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To: No Longer Free State

"My son, preserve sound judgement and discernment. Never let them out of your sight. They will be life to you, an ornament to grace your neck." Proverbs 3:21&22

Sound judgement. Biblically sound judgements are quite acceptable, and even encouraged. Without them, many of Paul's letters, and nearly all attempts at evangelizing would be rendered irrelevant. We are taught to weigh everything against scripture to see if it adds up.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" ~ 2Tim 3:16

One cannot be rebuked, taught, trained, or corrected unless an elder, more mature believer sees (judges!) where the weaker brother needs it.

One cannot even bring the gospel to a lost sinner unless he/she makes a discerned judgement regarding that individual's need.

Acceptable, sound, Biblical judgement: "What you're doing/saying, and/or how you're living is against what God says in the Bible."

Unacceptable judgement: "You're going to hell for what you've done."

See the difference?

Paul's letters to the Corinthians were an open rebuke for the sin that they allowed to creep into their midst. He judged what they had allowed to happen. I would venture it was the Church's LACK of discernment or judgement that enabled the sin to enter in the first place.

Which of the two scenarios shows more love:

1) Seeing a neighbor living in unrepentant, blatant, and offensive sin, and showing him the Truth of the Word of God so that he might leave his disastrous lifestyle and cling to Christ for his salvation, or

2) Seeing a neighbor living in unrepentant, blatant, and offensive sin, and saying/doing nothing about it.

If I hated my neighbor, I'd keep quiet and not say a word.
If I loved my neighbor, I'd want to see them live forever.

ps - St. Peter isn't a judge - God and God alone judges men. To suggest otherwise is contradictory to scripture.


313 posted on 10/31/2005 5:16:46 PM PST by ItsOurTimeNow (Freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.)
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To: ItsOurTimeNow

Sorry, you lost me at "


No, that's not a typo


314 posted on 10/31/2005 6:01:13 PM PST by No Longer Free State (No event has just one cause, no person has just one motive, no action has just the intended effect.)
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