Psalms 9:7 But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. 8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. 9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
The prerogative to judge is another aspect of God's government that needs to be understood by all members of the human family, because it has to to with our eternal destiny, and the fact that we are held accountable for our actions, because we are granted the gift of intelligence. Animals live by sheer instinct, so they do what they were programmed to do, therefore they are not held accountable for their actions which spring forth spontaneously without their choice in the matter. Human beings however are gifted with intelligence, to reason from cause to effect, and therefore the prerogative of God to judge us is both right and fair.
If we were to observe over time that anyone who touches a live high tension electric wire is electrocuted, then we are able to reason from cause to effect, so that we can conclude that doing so is dangerous, and can cost us our lives. However we are never prevented from touching it by mere instinct, we will need to make a deliberate choice to avoid coming in contact with it. But if for some reason we then decide to deliberately touch the live electric wire, then the responsibility for the consequences lie at our front door, and God will let the full results of our actions run their natural course. Let's read:
John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
But there is another aspect of judgment that shows us why God retains that prerogative. There are those who have not only done evil themselves, but have forced others to do so, and then there are people who have killed many innocent people, and have lived for many years with impunity. On that fateful day of 9/11, Bin Laden took the lives of nearly three thousand people, who had no time to escape, nor did they have any choice in the matter. After that sad day in American history, the same Bin Laden lived in luxury for a number of years, whilst the families of the slain struggled with their terrible loss, until the night that the navy seal team shot and killed America's most wanted.
But there remains a very serious discrepancy in the way that Bin Laden died, and those who were forced to jump to their deaths from the high floors of the twin towers, and also those who were burnt to death as a result of the attacks. Therefore The great Judge of all the earth must of necessity retain the right to awaken Bin Laden from the grave one day so that he could receive his just due, for all the lives he took in that deadly attack. In other words, there is a correct way for him to die because of his horrific deeds, and only God can, and will mete out that judgment. That's why the wise man reminds all of us that a day is coming when we will all have to give an account to God for the deeds done, and the far-reaching consequences of our actions. Let's read:
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
A misunderstanding of this sacred truth causes millions of people to live as if they will never be called into question for the deeds done in the body, nor for the influence that was shed on the pathway of others. And many Christian organizations and denominations do not even make mention of this sacred and sobering truth, and because of this, millions are living with the false hope that all's well that ends well. As a result we now have the false doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul, in which the issue of the judgment is cleverly by-passed by many pastors, priests, and evangelists, and millions are supposedly ushered into heaven without any accountability for the good or evil that they have done.
This doctrine and the many other off-shoots which it spurns will one day cause the majority of earth's inhabitants to receive a very rude awakening, when we realize too late that God will execute judgment on every person that has ever lived on the planet. In that dreadful day, those who are covered by the blood of Christ will be sheltered, but those who are not found in Christ, nor in harmony with the principles of His kingdom, will suffer the same fate of a burning hell. That's the reason why The Lord has made it abundantly clear in His word that all members of the human family need to bear in mind that He has the prerogative to judge, and one day soon He will exercise His power towards that end, so that justice may be done, once and for all.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reiterates this very point, and it is the will of God that we so order our lives in harmony with this sacred truth, so that when He comes to judge the earth, we will not be disappointed or ashamed. Let's read:
2nd Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" .....
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!