Christian You Can Be the Judge — J. Vernon McGee

The Loss of Biblical Standards in Modern Culture

In these days of pop psychology, positive thinking, and political correctness, seldom do you hear from the pulpit about the justice of God or the judgment of God. A lot of kids today aren't being disciplined for fear that it might damage their self-esteem.

We're told that we can't judge others because they're not sinning, they only make mistakes. Or they're not addicts, they only have challenges to overcome. But what about the demands of God? What about His standards for justice, righteousness, and holiness?

Our society and culture are pulling away from these ideals and establishing their own standards of living. But God is calling us back to His standard. Our Bible teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, is going to tell us how, in his sermon, Christian, you can be the judge.

It was during his pastorate at the historic Church of the Open Door in downtown Los Angeles, where Dr. McGee served for 21 years, that he first gave this sermon. Now let's go to our Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank You for the Spirit who brings righteousness into our lives.

May we take the time today to see ourselves in the mirror of Your Word. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Justice, Human Longing, and the Coming Judgment

Christian, you can be the judge. By the side of every judge in the Roman Empire, there stood a statue of Themis, the goddess of justice. Rome boasted itself and boned itself in the fact that they had brought justice to every people that they had conquered and had brought justice into the world of that day.

Justice was represented to them by this goddess Themis. She was a woman because justice was to be tender and not harsh in her decision. And the picture that's familiar to many of us is the picture of her blindfolded because she is to be impartial, treat all alike, rich and poor, high and low.

They stand before the court of justice on an equal basis. And then justice holds in the left hand the balances. And the balances mean that justice will weigh the evidence equally on both sides. In the right hand, and holding a sword downward, justice is holding that sword as an evidence of the fact that she will execute the sentence on the guilty if the party is found guilty.

May I say that this was a noble principle? And at first, Rome held to these lofty ideals. But in the long history of Rome, she fell from that ideal. And if you want to know just how far Rome fell, you must recall that at the side of Pilate, there was a statue of Themis when he handed down a decision that delivered Jesus Christ into the hands of the executioner to be crucified on a cross.

But my beloved, not only in the Roman Empire, but mankind before and after has had down deep in his heart a longing for justice. Down deep in the human heart today, there is resident this idea that somehow or another that individual knows and believes that somewhere justice is to be meted out.

Call it what you please, a feeling, an intuition, or whatever it might be, but down rooted deep in the human soul, there is a desire that wrongs someday are to be made right. That there will be a redress from the grievances of life and all the tangled skein of life in Los Angeles will someday be straightened out.

It was a skeptic who said when news came that Hitler had disappeared at the end of World War II, he said, he made this very interesting statement, if there is not a judge somewhere to send Hitler to hell, there ought to be.

My beloved, that's even in the heart of the skeptic today. There must be a place of final appeal. There must be the place where the guilty are condemned. There must be the place where the innocent are vindicated.

Certainly, if God is a God at all, he's a God of justice. Even the skeptic must reason like that. If there be a God, he must be the judge of his universe. But men in rebellion against God have tried to erase from their thinking that there is a court to which they are accountable and to which they shall be called someday.

Modern man has tried to dismiss any idea of a coming judgment day from his mind. He calls it right now the relic of the theological jungle. But my beloved, this morning, may I say to you that that has not been erased from the human heart at all.

It's there this morning. It's in your heart today. And my friend, this morning, the Bible teaches, the Bible affirms without any quibbling that there is a judgment for every man. For everyone must give an account of himself to God.

There is to be a time when each one of us will have to appear before God. The scripture says it's appointed unto man once to die and after death the judgment. Now my beloved, what I'm saying up to this point does not mean that there is to be one final judgment day which is coming at the end of the world as that's the way it is expressed.

That is according to the tradition of the past. But may I say to you that there's no scriptural foundation for that kind of a belief. The fact of the matter is that actually there are in scripture eight separate judgments.

And these judgments can be distinguished one from another. They are different in every aspect. They can be identified as to the place and as to the person that are involved. As to the time and as to the things that are brought into judgment, my beloved.

