Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 5.

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.

Oh, there's so much in this verse as we continue to think about judgment here in the beginning

of 1st Corinthians chapter 4.

One, like when Paul writes, therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord

comes, it's just a reminder to us that we see all throughout scripture that we never need to

forget that justice is only rightly seen in the long term, overtime, not in the short term in a specific time. There are all kinds of

examples where you might look at a situation and say, where's the justice in that? Or maybe even

to think justice doesn't prevail. But in the large arc of the universe, like justice prevails.

We know where the whole story is headed in the end.

So we trust God's timing as the just one.

But then there's another part of this verse that I want to kind of hone in on

when Paul says, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness

and will disclose the purposes of the heart. So judgment does not just involve actions, things we do, but purposes, like ambitions, what's in the heart, things we desire. And that reality is convicting to the core because I can think about all kinds of things I could do

that would be at least look on the outside look good and right and even God honoring but I can have sinful purposes in my heart amidst good

actions and deeds. Like, just take a simple example. Like, I could preach on a Sunday

God's word in a way that draws people to Christ or

builds up people in their faith and glorifies God. But in my heart, I can do that work

...