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REMOVE ALL

Law and order are essential for the well being of men everywhere. Judicial systems may vary from place to place but they function to make judgments, to keep order and restore order when it is broken. What is criminal may be different from nation to nation. But what nation does not hinder deter crime. What nation does not punish criminals?

A crime is committed. The body is discovered. The evidence is collected. The investigation is conducted. The suspects are identified and one or more arrested. The indictment is brought, the charges are made formal, and the trial begins. The evidence is brought. The witnesses are questioned. The summations are made. The jury is sequestered to make their finding of guilt or innocence. The finding is presented to the judge. The judge validates the judgment. The innocent is set free. For the guilty a sentence is given. 

Why must we go to so much trouble in these matters? To maintain order. To deter crime. Yes. But because the  verdict will require a sentence and the sentence will change the course of a guilty party's life, we take great pains to determine guilt or innocence beyond the shadow of a doubt. 

Doubt.

G1252  

διακρίνω

diakrinō

Thayer Definition:

1) to separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer

2) to learn by discrimination, to try, decide

2a) to determine, give judgment, decide a dispute

3) to withdraw from one, desert

4) to separate one’s self in a hostile spirit, to oppose, strive with dispute, contend
5) to be at variance with one’s self, hesitate, doubt

Doubt is a serious problem. Absolute certainty about almost everything seems impossible. Yet...

God is a judge. He is the judge, one could say he is the judge of judges. His judgment is righteous and it is flawless. God is the eyewitness. Men want to remove all doubt. Men do not want to punish the innocent. God does not need to remove doubt because He has none.  And the most amazing thing is that God who judges guilt with 100% precision is the most merciful judge of all.

John 3:17  God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

Is this too simplistic? I don't think so. But why is it important? God has revealed himself to man. Do we doubt that this is so? If we do are we not actually calling God a liar? We know God as creator. We know Him as the Truth. The very doubt that Satan whispered into Eve's ear has caused every sin and crime ever committed. "Has God said...?"

Yes. He has said. And we should not doub anything that He said or ever will say.

John 14:6

Jesus replied (to doubting Thomas), "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man can come to the Father except by me."

John 8:31-32 

Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If ye abide in my word, [then] are ye truly my disciples; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Matthew 21:21-22 

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do what is done to the fig tree, but even if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea, it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

James 1:5-8 

But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.

God has one plan. Do not doubt it. Go and sin no more.

Ezekiel 18:25-32 (ASV):

25.Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

26. When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth therein; in his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

27. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

28. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

29. Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

30. Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord Jehovah. Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

31. Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah: wherefore turn yourselves, and live