Do Christians experience temporal judgments?
Question:
Do you feel Christians experience "temporal judgments" here on this earth right now? In other words, if a born again believer is not walking according to what the Scriptures teach, do they experience temporary judgments in order to get them to come around to the Lord’s way before it would be too late?
Answer:
The answer is yes, but the avenue used might not always be what you expect.
"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?" (I Corinthians 6:1-5).
When there is a matter between brethren, Christians are called upon to make a judgment about how that matter is to be settled. Often, someone will be judged to be in the wrong (that is sinning). If he will not repent, the church is to take disciplinary action. In the same letter, the Corinthian church had a man living with his father's wife. Paul stated, "For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed" (I Corinthians 5:3). Judgment was made and withdrawal of fellowship was commanded as the proper way to handle the situation. The purpose was so "that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (I Corinthians 5:5).
The New Testament also tells us that God will sometimes directly takes action. " And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives." If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?" (Hebrews 12:5-9).
Since none of us are directly privy to God's decisions, we may not always detect just what is happening for what reason. Like Job, we might be mistaken in our assumptions about why bad things are happening to us. However, it is clear that God asks his followers to discipline other followers who are straying and that He Himself will use events to chasten a straying Christian.
