I am linking this video because I continuously hear from people that "we should not judge one another." This is an obvious and harmfully bad idea and yet it is almost universally accepted. Don't people question what they hear and say anymore? Of course we have to use our judgment. Of course we have to judge one another. We have to evaluate the worthiness of our friends, our mentors, our police, and on, and on.... We have to know who we can trust and believe. We have to know who is self destructing, who may bring down others with them, who will lead others astray. We watch out for our kids' associations, we watch out for our spouse's associations, we watch out for our president's associations. We are always required to use our judgment. Just because some have taken the words of Christ out of context and deceived the unlearned, does not make the Christian obligated to the mis-interpreted, though socially accepted guidelines of American social structure. God has called us to be discerning judges.
NON JUDGMENTALISM in a post-modern culture [34 minutes video]
Sermon on the use of judgment Southeast Open Air Preachers Conference Marietta, Georgia
By: JIM GILLES (transcrypt)
The world doesn't fear the church anymore because we've made messes, because we don't have the wisdom of God because the world doesn't believe we should judge anymore. We should not judge right from wrong, good from evil because we can't do it anymore. The world does not want us to judge; why?
Law of Non-Contradiction
Its not so much the world if you really look at it. I've always looked at life out of preaching the gospel out of the law of Non-Contradiction. I grasped that early on in my Christianity and I've used that throughout my whole life. Two truths do not contradict, there is a law of contradiction. If you have a contradiction, something is wrong, therefore you need to find out what is right. And so we find the world does not hate judgment, because they're full of judgment. They will judge you by their standard, its not judging they hate. They'll judge you by what they think someone else said, and they'll judge you by what they want to judge you by, but what they hate is when a Christian judges by this book (holding up a Bible). They hate the standard, they hate the moral law, they hate the Biblical standard of right and wrong, the paradigm that we judge by. Because they don't want to submit, they're rebels without a cause and they don't like the Bible. Its the content of our judgment (morality) and the basis of our judgment they hate, not the judging, because they will judge that we cannot judge. That is a contradiction. I've always asked them, "Why have you just judged me for judging you? You have just judged that I cannot judge you." "No I didn't!" They will not admit they are contradicting themselves! They don't like to see it, and so they don't want to admit they have a contradiction in their thinking and their application. They want me not to judge, but just for them to say, "I cannot judge." is a judgment on their part that I cannot judge. Everyone should judge with righteous judgment. So judge not according to the appearance of a situation, but judge with righteous judment. They don't like the last part of that verse. It says judge righteous judgment. Christ commands us in John 7:24 to judge and do it righteously. To judge righteous judgment, that is a commandment that we are to judge righteous judgment. That even means the sinners out there should judge righteous judgment, everybody should judge righteous judgment. The Bible is the divine Guidebook of morality But now, what is righteous judgment based upon? The Bible. This is our rule of morality and conduct right here. Anything inside the Bible's confines is righteous judgment. Outside its parameters is unrighteous judgment. And so that's why you should know the Bible and know your parameters. I always tell all the girls out there, "You better judge the boys on this campus." The boys on this campus will tell you girls anything just to take advantage of you and use you for their own selfish self gratification.
Their standard of judgment is based upon Situation Ethics!
And so, yes, you have to judge. That's why theres so much divorce in our society. People don't judge who they are dating and/or marrying and they have not judged appropriately. Or if they do judge, they use the wrong criteria. They use the word 'compatable' as they like to say, or how do they perform. And they don't judge by God's standards in the Bible and they don't judge by 'thus sayeth the Lord.'
Non-Judgmentalism is DEADLY
Would we have judged Jim Jones or gleefully follow him to Guyanna and drank the cyanide laced kool-aid with him and commit mass suicide? See, if you don't judge you can end up in hell. If you don't judge, you could end up committing suicide with a cultic leader.
Non-Judgmentalism is your ticket to deception
I remember back in the 80's, the Bob Wan Shree Raj Jees up there in Oregon, took over a whole city in Oregon because he bussed in stray people from California up to Las Lotel Oregon, gave them food, shelter and all the things they wanted and they voted him in as mayor. Well, I saw the video tape of his little commune up there with his guru-hindu type setting, and they finally deported him for immigration violation. And when he was deported he had a massive collection of helicopters, planes, wealth, I couldn't- people gave him all kinds of stuff. The Bob Wan Shree Raj Jees, well we better judge these guys or we may end up following some cultic leader. Remember Heavens Gates out there with their tennis shoes on, on top of stretchers? If you don't judge, you may end up with tennis shoes on under covers committing suicide. David Koresh and his group out there in Waco, Texas? If you don't judge you might follow him.
