10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.
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V. 9 - “For to this end” - Here is the reason Christ sacrificed Himself, and resurrected to eternal life... “He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” - Christ came for us. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Cor 15:3-4) Everything, all creation is under the authority of the Lord, Christ Jesus. (See: 1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22; Heb 2:8) Christ came to redeem the whole universe - and on that day we will see a new earth, a new Jerusalem, and we will commune with God face-to-face, basking in His glory. When Christ died on the cross, we all died - not just believers. He died for the whole universe. To be God’s own, to benefit of His sacrifice, you must be born again. (John 3:1-18) Only those with this new life will be with Him. (John 14:6; 2 Cor 5:16-17). When you believe and accept Him as Lord and Savior, you are born again, your name is written in the lambs book of life. (See: Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:15, 21:27). Whether dead or alive, when we face Jesus on that day we are either welcomed into heaven or cast into hell - all based on our personal relationship with Christ. All power and authority is in His hands. He is Lord both of the dead and the living.
V. 10 - “Why do you judge your brother?” - I think ‘judging’ generally means determining who is worthy of heaven or hell. (Note: need to do a word study on ‘judge’.) You and I have no authority, and most definitely no power, to consign someone to hell or heaven. I cannot tell someone, “You are going to hell because... (pick a reason, any reason).“ I am not God, not even ‘a god’. Saying such a thing is stepping way out of bounds. We can only see what a person does. We cannot see their motive; cannot see what is in their hearts and minds pushing them to make these decisions. Only God can see what they think and believe. He sees their heart. (1 Sam 16:7; Deut 10:16; Pro 27:19)
“Why do you regard your brother with contempt?” - ‘Contempt’ is a ‘notch’ down the ladder from judging. Contempt is displaying the attitude of seeing yourself as better than another. That person is ‘less than’ you, not deserving of respect or consideration. It is thinking of yourself more than you ought to think, delusions of grandeur or superiority, maybe even delusions of mediocrity. (See: Rom 12:3, 16, 11:20) Contempt is a product of human pride and arrogance. You only need to read the Old Testament, especially the prophets, to see the Lord’s attitude towards our puny human pride.
“We will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” - When we stand before God on that day it will not be we who pass judgement on Him. We will stand trembling with fear because of His glory. We will either wail in anguish, or cry tears of joy and dance based on His judgment. All of us will stand before God and it will be announced whether or not our name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (See: Rev. 20:11-15) Christians, believers will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ to be judged for our behavior as His own. (See: 2 Cor 5:10). Have you lived worthy of the price paid?
V. 11 - “It is written” - Quoted from Isa 45:23, and also seen in Phil 2:9-11. Nobody escapes this. Some will cheerfully and gladly confess and offer allegiance to Christ. Others will do it because they see, perhaps finally at last, the One they have been resisting is the One to whom all must acquiesce. There will be no rebellion at this point, only fear and regrets for those who turned away from Christ. They will see and know ,”They shoulda hadda oughta...”, but now it is too late. “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Heb 9:27-28)
V. 12 - “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” - Accountability. A much bandied-about word during this turgid political season. (The President! No, Congress! Judges!) It seems that accountability is usually, “Not me, but Thee!” Christians, those whose names are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and non-Christians alike must face God, Father and Son. (See: 2 Cor 5:20; Rev 20:11-15)
V. 13 - “let us not judge one another anymore“ - Do not feel superior because you can freely drink a glass of wine without guilt or shame. Do not feel inferior because you are not comfortable eating a steak.
“not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way” - This is the learning-to-live-with-others part of this equation. Looking back at the first part of this verse - are you trying to 'shame' someone into doing something they are not comfortable doing (e.g., drinking wine, etc.)? Doing an action that you think may be against God's commands will feel like a sin, it is an assault on your conscience. Is someone attempting to get you to violate God's will for you? Are they making you feel uncomfortable about your decisions? Their actions are an affront to God's desire for us to help each other live for the Lord. Where possible live at peace with each other. ***