Category Archives: Judgment

Accountability, Bible, Guilt, Guilty, Judging, Judgment, Law, Scripture

ACCOUNTABLE

ROMANS 3:19

“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;”

In our Every Man A Warrior books, we teach men to be accountable to God, family and other men. We are not afraid to confront each other about our lives. We challenge each other to be better men, to treat our wives as Christ would, to love our children as unto the Lord and to live for our communities to make it a better place. Accountability is difficult at times, but it is definitely worth it in the end.

Paul reminds his readers in today’s verse about two undeniable truths. One is that in order to be held accountable to a law, there must first be a law. Secondly, in order to be held accountable, there must have been a violation of the law. Paul’s readers knew this. God’s law was present and pertained to all. Their guilt was based on the fact that they had violated at least one of those commandments, thereby violating them all. Guilt was present.

APPLICATION

In the Commitment we sign as warriors in Every Man A Warrior, number five says that we will not be defensive if our brothers challenge us (hold us accountable). That may be related to not doing the weekly assignment or memorizing that week’s verse. We want to challenge each other to help each other grow. That’s the whole purpose behind God’s accountability in our lives. His commandments were given to us to make us more like Him. Who doesn’t want that?

The Greek word translated as “accountable” is hupodikos, and it only occurs right here in the New Testament. It literally means “under sentence.” In order for a sentence to be given, guilt must be proven. In our U.S. court systems, we say everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Then and only then is the sentence rendered. Sometimes that sentence is light and other times it is harsh, such as the death penalty.

None of us have a defense against the “divine bench.” The Great Judge will render judgment on all mankind. We, however, as followers of Christ, have escaped this great judgment because our guilt was put on another. Isaiah 53:5 speaks of the suffering Servant (Jesus) when it says, “But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Thank You, Lord, for carrying my guilt to the cross.

I am forever grateful that You paid a debt You did owe because I owed a debt I could not pay.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Blood, Eternity, Forgiveness, Judging, Judgment, Scripture, Sin

WE WILL ALL BE JUDGED

ROMANS 3:7

“But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?”

In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Queen Gertrude in speaking to the Player Queen says, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” The phrase refers to someone’s excessively strong or insincere denial of something, leading others to suspect they might be guilty or hiding something. That phrase popped into my head when I read today’s verse.

Paul is kind of playing the devil’s advocate here and throwing out another ridiculous question. Can our sins ever cause God’s glory to become greater? Paul isn’t insinuating that. He is really showing the folly of such thinking. But he knows that people want to rationalize their sinful decisions. After all, why should we be judged, right? Because we are sinful creatures in need of Savior.

APPLICATION

God’s glory is not enhanced by our sin. His glory is shown by how He responds to this sin by demanding adherence to His commands. You’ve heard it said that God’s ten commandments are not His ten suggestions. They are meant to be followed. When we choose to not follow them, we are subject to the punishment that will follow, sooner or later.

Why Carl, I’ve been a sinner all my life and God hasn’t stricken me dead yet. That’s right, not yet. But we know that our sins will find us out. We will be held liable for those sins at some point. We see people all around us who seemingly get away with all kinds of sinful behavior. They may not ever face the consequences this side of eternity, but their day is coming. Rest assured, God will not be mocked.

As I write this devotional blog today, the world has been rocked by yet another senseless murder. The man killed loved Jesus and will be seen as a martyr for Christ. Even his last few words were giving testimony to the work Christ had done. And then…the bullet came that took his life. We scream for justice. We scream for retribution. But Christ died for the very man who took Charlie Kirk’s life. Charlie would have been the first to share Jesus with him, if he had only asked. And if by chance this young man turns to Jesus before his death, Charlie will be there to welcome him into heaven.

Sins left unconfessed and uncovered by the blood of Christ will cost you everything. You will lose an eternity with God. But if you confess and turn to Him, all is forgiven, no matter the gravity of the sin. Have you done that?

O Lord, forgive us for judging others when we have no right to do so. You are the one who is worthy to judge all mankind.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Forgiveness, Jesus, Judging, Judgment, Salvation, Scripture

ONLY ONE JUDGE

ROMANS 3:6

“Far from it! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?”

There are only a few absolutes in this world. One is “There is a God,” and another is “You’re not Him.” You may have heard that before. In this day of more and more “graying,” people refuse the black and white decisions. You tend to justify just about anything. We blame criminal behavior on poverty or skin color. We excuse anti-authority behavior on the zeal of youth. Sorry, my friend. Our world is a world of absolutes.

There was never any question in Paul’s mind about who would judge the world. Of course, God would. He was the only judge who had that right. Albert Barnes makes these comments about this verse. “It may be remarked, however, that God will judge offences, not from what he may do in overruling them, but from the nature of the crime itself. The question is not, what good God may bring out of it, but what does the crime itself deserve? what is the character of the offender? what was his intention?”