You must make judgments everyday
If you don't judge- actually, you cannot go through life without making judgments everyday. Moral judgments are all right and wrong, good and bad, you need wisdom to know how the Word of God applies to our lives in every situation, to judge. Every time we vote, that's a judgment. Most times the judgment of the lessor of two evils, but every time you vote for a politician, that's a judgment.
We are to be FRUIT INSPECTORS and JUDGES!
The Bible tells us about trees and fruit. Every good tree brings forth good fruit, every evil tree brings forth corrupt fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth any evil fruit and an evil tree cannot bring forth any good fruit, therefore by their fruits you shall know them. By their actions or lifestyle or talk, out of the abundance of their heart their mouth speaks. Stay around somebody long enough, you'll find out what makes them tick by what comes out of their mouth. You'll find out their motivation, what is their drive, and you'll find out just how moral or corrupt they really are. The fruit of the tree is the external manifestation of what lies at the very taproot of that tree. The fruit reveals the root. And so, if the root is rotten and corrupt, the fruit will be rotten and corrupt. The root may have root rot and may die and have some disease down there, and it takes a while for that disease to get to that fruit, but eventually that fruit will stink. And so we are fuit inspectors and we are also fruit judges. We have fruit judging contests with watermelons and pumpkins and vegetational produce every year so that we can judge fruit.
Know the law and how to apply it.
What does it take to be a judge? I remember William Renquist, when he was nominated from Justice to Supreme Justice for the United States Supreme Court, I like to listen to those type of settings on C-Span, and he made this statement: They asked him what makes you think you are so fitting, so proper to be the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court? He gave an excellent answer, he said, "To be a judge in this country, you must know one thing, the law of this country and how to apply the law of this country." I said how profound, concise, the interview was over, that was his answer. He was dumbfounded, whoever asked it, I think it was Biden or Kennedy, one of the two.
One must know the Bible and HOW to APPLY what it teaches about SIN
To be a judge spiritually, morally, you have to know the Bible and know how to apply the Bible in the situation. Pretty simple. "What makes you think you're qualified to judge?" Well, I read the Bible. I've studied the Bible and I know how the Bible speaks to this issue or this facet of life.
Do you JUDGE by virtue of the nonbiblical philosophy of situation ethics?
1 Corinthians 2:15 NKJV But he who is spiritual judges all things, but he himself is rightly judged by no one. Why doesn't the world judge? They're unspiritual. The spiritual man judges all things. What are all things? All things are all things. He judges them by what? by how you feel? by what so-and-so says? No, by the Word of God, and you judge righteously. And you use the Bible, not deceitfully, not to gain the upper hand, but to apply what the Word of God says.
John 8:15 What we find here, "Ye judge after flesh, I judge no man," See there though Jim, right there Jesus Christ says it, He judges no man. Therefore if He judges no man, therefore you should judge no man. Well the context is, the qualification is He judges no man after the flesh. He judges them righteously as He commanded us earlier in John 7:24. (Continuing) "and yet if I judge"- uh-oh, they didn't read the next verse, did they? Christ said, "and yet if I judge, My judgment is true for I am not alone, but I have the Father that sent Me." Therefore He admits He judges, that His judgment is true, but He's not judging after flesh, He's judging righteous judgment. You see, as John had already mentioned, you have scripture interpret scripture. And if you have contradiction upon contradiction, you have got some problem somewhere.
John 8:26 "I have many things to say and to judge of you.
" hmm, Christ said that? He sure did. "I have many things to say and to judge of you, but He that sent me is True and I speak to the world all things that I have heard of Him." So Christ said He had many things to judge of us. He told us He was going to judge. Actually, in one of the Gospels, He says, "for judgment I have come into this world." So yes, we find that He had many things to say and judge. Now every sinner's favorite verse, let me hear it. (chorus) "Judge not lest ye be judged." I think you've been out there before. I haven't-- Yes, how many sinners? or have you ever met a sinner that did not know that verse? Every sinner knows 'judge not lest you be judged.' They don't know where its found, don't know what book, don't know a chapter or verse, but its in there and they know it because they've heard somebody else say it. Or at least they hope its in there. And have you ever noticed when they use this verse on us? At what appropriate time do the sinners use this verse against our preaching? Well its always when you're stepping on their toes, you mention their pet sins, and they're starting to feel guilty, and they're resisting the Holy Ghost, and they want to quench the Spirit of God and shut your mouth. That is their intent for using this verse. And sadly, it works 95% of the times on most Christians in this country, because they just wilt and cower down and just tuck tail, "I'm sorry for offending you, I'm sorry. I won't do it anymore."
