- Judgment
Psalm 9.8
And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
It is a wonderful promise that God will judge the world. Judgment doesn’t sound like a promise since it is more of a threat. But the positive side of the negative is that one day everything will be put to rights; what is wrong now will be overturned and made right side up; what is crooked will be made straight; justice will rule over injustice. Judgment punishes sin and removes what is wrong, harmful, painful, and unpleasant. Judgment enhances, blesses, and rewards the right; judgment denies, curses, and punishes the wrong.
Judgment is always a two-edged sword with positive and negative sides. The other side of judgment is salvation; in fact, there can be no salvation until there is judgment; there is no reward without punishment; right is not elevated until wrong is put down; forgiveness is not possible until the sin is judged; the judgment of sin enables God to declare the sinner righteous, forgiven, and saved. Judgment means not only condemnation on the one hand, but also acquittal on the other hand; the righteous are judged to be innocent, therefore deserving of eternal bliss. The Sin is condemned; the Sinner is scwuitted; this is Judgment.
The word picture painted here is not just the final judgment, but it is the judgment of present enemies and the prayer for and the expectation of the present reality of deliverance. God is still on the throne, and He is a Judge, and judges rightly.
The judgment of God is right and just. The Final White Throne Judgment at the Last Day will be the final “supreme court” decision of the eternal Judge of the universe; and in that judgment the whole visible and invisible world will be eternally convinced that The Judgment is right and true and just and fair, and no one in all eternity will be able to challenge or appeal the judgment of God. It stands forever and every mouth will be shut. Both the good and evil deserve the judgments rendered, and no one argues or resists the verdict; everyone and everything submits to the final judgment and verdict of God for it is eternally right, upright and righteous.
This is the good news of this promise of judgment: when God declares believers in Christ to be righteous, innocent, and deserving of eternal bliss; nothing and no one can challenge that judgment. I am declared righteous and that judgment stands forever.