You see, our choices do have consequences, quite often eternal ones.

APPLICATION

The concept of God’s right to judge mankind is written throughout Scripture. In Genesis 18:25b we read, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” If God is anything, He is a just judge. He rules every action equally. You may have heard it explained this way. God looks down on our sin as you might look down on a large city from above. From a great height it is not possible to tell which building is the tallest. All you see are the rooftops. God sees our sins that way. In His eyes sin is sin. All sin must be judged.

In Ecclesiastes 12:14 we are told, “For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Same truth! Every act will be brought to judgment. And in

Ecclesiastes 11:9c Solomon gets more direct. “Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.” There is no escaping God’s judgment for our sins unless…

The Great Judge provided the way of escape. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for all our sin. God judged His Son on that cross, demanding holy blood be spilled to cover us for eternity. God does have the right to judge, but He also loves us enough to give us a way out. Have you chosen that gift? Judgment will come. If you are in the family of God through Jesus, your judgment has been settled.

Father, thank You for being the only Judge Who can judge mankind and thank You for providing a way of escape.


If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Confession, God's Will, Judgment, Scripture, Secrets

SECRETS

ROMANS 2:16

“on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.”

It is said that the true character of a man is revealed by what he does in secret when no one is watching. How true! We read almost every day where some influential leader in the Christian world has his/her hidden life revealed, exposing secret affairs or embezzlement of funds. When will we all learn that there is nothing that will not be revealed sooner or later? It will all come out in the end.

Paul tells us in verse 16 that mankind’s secrets will be judged by God according to their response to Jesus. The Greek word for “secrets” is kruptos which means something that is hidden. It is used @20 times in the New Testament. I bet Paul had seen some secrets of Pharisees when he was one. I am sure he saw how they told the people to do one thing while they were doing another. Secrets may seem protected, but we know God sees all.

APPLICATION

In the parable of the lamp in Luke 8, Jesus says in verse 17, “‘For nothing is concealed that will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.’” Hmmm, you would think with those words spoken by Jesus, everybody within hearing distance would have straightened up. But they didn’t. Secrets have a way of holding us captive. The longer we keep them, the deeper we retreat into them. Sooner or later, we have trouble distinguishing what is real and what is not.

We are told in Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Every secret deed done that goes against God’s Word will be not only exposed, but it will also be judged by God. What secret things are you hiding right now that you know God does not approve of? Confess those as sin and if need be, expose them to someone you can trust who can walk with you in this.

Paul gives us some more advice on this subject in 1 Corinthians 4:5. “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then praise will come to each person from God.” Don’t sit in judgment. That’s not your place. That’s God’s. He will expose all one day. Just make sure your secret things are dealt with before then. That way you can face your Savior with nothing that needs confessing. No secrets!

Thank You, Lord, for knowing my heart. I know there is nothing that is not known to You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Forgiveness, Grace, Judgment, Mercy, Payment, Repayment, Repentance, Scripture, Works

REPAYMENT PLAN

ROMANS 2:6

“who WILL REPAY EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:” 

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Payback is H..LL.” Right? I don’t want to sound crude, but some people take this seriously. If you hurt them, they will hurt you back. If you damage them in any way, they will make you pay. Gang wars are based on this. That’s why these fights never end. Our flesh thinks we have the right to retaliate. Paul addresses today the only One who has the right to repay someone for their actions.

In verse 6, Paul references a couple of verses, according to most scholars. His words here are not the literal words of these verses but more the idea behind them. God is holy and will not allow mankind to escape judgment. Albert Barnes says this, “It is not true that God will treat people according to their external conduct: but the whole language of the Bible implies that he will judge people according to the whole of their conduct, including their thoughts, and principles, and motives; that is, as they deserve.”

APPLICATION

One of the verses in Paul’s thoughts is Psalm 62:12 which says, “And faithfulness is Yours, Lord, for You reward a person according to his work.” The first “work” is our decision to follow Jesus. Did we give Him our all? I was reading an article this morning about the Discipleship Gospel. It said (and I agree) it is, “about both salvation and discipleship. All who respond to salvation are freely saved and, at the same time, called to discipleship by faith, no exceptions, no excuses (Mark 8:34–38; 1 Cor. 15:1–8). It is about kingdom life then and there (when we die), but also here and now (in this life). It is about surrendering to the risen and saving King to have our sins forgiven and our lives changed, so that we learn to die to ourselves and live for him (Galatians 2:20).” (What is the Discipleship Gospel? by Bobby Harrington and Curt Erskine)

Another possible verse on Paul’s mind in verse 6 is Proverbs 24:12. “If you say, ‘See, we did not know this,’ does He who weighs the hearts not consider it? And does He who watches over your soul not know it? And will He not repay a person according to his work?”