Matthew 7:1 Judge not that ye be not judged.
Well first of all, its an admonition to judge not so that you won't be judged. Well, what if you're not afraid of being judged in the first place? What if you want to be judged? You know, if I'm not afraid of being judged, well, it says judge not that you may not be judged. The ones who wish to do away with making moral judgments are... Okay, who would be afraid of being judged? Those who are guilty. Someone who's doing sinful things. For with what judgment ye judge,- -
Is the admonition to 'Judge Not' a universal principle?
Oh, back up here, this judge not, is this a universal admonition for everybody universally not to judge, or is this an admonition for certain groups of individuals? Answer that question. Its a valid question and we must answer that question. Was this 'judge not that ye be not judged' for everybody universally, or for certain individuals? I've already thrown in one cake in there, what if you're not afraid to be judged in the first place? For by whatever measure ye judge, ye shall be judged and with what measure you meat, it shall be measured to you again. Now we have to recognize and realize, we preachers what judgment in measure we give out to other individuals through our preaching will be returned back to us. That's why James tells us and Peter tells us not be masters and teachers for we shall receive the greater damnation, the greater condemnation, greater judgment.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Now, I like to ask this question fecitiously on campus. Students, was Jesus Christ talking about a literal 2x4 beam in your eyeball? Some will fecitiously say, "Yes!" and some actually honestly will say, "Yes." Obviously, its wrong, your eyeball's not a 2x4 in demension in the first place, it wouldn't fit. And so, He is metaphorically speaking about sin. Its symbolism about sin, and in other words, some individuals will excuse and overlook their own problems while they try to find everybody else's faults out there and nitpick them to death. Or how will you say to thy brother, "Let me pull out the mote from thine eye" when behold the beam is in thine own eye? In other words, how can you help anybody with the sins in their life if you've not dealt with the sins in your own life? If you don't have victory, how can you give victory to anybody else? So, verse 5 answers the question. "Thou hypocrites!" hmm, now we know who Christ is talking to. Hypocrites, "Thou hypocrites!"
So Matthew 7 verse 1 Judge not that ye be not judged. He's letting us know that He's talking about hypocrites. Those who have beams, big sins in their own life, but they strain at the motes in everybody elses eyes and lives, being hypocritical. First get the sin out of your own life thou hypocrites, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye. Notice, He said cast the sin out of your life. Get rid of it.
Well, if you tell the man on campus or anywhere in the streets or anywhere preaching, they'll say, "You mean you don't have any sin in your life?" It immediately goes from judging to holiness preaching. Immediately, everytime, because they probably understood the context, Christ says, "Cast the sin out of your own life first and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." There is a prequalification that preceeds the judgment of sin. In other words, Christ is telling us to qualify first. There is a prerequisite, qualifying before you judge others by getting the sin out of your own life first. Notice then, He's telling us its possible to do that. Its possible to be in a position to be able to judge others, help them, by first getting the sin out of your own life first. So then it automatically goes to holiness preaching, and their excuses for their sins, or why they have to sin everyday.
Judges 21:25....."and everyman did what was right in his own eyes."
Alright then, if you couldn't judge. Let's just take the world's scenario; If what they're really trying to have us Christians buy, the church world buy, the non-judgmentalism, not judging anything, everything's relative, no right, no wrong, if that really is true, if we were to accept that, we would have to get rid of our entire judicial system. From the Supreme Court all the way down to our County Magistrates. That might be a good thing, wouldn't it? It couldn't be good. We'd have to get rid of everything, no judging of anybody, there's no right nor wrong, total anarchy and chaos, and that would be the end result of their logic.
Gossip
And so, now there's one thing we shouldn't judge by, and that is hearsay. I have seen so many individuals burned and taken by hearsay. So hearsay, "Have you heard? Have you heard this? Have you heard that?" Well, hopefully, folks that know me best, know that I don't believe anything I hear. I am one of the few individuals I know of that has a steady pattern of checking out the sources of especially damaging information on individuals. Now, I've also sometimes called them up and said, "Is this true?" and it was true. And I wish I hadn't called them. Because now that I know its true, I've got to do something about it, you have a moral obligation to do something about what you just found out.
