“This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you. And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him. So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 NLT
Judgment is not a bad word. In fact, there can be no justice without judgment. Jesus is coming back, and He will judge the world and bring justice, especially for those who have suffered for His Name. For those who suffer injustice, the promise of God’s right judgment is a great comfort.
For so many in our culture, “judgment” is a bad word. Christians are not to condemn others – Jesus taught us, “Don’t judge, or you will be judged” (Luke 6:37). However, Christ does want us to speak the truth in love, tell others the Good News, stand up for what is right, and fight against what is wrong. Jesus did all these things in His life, and He was willing to be unjustly condemned for what was right.
When you swallow the lie that judgment is a bad thing, you lose the power to speak against injustice, and all sorts of moral evils will rise and be called “normal.” We need leaders with good discernment, we need good judgment in our romantic and financial dealings, and we need justice in our justice system. Do not condemn but judge wisely and with God’s grace.
Why is it important to have good judgment? Are there any areas of your life where you need to be working for justice?
