Posted on 10/21/2012 10:41:14 AM PDT by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
“Only God can judge me.” - Elizabeth Escalona, 23-year-old Texas mom who beat and glued her 2-year-old daughter’s hands to a wall.
“Holier than thou critics have nothing on Lance Armstrong.” - de Volkskrant, the Netherlands
“Be Cool. Be Kind. Don’t Judge.” - A tee shirt on sale at the Ellen Degeneres online store.
Ever notice how often those who lead Godless lives, who engage in immoral behavior, who commit unspeakable acts invoke the words of the Lord to defend their unrepentant sinfulness?
“Judge not lest ye be judged.”
Usually they direct the words at Christ followers, whom they disparage as “judgmental” or “sanctimonious” or “holier than thou.”
Of course, if the Godless, the immoral, the unrepentant actually read the Bible, rather than selected verses, they would understand the context in which the Lord said “Judge not.”
He was talking about hypocritical judgment.
“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” the Savior admonished.
“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
What the Lord was saying is that, before those of us who believe ourselves upright presume to judge those we perceive as ungodly, we should examine ourselves.
If I am an adulterer, if I consort with prostitutes, if I frequent strip clubs, if I download pornography on the Internet, who am I to condemn others for their sexual sins?
If I have a gambling problem or a drug habit or a violent temper, how can I chastise those who similarly struggle with demons?
If I forget the Sabbath day, choosing football over church, if I kill, by supporting institutions that support abortion, if I steal, by working for a business that cheats its customers, what standing do I have to criticize those who break other of God’s commandments?
But those who are committed Christ followers, who are not just hearers, but doers of the Word, not only have the moral authority to judge the ungodly, they have a God-ordained imperative to do so.
Indeed, the Psalmist declared, “The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment.” The Apostle Paul echoed that “he who is spiritual judges all things.”
It’s not about condemning sinners to hell. It’s about calling them to repentance, so that their eternal souls are not cast into the lake of fire of which the Bible warns.
It’s not about hating on transgressors, for we are, every one of us, sinners, who fall short of the glory of the Lord.
It’s about hating the sin.
So Christ followers do the will of God when they call out those who brazenly flout His law; who unabashedly and unrepentantly persist in their sins.
The unsaved may acknowledge God. They may even quote the Lord. But that matters not.
So they believe in the Father and the Son. That’s well and good. “Even the demons believe,” the Bible notes, “and tremble!”
Actually NO the Bible does NOT tell you not to judge others. But if ye judge, do so as how you yourself want to be judged. By their fruits shall ye know them. So we are to judge them by their fruits. If they lie, that’s one strike against them already.
Personally, I think God is writing a new chapter in scripture. One that will not only admonish the heretofore “no-judgement’ credo in favor of his action, but to command it. Command righteous action against evil wherever seen.
Judge not lest you be judged.
Make sure you sins find you out.
If you go back to the book of Leviticus God does command to judge, but to judge while giving benefit of the doubt.
Lev. 19:15
“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”
And in the Christian’s New Testament it has this to say.
John 7:24
“Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”
Judgement has two meanings in the Bible. The first is to condemn a person or group of persons, treating them as objects beneath us, thus justifying slaughter or other forms of persecution. Vengence is the Lord’s, so we need to quit trying to using it our selves. The other is a case of discernment, explaining to someone that a particular attitude or action is harmful to one’s self or others. Discernment is best used for other followers. For unbelievers? God loves them so much He gave his only son, Jesus Christ ... (that’s what we tell them)
“Actually NO the Bible does NOT tell you NOT to judge others.”
Triple Negative = Awesome!!!!
Let’s ask Denish D’sousa.
Well, we are not supposed to judge non-Christians because (a) we are as much sinners as they are and (b) it is God’s love and message of forgiveness through Christ that draws the sinner to forgiveness.
Those that are Christians definitely can be judged by other Christians; in the case of the step-son sleeping with his mother (Galatians?) Paul recommends his expulsion from the church. Again this is the tough love required to push a back-sliding Christian back to God.
One way to take Christ’s words is that no one knows what is actually going on inside someone else’s heart and head. Also, no one knows what the final destiny of an evil doer may be after death. Only God knows that.
What we CAN judge is outward, obvious, factual evil. If someone murders somebody, we cannot completely know how deliberate it may have been, how intentional, how provoked or insane, and so forth. But we do know that murder is an evil act, and that it must be stopped and/or punished.
So, yes. For instance, abortion is ALWAYS evil, although some are more guilty than others; some act out of ignorance, some violate their consciences, and so forth. And as the discussion goes public, it has gotten harder for most people to pretend that they don’t know what abortion really is.
Just heard a sermon by good ole McGee. Self judgeing is a good thing, keeps us humble.
Maybe a better way of saying it is:
Judge your self and also others likewise.
Too many people only hear the Judge not.
In all fairness, judgement should be left up to judges, who are competent to judge, as having the evidence before them.
For others to judge without evidence is unfair.
However, that being said, once judgement has been rendered by a competent judge, everyone may feel free to condemn, as that is *not* judgment, but acceptance of judgment.
The guilty often seek to evade justice, so they accuse those who condemn them as unfair judges. Before judgment has been rendered, this is true; afterwards it is not.