Jesus makes mention of this repayment in Matthew 16:27. “‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.’” What is your response? I want to be repaid by God for my deeds – my good deeds, my allegiance to Him, my acts of kindness and mercy, my obedience to Him. Surrender your self-will for His will today. Then you can rest in the repayment plan issued by God Himself.

Father God, I know I will be judged by You for my works. Let every action I take reflect Your glory.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, God's Will, Judgment, Right, Scripture, Truth

ACCORDING TO TRUTH

ROMANS 2:2

“And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.”

Often things are not as they appear. That is no truer than right now in our world. AI has changed how we can look at things. We may think we are seeing or hearing something as true, but it is computer generated. We are even using AI in our ministry to make people in our training videos speak other languages. They look like they know how to speak Portugese or Spanish when all they know is English. Looks can be deceiving.

The phrase “rightly falls” is literally “according to truth” in the Greek. Albert Barnes says this about that phrase. “God will judge those who are guilty of such things, not according to appearance, but in integrity, and with righteousness. He will judge people according to the real nature of their conduct, and not as their conduct may appear to people. The secret, as well as the open sinner therefore; the hypocrite, as well as the abandoned profligate, must expect to be judged according to their true character.”

APPLICATION

We cannot doubt God’s judgment. It will fall on the right person at the right time. Job asked in Job 21:7, “Why do the wicked prosper, grow old and also become very powerful?” You may ask the same question. That is not for us to know. We have to trust the One who knows what is right for each individual. The only judgment we can have any control over is our own. We must come to Him and seek His will.

One commentator simply said of this phrase “according to truth” that God’s judgment squares with the facts. When all the facts are laid out, as they will be one day, God’s judgment will fall. Isn’t it nice to know that our judgment has already been taken care of by the Lamb of God? We have been declared not guilty due to the shed blood of the innocent Son of God.

We can guide others to a saving knowledge of Jesus, thus alleviating their judgment, but we can’t save a soul. Some people will still refuse to believe. I know people like that. Their pride will not let them bow before King Jesus. They will hold on to that pride until God’s judgment rightly falls on them. God save their soul! Let’s pray everyone will turn to Him before it’s too late.

Father, thank You that my judgment has been paid for and I am free from the penalty of sin.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Excuses, Forgiveness, Judgment, Mercy, Scripture

NO EXCUSE

ROMANS 2:1

“Therefore you have no excuse, you foolish person, every one of you who passes judgment; for in that matter in which you judge someone else, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” 

That’s the bottom line – we have no excuse. After the past several verses of chapter 1, Paul simply says, “Therefore you have no excuse.” Have you ever had to admit that? I sure have. I’m 64 years old and have been married almost 40 years. There have many things I have done in those years for which I had no excuse. I have learned to just admit when I’m wrong (well, at least most of the time, lol). I don’t need to rationalize my decision.

The literal Greek for that first phrase is “Therefore inexcusable you are.” Ouch! The Greek word for “inexcusable” is anapológētos which has that same negative prefix alpha which we saw in 1:31. The second part of the word comes from apologeomai which means to defend or excuse. One source I looked at said it “frequently describes the hopelessness of trying to defend a case in court, while lacking an adequate defense.”

APPLICATION

But you have to read the rest of the verse to see what Paul is talking about. He is telling these Roman believers they had no right to judge those people he had just been writing about. In fact, he says, “for you who judge practice the same things.” Isn’t that still the case today? Usually, people who bark the loudest are the most guilty. Take the beam out of your own eye first, we are told.

Who will do the judging? God will. We will all stand before a holy God one day. Unbelievers will face a harsh judgment and be separated eternally from God. Believers will be judged on their works here on earth. But we will all face God. We have no excuse. We won’t be able to point our fingers at our spouses or employers or the government. No one is going to be held accountable for our sins but we ourselves.

When you see a brother or sister struggling in sin, pray for them. If you are able to help restore them, do that without entangling yourself. Remember, except for the grace of God, there you go also. None of us have arrived. We are all on this journey together. We have no excuse for our own sins. Repent today and seek the Lord’s forgiveness.

O Lord, forgive me for being judgmental of others and pointing fingers at their sin when I have sin in my own life which need to be confessed.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Declare, Judgment, Resurrection, Righteousness, Scripture

HORIZONS

ROMANS 1:4

“who was declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

Depending on where you live and the topography around you, you may or may not clearly see the horizons that surround you. If you live in a mountainous area, you will see a jagged horizon and if live in a desert region, it may appear more as a straight line. I love to see the western horizon when I am at the beach. I love to watch the sun set and disappear with all the accompanying colors. But try as I might, I do not have the power to set my horizons. They are set by One far greater than I.

