SCRIPTURE: I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. 1 Cor. 4:3-5 NIV
THOUGHT: Paul amazes me. The same man who tries to stomp out early Christianity doesn’t judge himself and says his conscience is clear. But it’s not out of pride that this attitude flows. Out of humility he lays down all his former life: the titles, the power, the education, the bright future – as well as the stumbling into sin. Out of humility, he accepts forgiveness from the same Jesus he persecutes, and is able to apprehend that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on,” he writes (Phil 3:13-14 NIV), as he presses into trusting God through thick and thin. He walks out his talk in a way that makes me envious, not giving power to any human to declare the value of his life or his guilt or innocence in any matter. Doesn’t that sound like freedom to you?
When he preaches not to judge anything before Jesus comes again, he is preaching to himself as well as us. There is just no telling what is in the human heart, and Paul knows that. Perfect judgement requires someone who can walk through walls, see into motives, change the trajectory of a life, and be alpha and omega at the same moment. Someone perfect.
Full disclosure is promised, but it won’t come from a human or a human court.
PRAYER: May we live in such a way that we look forward to full disclosure and praise from you, oh God.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
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