Sinners in the Hands of a Just God

(Article for publication week of 5-25-2011 AD)

“It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:33).

Dear Reader, what is God’s verdict concerning you? Does the Judge of all the earth regard you as guilty, or not guilty in relation to His holy law? It will do you no good to try to justify yourself, or seek to be justified by your fellows. The Just and Holy and Sovereign God of heaven and earth knows what your record is before Him and whether you have perfectly obeyed His law. And mark it down dear Reader, you must have a perfect record with God, or you stand condemned and guilty and must bear the penalty of your transgressions.

Can you stand the scrutiny of the Just Judge? Are you ready and able to stand before His bar of justice and give an account for yourself? Be sure my friend you will give an account to God in the awful day of His judgment. You are in the hands of the Just Judge who will in no wise acquit the guilty. God’s holiness and His justice demand that everyone who is guilty of breaking His holy and just law be punished for their sins. Does this not strike terror into your heart, to know and realise that your sins must be dealt with?

Well, you may be thinking to yourself, “I know I have sinned, but I am going to try to amend my ways and start doing better.” Do you think that will pay for the sins you have already committed. Try telling that to a human judge! Do you think if you get a speeding ticket it will do any good to go before the judge and tell him that you have resolved to not speed any more?! He might say, “well that is good, but you must still pay the fine for the ticket you already have gotten.” Much less is the Judge of all the earth impressed with you’re amendments and resolutions. There is only one thing that God will do with you for your white lies and hypocrisies and idolatries and your covetousness and lusts and other sins, and that is to send you to hell forever. There is no sin so small that it does not deserve eternal damnation, and be sure God will give you what you deserve. Or you might be hoping that since God is known to be merciful, He will just forgive you for your sins. God is indeed merciful, but not at the expense of justice and He will only show mercy to those who are in Christ. Or, perhaps you have heard that God loves everybody and so He just can’t bear to see anybody get hurt. Friend, you will go to hell believing that lie.

Now, the Judge of all the earth has devised means whereby His banished be not expelled. He devised the means of justification by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ Alone, whereby His elect people are not banished because their sins are atoned for by the substitution work of Christ. By this means the believer in Christ is justified by God and stands before God as if he had never sinned, because all his sins are taken away by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Who died and rose again for our justification. Sinner, you must stand before God on your own by your own merits, or you must have an Advocate to stand for you to answer for your sins. Do not be so insane as to think that you can stand before the Judge of all the earth on your own righteousness. Flee to Christ and take Him as your Saviour, or perish forever in your sins. May the Lord spare you for Christ’s sake, for you are in the hands of a just God.