In today’s verse, we have a Greek word that is translated as “was declared” from which we get our English word “horizon.” God has declared or “set the boundary” which determined Jesus as the Son of God. He used the Holy Spirit to do that through the resurrection so that all mankind could see that “horizon.” Jesus has always been the Son of God, but God wanted all of us to see that clearly, just like that sunset I described at the beach.

APPLICATION

In Acts 10:42 we read where Peter uses horizo to describe Jesus. “‘And He ordered us to preach to the people, and to testify solemnly that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.’” Jesus’ declaration by God also included His role as Judge. He is the One who sits in judgment over all mankind. As followers of Christ, we will not face the same judgment as the unbeliever. But He is still our Judge.

As Paul was speaking on Mars Hill in Acts 17:31, he uses this same word. “‘…because He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead.’” The intellects of the day needed to hear that there was a supreme God who had come in the form of man to reign over all other gods. God had declared Jesus as His Son with all the authority to do that.

Do you believe? Are you following? If you answered “yes,” then the choice is clear. You must obey. You must obey the One who has been declared as the true horizon in your life. Only He sets the boundaries. No one can push the boundaries of your life. And if you have made that choice to obey, He has declared you as righteous in His sight. Live that way.

Thank You for declaring Jesus as Your Son, worthy of all praise and glory.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Freedom, Judgment, Legalism, Pharisees, Scripture

HERE COMES THE JUDGE

COLOSSIANS 2:16

“Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day—”

Back when I was growing up, there was a tv show called “Laugh In.” It was very popular, and several stars got their start there. One of the regular skits was done by Flip Wilson who played a comical judge. He would always enter the court room singing, “Here Comes the Judge, Here Comes the Judge.” Then he would proceed to make some ridiculous verdict or something. It was definitely a 60’s and 70’s humor thing.

In today’s verse, Paul is telling the Colossian believers to not let anyone judge them in their Christian walk in regards to Jewish laws and practices. The things he names were all referring to Jewish practices of food and worship. Some Jewish believers wanted to keep practicing all the Jewish laws and force them on Gentile believers. Paul had it out with Peter over this very thing and talked about in Galatians 2. Paul was not going to allow these new believers to be forced into laws and rules which he knew did not fit into their new lives in Christ.

APPLICATION

You may have people in your life who act like judges. You can’t eat that. You can’t drink that. You can’t wear that. You can’t miss a church service. Listen, we have just as many Christian “pharisees” today as there were Jewish pharisees back in the days of Paul. Don’t allow others to tell you what you must do to be “holy.” That’s God’s job.

I love how Albert Barnes explains this verse. “The meaning is, ‘since you have thus been delivered by Christ from the evils which surrounded you: since you have been freed from the observances of the law, let no one sit in judgment on you, or claim the right to decide for you in those matters. You are not responsible to man for your conduct, but to Christ; and no man has a right to impose that on you as a burden from which he has made you free.’”

The Greek word for “judge” literally means to decide or determine. There will be people who want to try to make your decisions for you. Now, there is nothing wrong with godly advice. I seek it all the time. But that advice has to line up with Scripture and should be led by the Spirit. Stay in the Word. Seek His face. He will show Himself to you and lead you in the right way.

Father, I give You praise for leading and guiding me so that I do not have to rely on others to decide for me.

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Bible, Goodness, Judgment, Reward, Scripture, Service

PAYBACK

EPHESIANS 6:8

“knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, whether slave or free.”

“You’re going to get what’s coming to ya!” Have you ever heard that? Usually, that is screamed at you by someone who wants to retaliate because they think you’ve done something to hurt them. So, you walk around looking over your shoulder, waiting for the hammer to drop, right? You’re paranoid they are going to get you back.

Well, that is not what Paul is describing in today’s verse. In fact, just the opposite. He says because of your “good thing” you do, you “will receive back from the Lord.” The Greek word for “receive this back” is komizó. It’s only used ten times in the New Testament. It means “I receive back, receive what has belonged to myself but has been lost, or else promised but kept back, or: I get what has come to be my own by earning, recover.” (Strong’s Concordance). I like that a lot better than the example I gave, don’t you?

APPLICATION

Komizo is used in 1 Peter 1:9. “obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Peter uses it again in 1 Peter 5:4. “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” Both of these are worth waiting for, don’t you think? And remember, God always keeps His promises to us.

Of course, you may also be promised to receive the consequences for your actions. In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Paul uses komizo again. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.”

What are you going to receive? If you are a believer in Christ, you can be assured of your salvation. But your rewards will vary according to your faithfulness here on earth. You may say, Well Carl, I just want to get to heaven. It doesn’t matter what I am rewarded for. I understand that, but all those rewards you receive will be laid at the feet of Christ. I want my pile to be so high that I have to get on my glorified tiptoes to see Jesus. How about you?

Father, I want to honor You in all I do, so that I can give back to You all You honor me with in glory.

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