Never judge a matter by hearsay
Alright, so hearsay--now I've known churches that have been built upon hearsay, I've known families built upon hearsay, and they soon get burnt and destroyed by the same hearsay they love so much. So that's one of the things you never judge by is hearsay. Hearsay is what somebody else said, and somebody else said, not what you saw or witnessed yourself or check out the sources personally yourself.
1 Corinthians Chapter 11.
If you want to have a judging book in the Bible, its 1 Corinthians. It is replete with references about judging. And at 1 Corinthians Chapter 11:31 for if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged, but when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.-- That's kind of different language, isn't it? Compared to what you hear on your nightly news station. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. What does that mean? Well, if we judge ourselves in this life by this Bible, find ourselves condemned and in need of a Savior, get saved, we won't be judged later on when we meet the Judge. God is so gracious, so merciful, so kind and loving, that He gives us the chance, He lets us detirmine when we will be judged by this book. He's gonna literally throw the book at us one day. But He gives us the option now, to have the book thrown at us now instead of later. I'm gonna be judged now by this book rather than to be judged with the world later on. And so, when we are judged, we are chaste of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. The world won't judge themselves by this book now. So they will be condemned later on when they meet the Judge of this book. And so, yes, that's the mercy of God, He gives us the choice of the chance.
1 Corinthians 6:2 The saints shall judge the world
Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you-- Identify who the saints are, its this audience, you are the saints. Are you then worthy to judge the smallest matters? I mean this is God chiding the church for our lack of being able to judge the smallest matters. This is what Solomon asked for in the first place. To judge so great a people and to discern good from bad. And here it is, the church a thousand years later and the church still can't get it together. Can't you even make a judgment in the smallest of matters? They still can't judge the smallest matters and they go to court before the heathens out there.
Know ye not that we shall judge angels?
Oh wow, I'm going to judge angels. God's going to give the ultimate responsibility one day to judge angels by what I think, what I say, by my own personal whims, by my own choices? Wrong! We're going to judge angels by this book, which has been a standard for God's judgment for all eternity. The angels will not be judged according to situational ethics. We won't be able to judge by what we think, feel, or hope. How much more should we judge things that pertain to this life? I would say, a whole lot more. So yes, here we find that the Bible tells us we will judge angels, an awesome responsibility. If we're going to judge angels with that awesome responsibility, how much more should we judge things right here in this world, right here, right now, by the Bible? How many ever get that far?
1 Corinthians 5:1
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you. And such fornication as is not so much made among the Gentiles. That one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he that have done this deed might be taken away from among you. Woe, that's so insensitive! So cruel! Ex-communicating? Cast him out? For I verily being absent in body but present in spirit have judged already-- Done what Paul, you've judged already? as though I was present with you concerning him that hath so done this deed. In the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together in my spirit with the power of the Lord, Jesus Christ, to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh so the spirit might be saved in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
John 8:3 The woman caught in the act of adultery.
How misunderstood is this with the people who use it the most? I'd say very much so. And the scribes and pharisees brought unto Him, Jesus Christ, a woman taken in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst-- Now I wanted you to picture this scenario. You who've preached outside and had crowds surround you, there's a crowd around us. There's a middle of the crowd, the midst means in the middle of the crowd. Here they plow through the crowd, how many of you have had individuals bring people up, or who've had people come up and want to make a comment in front of the whole crowd? So they bring her into the midst of the crowd, and they say unto Him, "Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act." So they have two or three witnesses or more. "Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned, but what sayest Thou?" This they said tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. He wanted to get to their hypocritical, evil hearts of trying to find fault with God. And so, Jesus stooped down with His finger, wrote on the ground as though He heard them not.
