June 12th, 2024
by Dr. Josh Franklin
by Dr. Josh Franklin
1 Peter 1:17 reads, “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work…”
Peter tells his readers that God is not only their heavenly Father. He is also an impartial Judge. God sees everything that you do. People often don't mind saying, "God is my Father," and don't mind saying, "Jesus is my savior," but they don't want to think about the idea that God is a judge.
Yet over and over again, the Scriptures talk about how God will one day judge us.
Today, we judge partially, oftentimes we will judge someone's actions based on who they are. God says, "I don't judge anybody based on that." James 2:1 says that the people of God should not show partiality based on someone’s appearance, position, privilege or prominence.
Peter recounts his own journey with regards to impartiality in Acts 10. He tells how God was leading him, a Jew, to minister to Cornelius, though he was a Gentile. Jews weren’t supposed to fellowship with Gentiles. God tells him to go to Cornelius to tell him the gospel. Once he does, the Holy Spirit is poured out on Gentiles, and Peter admits in Acts 10:34, “I recognize that God is not a respecter of persons.” This means He does not show partiality. He wants to save the Jew, and He wants to save the Gentile.
He is an impartial Judge, and He is also a fair Judge. Remember, God doesn't have any grandchildren in the kingdom of God. Only children. You're not going to be able to tell God, "Well, my mother was a godly woman." God’s response will be, “Yeah, but what about you?” You won’t be able to say, "My father was a godly man." That’s great, but what about you? The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
Each one of us will stand before God in judgment in the future, but this reference in First Peter is really reflecting on the fact that God is judging us today. He's judging us now today. This really isn't talking about a future judgment. It's talking about every day He's judging us.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” He judges actions, but He also judges motives. He's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Remember when Jesus would walk this earth, and a religious leader would try to verbally spar with Him? They would ask Him a question, and Matthew 22:18 says, “Jesus knew their evil thoughts and said, ‘Why are you trying to test me?’” (Contemporary English Version) Jesus knew that they really didn't want to know the answer to their questions. He knew the intent of the heart, and so too, God knows the intent of our heart today.
How does the fact that God is an impartial Judge, judging our actions and motives today, impact how we live our lives? He accepts us as a loving Father (see previous blogpost), and we are in the family of God, praise the Lord! However, we need to realize that He is going to hold us accountable as an impartial Judge. He has a right to judge us because He created us.
“Dear Lord, I pray that I remember today that I am accountable to You. I thank You that You are impartial. You see me and know me better than anyone else. You Alone are in the right position to judge my actions and my motives. I pray that my actions are honoring to You. I pray my motives are pleasing to You as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
In the blogpost entitled “I Carry His Name,” we looked at the first antidote to foolish living from this same passage. In the next blogpost, we will look at the third antidote to foolish living.
Peter tells his readers that God is not only their heavenly Father. He is also an impartial Judge. God sees everything that you do. People often don't mind saying, "God is my Father," and don't mind saying, "Jesus is my savior," but they don't want to think about the idea that God is a judge.
Yet over and over again, the Scriptures talk about how God will one day judge us.
- Romans 14:12 says, "So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”
- In 1 Corinthians 3:15, believers who gain no reward will still be saved because they're believers. However, they will stand before God in judgment “without partiality” means “without face” in the Greek. It means with no concept of who you are or what you look like.
Today, we judge partially, oftentimes we will judge someone's actions based on who they are. God says, "I don't judge anybody based on that." James 2:1 says that the people of God should not show partiality based on someone’s appearance, position, privilege or prominence.
Peter recounts his own journey with regards to impartiality in Acts 10. He tells how God was leading him, a Jew, to minister to Cornelius, though he was a Gentile. Jews weren’t supposed to fellowship with Gentiles. God tells him to go to Cornelius to tell him the gospel. Once he does, the Holy Spirit is poured out on Gentiles, and Peter admits in Acts 10:34, “I recognize that God is not a respecter of persons.” This means He does not show partiality. He wants to save the Jew, and He wants to save the Gentile.
He is an impartial Judge, and He is also a fair Judge. Remember, God doesn't have any grandchildren in the kingdom of God. Only children. You're not going to be able to tell God, "Well, my mother was a godly woman." God’s response will be, “Yeah, but what about you?” You won’t be able to say, "My father was a godly man." That’s great, but what about you? The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
Each one of us will stand before God in judgment in the future, but this reference in First Peter is really reflecting on the fact that God is judging us today. He's judging us now today. This really isn't talking about a future judgment. It's talking about every day He's judging us.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” He judges actions, but He also judges motives. He's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Remember when Jesus would walk this earth, and a religious leader would try to verbally spar with Him? They would ask Him a question, and Matthew 22:18 says, “Jesus knew their evil thoughts and said, ‘Why are you trying to test me?’” (Contemporary English Version) Jesus knew that they really didn't want to know the answer to their questions. He knew the intent of the heart, and so too, God knows the intent of our heart today.
How does the fact that God is an impartial Judge, judging our actions and motives today, impact how we live our lives? He accepts us as a loving Father (see previous blogpost), and we are in the family of God, praise the Lord! However, we need to realize that He is going to hold us accountable as an impartial Judge. He has a right to judge us because He created us.
“Dear Lord, I pray that I remember today that I am accountable to You. I thank You that You are impartial. You see me and know me better than anyone else. You Alone are in the right position to judge my actions and my motives. I pray that my actions are honoring to You. I pray my motives are pleasing to You as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
In the blogpost entitled “I Carry His Name,” we looked at the first antidote to foolish living from this same passage. In the next blogpost, we will look at the third antidote to foolish living.
Posted in First Peter
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