June 15 - Jesus’ Definition of Judging - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

One of the central messages of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to His followers is for them to be discerning and perceptive in what they believe and what they do. All Christians need to make every effort to judge between truth and falsehood, between the internal and the external, between reality and sham, and between true righteousness and false righteousness.

Every message we hear is to be judged for the soundness of its doctrine. Paul told the Galatians, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” (Gal. 1:8).

Not to rebuke sin is a form of hatred, not love. Refusing to warn a person about his sin is just as unloving as refusing to warn him about a serious disease he may have. The writer of Hebrews calls for a level of spiritual maturity wherein Christians “because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil” (Heb. 5:14).

So in Matthew 7:1, Jesus is not telling us never to think or make value judgments. He is referring to the self-righteous, egotistical judgment and unmerciful condemnation of others practiced by the scribes and Pharisees. Their primary concern was not to help others from sin to holiness, but to condemn them to eternal judgment because of actions and attitudes that did not square with their own worldly, self-made traditions.

Jesus is referring to the judgment of motives that no human being can know of another—judgment of external form. What Jesus is forbidding is self-righteous, hasty, unmerciful, prejudiced, and unwarranted condemnation based on human standards and human understanding.

This is one Bible verse our culture feels good about knowing—and thrusting into the faces of Christians at every opportunity. But how do you see this concept twisted in people’s dealings with others and in matters of morality?

So in Matthew 7:1, Jesus is not telling us never to think or make value judgments.

INDEED!

Judge NOT???

Sigh...

Jesus has commanded us to judge!

"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?... And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?... Do you not know that we shall judge angels?... How much more, things that pertain to this life?.. If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge ? (1 Corinthians 6:1-5).

Many commands of God require the exercise of righteous judgment.

"But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us" (2 Thessalonians 3:6).

"And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother" (2 Thessalonians 3:14,15).

"Teach and exhort these things. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wrangling of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself" (2 Timothy 6:2b-5).

"Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple" (Romans 16:17,18).

All these commands require the careful exercise of righteousness judgment. Do not be deceived by smooth words and flattering speech. Beware of wolves who come to you with a sheep's skin.

We must be careful not to make unqualified judgments. But we must judge appropriately when commanded to do so.

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." (John 7:24).

There are warnining signs all over, folks choose not to listen to them though. God gave,everyone all the evidence needed to be saved- he even states that folks will. Have no excuse for refusing to seek him.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t witness, but in America there are churches everywhere. Cnris5ian bookstores galore, christian music shops everywhere, revivl meetings outdoors , street corner preachers, people who witness, christiwn camps, christian schools etc etc etc.

My question to the one asking why they weren’t warned is “why didn’t you listen to the promptings,of the ho,y spirit and check it out for yourself? Why did you ignore god’s leading? There were plenty of opportunities in our free nation where religious material is freely distributed and preached.”

The person going to hell knows why they are going- they know it is because they refused to heed the prompting of the holy spirit, and they don’t care. They will be even more defiant and angrier toward God once the holy spirit is no longer influencing their lives.

c s Lewis who intimated that souls in hell choose to leave hell. He famously said: “the doors of hell are locked on the inside”. They reaped to the flesh and will sow to the flesh, in eternal punishment, but it was their choice. They had ample opportunities to seek forgiveness while they were alive. And they had ample promptings by the spirit to do so.

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