The Eight Judgments in Scripture

May I mention these and pass on. There is first of all sin at the cross. May I say that when Jesus Christ went to the cross, that was a judgment day for the sins of the world. Paul wrote to the Galatians and said Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse from us.

Christ my friend this morning is the one who paid the penalty for the sin of this world. Then there is the second judgment. The Christian can judge himself. We're going to see that this morning. And then the third one is there is the judgment of believers.

As to their person, as to their lives that they're living today. And personally I think that judgment is going on today. Then fourth, that is the judgment of the believers works. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

That everyone might receive the things done in the body according to what he hath done. Whether it be good or bad. That relates to believers my beloved. He's not talking that to the unsaved at all. Then hurriedly there's the judgment that's coming of the nation Israel.

That's the reason you're to let anti-semitism alone. God will take care of his own children if you don't mind. And then sixth, that is the judgment upon the Gentile nations. As they shall appear before Christ.

Then there is seventh, the judgment of the angels. Concerning which we know very little today. And then finally there is that great white throne judgment. Now that great white throne judgment is a judgment that is mistaken.

So often for a general judgment day. But may I say to you this morning very carefully now. Actually it is not a judgment of the saved and the lost. It's not a separation of saved and lost at all. It's all together something different.

It's the judgment of the lost for their works. Will you listen to the language? It's in the 20th chapter of the book of Revelation. The 11th verse. Listen to this very carefully though it be familiar to you.

And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it. From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead small and great. Not lost and saved but small and great.

Lost whether they're small or whether they're great. Stand before God. The books were open and another book was open. Which is the book of life. And nobody there's got his name in the book of life. But it's open to give each man justice.

Because our God is a God of justice. Which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things. Which were written in the books according to their works. They wanted to be judged for their works.

And they shall be my friend. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it. And death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. And they were judged every man according to their works. Now my beloved I read immediately after that.

That hell itself is open and the lake of fire. May I say to you this morning. That if that is a solemn and serious subject. It's terrifying and awful if you ask me today. You can this morning dismiss if you please.

Any thought of this judgment from your mind. You can call it medieval and archaic. You can say today. I don't want to believe in this sort of a thing. I don't like that sort of a thing presented to me.

But I say to you my friend today. On the authority of the word of God. That if you reject Jesus Christ. You will have to stand before God. In the great white throne judgment. There is no other alternative.

God is a God of justice. And you will stand before him in your sin. That is a judgment that is indeed terrifying. And may I hasten to say. That no Christian will have to come before that throne in judgment.

Thank God no Christian. No believer in Christ will come before that throne. Somebody says to me this morning. Well does that mean that the Christian is better than other folk? Well he ought to be. But that's not the reason he doesn't come there.

Does it mean that the Christian is not a sinner? No sir not at all. The reason and will you hear me very carefully. The reason that the Christian does not come before that judgment. Is because Christ for that judgment brought us on the cross.

Christ as Substitute and Propitiation

John marked him out when he came and said. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. That Lamb's God's Lamb. God's provision. God's substitute. The one that's to bear your sin and my sin.

He is the propitiation for our sins. He's the mercy seat. He's where God can be merciful to us today. For we do not want justice. My beloved this morning there's only two places for your sins. Either your sins are back under 1900 years ago on Christ.

Or they're on you today. And you'll yet have to stand before the great white throne judgment. Listen to the scripture. Listen to the Lord Jesus personally. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me.

Hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation. Shall not come into the judgment is what it is. And shall not come into the great white throne judgment. But is passed from death. For that great white throne judgment is a judgment of death.

It's the second death that's meted out there. And the one that comes to Christ my beloved shall not come into judgment. But is passed from death unto life. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.

Thank God for that. I do not know why you folk won't say hallelujah at that. Unless it's because you're dignified Episcopalians or Presbyterians. May I say to you this morning there's no condemnation to the man that's in Christ Jesus.