“I am not judging you. I am damning you, based on the judgment that you are guilty.”
OK. I won't buy the shirt or watch Ellen. Because by doing so I would judge her lifestyle as being acceptable.
If I am not supposed to judge something by condemning it, I also cannot judge it by condoning it.
Our judgment is supposed to be according to God’s Word.
Christians are to have discernment. We are told that we shall know a tree by its fruit.
Ultimately the Word of God judges.
And God does not expand or change His Word.
We Christians are NOT as much sinners as “they”—unbelievers—are. We are saints, washed by the blood of Christ, sins forgiven forever, Hebrews 10: 10-23, and do not walk in the manner they formerly walked when we were dead (spiritually) in our trespasses and sins.
[Ephesians 2:1-10].
We have been raised up to walk in newness of life, and therefore, God does not call us sinners anymore, but saints.
We are clothed with Christ’s righteousness.
Just as God is not on our “side” (we are either on His side, or not), we should not judge others (Judgement is God’s role, or the role of a authority he allows here on earth).
But on the other hand, we are to be salt and light (i.e. be his witnesses here for his message).
This is an argument as old as Sodom when they asked why Lot should “judge” their behavior. Christians are commanded to judge others but to do so righteously. God places a very high store on integrity. One of the three things that God requires of us is to “do justice”.
SUCH IS NOT THE CASE!
A judge must investigate the merits of each case and ARRIVE at a decision based on the facts! God is calling out His children to become kings and PRIESTS with Christ -- and to RULE THIS EARTH! (Rev. 5:10.)
A vital part of the job of each of God's children will be JUDGMENT! Believe it or not, the Creator of all that exists is actually permitting us to have an opportunity to become judges of this world! Many have not understood the scriptures already mentioned in I Peter 3:19-20 and II Peter 2:4, simply because they have not understood an important phase of that judgment!
The Apostle Paul gives us the amazing answer in I Corinthians 6:2-3! "Do ye not know that the saints shall JUDGE THE WORLD? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? KNOW YE NOT THAT WE SHALL JUDGE ANGELS?"
There it is!
WE SHALL JUDGE ANGELS! Remember, the wicked spirits, including Satan, are presently being reserved, being kept in restraint, UNTO JUDGMENT! That judging is yet to be done!
Now do you see?
The Bible plainly reveals Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, but the lake of fire will END when the new heavens and new earth are established, and Satan is to be tormented unto the AGES OF THE AGES! It also shows his torment WHILE in that fire is going to be MENTAL, at seeing all he has strived toward, worked for, plotted for, BURNED UP. Christ preached to the spirits on this earth DURING THE TIME OF THE FLOOD as a WITNESS to them! The flood was a type of the yet future destruction of the earth -- this time by FIRE! Christ was warning them of the impending destruction of all their works -- and their everlasting banishment from this earth! The EXACT NATURE of their ETERNAL punishment is YET TO BE DECIDED!
YOUR BIBLE REVEALS YOU MAY BE INSTRUMENTAL IN DECIDING THAT PUNISHMENT!
Jude gave a slight indication of the possibility of the NATURE of that punishment when he used the demons as a TYPE in warning Christians about false teachers who had crept in unawares. In reading through the book of Jude, you come to verse 6, where the demons are mentioned, to the next few verses, where these "filthy dreamers" are described. Notice how their error is EXACTLY that of the sinning angels in that they too tried to USURP authority! "They ... ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core ..." (verse 11). See Numbers 16, where Korah tried to USURP the position of God's chosen servants.
Jude continues to describe, "Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; WANDERING STARS (see Rev. 1:20, where stars are symbols of ANGELS) TO WHOM IS RESERVED THE BLACKNESS OF DARKNESS FOR EVER"! (Verse 13.)
Notice, in Enoch's prophecy, he spoke of coming JUDGMENT "... Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute JUDGMENT upon all ..." (verses 14-15).
As has already been proved -- the ANGELS (demons) are definitely included among those to be judged by the saints! Could this be an indication of their final fate? They are MISERABLE when dis-embodied -- wandering through "dry places, seeking rest"! Could this statement in Jude give us a picture of their punishment? "... wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever"! (Jude 13.)
Your Responsibility
Part of our awesome responsibility is going to be the judging of angels! Satan's ultimate destination apparently is yet to be decided -- BY THE SAINTS!
Are you preparing yourself for such a job?
Such an overwhelming responsibility demands a tremendous amount of wisdom and knowledge! God Almighty has called you and me to much more than just some inactive, "fluff-fluff" eternity of laziness and ease! We are going to have the responsibility to rule the universe with Christ -- to do what the fallen angels were unwilling to accomplish. So great is that responsibility that God says it has not entered into the HEART of man the things He has prepared for us! (I Cor. 2:9.)
Judgement is not forbidden, but there is a proper way to do it. There are certain judgments that a Christian should make about things they see in life. For example, I have to judge whether a certain movie or TV program is to be deemed as acceptable in my home.
Consider these passages that tell us about judging what we are being taught:
1 John 4:1
4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
People also have to be told the truth about their sins. Recognition of our sins and repentance is what saves us:
Acts 2
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Look at these verses:
6 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!
7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Here is something else that the church does not do for the most part:
Luke 18
15 “If your brother or sister[b] sins,go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
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