Why God Judges: Restoring His Original Plan of Joyful Fellowship

Summary

God’s judgment is not rooted in cruelty but in love, justice, and restoration. Just as disruption requires correction, sin disrupts God’s original design of joyful fellowship. God created humanity to share the Trinity’s unbroken joy, love, and peace. Judgment restores this plan by protecting eternal fellowship, blessing those who desire God’s life, and removing persistent rebellion that destroys harmony and joy.

I coach track and field throwers at my local high school. I oversee twenty or more athletes. Yesterday, one of the boys disrupted the practice session by chasing after a girl when both should have been practicing.

His misbehavior affected other athletes who were watching them instead of practicing. His behavior was corrected for his good and the good of the whole team.

Disruption Requires Correction

Do you know why God judges us? He judges us because He is just, righteous, and holy, but I see an additional dynamic. As bad behavior disrupted my practice sessions, it also disrupted God’s original plan for people. That wrong had to be righted. His will must be done on earth as in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

God Judges Because He Is Loving and Just

It isn’t some egotistical, self-centered, My way or the Hell way God that we worship. It is a God whose love for us sent His Son to die in our place on Calvary’s cross (John 3:16).

God’s Heart Is Mercy, Not Cruelty

It is a God who, in Jesus, anguished over Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me” (Matthew 23:37 NLT).

It is a God whom Paul described in Romans 8:32 NLT: “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”

It is a God who lovingly sacrifices Himself for the benefit of His creatures. But those creatures may not continue to rebel against His best wishes for them indefinitely without consequences.

God’s Original Plan Was Perfect Fellowship

What was His plan? God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit enjoyed perfect fellowship stretching back through eternity past. God’s will was unopposed.

His life flowed unhindered among the three persons of the Trinity. It was the most exalted possible life characterized by unending “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT). God didn’t become angry or judge anything. Nothing was amiss until He created beings with wills of their own who could rebel against His will.

Humanity Was Invited into God’s Joy

The plan was for people to share the same depth of fellowship with Him and each other that the Trinity experienced. “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy” (1 John 1:3-4 NLT). Unadulterated, joy-filled fellowship is the goal—as the Persons of the Trinity have always enjoyed.

Judgment Restores God’s Intended Design

Judgment restores the original plan to widen the joy-filled fellowship circle beyond the Trinity. It is about blessing countless people who want God’s eternal, magnificent life. And eternally removing the disrupters who don’t.

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