Living for God’s Judgment (Part 1 of 2)

1 Corinthians 4:1-5

This is how one should regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

The Context: Divisions in Corinth

The goal of these first five verses pertains to the context. Without it, the passage might seem strange. Paul is not saying he does not care if he did something wrong or that he is sinless. He has a specific point: there is a huge emphasis on God's opinion and God's commendation—literally, God's praise of us.

The purpose is to recognize God's praise and opinion of ourselves above other people's opinions, whether positive or negative. Recall the issue from chapter 1: divisions in the Corinthian church, with people aligning with Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or Christ. They focused on their preferred preacher or spiritual influence.

Even the "Christ group" missed the point, creating their own version of Jesus rather than truly following Him. Paul corrects this: Apollos, Paul, and Cephas are merely servants whose purpose is to bring the gospel. They are not to be exalted or used to create divisions. The message is more important than the messenger, pointing to Christ, as Paul determined to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Paul, Apollos, and others are just men who planted and watered, but God gives the growth. Blessings come from God, not a particular man. Do not create divisions based on personalities. Regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Examine us to be found faithful—but ultimately, it is God's examination that matters.

We should live concerned more about what God says about us than what others say. This is especially difficult in youth groups, but it applies to the whole church. In our age, we crave approval from others.

Human Judgment vs. God's Judgment

Paul addresses both exaltation (pro-Paul or pro-Apollos) and criticism (pro-Peter, anti-Paul). We worry about others' opinions of our character, positively or negatively. We defend ourselves, but Scripture calls us to defend the gospel and truth, not ourselves.

We defend the hope within us, the message of Scripture—not our moral exemplary status. Worship songs often focus on "I" rather than exalting God for what He has done. Testimonies sometimes emphasize human effort over God's regenerative work. Scripture teaches we were running from the gospel until God enabled us to receive it.

Overemphasis on "me" misses the point. Defend the truth, but let God defend you. Each one will receive his commendation—praise—from God Himself. Imagine God speaking highly of you.

We seek approval from others or have inflated self-opinions. False humility—negative self-talk—is often pride fishing for compliments. It never satisfies.

Consider an older lady at church who made the best pies. Compliments never sufficed; she deflected them, craving more. The text presents three judgments: from others, from self, or from the Lord. Only the Lord has the right.

Do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

Compliments are fine—say "thank you" and move on. But God knows everything, searches the heart. People compliment hypocrites living in secret sin. Focus on what matters: activities of gold, silver, precious stones that endure God's judgment and receive reward and praise.

Relinquish Care for Human Judgment

First, relinquish care for human judgment—whether from church members or human courts. Maintain a blameless reputation: open about being a sinner needing grace, actively addressing sin with accountability. Paul was unaware of anything against himself yet called himself the chief of sinners. He was not sinless but faithful.

Blame applies to unrepentant sinners. In church discipline, confrontation with Scripture removes blame if repented. People may dislike you for differences in sports, movies, music, or friends—relinquish that care.

For Paul, others' judgment was a small thing. He was not in ministry for human approval but for God's reward and praise. The Lord judges, sees the hidden, discloses heart purposes.

Much of Christ-and-Him-crucified living happens behind closed doors. Welcome examination—Paul aimed to be found faithful as a servant of Christ and steward of God's mysteries.

To relinquish others' opinions, prioritize serving Christ. Christ's leadership, advancing the gospel, pursuing righteousness for His glory—this satisfies more than human praise.

For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

Pleasing man disqualifies from serving Christ. In Galatia and Corinth, people altered the gospel for popularity—circumcision, dietary laws. Do not add requirements for unity beyond the gospel.

Be stewards of God's mysteries: manage truths accurately, believe correctly, represent honestly. Do not change doctrine for popularity. Consume yourself with serving Christ and studying His truths—activity and study displace care for others' judgments.

Relinquish Self-Judgment

Second, relinquish care for your own judgment of yourself.

Relinquishing Self-Judgment

That's the beauty of pursuing servanthood and stewardship: our focus shifts off ourselves and onto the person and work of Jesus Christ. To relinquish judgment of ourselves, the Apostle Paul says, "I don't even judge myself" in verse 3. It's a very small thing for him to be judged by others. He knows it will happen, but he has adopted an attitude where it is inconsequential and insignificant. In fact, he doesn't even scrutinize himself or formulate a positive or negative opinion of himself. There's a particular degree of self-forgetfulness because of his emphasis on stewarding the mysteries of God, serving Christ, and ministering the gospel.

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

The psalmist is not acting pompous or arrogant, claiming to be sinless. He's not unaware of anything against himself. Instead, what is more valuable to him is not self-centered introspection or soul-searching. It's a total God-focused way of life: "Lord, it is your power, your right, your ability to search me, to judge me. Here I am, laid bare before you. Search me, know my heart, test me, know my thoughts, and see if there be any grievous way in me." It's saying, "Search it out, find it, eradicate it, deal with it." Not "Lord, check it out, I'm totally sinless," but "Lord, find it, please. You'd be the one who looks into my heart, into my thoughts, who knows my hidden life."

As Paul discussed in verse 5, God brings to light things hidden in darkness and discloses the purposes of the heart. The psalmist says, "Try me, know my thoughts, know my heart, search it out—search and destroy. Find those wicked ways, those grievous ways within me. And Lord, please do something about it." That's why he follows with, "Lead me in the way everlasting." Search out my heart and life, fix it, and lead me in the eternal way.

It's taking the focus off me, off other people's perceptions, off being enslaved to what others say about me. Instead, we're concerned about what the Almighty, omnipotent God who created heaven and earth has to say about us.

Renewing Care for God's Opinion

Imagine if the clearest conference is going on, and you meet a popular speaker—someone well-known in the Christian community. If they knew who you were, interacted with you, and said something nice, it would incite happy feelings and make you feel good. But imagine that within the realm of God himself: knowing exactly who you are, even before your parents or anyone knew you—before the timeline you dropped into for this short, insignificant period. God knows you, cares about you, planned to send his Son to die for your sins because he cared more about his glory, yet had love and affection for you. He enables you to become like his Son, grants grace and his Holy Spirit so you grow more like Jesus. And at the end, he has something nice to say—not just "you're pretty decent," but he praises you for the work and life you lived according to his grace.

If a celebrity or mentor you admire takes special interest and encourages you, it's beneficial. But imagine the motivation of recognizing that God himself, on the last day, will praise you. Like in the story of Job, where God says to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is none like him." We see Christ as the ultimate fulfillment, but we are in Christ. There is a commendation about us based on him, on how we steward his mysteries and serve his Son.

God's opinion—that's the third point: to renew our care for what God has to say about us. Imagine someone saying something negative, but you're so focused on serving the Lord and stewarding his mysteries. They're called mysteries for a reason: biblical concepts that are desired, sought after, not found unless God reveals them. They are great truths, soul-satisfying, life-giving, super valuable. You've got those mysteries—you manage them. You're so caught up in them, so concerned about them—truths people cannot find unless granted by God. You have Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, restoring right relationship with God. You can serve him.

You can spend and deplete your time engaging in the mysteries of God and the service of Christ, to the point where others' judgments—nice or bad—become inconsequential. You'd be so forgetful of even judging yourself, consumed with the greatest truths the world will ever know.

How much time and effort in your relationship with God? Or how much is caught up in others' opinions? How important is looking a particular way for the world, your friends? Or how important is what God has to say—that he would say praiseworthy things?

Hopefully, renewing our care for God's opinion becomes a way of life, a habit, a joy, a desire. We take up the mantle of being more concerned about God, who is able to judge us, and look forward to the commendation we can receive from him.