By Reverend J. Loren Russell
Deuteronomy 16:18-20 NKJV
“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the Lord your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment. You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. You shall follow what is altogether just”.
In America, no judge has absolute authority, even if they sit on the Supreme Court. When a judge takes the oath of office, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will administer justice without respect to persons and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as Judge under the Constitution and laws of the United States,” they must bear in mind that their authority to judge was given to them by the Lord. It is the Lord God Almighty who gives them their positions and issues the directive to judge fairly. More than being accountable to those they adjudicate; judges are accountable to God.
When someone rises to a level of such prominence and power, they may be tempted to lean on their own interpretation of right and wrong, believing they are being impartial and discharging their duties and responsibilities according to the Constitution of the United States. However, the Bible says they are held accountable by an even higher authority that goes beyond the blind eye of justice, their oath of office, and even the Constitution of the United States. Judges were to be guided by the dictum found in 2 Chronicles 19:6, “Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.”
During this time of Advent, we are reminded that the Law of Moses has been written on the hearts of Christ followers. The coming of the Messiah, our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, empowers us to fulfill all the commandments and the laws through the adherence to the first and the greatest commandments, “…love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength,’ and, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:29-31).
The advent of Christ, which is the personification of love, is the assurance that the saints of God will judge the world (1 Cor. 6:2). The ability to judge brings with it a great responsibility that holds believers at the same level of accountability as the judges of the Old Testament. Therefore, we must also follow what is altogether just, because we will likewise answer to an even higher authority.
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church and is the spiritual leader of both LaGree Baptist Church and the Evangelical Church of God, all in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096), and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on Facebook Live. Be sure to Friend “Matters of Faith” on YouTube and email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smash words.com/books/view/993177.
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