Christian Living

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People Who Says, "Only God Can Judge Me"! Do they know what that implies?
I have heard and read this phrase stated by people in recent years and wondered what is the purpose for saying it? Such a phrase is stated by one who gets defensive when confronted by someone concerning his/her behavior as being improper and wrong. Usually such words are given with an air of arrogance and defiance in response to having been questioned. What's disturbing about this attitude is its being said by some so-called professing Christians who feel they don't have to answer to anyone about living contrary to Christian principles.
What do people mean when they say only God can judge me? Are they saying unless God gives them a personal audience they won't accept what is said to them about their conduct? Do they really feel confident to meet God when their lives fall so short of God’s requirement? There's an old saying that goes, "Be careful what you ask for because you will receive it", meaning what you ask for may not be what you want and you must deal with the consequences.
For example in the book of Judges a man by the name of Jephthah, a judge in Israel made a vow to God that if He would deliver the children of Ammon into his hands the first one to come out his house to meet him after victory over his enemies he would offer it up to God as an offering. (Judges 11th chap.).
Imagine the pain and agony that faced him when his daughter came out with timbrels and dancing in praise of God's victory for her father. The word says she was his only child and in great anguish Jephthah ripped his clothes saying, "For I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back". He followed through with his promise to God and it teaches the lesson on how careful one should be when making a promise to God. How many of us have made a promise to God asking Him to answer our needs and tell Him what we would do for Him in return and forget what we said? You can't bargain with God for He will hold you to the vow and it may not be pleasant with the repercussions.
There are a number of examples of God judging those who came up short in their compliance toward Him.
1. The fire and brimstone destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19th chapter after Abraham reasoned with God if he could find 10 righteous men in the cities they would be spared but could not.
2. Those that rose up against Moses and Aaron in Korah and the earth opened up and swallowed them. Numbers 26:9-10.
3. The fiery serpents that afflicted Israel after murmuring and rebellion against Moses in Edom. Numbers 21:4-9
4.The family of Achan was stoned to death for hiding the Babylonian garment that God had forbidden Israel not to take which had caused them to be defeated at the hands of the men of Ai' in Joshua 7th chapter.
5. Jezebel, the wicked queen of Israel during the reign of her husband King Ahab receives the judgment prophecy from the prophet Elijah that "the dogs shall eat her by the wall of Jezreel"(1st Kings 21:23) and comes to past in 2nd Kings 9:30-37.
And unless one says that God only brought swift judgment in the Old Testament there are also examples during the New Testament Church such as Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5th chapter. Here the couple conspired to lie about selling their possession by pretending they sold all of it when in reality they kept a portion.
First, Ananias came to the Apostle Peter with his lie but Peter tells him in verse 3," Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost"?... After hearing the apostle's words Ananias dropped dead and soon Sapphira, unaware of her husband's demise repeated the same deceit to Peter. Peter declares to her in verse 9...the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Suddenly she met the same fate as her husband.
Another example is King Herod in Acts 12th chapter who after giving an eloquent speech was struck down dead with the skin worms eating his flesh (verse 23). The cause was he didn't give God the glory for enabling him to speak with such eloquence and receiving the praise of men. Going back to the case of Ananias and Sapphira a very important truth was brought out by Peter when he told them you did not lie to men, but unto God(Acts 5:4).
What people fail to understand is that God's word must be respected through His servants who represent Him on earth. Although God is the final authority he ordained that His message be obeyed and believed as sent by His servants, the prophets, apostles, pastors and ministers in the Church today. Read, Isaiah 58:1; St.Matt.16:18-19; St.John.17:20; Romans 10:14-17; 13:1-7; 1st Thess. 5:12-13; Heb. 12:25,29; 13:7,17; Remember how terrified the people of Israel were when God spoke to them at Mt.Sinai, seeing the fire, smoke, thundering and earthquakes. They pleaded to hear Moses rather than the majesty of God who is a consuming fire (Exodus 21:18-21)
God is invisible and cannot be seen, so how is He to be known and served but through the creature that was made a little lower than the angels, but man? The measuring stick on men's attitude toward God is how we treat one another. Jesus' teaching on the Judgment Day in St.Matt. 25th chapter shows how people treat each other either good or bad is doing the same to Jesus (verses 35-46).
I find it disturbing how some professing Christians have taken a negative and cavalier spirit when conducting themselves in God's house. There's accountability when serving God and the Church shouldn't be regarded like some social club where anyone can live like they please and not be responsible to answer to God given leaders(Jeremiah 3:15). Paul says, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God.... (1st Tim.3:15).
When one says, only God can judge me is telling the truth but don't realize the implications of that statement for God IS judging us right NOW through the daily Word that is taught and preach when coming to Church. We apply the Word by judging ourselves, a self-examining process so that we won't be found coming up short to God's standard, (1st Cor. 11:28, 31-32)
There is far more to gather from this subject but I conclude by giving the apostle Peter's words in 1st Peter 4:17-18, "For the time is come that Judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear”? And also Hebrews 2:3, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him". These sobering words of the apostle should make people who don't have their house in order to think twice before making rash statements such as only God can judge me for God is the last ONE they want to meet if their life comes short of His' standard, AMEN!

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