He ignored their silly questions
That's interesting. He ignored their silly question. How many have ignored silly questions in a crowd setting? What do they do? "Answer the question! Answer the question!" We've got Him now, He's afraid of that question, oh He's scared now, doesn't have an answer. So when they continued asking Him-- hmm. They kept on asking Him the same question over and over, and if you tried to preach without answering the question-- "Don't preach until you answer the question, we don't want to hear anything else until you answer the question. Address the question." And so when they continued asking Him... hmm, human nature has not changed has it? He lifted up Himself and said unto them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." How the world reads it and interprets it, "He who has never sinned in his entire life cast a stone at her." It doesn't say that does it? Its present tense, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." In other words, Christ said, "Okay, boys, stone her if you qualify. Go ahead, launch stones, kill her, put her to death if you qualify." Well it seems the Pharisees forgot that judges-- how God set up the Old Testament judging structure-- the judges, the elders who sit in the gates of the city had to be righteous holy men also in the first place or else they'd be hypocrites. And so, Christ was always showing these Pharisees they were hypocrites, pure hypocrites. "Alright boys, stone her if you qualify." hmm, and He again stooped down and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience-- why because they realized they did not qualify. He threw Dueteronomy 22:22 back in their face. Either there was a person without sin, which there couldn't have been because they were trying to trick Christ in the first place by mis-applying Deuteronomy 22:22-- they could not have thrown a stone at her because a man was not yet present. Christ could have gone right back to the same place in Deuteronomy 22:22 and said, "You cannot stone her, the man is not present." He caught them in a catch 22 type situation. Nobody would have stoned this woman. So, they went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even to the last. And Jesus was left alone and the woman was standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up Himself and saw none but the woman He said unto her, "Woman, where are those, thine accusers? Have no man condemned thee?" She said, "No man, Lord." and He said unto her, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more."
"See there, Christ never condemned everyone, there Jim, so therefore why are you condemning us?" Well, you haven't done what the woman did. Well, what do you mean I haven't done what the woman did, you know I haven't committed adultery? No, He said has no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. A definite article in the Greek, Lord God Almighty. She made Jesus Christ her Lord and Savior, got saved right there on the spot, made Christ Lord, called Him Lord, the proof of that is that Jesus Christ responded and said, Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more. You don't tell an unsaved, unregenerate, unrepentant, adulterous woman to go and sin no more. You're wasting your time. You tell a born again, brand new saint of God to go and sin no more. That's who you tell to go sin no more. So then, the message here is when you're condemned and ready to get stoned and getting ready to die and go to hell, you can make Christ your Lord and He'll say go and sin no more. You can't go sin no more, you have to sin every day. You mean you can go sin no more? So you can see there's lots of things in the Bible you can go preach on. You know what I've found, they can go right into- Matthew 7 goes right into holiness preaching, here the woman caught in adultery goes right into holiness preaching from there, and so, you'll find they guess they can't get you there. hmm, they didn't understand John chapter 8 very well, did they?
Only the advanced hypocrites know James 4
James chapter 4 Only your advanced hypocrites know this one. And I haven't heard this one for a long time. Back in the 80's it seemed like the Christians on campus, the hypocrites on campus actually knew their Bible, could defend their sin somewhat. Knew some of the verses on their onced saved, always saved, trying to justify their sins, and showing you where you had to sin like Romans chapter 7, 1 Timothy chapter 1, Paul was saying he was the cheif of sinners. 1 John 1:8, James 4:11, I mean in the '80s it came up four or five times a day. Now, the last five or so years, you know, it may come up once a month if then. These verses, you know, these advanced verses of Romans.
Biblical illiteracy, read the Bible
You know at Christian Rock, well they know it all. About the Bible, not much at all. James 4:11 Speak not evil, one of another brotheren. What kind of speech did James just say don't do? Evil speech. Speak not evil one of another bretheren. He that speaketh evil-- there again, the qualification is speaking evil. He that speaketh evil of his brother and judges his brother, speaketh evil of the law and judges the law. Now how in the world can you be judging and speaking evil of God's law by judging and speaking evil of your brother? How is that so, the Bible says you're doing it, how can you be doing it? Well, I'll give you a scenario, who wants to be my guinea pig this morning? Raise a hand, alright, first name again? Scott. Alright, Scott in my scenario is living for the Lord, he is obeying God in all that he knows to do. He's living to the full light of his knowledge of what God expects of him. And I come by and I say "Scott, I don't like what you just did. I don't like what you're doing, I don't like this part of your life and I judge you and say that its wrong, its sinful, its evil" but yet you're obeying God, you're doing all you know to do, and you know you're doing right. And I come by and judge your right deeds as wrong and evil. And all you're doing is obeying God's law in the first place. You're doing what God tells you to do.
