Knowing God by J. I. Packer - "God the Judge" (Chapter 14)

Knowing God by J. I. Packer
“God the Judge” (Chapter 14)

• Unpopularity of the Justice of God
• The Importance of God as Judge in the Bible
• The Reality of divine judgment throughout Bible history
• The Pervasive teaching on divine judgment in the Law, Prophets and Writings
• Not Old Testament vs. New Testament
• The emphasis on God’s action as Judge is actually intensified in the NT

Characteristics of the Judge

1. The judge is a person with authority.

• God is judge of the world, because he made it.
• As Creator, he has the right to make laws for us and reward and judge us.
• He is both the Lawgiver and the Judge.

2. The judge is a person identified with what is good and right.

• God, the righteous Judge, loves justice and truth.
• He hates iniquity and deceit.
• All judges should be modeled after the righteous justice of God.

3. The judge is a person of wisdom, to discern truth.

• As all-knowing and all-wise, he is the perfect judge.
• Nothing can escape him; he knows us, and judges us, as we really are.
• God knows. His judgment is according to truth (both factual and moral).

4. The judge is a person of power to execute sentence.

• God is his own executioner.
• As he legislates and sentences, so he punishes.
• All judicial functions coalesce in him.

Retribution

“The heart of the justice which expresses God’s nature is retribution, the rendering to persons what they have deserved; for this is the essence of the judge’s task. To reward good with good, and evil with evil, is natural to God.” - J. I. Packer

• The retributive principle: all will receive according to their works.
• Retribution is the natural expression of God’s divine character.
• We know in our hearts that this is right. This is how it ought to be.

“Retribution is the inescapable moral law of creation; God will see that each person sooner or later receives what he deserves—if not here, then hereafter.” - J. I. Packer

• The character of God is the guarantee that all wrongs will be righted someday.
• God is the Judge, so justice will be done.

Why the Objections to God’s Justice?

• Would we wish to live in a society where no wrongs were ever punished?
• Would a God who did not care about the difference between right and wrong be a good and admirable Being?

“Moral indifference would be an imperfection in God, not a perfection. But not to judge the world would be to show moral indifference. The final proof that God is a perfect moral Being, not indifferent to questions of right and wrong, is the fact that he has committed himself to judge the world.” - J. I. Packer

• The reality of divine justice and our view of life
• Divine justice and the meaning of life
• Divine justice and the victory of God

“Judgment means that evil will be disposed of authoritatively, decisively, finally. Judgment means that in the end God’s will will be perfectly done.” - J. I. Packer

Jesus the Father’s Agent

• Jesus is the main NT authority on final judgment.
• Matthew 25: “The Son of Man will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.”
• John 5: “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.”

“God’s own appointment has made Jesus Christ inescapable. He stands at the end of life’s road for everyone without exception… 'prepare to meet the risen Jesus' is God’s message to the world today (Acts 17:31).” - J. I. Packer

Acts 17:31 NIV
³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Index of the Heart

• Final judgment according to works

2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV
¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

• What does this mean for the Christian?
• Are we saved on the merits of our own works after all?

“The relevance of our doings is not that they ever merit an award from the court—they fall too far short of perfection to do that—but that they provide an index of what is in the heart—what, in other words, is the real nature of each agent.” - J. I. Packer

• Works will serve as a confirmation of the new birth - a work of grace.
• Works may serve to distinguish levels of reward.

“The gift of justification does not at all shield believers from being assessed as Christians, and from forfeiting good which others will enjoy if it turns out that as Christians they have been slack, mischievous and destructive.” - J. I. Packer

1 Corinthians 3:12–15 NIV
¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

• Final judgment according to knowledge
• People will be judged based on the level of light or knowledge that was accessible to them. “Where a man has been given much, much will be expected of him” (Luke 12:48).

No Need to Flee

• The natural reaction to the holy justice of God is to flee (see Adam and Eve).
• But we don’t have to flee.
• Call on the coming Judge to be your present Savior.

“As Judge, he is the law, but as Savior he is the gospel. Run from him now, and you will meet him as Judge then—and without hope. Seek him now, and you will find him.” - J. I. Packer

Romans 8:1 NIV
¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,