Thank God we'll not have to appear before the great white throne. Thank God we'll not have to come within the judgment. Thank God we'll not have to appear there. For Christ on the cross for our sins there my beloved.

Now again may I hasten to say something. Somebody may be sitting here and saying well preacher you're very severe this morning. Maybe you are wrong. I'm going to do something that I don't customarily do.

Suppose this morning I am wrong. Suppose this morning there is no white throne judgment. And those of us that have trusted Christ it won't make any difference at all. May I say to you this morning if that's true I haven't missed a thing.

In fact I'm delighted at the way the things worked out so far. I'm rejoicing that I did come to Christ. But wait just a minute. Brother suppose I'm right. It's going to be terribly tragic for you my friend if I happen to be right.

The Warning of Judgment and the Tornado Illustration

And isn't it foolish with that prospect in the future. Isn't it foolish to live without Christ today. Down in the south years ago right before Fort Smith Arkansas was blown away in that great tornado of the close of the last century.

My father told me this story. He said that all that afternoon it had been that muggy kind of weather. They call it tornado weather or cyclone weather. And I suppose that people could say well in that day they didn't have all these gadgets and they couldn't be sure it was coming.

They were so sure that men left the fields and came into the storm cellars at their homes taking their families with them. They were so sure of it that men left work that afternoon and came home got their families went down into the storm cellar.

There was a man there a skeptic and he walked up and down the street laughing at folks. He said you're a bunch of cowards. You're a bunch of sissies. You're wrong. The idea of believing in a tornado is coming because somebody's corn's on their feet hurt.

Or because you just feel like there's going to be a tornado. May I say to you this morning that man was picked up after the tornado hit. He's picked up dead. May I say to you this morning it's tragic to ignore those things in this life down here my friend.

You say well those people in the storm cellar could have been wrong. Sure they could. They've been wrong many times. They had a wonderful time of fellowship in the storm cellar that afternoon and they even had it while the tornado was blowing over above the ground my beloved.

May I say to you this morning it's sort of silly today to live with the prospect that there's still a poor preacher in Los Angeles that says a judgment day is coming for man who reject Jesus Christ. It's foolish to go on without him my friend as your savior today.

Christian Discipline and the Judgment of Believers

Now somebody again is going to say well do you mean now preacher that Christians who've accepted Christ as savior that they've escaped all judgment and they now can just live as they please even in sin.

My answer is Paul's answer. God forbid. God forbid. And it's interesting to note if you'll note this that four of these eight judgments are related to Christians my beloved. And I want to mention them rather hurriedly but I would like to emphasize them in your thinking today.

Four of these judgments relate to Christians. That is the judgment of the cross which we've already mentioned. And may I just say this and pass on the Christian this morning has already been taken into court.

And somebody says yes I know he was let go. No he wasn't. Nineteen hundred years ago they took me into court. They found me guilty and the judge condemned me and I was sentenced and I was taken outside of an oriental city and crucified on a cross.

Nineteen hundred years ago. And because of that my friend my sins back yonder and not here today. And there is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus. You can't bring this man into court again.

Dr. Harry Rimmer used to tell the story about in Philadelphia that famous case of a man who was arrested for a crime tried and found guilty and executed. Was put in the electric chair. Years later a man came forward and confessed the crime.

Been an awful miscarriage of justice. But this other man had been a substitute an unwilling substitute but a substitute nevertheless. And the lawyers found and the judges handed down the decision you can't try this man.

You can't try any man. And convict him for the same crime that has already been paid for before the court. And my friend this morning yes I'm a sinner. But my crime has already been paid for. My substitute even Christ died for me.

And that's the reason there's no condemnation. That's the judgment that every Christian can rejoice in under. To be under the blood this morning means simply that my beloved. Then there is the second judgment that the Christian comes in under.

And this is very important. It's the thing Paul talks about here in first Corinthians. It's the judgment of the Christian's works. Remember he said from we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

We must all appear. All of us Christians must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. What for? Salvation no. That everyone may receive the things done in the body whether it be good or bad. According to his as he hath done whether it be good or bad.

