Before the Supreme Judge
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Important messages
What is posted here is the first part of an excellent tool for
evangelism. A tract might be good to get someone’s attention, put it gives
little aid in informing about the need for salvation and why, precisely, it is
needed. This booklet will tell them clearly of the justice and the love of God.
If you want to give people something of value to read, you can receive this and
two other installments in the form of a small book. Simply write us at loelmarga@telefonica.net.
I really wish that many, who have a desire to evangelize, would use it
Reflections
Can you imagine for a moment
what would happen if
countries had no laws to govern
them and if justice
would not act to guarantee
their enforcement? What
would happen if murderers,
thieves, swindlers, drug
traffickers, and rapists knew
that no law existed to
condemn their acts? It is
obvious that it would bring
chaos. To give us a small
idea, it should be enough to
observe countries with
corrupt governments or with a
faulty judicial system, in
order to see, as a result, a high
rate of murder, rape, abuse,
prostitution, poverty, social
insecurity, economic instability,
and a lack of
educational and health
facilities.
For that reason, all the
governments in the civilized
world, in order to avert
anarchy and chaos, have created
their departments of justice,
since it is impossible, and
even against the law, that a
man should take justice into
his own hands. Of course, it
is a fact today that justice is
losing the power and even the
significance that it once
had.
In general, we are in favor
of the law, as long as it guarantees our security and well-being, and does not impair
our lifestyles. At times, we demonstrate solidarity with those who are victims,
because the law has not acted against their oppressors. Almost unconsciously, something
within compels us to appeal to justice and its correct application unless, of
course, we are the ones who have broken a law and, in that case, we attempt to avoid
facing the consequences.
Something else that is very
common and characteristic of the human race is to blame God for injustice and make
Him responsible when a misfortune occurs, which is actually due to the
unrighteousness in mankind. That attitude is well-defined in the Bible which,
in spite of
having been written centuries
ago, is the most up-to-date book and very precise, when it comes to defining
the behavior of human nature. As if to answer the arguments of our day, it
states: “The foolishness of man ruins his way, and his heart rages against
the Lord”
(Proverbs 19:3).
The origin of law and
justice
After these small, practical
reflections, we come to the conclusion that law is good and justice is
necessary. Have you ever thought at what point and why, originally, there came
a need to create laws and a justice system to secure their fulfillment?
Man, since ancient times,
elected to disobey God and since that time there has been a need to define,
restrict and punish sin by means of a law. Through Moses, God instituted that
law, featuring the famous Ten Commandments, which mankind has adopted in order that
justice can function on the earth.
Today, the legal systems of the
civilized world are based on the justice presented in the Bible. The nations that
reject or ignore this justice either quickly disintegrate or else exist in a
very primitive manner. The reason is because the righteousness of God cannot be
ignored and to do so brings fatal consequences to a nation, as well as to
individual lives. The justice that a civilized nation applies assures its
preservation even though, due to the imperfection of human nature, it can only
be applied in limited form. In this world, justice is not carried out to
perfection. In today’s society, many people live incorrectly and yet escape the
consequences, but as far as God is concerned, that can never be, because his
righteousness is perfect and never tolerates a violation. “Do not be
deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians
6:7).
God’s justice is
perfect
From the beginning, it was
never God’s intention to oversee a race of slaves; consequently He gave man the
right to choose his way freely. While he walks this earth, he can attempt to
govern himself. During his short lifetime, he may profess what he believes and
declare
what he wills. He may
determine and choose that, which he considers convenient, but in the end, when
his heart stops beating, everything as he knew it to be and in which he
confided will end and all will change.
One day, God will judge the
world according to His perfect standards and every violation of His law will be
brought into account. Nothing and no one will escape. There is nothing that he
ignores or can be hidden from His eyes. “There is no creature hidden from
His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom
we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). In addition, there exists an archive, in
which all the offenses of each individual are registered. Every time that he
sins, it is written on his account, he soils his soul with an indelible stain
and is disqualified from entering a happy eternity.
God carefully and jealously
protects His eternal home and nothing unclean can enter His presence. “Who
will ascend onto the hill of God? He who has clean hands and a pure heart”
(Psalms 24:3-4). These verses signify that God demands that a human being,
in order to be with Him in His glory, must be completely pure and clean without
a spot.
“Ignorancia legis non
excusat”
Now, it does not matter if
you take the Lord into consideration or not, or if you are totally ignorant of
His ways, because in the end you will have to give account, regardless. An
ancient Roman saying translates, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse”, and today
every system of justice will testify to its truth. Ignorance is voluntary;
therefore it does not provide an escape or negate guilt.
As a citizen of any country,
you have the obligation to be informed of the laws that govern it, because if
you infringe upon any of them, you will wind up paying the consequences,
whether you were aware of them or not. Justice, by its very nature, does not forgive,
but demands retribution. If you drive, it is obvious that you must have knowledge
of traffic rules, because if you exceed the speed limit, for example, or fail
to observe any requirement, you will be fined and will have to pay. If a policeman
stops you, you cannot say, “I’m very sorry, sir, I didn’t understand the
meaning of the sign.” He will simply respond that you should have known it and,
as a consequence, you will have to be fined. The law will not yield to your
limited information concerning it. Exactly the same must be said concerning the
law of God.
The Bible clearly states that
no one on earth has an excuse for ignoring his Maker for, “His eternal power
and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has
been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
In addition to this, each
person possesses an inbuilt alarm created by God that is called a conscience.
God has given us basic knowledge of what is good and evil; that is to say, we
have a natural law engraved in our nature, attuned to the law of God. There is
much to say
about this matter, but what
is most important is to understand that God has naturally equipped us and for that
reason also, we have no excuse before Him.
The written law reflects
the nature of God
Throughout the Bible, God has
placed His law before us in detailed form, not leaving it to our criteria or opinion
(including the opinion we might have of ourselves) as to what is good or evil,
correct or incorrect, just or unjust. If we break His law, then we have crossed
a clearly defined line; we
have sinned and our sin has offended God.
Our thinking concerning what
is good or evil should be based, exclusively and uniquely, in that which God states.
Otherwise, we are in danger of being guilty of a clear warning from His word: “Woe
to those who call evil good, and good evil…!” (Isaiah 5:20). This warning
ought to be taken very seriously today, when more than ever in history, mankind
has left it to government, religious institutions, schools, and the media, to
decide. They tell us what is right or wrong, laying aside, as if it pertained
to the past, that which God has established. Our concept of God cannot be
subjected to the times in which we live. What was good or bad one thousand
years ago, continues to be the same today, and we, as His creation, must submit
and accept what He has determined.
In the Bible, God reveals His
personality to us. Beyond setting standards and unveiling an incomparable legal
system, the law of God reveals His mind and His heart. Those things that he
commands us to do are the things that please Him and those that He forbids are
those that irritate Him; in fact, they anger Him. A Psalm tells us that “God
is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day” (Psalms 7:11). That
is because there are things that His nature cannot tolerate and they provoke
his wrath.
Let me illustrate what I am
trying to say with an example or two. When you pass a place where an animal has
died, or you have a rotten egg before you, you raise your hand to stop your
nose, until you have distanced yourself from it. It is a natural reaction,
because your sense of smell totally rejects those odors. Your nature refuses to
accept them. God reacts in the same way to that, which we call “sin”.
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