- 32. Judgment and Righteousness
Isaiah 16:5 And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.
The Lord is promising righteousness for us by seeking judgment. Sin must be punished: of this there can be no doubt. God must punish sin or He would not be holy and just. If God is not holy and just He could not be God. But God is God, and God will judge. The Lord God will judge all sin; Sin will be judged at the cross of Christ, or, if that judgment is not accepted, then the sin will be judged at the Final Judgment. We can either accept the righteous judgment upon our sin at the cross or we will be forced to accept the judgment upon our sin at the Great White Throne Judgment. Both judgments are forever: either Jesus bears our judgment for eternity or we will bear the judgment eternally.
Whenever judgment is pronounced it hastes righteousness. When the judgment upon our sin is pronounced at the cross we are immediately declared righteous, for if there is no sin there is only righteousness, the righteousness of God granted to us by grace on account of Christ. At the end of the age when the final judgment is pronounced and all evil is confined to the lake of fire then the only thing left for believers is righteousness. Righteousness is hasted into the new heaven and new earth and that’s all there is. We enjoy the graciously gifted righteousness of God all the time forever.
The Christian daily seeks judgment and hastes righteousness. Repentance accepts the judgment on our sin endured by Christ on the cross, and faith in the Gospel accepts the righteousness of God granted by grace. Righteousness immediately covers and fills the soul, and by faith the sinful self is judged and damned and by faith the new self lives before God in righteousness: this is eternal life, the very life of God filling the soul. Indeed, the Lord swiftly brings righteousness. In mercy Jesus now rules on the throne of David; in truth Jesus is present in the tabernacle of David (the presence of God on the earth).