Righteous Judge

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me…   (2 Timothy 4:8)

 

Righteous Judge

 

From time to time, we hear about someone being sentenced to prison for a crime he or she did not commit. Of course, as someone has observed, if you talk to the people in prison, you’ll find that nearly all of them claim to be innocent!

Nevertheless, since Jesus is a righteous judge, no one will enter heaven who should not be there, and no one will be consigned to hell who should not be there. Ultimately, the guilty will be punished appropriately and fairly, and those who have received salvation through Jesus Christ will be rewarded appropriately and fairly.

The Apostle Paul told the men of Athens that God “has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). He was referring to Jesus Christ as the one who has been raised from the dead. In fact, according to Paul, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

Because Paul had an ironclad belief in the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, He could say without arrogance, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7–8).

The confidence Paul had in Jesus is a confidence we may have as well. He has a crown of righteousness waiting for each of us.

Before you face the Judge, ask yourself: Am I keeping the faith? The righteous Judge who never makes a mistake knows your heart and sees your labors for Him.

—Ron McClung