How does God judge? especially in light of the cross.
For years, I have learned and studied. Yet now, that I am teaching others, it is now that I am facing some rather difficult and complex questions. As one enters into relationships with others, it is here that the complexity of God's relationship reveals itself among our own relationships. A young theologian approached me and asked the question: "How does God judge us? I mean especially after the cross, do we feel the same suffering because we have the Holy Spirit?"
I wrestled for a few days over this question and pondered how to answer and this is what I came up with:
You ask a very good question and even have a rich understanding of how God is active within your life. Let's talk about the questions separately and then return to both at the end. Therefore, you asked the question, How does God judge us? God judges us based upon the lives that we lead and how we handle the relationships that we are blessed with. For it is through the gift of the Ten Commandments that we were given insight and understanding of the true love that God desires us to have within our relationships between ourselves and God and among one another. The first three commandments allows us to understand that God, who is our creator and sustainer, wants us to realize that we should give thanks and praise in all that we do for God. Through realizing that all within our life is indeed a gift and something that should be cherished and given thanks for. Along with that, our actions and words should be honorable to God. Not only that, but we should also take time within our life to spend time with our creator so that we can have a faithful and solid relationship with God. The next seven commandments give us insight into the important relationships that we have and the important care that we should give to them. Often this is how people think that God shall judge us, based on our actions among one another. Yet Jesus pushes each one of us farther and with even more discipline. For Jesus notes that even if a thought crosses your mind about committing a commandment then you have already broken it. (This also pushes you to realize that you basically always are breaking the commandments and thus are sinning. Yet again, we turn to our creator and sustainer.)
When Jesus comes and tell us this, it is too much for us to take. We send Jesus to the cross. We crucify Jesus. Which is perhaps not what you intended to do but still you do it without even realizing it because it was not something that you could prevent. Jesus had to die on the cross. For even on the cross, Jesus says, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) Here on the cross, Jesus suffered and died for you. Yes, Jesus is raised from the dead and ascends to the right hand of the Father. Then we are given the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. Which bring us to your second question, "do we feel the same suffering because we have the Holy Spirit?" It is not because of the Holy Spirit that we suffer but because of sin. This does not mean your own sin alone but a combined sin, yours, mine and all those who you encounter along with those who you don't. We suffer because sin is still present in the world. Yes, Jesus did conquer sin, the devil and death, However, Jesus did not conquer YOU. Jesus loved you so much that he could not and would not destroy you but instead suffered and died for you so that you may enjoy the new life that is found within him. Here in this world, we are able to realize what life was like before Jesus (suffering, painful, and hard) but then realize that Jesus loves us and calls us to be free to help those around us because we have already been given all that we need and we do not need to strive for anything else. It has all been given to YOU but YOU are now called to be instruments to help others.
Do not worry about being judged by God. For God has already judged you and his judgement for you is LOVE. It is because of that Love that God wants to share you with those around you, with those people who have not realized that God loves them, or those who have realized but then forgot, or for those who know and will share God's love with you.
I wrestled for a few days over this question and pondered how to answer and this is what I came up with:
You ask a very good question and even have a rich understanding of how God is active within your life. Let's talk about the questions separately and then return to both at the end. Therefore, you asked the question, How does God judge us? God judges us based upon the lives that we lead and how we handle the relationships that we are blessed with. For it is through the gift of the Ten Commandments that we were given insight and understanding of the true love that God desires us to have within our relationships between ourselves and God and among one another. The first three commandments allows us to understand that God, who is our creator and sustainer, wants us to realize that we should give thanks and praise in all that we do for God. Through realizing that all within our life is indeed a gift and something that should be cherished and given thanks for. Along with that, our actions and words should be honorable to God. Not only that, but we should also take time within our life to spend time with our creator so that we can have a faithful and solid relationship with God. The next seven commandments give us insight into the important relationships that we have and the important care that we should give to them. Often this is how people think that God shall judge us, based on our actions among one another. Yet Jesus pushes each one of us farther and with even more discipline. For Jesus notes that even if a thought crosses your mind about committing a commandment then you have already broken it. (This also pushes you to realize that you basically always are breaking the commandments and thus are sinning. Yet again, we turn to our creator and sustainer.)
When Jesus comes and tell us this, it is too much for us to take. We send Jesus to the cross. We crucify Jesus. Which is perhaps not what you intended to do but still you do it without even realizing it because it was not something that you could prevent. Jesus had to die on the cross. For even on the cross, Jesus says, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) Here on the cross, Jesus suffered and died for you. Yes, Jesus is raised from the dead and ascends to the right hand of the Father. Then we are given the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. Which bring us to your second question, "do we feel the same suffering because we have the Holy Spirit?" It is not because of the Holy Spirit that we suffer but because of sin. This does not mean your own sin alone but a combined sin, yours, mine and all those who you encounter along with those who you don't. We suffer because sin is still present in the world. Yes, Jesus did conquer sin, the devil and death, However, Jesus did not conquer YOU. Jesus loved you so much that he could not and would not destroy you but instead suffered and died for you so that you may enjoy the new life that is found within him. Here in this world, we are able to realize what life was like before Jesus (suffering, painful, and hard) but then realize that Jesus loves us and calls us to be free to help those around us because we have already been given all that we need and we do not need to strive for anything else. It has all been given to YOU but YOU are now called to be instruments to help others.
Do not worry about being judged by God. For God has already judged you and his judgement for you is LOVE. It is because of that Love that God wants to share you with those around you, with those people who have not realized that God loves them, or those who have realized but then forgot, or for those who know and will share God's love with you.
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