Legal or Relational?

In the following article, author Donna Haerich features two models in which many of us build our picture of God upon.  How do you picture God? Do you see Him in a favorable light as a Person you can trust? Or Someone who needs a whole lot of work on your end to please?  Do you see God as your Best Friend or rather as a Divine Magistrate whose main duty is to mete out rewards and punishments? Or maybe a combination of both?  What does it mean when the Bible refers to God as Judge? Is that good or bad news?  This article is a great one to read with a friend to rev dialogue and get the grey matter pumping...

JUDGMENT AS A LEGAL PROBLEM

The law defines Sin as an act, something one does that contrary to a specific legal code. The law spells out wrong or forbidden behaviors. When a sinful or unlawful act occurs, the law also proscribes the penalty for such sinful behavior. The penalty for breaking God’s law is death. This penalty must be adhered to in order for the law to remain in force. God can not set aside the provisions of the law as the law is part and parcel of who he is. His whole rule is based on law. God’s duty, God’s obligation is to execute judgment as the law demands. Therefore he must see that all offenders are put to death.

BUT God, being a loving God, not willing that any die, found a way to maintain the sanctity of the law and still be merciful to the offenders who have broken the law.  He became a man and suffered the death penalty in man’s place. In his Son, Jesus, he died as a substitute and surety for the whole human race. On the cross he paid the penalty which the law demands.

Under this model, even though one is a sinner, one need not die. By accepting the substitution (Jesus) that God has graciously provided a sinner will be spared condemnation in the judgment. Furthermore, by believing in Jesus, a robe of goodness (righteousness) will be placed over the sinner so that God does not look upon their filthiness and sin but upon his Son’s goodness instead. God can now adjudicate the sinner worthy of eternal life based on his Son’s sinless life.

Sadly if one ignores or turns down the substitute (Jesus), if one’s life is not covered with his robe of righteousness than one must suffer the full penalty of the law. Thus God is just when he condemns and judges those who reject him. He remains just when he executes the sentence proscribed by the law.*

So “judgment as God’s method of destroying sin is essential to His basic nature.” All human kind stand in the dock before the throne as God reviews the record of their lives; every thought and every action must be accounted for in his pre-advent judgment. Before he returns to earth, God will separate the sheep from the goats.

He condemns to death those who have rejected him and whose thoughts are evil continually. A review of their life’s record reveals them unworthy of eternal life. The only ones eligible to be enrolled in the book of life are those who have acknowledged Jesus Christ as their Savior, confessed and repented of their sins and had all their sins blotted out by his blood.  

Once judgment is rendered, and all cases decided, Jesus says, “He that is filthy let him be filthy still; he that is righteous, let him be righteous still.” With that pronouncement he returns to earth and declares an end to sin, sinners and Satan. Casting them into the lake of fire vindicates God’s holy law and secure universal safety for the ages to come.**

Sabbath School Quarterly for July – September 2006

JUDGMENT AS A RELATIONAL PROBLEM

The Bible defines Sin as rebelliousness. Sin is portrayed as a break in relationship.  Sin’s essence is a disposition to “go it alone”, independently and separately from God, the Creator and Source of Life. The natural consequence of living apart from the Life-Giver is death. 

God carefully spells out the conditions for life in an orderly universe, knowing that if mortal, created beings attempt to live on their own they will die. This description of reality is referred to in the Bible as law. The law describes behaviors that enhance relationship and behaviors that lead away from relationship.

God, who gives all his creatures freedom to choose their loyalties, will respect their choice, even to the point of letting them leave his presence. But should a created being decide to separate from the Life-Giver, the law says that creature will self-destruct. 

God, being a loving God, not willing that any die, will not let his creatures leave him without a struggle; he will not let them reap the full consequences of their choice until they have been given sufficient information on which to make an informed decision. Therein lays the problem. Humankind has been told lies about God. They have been instructed that God is to be feared, that his laws are arbitrary and restrictive. They have been deluded into believing that his very presence would destroy them.

Knowing that humankind has been deceived, that the height and depth and breath of his love for them was not fully comprehended, God formed a plan to bring them back into a healing, restorative relationship with himself. Even though his human children had the misfortune of being born on a planet in rebellion, he would not leave them orphans or like sheep without a Shepard. 

In order that humans might know the truth about him, God came and pitched his tent along side theirs and live and dwelt among them. He ate and drank with publicans and sinners and when he had gained their confidence and loyalty, he said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. You no longer have to be afraid of God; his thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace.”

Judgment, according to Jesus, is when the Prince of this world is judge and found wanting. Judgment is when God’s plan is reviewed and scrutinized by the on-looking universe who will proclaim, “Just and true are your ways. Your plan was wonderful and it worked!” Judgment is when we learn the truth about God and reject the lies of the enemy and return to our rightful place at his side.

When we are no longer rebels and can say, “Create in me a new heart, renew a right spirit within me,” justice will be rendered by Christ who will respond, “Come you blessed of my Father, enter now into the joy of thy God!”