Whose Right to Judge?

1Co 4:1 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

The Corinthian church – which Paul had planted – questioned his authority to later come back and coach them through some difficult problems they were having as a church. There were some people from Judea (in Palestine) who had come and told the Corinthians that to be good before God they needed to follow the Old Testament Law. There were others – probably more steeped in Greek hedonistic philosophy – who taught an “anything goes” theology. They said that since Jesus had come – everything was permissible, since we were covered now by God’s grace.

Paul knew the importance of remembering their roots in Jewish scripture and practice and yet knew that it was “for freedom” that we had been set free. Christians were no longer bound to the law to be measured under the law. At the same time, Paul also knew that people’s lives were a reflection of the holiness of God. And so, not all things were permissible, rather Jesus followers had been called to lives of holiness and faithfulness and witness.

It’s hard being a servant of God, isn’t it.

The good news is that ultimately our only judge is God. Christians may have the confidence to be bold, courageous, and truth-telling at all times because we stand under no human court. We are God’s children – entrusted with the mysteries of God. The more we seek God and surrender to Him, the more we are entrusted with heavenly things. The more we understand. The more we discern in the Spirit. The more authority and power we walk in as servants of the world. So let us walk in humility and grace – reflecting the character of God in our lives, allowing all that we are to fall under His Lordship and not man’s! God will honor our submission and everywhere we look, we will see plainly his kingdom and dominion.