interacted. He did not even condemn Judas when it was revealed that Judas would betray Him, still calling Judas friend as Judas led the Roman soldiers to arrest Him He knew what Judas had to do.

Jesus also knew what was in the hearts of his enemies. Jesus’ words of chastisement and judgment were directed at the Hebrew leaders and priests of His time, whom He rebuked strongly, bluntly, and repeatedly. Why? As leaders, they knew the truth about Moses’ law, and taught it to others but did not live them. There is judgment towards change for leaders whose words to others are not a part of their character, further causing followers to stumble. Through the centuries, many church leaders have done just that.

The law brings death, rather than the living Word that brings life. When our words and our behaviors do not match, lacking the life of character of Jesus Christ, we are truly hypocrites as Jesus called them in His day. It does not create change in the hearts when judgment and condemnation is delivered with no path to redemption. Such leaders were self-righteously preaching to others, laying burdens or “heavy loads” on their people to fulfil the demands of the law without doing it themselves.

Jesus called this a snare, because it sounds right and has the appearance of truth. The truth is just and righteous but their ways are not:

“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and His disciples, saying, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them. They tie up heavy loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.

But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men, for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. And they love the place of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues, respectful greetings in the marketplaces, and being called by men, Rabbi.

But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.

But the greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:1-12 NASB

This passage of scripture shows what our Lord Jesus Christ thinks of others, especially Christian leaders, who rail against sin but fail to do what they tell others to do. Jesus clearly saw their hearts, and that is why they hated Him. The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ time, and many since, have mixed motives in their hearts, retaining power and position without showing forth God’s nature in their lives.

Jesus agreed with what they were saying— the law of Moses is truth. It’s the right standard of behavior but comes from the wrong standard within as well as the wrong way to communicate it to others. He exposed and condemned wrong motives of their hearts, their self righteous, better-than attitudes towards listeners. Jesus saw right through such exalted external displays—and still does! And, more importantly, He came to fulfill the law, as no human, including the leaders of that time or now, can do without Him!

No one can trust another whose words and behaviors do not match. Humans may believe what they see, the outward behaviors, rather than becoming aware of the heart inside. He looked beyond their outwardly religious righteous behavior into the heart motives of pride, power, and position in their hearts. Jesus judged the scribes and the Pharisees, calling them “hypocrites” and “blind guides.”

Jesus’ words exposed the darkness of human lust for power and the esteem of men, the “pride of life” to which all flesh is subject. They loved to “lay the law down” heavily on their followers but were far from fulfilling the law themselves. They created a snare by speaking words of law they could not live out while judging and condemning others who did not do so. This never shows the people the way into life, judgment toward condemning rather than saving. People do not typically embrace another who exposes them in this way! Few will accept truth as an opportunity to change.

Jesus called them out, as we might say now, for their great hypocrisy. He knew their hearts were hardened toward Him. They orchestrated His crucifixion because of what was in their hearts and the threat to all they held dear in their world. They had no idea that they were doing the will of God! But Jesus never spoke in any such way to the individual sinners or to the multitudes. Instead, He spoke of encouragement and hope.

Jesus convicted them of their sin without chastisement, such as the woman caught in adultery. He knew she was sinning and she likely did too! Instead, He saw the intent of her accusers, the motives in their hearts to set a trap for Him. They judged her while having sinned themselves. Unlike some Christians today, He did not severely judge such outward sins of the flesh in the same way that He did the heart condition of her accusers.

Jesus always sees in the hearts of humans. Yes, He knew what this woman had been sinfully doing, and wanted to provide opportunity for her to change, to be redeemed, through his love and kindness. She certainly was surprised at how He treated her, and it surely was not what she was expecting. He did not join the self-righteous leaders who were attempting to trick him with how He would handle a woman caught in such an obvious sin of adultery.

Jesus dealt with this situation wisely, with very few words:

“..the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?’ And they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and, with His finger, wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’

And again, He stooped down and wrote on the ground. And when they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the midst. And straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ And she said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on, sin no more.’” John 8:3-11“ NASB

Can you imagine Jesus’ piercing gaze as He said these words to the woman’s accusers? We wonder what He wrote in the sand, and some speculate that it may have been each of the accusers’ sins He was quietly revealing. Jesus did not tell the woman that the way she was living was wrong. She knew this already but did not know how to become free. More than one Christian has found themselves caught in the snare of adultery, seeking diligently through prayer for the strength of God to be released.

We can be assured that this woman, speaking with the Lord of glory and seeing what compassion and righteousness He showed toward her, did not sin again.He neither placated her nor excused her sin, but spoke truth to her that she was in an adulterous relationship now and had been before. Then He told her, “Go, and sin no more.” The Lord deals with any who sin, falling short of the mark, so that they no longer continue in wrongful behavior. He speaks a word of truth in love about what the issue is and provides a way of escape.

God is the changer of hearts, where the root of any issue begins and ends. This woman was forever changed, without condemnation, chastisement, or rejection by Jesus. Are those who commit adultery now treated this way by the Christian community? Or do we behave the way these religious leaders did in dealing with this woman? Stoning of women still occurs in some countries, but our country and many others would never do that.

Instead, do we stone the sinner with words and gossip rather than rocks? Do we continue to judge the woman who commits adultery more harshly than the adulterous man? Are we quick to condemn, identify with and even support one partner over the other without knowing anything about it? With no condemnation in His heart, our Lord showed love and compassion as well as a way of escape from her sins, giving her only His word of life. Redemption! Reconciliation! Heart change!

Jesus is our model, the Pattern Son. Without God working within us, none of us can live a righteous life, let alone possess a powerful word to free others. Aren’t you glad that God knows we need our Father just as He did and that He provided the way?

“For He knoweth our frame: He remembreth that we are dust.” Psalms 103:14 KJV

We love the Lord of mercy and compassion Who sees and understands our human condition. He well knows that without Him, we can do nothing. None of us are yet fully enabled to speak to others with pure motives, no guile in our hearts, but God is writing His standards within us by His spirit. In our Christian relationships, love is to be the cover as well as the driving force in all we do. Above all, we are to have a deep love for our brethren.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:17-19 Berean

May God help us to continue growing up into Him. There is so much to learn at His feet!