JUDGMENT

                                                                     

But we need to comprehend the meaning of that word 'judgment'. We so often limit it to one of its aspects, especially the final one. 

We speak of 'bringing to judgment' - meaning by that, to punishment - the final effect of judgment. 

But judgment in the Bible is a more comprehensive word than that.

It is, to begin with - and this can be clearly seen in terms of fire, or fire in terms of judgment - a trying of things, a putting them to the test.

Now Scriptures will leap to your mind which bear that out. 

Fire tests, the fire tries, the fire finds things out, does it not? 

That is the first effect of fire. 

And that is the first meaning of judgment: to put everything to the test, to try it.

Having done that, it discriminates: that is, it divides; it shows to which category things belong, and it puts them there. 

Fire has that effect. It says: That is of that kind, and it belongs to that kind; it is of that category, or that realm, or that kingdom: this belongs to another. 

Fire finds out: it discriminates and it divides.

And then it relegates finally. It says: that has been found to belong to a certain realm; it has been designated, it has been discriminated; it belongs there, we put it there. 

That is the final effect of the fire.

That is the content of the word 'judgment'. We need always to keep that full meaning in mind when we use the word. We will not dwell upon its application more fully at the moment.

We are told in the Word of God that this judgment - which would come, mark you, with the coming of the Holy Spirit - the effect of Christ's release through the Cross, in the coming of the Holy Spirit was to cast fire.

In other words, the effect of Christ's release would be the coming of the Spirit as the Spirit of fire; and as the Spirit of fire His presence would always be in terms of judgments in this threefold sense of the word. 

The Holy Spirit's presence is like this and it has this effect.

~T. Austin Sparks~