You're Not the Judge. Jesus Is.
Thinking about Romans 14:9-12.
For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD." So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:9-12)
After reminding Christians that they lived and died to the Lord - regardless of their opinions on eating meat or observing special days - Paul issued a solemn warning to the Christians in Rome.
Paul’s words in these verses show his disapproval of what was happening among some Christians in Rome, as well as his amazement that they “could be so oblivious to their own need of mercy in the impending judgment, and so unreasonably conceited” to involve themselves in judging their brethren (Coffman, Commentary on Romans, 458).
Jesus Christ is the Lord.
Paul says it was “to this end” or “for this purpose” Jesus Christ died on the cross and then was raised from the dead.
What was the purpose?
So “that He might be Lord both of the dead and the living.”
When Peter preached that first “gospel sermon” after the ascension of Jesus back into heaven to the right hand of the Father, he concluded: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).
Paul is reminding the Christians in Rome of “Gospel 101” things - that Jesus died and rose from the dead to be the Lord, to be the Judge, over all.
Since He died for both, He is the Lord both of the dead and of the living. He is the Lord of those who die in the Lord, as well as the Lord of those who continue to live on this earth - both the weak and the strong [Romans 14:1-2]. - Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 502
Just who are you to judge or despise your brother?
So, having reminded the Christians in Rome of such a foundational matter of Jesus being the Lord, he asked them a question.
“Knowing Jesus is the Judge - just who do you think you are?”
He wanted them to realize that their venomous exchanges in the church had only deepened the divide and produced no positive results. The weak were judging and the strong were despising. There was no place for such arrogant opinions and treatment among brothers. - Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 503
In these matters of opinion and scruple, they were judging each other, and looking down on each other, and Paul writes with a certain level of amazement and disbelief that they were treating one another in this way when Jesus - and not themselves - is the Judge.
You’re going to stand before God too.
When we realize “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God,” it should impress us with the stark reality that we are not in the “judging” business. Other passages that stress this point are 2 Corinthians 5:10 and 1 Corinthians 3:8-15. Much of the ills of the brotherhood would be solved if more brethren would heed these words. - Wacaster, Romans, 482
Paul quotes from Isaiah 49:18 and 45:23 to show the fact that every person will appear before God in judgment. It didn’t matter if a person was a Jew or Gentile - all would appear before God in judgment.
Paul uses the judgment seat of Christ as a warning to Christians to consider how they were judging and despising one another over matters of opinion.
Here “account” was used by Paul in a commercial or accounting sense to mean giving a report about one’s conduct toward others. Each Christian would present to God a record of his treatment of others, the equivalent of an analysis sheet of how he despised or judged fellow believers on matters of opinion. - Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 504
Whenever we are tempted to judge or despise our brethren for holding a different view on matters of opinion or scruple, we need to remember what Paul reminded the Christians in Rome.
Your brethren are going to appear before the Judge of all the earth.
And you and I are too.
Knowing that should be all the motivation we need to let the Lord handle the judgment of our brethren.
Thank you...I really needed to share this with some people I know.
Thank you Jameson. This post made me reflect back to when I was first saved at age 28. The Lord delivered me nearly instantaneously and completely from a very "wild" lifestyle,
As an exuberant yet still ignorant Christian, I would judge those fellow believers who struggled with victory over certain things and had a special disdain for those who confidently claimed to be saved, yet chose to stay in the denomination I came out of, which did not preach or teach salvation by Grace through faith.
It took me a while to get over myself. Reading/studying Romans 14 was great convicting and liberating. Sometimes, I still have issues with it, after 43 years, but now ask the Lord to help me be gracious and encourage them vs. chastise them.
Another area of "judgment" that I had to overcome was toward unbelievers, expecting them to act like believers.
Most of my career has been in or around the military - some pretty raw folk. I had to remember that I had been no different before Christ. Why would I expect them to act in a way that they knew nothing about.
It was liberating when I eventually realized that my words and actions could either turn them against Christ or toward him. They may not read the Bible, but they would see me, who professed to read and follow the Bible.
"There, but for the Grace of God, go I" should be our constant self reminder ...