May 1 – Judge Yourself and You Will Not Be Judged

Hope for Today: A Daily Devotion from Reasons for Hope*Jesus

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“Do not enter into judgment with Your servant.” Psalm 143:2

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment — but has passed from death into life.” John 5:24 [See also John 8:51, Isaiah 25:8.]

Since the Judge himself is our Brother, our Bridegroom, the Lord of death and life, yes, even our life, believers cannot die eternally because they are passed from death unto life. He who owns the justice of God’s judgment, confesses himself guilty in all things, and appeals from the judgment seat to the mercy seat. Him the Lord will own and justify through the righteousness of His Son.

For “if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.” Nay, we should even sit in judgment together with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:2), and surely, in that day, we shall not pass a sentence of condemnation on ourselves, though owning ourselves worthy of the deepest condemnation but for this imputed righteousness, which is all our hope; and much less will Christ, for He loves us more than we do ourselves.

My soul, sit in judgment of yourself every day and afresh exercise faith in the finished work of Christ. This is the way to maintain peace, sustain confidence, and secure the victory. Daily dealings with Jesus will give us daily triumphs.

Devotion by Karl Heinrich von Bogatzky (1690—1774)