There Will Be No Glory in the Church Without Judgment

I received a very significant dream a few nights ago. In the dream I was talking to someone about Jesus, not as the Savior, but as the judge. I awoke with a revelation and an urgency to write what I believe is a word from the Lord.

The end meaning of the dream is this: Many professing Christians have a veil over their hearts and lack proper discernment because they don’t know Jesus as the judge, therefore they don’t fear Him. They only know Him as the Savior. It is the world that needs to know Jesus as the Savior, for Jesus did not come to judge the world but to save them (John 12:44-48), but the church needs to know Him as the Judge.

The very essence of His person and His throne is righteousness and judgment.

His Person

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:1).

“I saw heaven opened. And there was a white horse. He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written, that no one knows but He Himself.  He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood. His name is called The Word of God” (Rev. 19:11-13).

His Throne

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (Ps. 97:2). Justice has to do with judgment.

Until we understand Jesus as the judge in the light of God’s eternal judgments, truth cannot prevail and equity (honesty, integrity, uprightness, straightforwardness) will not have access into our lives.

“Just is turned backward, and righteousness stands far off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter” (Isa. 59:14).

In order to be clothed with glory, the church must know Jesus as the judge. True judgment/justice removes the facade and smokescreen of how things appear to be, and reveals them according to their true nature. The Lord does not judge things by appearance, but as they really are. At the judgment seat of Christ “we will be revealed as we are” (2 Cor. 5:10, AMPC), and “each one’s work will be clearly shown” (1 Cor. 3:13, AMP). What a fearful day? As we walk with this knowledge down here on the earth, we are in fact beholding Jesus with an unveiled face, and are changed from one degree of glory to another. There will be no glory in the church until there is true judgment.

“But we all, seeing the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18, MEV).

In the dream, I was saying that there were not enough judges on the earth and in the church. As a result, the church was falling short of judging spiritual matters. “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge” (1 Cor. 14:29). The problem has been that there are many false prophets who have no ability to judge spiritual matters, and too many of us are putting stock in what they say.

When have you ever heard another minister or prophet judge a supposed prophecy or revelation some other so-called prophet had and judge it as false? It rarely happens. And when have you known of a minister holding another accountable for his actions? It’s an all-too-frequent scenario to hear of a scandal some minister was caught in or a recent divorce they had, and then witness everyone’s approval and applause of him as he continues on with his ministry instead of being subject to discipline and a restoration process that can be lengthy. Where is the humility? Where is the brokenness? Where are the judges in these matters? (I submit this word to able judges)

“For I indeed, though absent in body but present in spirit, I have already, as if I were present, judged him who has done this deed” (1 Cor. 5:3).

“But I have written to you not to keep company with any man who is called a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Do not even eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But God judges those who are outside. Therefore ‘put away from among yourselves that wicked person'” (1 Cor. 5:11-13).

Eternal Judgment

One of the principle doctrines of Christ is eternal judgment (Heb. 6:1-2). That would include both the great white throne judgment (Rev. 20:11) and the judgment seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10). Eternal judgment is one of the doctrines that is referred to as the milk of the Word (Heb. 5:12-14). Yes, the milk of the Word! Spiritual babes in Christ are to desire the milk of the Word. “Therefore put away all wickedness, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking. As newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow” (1 Pet. 2:1-2).

Some believers think they are mature when they are really babies. I believe that the complacency and lack of the fear of the Lord we see in the church today is partly due to these missing ingredients in our spiritual diet known as the first principles of the doctrine of Christ. Eternal judgment is just one of them.

Do you realize that most Christians who are weak, sickly and die prematurely are those who have not judged themselves? That is quite a compelling thought.

“For this reason many are weak and unhealthy among you, and many die. If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (1 Cor. 11:30-31).

This tells me that we are to walk before the judgment seat of Christ right now while we are still in our earthly bodies here on the earth. In order to do that we’ve got to know Jesus, not just as Savior but as judge. As we walk with this knowledge down here on the earth, we are in fact beholding Jesus with an unveiled face.

The church must understand that righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne. Until we see that, we cannot walk in true discernment, clarity and the liberty of the Spirit. It is in “beholding the goodness and severity of the Lord” (Rom. 11:22) that we are kept free from the veils of deception. {eoa}

For more on this vital theme, refer to Purity of Heart.