Revelation 16
God is the True and Righteous Judge!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, March 19.
Are you quick to judge others?
Listen to the angel’s proclamation in the midst of God pouring out His wrath upon the earth. From Revelation 16:5–7,
And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.” And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Don’t be too quick to dish out what you think another person deserves, because Jesus is the only righteous Judge. Jesus warns us of this in Matthew 7:2: “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”
Take a deep breath and remember this before you judge another person. It’s like a boomerang!
God has good reasons for His judgements. They are not only justice, but they are mercy. Listen to God’s yearning for those who are facing His judgment in Revelation 16:9, “Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.”
God does not desire for any to perish, but wants all to repent, to come to a saving faith in Him (2 Peter 3:9). He is sovereign. He is good. He is just. His judgments are always righteous and true.
Seize the moment and learn to read all of God’s Word through the lens of who God is and not through the lens of your own anger with others or your angst with the world situation.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”