Our nation and its well-being are important, yet someday our nation won’t exist. Someday there will be no more United States of America. No more laws, courts or judges. On that day the only thing that will matter is your relation to the Judge. He sent his Son to live the perfect life none of us have lived, and to personally pay for every crime we’ve committed, so we could escape his judgment, be saved and adopted as the Judge’s own children. Jesus was judged so we won’t have to be. Jesus was condemned so we could be received by the Judge as beloved children.

Judges are making lots of decisions lately.

Recently the Supreme Court legalized same sex marriage. Marijuana has been legalized in several states. A federal appeals court judge, Richard Posner, believes that cocaine, heroin, meth and LSD should be legalized and regulated by the government. Some believe that assisted suicide will be legalized in the near future.

Last week I encouraged us not to forget that when we’re tempted to fear for our country, to remember that for those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, we are sojourners and aliens here and our true country is in heaven. That’s where our true citizenship lies. We also must remember there is a Judge who is infinitely higher than every earthly judge. A Judge who sits in the heavens judging the hearts and deeds of men. A Judge who all men will stand before someday and answer to for every thought, word and deed.

“There are a few things stressed more strongly in the Bible than the reality of God’s work as judge.” – JI Packer

Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations! PS 82.8

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just? Genesis 18:25

Sometimes it seems like the wicked are taking over the world and no one can stop them. They are sinning more and more openly and blatantly, and encouraging others to do the same. It doesn’t seem like there are any consequences. Someday the Judge of the universe will call them to account. Someday he will dispense his justice on all who reject his Son and the salvation he provided. Someday he will make everything right that is wrong in this world. Someday the wicked will stand before this judge – and tremble. The Bible talks a lot about the day of Judgment:

Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” AC 17.31

But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 2 PE 3.7

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak MT 12.36

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 2 CO 5.10

Our nation and its well-being are important, yet someday our nation won’t exist. Someday there will be no more United States of America. No more laws, courts or judges. On that day the only thing that will matter is your relation to the Judge. He sent his Son to live the perfect life none of us have lived, and to personally pay for every crime we’ve committed, so we could escape his judgment, be saved and adopted as the Judge’s own children. Jesus was judged so we won’t have to be. Jesus was condemned so we could be received by the Judge as beloved children.

Someday the Judge of the universe will make everything right. Every crime will be punished, every wrong righted, every sin paid for one way or another. And when people sin against us, we’re to do what Jesus did when he was sinned against:

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 1 PE 2.23

Did you catch that? Jesus “continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” That’s what we need to do. We need to keep entrusting ourselves to God who judges justly. Earthly judges won’t always judge justly. But God will. We should pray for our leaders, pray for our Supreme Court, and hope they will judge justly and act righteously. But when they don’t we need to lift our eyes up to our heavenly Judge and know that he’s got it all under control and he will have the final judgment.

Are you right with the Judge of the universe? Would you be confident to stand before him today? Believe in Jesus, the Messiah, the King of Kings and Savior of the World, who became a man, lived a sinless life, then bore your judgment on the cross, paid for your sins, died in your place then rose from the dead. Put your hope in him. He will wash your sins away and give you eternal life and a peace that passes understanding.

Mark Altrogge has been the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana, PA for over 25 years, and is the author of many well known worship songs such as “I Stand In Awe”, and “In The Presence”. This article  first appeared on his blog and is used with permission.