Just like Oliver North, Lt. Colonel Oliver North when they asked him all these questions on Iran-contra. He said, "I was just following the orders of my commanders. I was doing as I was told as a soldier should." In other words, when you're doing what God says to do, and somebody comes by and doesn't like what you're doing, and all you're doing is obeying God, they're not really judging you, they're judging the law by which you're living by. When the heckler, a so-called Christian, judges your preaching to be out of order they are judging God's law The judging of moral code, the law which you're living by was to God's law in the first place. They're judging God's law as being wrong, you should not be obeying God's law, you should be doing this. Therefore, they're judging you, they're judging God's law, that's why they're speaking evil. So, they're a judge of God's law. But if thou judge law, thou are not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one Law Giver who is able to save and to deliver, and to destroy. Who art thou who judges another, oh Jim? So, they don't realize, that this is about speaking evil of a brother who is obeying God. How often are we judged by our obedience to God as wrong? We live in a society where Good is evil and evil is good. Where we condemn the righteous and justify the wicked. Let me clarify an example of why we judge more. He that obeyeth the ten commandments, instead of taking the ten commandments from the Bible, and they judged him as wrong. They have judged him, spoke evil of him and God's law by which he was obedient to. A very clear example.
Hebrews 5:11
Finally, Hebrews 5:11 of whom we have many things to say, and hard the effort, seeing you are dull of hearing. For by this time ye ought to be teachers-- how many people do you know ought to be teachers now, but aren't? --ye have need that one teaches you which be the first principals of the oracles of God, and have become as those who have need of milk and not of strong meat. For everyone in need of milk is unskillful in the work of righteousness, for he is a babe. But strong meat belongs to them who have aged, even to them who have persisted exercise to discern both good and evil. --like Solomon asked for.-- wisdom to do judgment, to know right from wrong, good and bad, good from evil and to judge this and shall hide from evil.
Babes are unskillful in the Word of righteousness When I first began preaching, I was up in New Hampshire, I believe it was, and this campus pastor came out. He had a condescending arrogant attitude, telling me he'd been saved for 10 or 15 years. I'd been saved for like 2 or 3 years and preaching for less than 1 year. And he said, "Well Jim, I've been saved for 10 years, and I am but a babe. And you've been saved for two or three years. Well, the indication was very strong, that if he is a babe in Christ after 10 or 15 years of Christianity, what does that make me at 2 to 3 years? Embryo, yes. But you know, I thought, "You're a 15 year old baby?" You're bragging about babyhood at age 15? You're proud to be a baby at age 15? What do we do with 15 year olds who are babies? They know they are malformed, you know? and he's bragging that he's a baby at age 15. The Bible says if you're a babe, you're unskillful in the word of righteousness. Babes have no right, no authority by God to say anything about anybody, or anything, or be making any judgments or any discernments about anything, or be teaching anything. They're babes, they're on milk. And so here he's trying to teach me the right way of preaching evangelism, bragging on babyhood. And the Bible says he's a babe unskillful and shouldn't be doing anything. Strong meat belongs to them who are full aged. Even those who by usage have their senses exercised. Judgment is with them that know the Lord and His word How do you learn how to judge righteously? By doing it, exercising, like a muscle. You read the Bible, you find new information, answer a question or scenario, or apply it to a situation, you then used it. You come back, find some more, use it in that situation. You come back, find some more, you keep exercising your spirit of discernment. You know, if you're out there doing it everyday, doing it often, you just exercise yourself, you learn what kind of people our wisdom serves. So yes, we should have our wisdom exercised to discern both good and evil. And to be like Solomon, have wisdom to judge this, Thy so great a people. And hopefully you've got some more ammo now, against these gain sayers, who would shut our mouths, go run in a corner and say I apologize for judging you, I won't do it again. And that's where the church world is today, they don't like to judge.
I am linking this video because I continuously hear from people that "we should not judge one another." This is an obvious and harmfully bad idea and yet, is almost universally accepted. Don't people think about what they hear and say anymore? Of course we have to use our judgment. Of course we have to judge one another. We have to evaluate the worthiness of our friends, our mentors, our police, and on and on.... We have to know who we can trust and believe. We have to know who is self destructing, who may bring down others with them, who will lead others astray. We watch out for our kid's associations, we watch our for our spouse's associations, we watch out for our president's associations. We are always required to use our judgment. Just because some have taken the words of Christ out of context and decieved the unlearned, does not make the Christian obligated to the mis-interpreted, though socially accepted guidelines of American social structure. God has called us to be discerning judges.
No comments:
Post a Comment