And the one that has done good shall receive a reward. The judgment may I say of the Christian's works has to do with his reward. Will you listen now to Paul as he talks about it? For we are laborers together with God.

I rejoice in that we are laborers together with God. He's talking now this great enterprise that God has in the world today of calling out lost men and lost women. And we can be laborers together in that.

Heard the little story some time ago of the little boy. Years ago that he was barefooted and ragged and he wanted a job. And he went where they were putting up a great building in New York City. And he went to the foreman and he said to the foreman will you give me a job.

And the foreman looked at him and gave the little fella a job. And while he was working there the head contractor came out and saw that little fella. And couldn't imagine why he was there. He called him over to him and says what are you doing here?

The little fella with his bright beaming face says why haven't you heard? I'm on the job. Oh my friend did I love that little story. I'm on the job. That little fella got a vision of that great building that was going up.

And he wasn't doing very much but he's on the job. He had part in that. God today is calling out a people to his name. God today is reaching out into this world. That's God's business today. And we are laborers with him.

Oh maybe I'm just a little water boy and that's all I am. But thank God I'm on the job. I'm on the job. A laborer today. What a glorious thing it is. Now Paul was so afraid that you and I might get the idea we could put up something.

He says for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. No other foundation can you lay than that is laid. You can't put down the foundation. It's already there. What Christ did for us 1900 years ago.

Who he is and what he did is already down. All you and I can do is just to build on that my beloved. One of these men who builds many of these housing projects. He says that telling about one. He said he used only one foundation.

That is the shape was the same. But he said he put up all kinds of buildings on it. All kinds of houses. Some of them had the kitchen in front. Some had the kitchen in the back. Some had the bedroom on one side.

Some had the bedroom on the other side. Some had a Cape Cod front. Others had a southern front. And others had modern front. All the same foundation. A different building. Went up. Now no other foundation can any man lay.

It's down brother. And all you and I can do today is to build on that foundation. You and I are building on that. And that's the thing that's to be judged someday. If any man build upon this foundation.

Gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay stubble. Now what men build on that can be divided into two groups. That which is combustible. That which is purified by fire. Because we read every man's work shall be made manifest.

For the day shall declare it. Because it shall be revealed by fire. For the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Now you know what happens to wood, hay and stubble when fire is put to it.

It all goes up in smoke. You know what happens to gold when it's put in the fire. It's brought forth and it's purified. Now today Christians are building on the foundation. Someday that's to stand the white gaze of the Lord Jesus.

The one who has the eyes of a flame of fire. And your works and my works will have to stand before him. How are we building that? I heard several years ago this ridiculous story. It's a whimsical sort of a story.

But it certainly illustrates the point of a preacher that died and went to heaven. And that's not the unusual thing about it. That a preacher died and went to heaven. But when this preacher got to heaven my beloved.

Saint Peter sent one of the angels to show him to his mansion. And so as he went down hallelujah boulevard in the jeep that he was taking him down in. They passed a wonderful mansion on the left. Boy it was a glorious thing.

And he said to this angel. He says whose is that? Well he says that's Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones I don't think I know him. Oh yes he was a member of your church down yonder. Not very well known. He never was on the executive board.

Never got his name in the bulletin. Never was heard of. All he ever did was. If you remember he was present every Wednesday night and every Sunday night. Remember him? Oh he says yes I remember that little man used to come in there.

My how faithful he was. Well said yes as we took note of that up here. And did you know something else? He gave to the support of a missionary. And when others fell down he continued. And do you know he's responsible for missionaries staying on the field.

And this preacher began to swell up with pride. He says ma if a member of my church that's as insignificant as that. Got a place like that. Look what I'm gonna get. And so he went on down. And they really got into the to the south orange grove section of heaven.

And when they got down there there was a glorious mansion. Nothing like it. And he said whose is that? He thought it was his. Why he says that's miss so-and-so. A member of your church. She never was very prominent either.

Nobody ever heard of her. But she had a little boy. And you may remember the little boy. Remember one time you put your hand on him. And set him aside for the ministry. God called him to go to Africa as a missionary.

