The position of Judge of All Mankind has been filled!
I thought I’d get that out of the way before anyone started considering how they would be uniquely qualified for this position. No need to dust off your resume or your curriculum vitae or dig deep into all your past experiences. And there is no pressure to consider who would give you a glowing reference . There will be no background checks.
You see, there is only one Judge of All Mankind and His name is Yeshua. Or Jesus. Or Joshua. Or Jesu. Or whatever you call Him in your faith or language.
Yeshua’s Qualifications to be the Judge of All Mankind
The pressure has been taken off everyone. The responsibilities of this position are great, too great for any man to bare. Yeshua Himself had to be trained from eternity in order to be prepared for His duties as Judge of All Mankind. He testifies about His unique qualifications in John 5:19-20: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does.” And in John 5:27 Yeshua says, “And [God] has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man.”
We are told that we are not to judge anyone else. And if we do, we too will be judged and the measure that we use will be measured against us (Matthew 7:1). That is because when one has the power and authority to judge another person, he also has the ability to decide that person’s fate. When we judge others, we are placing ourselves in the position of deciding whether they will be saved or condemned. Consider what Yeshua says in Matthew 7:1, “the measure that we use will be measured against us.” This means that when we judge and condemn someone else, we are actually judging and condemning ourselves.
The Difference Between Discernment and Judgement
As believers, we are given specific instructions about how we are to conduct ourselves in relationships with unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.”
But doesn’t that mean we are able to judge others? We are to make distinctions between believers and nonbelievers. So how can we do this if we are not able to judge?
The answer is simple. We can discern but not judge. Believers have the mind of Messiah (1 Corinthians 2:16) because the Spirit of God that lives in Him also lives in us. And because this is so we can discern the will of God. Furthermore, His Holy Spirit also empowers us to do His will.
[bctt tweet=”Ephesians 1:13-14: When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.” username=”@buildalliance”]But we do not yet have the fullness of God’s Spirit in us as Yeshua does. As born again believers, we are given a deposit of God’s Holy Spirit. Therefore, we are not equipped to judge anyone because we have a very limited perspective. We judge based on appearances and what others show us. God can see on the inside of everyone (1 Samuel 16:7). And He alone knows the human heart (1 Kings 8:39).
The One Born of God Is Qualified to be the Judge of All Mankind
Messiah Yeshua is the only one who is born fully of God. There is no “deposit” of the Spirit of God. He is the one and only, truly begotten Son of God (John 3:16). The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being (Hebrews 1:3). In Yeshua, the fullness of deity dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9). He is the temple of God (John 2:19) and He will judge both the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:15).
In addition, Yeshua “…[took on] the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). And Hebrews 2:17: “Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.”
Therefore, Yeshua is the only one who is qualified to be the Judge of All Mankind. He is the only one who is born fully of God, the only one in whom God fully dwells. He also has the exclusive experience of being able to relate to both God and man since He was born of and lived among both. And best of all, He loves God’s children. That’s why He died for us. He chose to die for us. John 10:18: “No one takes [My life] from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.” And John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
The Position of Judge of All Mankind Has Been Filled!
Thank God that in His infinite wisdom and love, He did not leave such an important position vacant. He didn’t call upon man to jockey for position and apply for the title of Judge of All Mankind. He gave that position to His Son who fulfilled all the requirements and is specially trained for this high calling.
I am pleased to say that the position of Judge of All Mankind has been filled. No further applications will be accepted. Ever.
Related Posts:
Which Bible Translation Is Right for You?
Is the Bible God’s Love Letter to Us?
