Romans Chapter 8

Covenant of Redemption

Chapter 8, Verses 28-30 Part 14

Justified is the fourth of the five covenant things that work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  The five things are foreknew, predestinated, called, justified, and glorified.  In previous essays, we have considered God as the "lawgiver" and the "apprehender" of sin.  In this essay we will consider God as the "Judge of all the earth." 

Abraham in pleading for Lot before the Lord asked in Gen. 18:25, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"  Now let us consider the extensiveness of God's judicial reign:  

     1.  He is said, as above, to be the judge of all the earth.  The following verses also teach this lesson:

                        a.  Ps. 94:8 ‑ "And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness."

                        b.  Ps. 94:2 ‑ "Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud."

                        c.  Ps. 96:13 ‑ "Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth."

                        d.  Ps. 82:8 ‑ "Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations."

     2.  The following verses show that he judges nations and between nations:

                        a.  Gen. 15:14, "And also that nation whom they shall serve, will I judge..."

                        b.  Judg. 11:27, "Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the Lord the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon."

     3.  Ps. 10:18 says that God judges the fatherless and the oppressed: "To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress."

     4.  God judges the righteous and the wicked according to Eccl. 3:17, "I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."

     5.  God judges those that are high.  Job. 21:22, "Shall any teach God knowledge?  Seeing he judges those that are high."

     6.  God judges gods.  Ps. 82:1, "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

     7.  God judges the quick and the dead as shown below:

                        a.  II Tim. 4:1 ‑ "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom."

                        b.  I Pet. 4:5 ‑ "Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." 

Unfortunately among men who judge among men there are those who pervert judgment, who judge for reward, who judge for political gain, who judge unrighteous judgment.  However, our God is not so.  According to Deut. 32:4, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."  God judges righteous judgment.  God never perverts judgment.  In judgment God does not favor one class of people over another.  In judgment no one has an advantage over another due to social position, political position, nationality, gender, age, language, or skin pigmentation.  God is perfectly just and perfectly right.  That God judges righteous judgment is declared by the following verses:

     1. Ps. 50:6 ‑ "And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.  Selah."

    2.  Ps. 9:8 ‑ "And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness."

     3.  Ps. 67:4 ‑ "O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth."

    4. Ps. 96:13 ‑ "...for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth."

     5.  Isa. 11:3‑5 ‑ "And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: for he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." 

Now this may seem scary to consider that a God who knows all things, sees all things, and judges righteous judgment should judge me personally, especially, as I know that I am a sinner.  It is only when we factor in the representative of His people (Jesus Christ) that we can see deliverance from the execution of God's wrath upon us.  Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

 In our next essay we will consider the "basis of judgment" in God's court room of justice.