And she was faithful. That's all God ever asked her to do. Is just raise that little boy. And that's what she did. And that's what she got. The preacher thought well my. They must have something extra special here for me.

They kept driving down. And their houses got poorer. And they finally got out the edge of town. It was really bad. They got out to what a shiny town in heaven. And out yonder in the field was an old thing.

That you see thrown up sometime around a garbage heap. There it was. The jeep stopped. And the angel said that's your place. And the preacher said I tell you. I can't understand it. The angel answered.

That's the kind of material you sent up here. And that's all we could build. My friend this morning. It's a ridiculous story. But it illustrates the truth. That you and I are building today. And someday our works must stand the test before him.

No other foundation can any man build. But you can build on that. Then it goes on. Because you might get the impression. That if a man's works will burn up. That somehow or another he loses salvation.

If any man's work shall be burned. He shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved. Yet so is by fire. Then my friend I read here. That the Christian himself is to be judged. Will you listen to the language of scripture.

In this connection over in the 11th chapter. It's the 32nd verse. But when we are judged. We are chastened of the Lord. That we should not be condemned with the world. The Christian himself is to be judged.

The Lord's Chastening of His Children

Now will you listen to me very carefully. Being in the life of a Christian is worse. Than it is in the life of an unbeliever. Or a non-christian. And God cannot ignore sin in the life of a believer. I wish Christians could understand that today.

Dr. Will Houghton. The former president of the Moody Bible Institute. Said to me before he died. He said you know we had several students. That came up before us for gross immorality. And we faced them on the charge.

And two of them had the audacity to say. Well you know our sin is under the blood. May I say to you. There are a lot of Christians that are laboring today. With that kind of a notion. Yes my sin is under the blood.

Now don't misunderstand me. If you are saved this morning. You will not come into judgment. But I'll tell you this. If you are God's child. And you are in sin or get into sin. God will punish you. And if he doesn't punish you.

You're not his child. Because God believes in discipline. Didn't read these last books on psychology. He hasn't got around to that yet. He still punishes those that are his own. My beloved may I say to you.

When God punishes his child. It's not a criminal hailed into court. It's a child in the household. That is being chastened of the Lord. That's the thing you remember. He says over in Hebrews the 12th chapter.

And ye have forgotten the exhortation. Which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord. Nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth. He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

No longer court matter. It's a household matter. It's a father punishing his child. I rest telling this. When I was a boy. I got into trouble. I got. I was a good boy ordinarily. But I got into trouble on this occasion.

I got with some fellas on a night. And there were 50 of these oil drums. That were empty out back of a little country store. In southern Oklahoma where we lived. And that was too great a temptation. We blocked all the streets.

Leading into town with those oil drums. And we had been all right. But the deputy caught us. Just as we was finishing the job. And he made us put them back. And I think they would have dismissed it. But the owner of the store.

Because some of the drums had oil in it. And had been spilt out. And I don't think really we meant to do that. But you know. When you get doing things. You get in trouble. And so we got in trouble. And the owner of the store had us all arrested.

And I never shall forget. The next week. One day. That next week. My dad went into court for me. And the fathers of the other boys went into court. They stayed there all day. And finally it was settled.

We're not. The charges were dismissed. We were not fined. We were let go. But do you think that ended it? That was just the beginning of it. My beloved. And afterward. I could have wished. I could have been brought into court.

My father came home for dinner that evening. He didn't say a word. And when he didn't say a word. He was thinking. And I tried to eat. I had eaten. Chewed. Swallowed and it wouldn't go down. I've never been so miserable in my life.

When it was over. My dad said to me. Vernon follow me. I followed him all the way out to the little old cow barn we had. I want to tell you friend. It was a family affair. And it was settled right there.

Confession, Self-Judgment, and Restoration

May I say to you this morning. Our heavenly father will discipline his child. That's what he means. And that's exactly what that verse means. It's quoted so glibly today. If we confess our sins. He's faithful and just to forgive us our sin.

