Judgement & Succession

In recent columns I’ve been enthusing about Pascalian evangelism. The 17th-century thinker, Blaise Pascal, recommended a three-stage strategy with those who ‘despise religion’. First, show them Christianity’s respectability, then its desirability, then its truth.

Over the next three columns, I’ll apply the strategy to three commonly raised questions in evangelism: judgement; sex; and freedom. This month, let’s address the subject of judgement:

‘I can’t believe a faith that preaches “fire and brimstone”. Who can stomach the idea of judgement beyond the grave? It seems so primitive.’

Respectability

It’s not primitive to believe in judgement. In fact, it’s primitive not to believe in judgement. Our society is based on ‘the rule of law’ (or, at least, it’s meant to be). We judge a society best that upholds standards of justice. That’s far better than living in a realm where actions have no consequences. The alternative to a rule of law is a ‘law of the jungle’ in which the powerful rule and the weak are trampled.

Many of us take such privileges for granted but others in the world long for a society where wrongful actions have weighty consequences. Their lives would be improved greatly if only justice reigned. Often such people cry out to God for justice and in doing so they are wanting a ‘rule of law’ to exist above and beyond this world and its powers. They want ultimate reality to be a realm of ultimate justice – not subject to military, financial, political, popular or criminal manipulation. In other words, justice should be above the pay grade of mere humans. It should be in the hands of God.

Desirability

Logan Roy is wrong. Mr Roy, the fictional media tycoon from the TV show Succession, constantly attempts to evade the legal consequences of his evil. When others threaten him with the law, he declares: ‘The law is people. And people is politics.’ But we react against this. We want the Logan Roys of this world to ‘run out of road’ at some point. If not in this life, at least in the next life we want a law beyond people, powers and politics.

And the Bible brings a desirable truth (even if it’s uncomfortable): there is a moral grain to the universe. It doesn’t matter how big your army, how ruthless your gang, how rich your corporation, or how fancy your lawyers, going against that grain will mean ‘splinters’.

Truth

Perhaps the Bible’s strongest chapter on judgement is Revelation 6 (the one with the four horsemen of the apocalypse). Here a day of ‘wrath’ is announced. Justice will be impartial but it will not be impersonal. The very personal sins and atrocities of this world outrage the God of heaven, which is appropriate and good. And they call forth a judgement which falls first on the powerful – ‘the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty’. Yet this judgement also includes ‘everyone else, both slave and free.’ We may have felt comfortable pointing to the Logan Roys of this world, but a day is coming where perfect justice will fall – an immense and eternal leveller. And, as Psalm 130 asks: ‘Who can stand?’

But consider the source of the judgement. Revelation 6 speaks of ‘the wrath of the Lamb.’ Christ, who was once sacrificed for our sins, will be the Judge. The One who has climbed down from the judgement seat, put himself in the dock, and endured the harshest of punishments – He is in charge of the ‘fire and brimstone’.

There are many things we may not know about judgement – the particulars of who gets what. But we know the identity of the Judge and the way of hope beyond judgement. For those who hide themselves in Christ, the Lamb, we are assured now of an ultimate rule of law where justice really matters, and we are assured then of a just future – a future of righteousness and peace.

The Bible proclaims an ultimate reality of justice and mercy. It is respectable, desirable, and – best of all – true!