God's Judgment

Examining God's Judgments

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The fall holy days picture various judgments by God, bringing about liberty, reconciliation, regathering, and restoration.

God's wrath stands in stark contrast to human anger, which is often selfish, irrational, and uncontrolled. His wrath, however, is just, impartial, measured, and often swift, though it can be immensely destructive when poured out. The Scriptures mention God's anger, wrath, or fury over 220 times, highlighting its significance alongside His mercy and grace. As seen in Psalm 103, God forbears with sinners, offering chances for repentance before His wrath descends, as with David and Bathsheba, where His anger eventually resulted in the child's death after prolonged patience. Yet, Psalm 7 reveals that He is angry with the wicked every day, balancing His love and mercy with His justice as a righteous judge. In Romans 11:21-22, God's goodness and severity are inseparable aspects of His nature. His wrath is an expression of His love, aiming to provide equitable justice, eliminate evil, and spur repentance. He desires to produce righteous character through love or wrath, whichever is necessary. Revelation 8, 9, and 11 depict trumpets announcing plagues and steps in God's wrath during the Day of the Lord, culminating in the seventh trumpet that heralds the return of Jesus Christ and the time of His great wrath. Matthew 24, I Corinthians 15, and I Thessalonians 4 further confirm the terror and devastation of this period, where mankind's refusal to repent leads to overwhelming destruction, as described in Zechariah 14 with gruesome imagery of battle and death. Historically, God's wrath is evident in events like the Great Flood, where He obliterated evil mankind, and the destruction of the cities of the plain due to grievous sin. In Numbers 11, His wrath struck His own people in the wilderness for their complaints, killing many with a plague. Judges 2 summarizes His repeated anger against Israel during the judges' period, using other nations to discipline them until they repented. II Kings and II Chronicles 36 detail His wrath against both Israel and Judah, leading to their exile for persistent sin, showing His commitment to justice even after centuries of forbearance. Amos 3 emphasizes that God's chosen people, due to their unique relationship and blessings, bear great responsibility, and their failure to obey made them special objects of His wrath. Romans 1 reveals that all mankind, as His creation, is expected to revere and obey Him, yet their rejection of evident truth leads to His justified judgment of death. Romans 2 outlines principles of His wrath: it is based on truth, follows only after exhausting His forbearance, reacts to real human deeds, remains impartial, and applies to all who must stand before His judgment. Even the called remain under judgment, as II Corinthians 5:10 states, requiring endurance to the end to prove loyalty and faith. Finally, I Thessalonians 5 assures that those maintaining a faithful relationship with God and Jesus Christ are not under wrath but under grace. Jesus delivers from the wrath to come, as affirmed in I Thessalonians 1:10 and Romans 5:9, connecting believers to life and salvation at the sound of the seventh trumpet, fulfilling the promise of eternal life in His Kingdom.

Is God to Blame?

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

The concept of God's judgment permeates the understanding of tragic events like the September 11 attacks, suggesting that such calamities may be a form of divine retribution. If one believes the Bible, it becomes evident that God is in control of all things, whether good or evil, actively involved in earthly matters. Scripture plainly shows that He has the power, wisdom, and love to either stop such events at any time or allow them to run their course. God proclaims in Isaiah 45:7 that He creates calamity, and Judges 2:11-15 provides a clear record of His judgments on Israel for their disobedience, a principle that extends to all nations and times. God lives and always rules and judges, using the same unchanging standards of morality today as He did in biblical times. His laws have not changed, as Jesus asserts in Matthew 5:17, and Malachi 3:6 confirms that He does not change. Hebrews 13:8 reinforces that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thus, God is responsible for allowing tragedies to occur, perhaps even inspiring and overseeing them, as He exercises His authority to maintain order and advance His purpose in creation. If He does not punish sin, righteousness loses meaning, and life could descend into chaos, as seen before the Flood in Genesis 6:5. The Bible prophesies numerous horrific punishments for sin, including epidemics, wars, fires, earthquakes, famines, and violent weather, as God exacts vengeance on those who destroy His creation, as noted in Revelation 11:18. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 establish that obedience brings blessings, while disobedience results in punishment. Proverbs 26:2 indicates that a curse without cause does not alight, implying that the September 11 tragedy, a significant curse, had ample justification to fall upon this nation, as God undoubtedly approved of it, or it would not have happened. Historical figures like George Mason and George Washington acknowledged that national sin brings divine judgment, with Providence punishing through national calamities. Romans 9:14 affirms there is no unrighteousness with God, and as a people, we are guilty and deserve whatever He, in His loving wisdom, decides to inflict. Individually, few may have directly sinned against those responsible for the attacks, but as citizens, our well-being rises and falls with the nation, which has accepted God's material blessings and must now face His judgment for widespread moral failings, including the breaking of His commandments. The September 11 events serve as a wake-up call to America and the Western world, urging a heartfelt turn from disobedience to God's laws. For those to whom much is given, much is required, as stated in Luke 12:48, emphasizing the need to heed this call to avoid letting great salvation slip away through inattention during these challenging times.

Basic Doctrines: Eternal Judgment

Bible Study by Earl L. Henn

Eternal judgment stands as a foundational doctrine of God's church, equal in importance to repentance, faith, and baptism. God, the great Judge of all the universe, decides a person's reward or punishment for all eternity. Judgment is not a distant event but a process that has already begun, with Christians being judged today through trials and tests to prove their faithfulness to Him and His way of life. God the Father has appointed Jesus Christ to be the Judge of all mankind. Only He has lived a perfect life and understands the human condition, making Him eminently qualified for this role. All humans will ultimately stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and His judgment will be fair and righteous, based on true knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, not on appearances or rumors. Individuals will be judged on their works, including secret sins and even the words they have spoken. The standard for this judgment is God's Word, the Bible, which contains His laws and the measure of righteousness for all. God's judgment remains perfectly fair, holding some to stricter standards based on the opportunities and abilities they were given, with teachers of His way facing an even higher accountability. Under the authority of Jesus Christ, the resurrected saints will participate in the judging process, helping to judge the world during the Millennium and even the angels who rebelled under lucifer. Those who never had the chance to learn of God's plan will be resurrected to physical life after the Millennium in a peaceful, prosperous world free from satan's influence, granted a hundred years to learn and accept His way. During this time, at the Great White Throne Judgment, they will be judged by the same standard—God's Word. Finally, the incorrigibly wicked, those unwilling to live by God's laws and refusing to repent, will face judgment in a third resurrection. They will be cast into the Lake of Fire, completely burned up, with no possibility of resurrection, having rejected God's offer of salvation and eternal life.

God's Judgment

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