Cleanses us from all iniquity. My beloved. Before we do that. And if we won't do that. God will chasten us. Goes on to say that every branch in him that won't bear fruit. He'll reach in and cut that branch off.

That's not losing salvation. That's taking you out of the place of bearing fruit for him. That's taking the child home. John writes in his epistle. There is a sin under death. My beloved. And may I say to you.

Paul in speaking here in first Corinthians. Says for this cause many are weakened sickly among you. And many sleep. And he says if you would judge yourself. You wouldn't be judged. But since you won't.

God will judge you. So you won't be judged with the world. God must deal with the sin and the life of his child. My beloved. And even to death. For sometimes death comes. Ananias and Sapphira were God's children.

They were chastened and called home. God today is still calling home. Those my friend that will not. Will not. Deal with the sin in their own life. Now hurriedly and briefly. Let me say this. I come reeling out of my subject.

Christian. You can judge yourself. You can be the judge. Because somebody says. How can I avoid this chastening of God? Well you can avoid it. Listen to him. Here in 1st Corinthians 11 31. If we would judge ourselves.

We should not be judged. If you and I will deal with the sin in our life. God won't. He'll permit you and me to deal with it. Now this is where our verse comes in. How can we judge ourselves? If we confess our sin.

He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Cleanses from all iniquity. May I say to you this morning. To confess our sins means more than just to say. Lord I'm sorry. In fact that's not confession at all.

The word in the Greek means. To say the same thing as another says. That's to confess. God says your sin is bad. My friend will you say that. Or will you try to excuse it. When people go to God in confession.

Say Lord I'm sorry I did it. But after all you know. I did it because of this reason and that reason. May I say that's not the way God feels about it. God says your sin is not dark gray. God says your sin is as black as lamp black.

God says it's that. And he says when you confess your sin. You come over on his side. And you look back at yourself. And you look at your sin. And you say exactly what God says about it. You haven't confessed your sin.

Till you've agreed with God on it my beloved. I say to you this morning. That it's bad when another fellow does it. Not so bad when we do it. God says it's bad when we do it. Are we willing to confess it?

The Sioux Indian years ago. Was arrested for drunkenness. And getting in a fight. And the New York Times wrote it up. But not because of that. Because this Sioux Indian was a justice of the peace. And after he was arrested.

He got to thinking about it. I'm a justice of the peace. And he called himself into court. And he sentenced himself to $10 fine and 30 days in jail. He looked at his crime. My beloved as God would look at it.

As a justice of the peace would look at it. He offered no excuse whatsoever. It's when you and I take that kind of a position. And God says you and I can be the judge of our own sin. Not of other people's sin.

Not of other people. But you and I can be the judge of our own sin. And he says if we will. He'll not judge us at all. Young preacher came up to me this summer to conference. And he said McGee before I speak this morning.

He was speaking before I did. I was speaking right after him. He says before I speak there's something I want to tell you. I've said some pretty stout things about you. And I want to ask you to forgive me.

And do you know tears came down his eyes. And afterward I listened to him with great blessing. And he spoke with great blessing to those that were there. And this is the way he put it. He says I want to say this to you.

Because I know shortly. I'll have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. And I'll have to make this thing right. Oh my friend today. God says to his child. You're my child. Your sin will not come before the great white throne.

I'll have to deal with you. I'll have to deal with you. And friend this morning. You can be the judge. I close with this. A father of a little boy. One of these bright little fellas. They're just full of it.

A Father's Discipline and the Call to Self-Examination

Tell me an experience he had with the little fella. When he was very small. He said he was disobedient one evening. Just as ornery as he could be. Finally he took him. And he gave him a little paddle.

And didn't do him a bit of good. He said to him. He says now you go over there. And sit on that couch. And you stay there until you are sobbed. The little fella with his lower jaw out. So you could put a checkerboard on it.

He went over and he sat down. The father got out a book. And he began to read. And every now and then he'd look over the top of the book. That little jaw just set out. Little fella apparently taken after his mother.