In our judicial system, the role of judge is separated from that of lawmaker. A judge cannot change the law, initiate legal proceedings, or change the penalty imposed by the law. A judge has no role in carrying out the sentence against the guilty.
This separation of lawmakers and judges is meant to ensure that justice is applied fairly and impartially. If the same person who makes the law also acts as judge and carries out the sentence, the result is often despotism, injustice and arbitrary punishment. So what are we to make of a Judge who acts as lawmaker and executioner too?
Perhaps we need to move away from thinking about the law courts and find a different analogy for God as Judge. When we were children, our parents determined the family’s rules. When those rules were broken, it was they who decided who was responsible and what the penalty would be. Being human, our parents may sometimes have set rules and meted out punishments that seemed harsh or unfair. But children seldom question their parent's right to act as both lawmaker and judge. A good parent is not distant and impartial, but lovingly committed to their child’s growth in maturity and righteousness.
We must be careful not to take this analogy too far. God is truly Father only to those who are in Christ, adopted into his family. Parents are not God! But the analogy is helpful in that it reminds us that God as Judge is not a distant despot, nor even an impartial legalist, but the Creator who is deeply concerned for the eternal welfare of those whom he rules and judges. His laws are not arbitrary, but a reflection of his own goodness and holiness. His judgement is not impersonal and distant, but based on an intimate knowledge of the hearts and minds of those he judges.
