(Have we allowed our experience of tried/failed, tried/failed to become our standard or have we allowed God’s standard, Jesus Christ, to become our experience)
Here are some Scriptures that I would like to present about the word “JUDGMENT” which have loving, graceful, merciful, and positive attributes. These definitions of judgment are totally contrary to how it is almost universally defined in the Church today which is: CONDEMNING. My point is that sound judgment, righteous judgment, fair judgment, and spiritual appraisal or examination as Jesus calls it, is what all true believers should be practicing as we are walking according to the Spirit. No one has any right to condemn anyone, and this type of judgment should obviously be rebuked in the Church by those in authority. To allow this behavior to continue is not healthy for the Church members, the Pastor’s flock. The hypocrite is never to judge as depicted in Matthew 7:1-6 because he is blinded by the logs in his eyes. Now If we are in a Church where we are all consistently living in hypocrisy by allowing our flesh to rule, reign, and control our lives; then yes, we are never to exercise sound judgment because Jesus forbids the hypocrite to judge. The remedy for this is simply to confess and repent before a Holy God, and Jesus will forgive us, and we have the opportunity to once again walk according to the Spirit. However, Sound judgment is not contrary to love, but rather interwoven into the fabric of love, which rises above the risk of being judged even by the very ones who say that they oppose judgment in the Church.
Galatians 6:1-2 NASB
[1] Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. [2] Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:14, 21-22 NASB
[14] We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
[21] But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;
[22] abstain from every form of evil.
1 Corinthians 5:11-13 NASB
[11] But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-not even to eat with such a one.
[12] For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
[13] But those who are outside, God judges. Remove THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NASB
[14] But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
[15] But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
[16] For who HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
Luke 12:57 NASB
[57] “And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right?
Leviticus 19:15 NASB
[15] ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
Ezekiel 3:18-21 NASB
[18] When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
[19] Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.
[20] Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.
[21] However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself.”
Matthew 7:1-6 NASB
[1] “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.
[2] For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
[3] Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
[4] Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?
[5] You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
[6] “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Leviticus 19:17 NASB
[17] ‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him.
Proverbs 27:5-6 NASB
[5] Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed.
[6] Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
1 Timothy 5:20-22 NASB
[20] Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.
[21] I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.
[22] Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.
1 Peter 4:17-19 NASB
[17] For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
[18] And IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE godless MAN AND THE SINNER?
[19] Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
1 Corinthians 6:2-6 NASB
[2] Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?
[3] Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?
[4] So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?
[5] I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren,
[6] but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?
John 3:19-21 NASB
[19] This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
[20] For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
[21] But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Hebrews 10:26-29 NASB
[26] For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
[27] but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
[28] Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
[29] How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 6:4-6 NASB
[4] For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
[5] and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
[6] and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
Hebrews 5:8-9 NASB
[8] Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
[9] And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
James 4:17 NASB
[17] Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Hebrews 10:36-39 NASB
[36] For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
[37] For YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, He WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY.
[38] But MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.
[39] But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
1 Timothy 4:1-5 NASB
[1] But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
[2] by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
[3] men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.
[4] For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;
[5] for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
Romans 12:1-3 NASB
[1] Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
[2] And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
[3] For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
2 Timothy 1:7 NASB
[7] For God has not given us a spirit of timidity (cowardice), but of power and love and discipline (sound judgment).
1 Timothy 1:5 NASB
[5] But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
2 Timothy 1:14 NASB
[14] Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
Galatians 5:9 NASB
[9] A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.
Matthew 7:20-23 NASB
[20] So then, you will know them by their fruits.
[21] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
[22] Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
[23] And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Proverbs 4:23 NASB
[23] Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NASB
[11] And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
[12] for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
[13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
[14] As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
[15] but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
[16] from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Galatians 5:16-26 NASB
[16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
[17] For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
[18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
[19] Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
[20] idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
[21] envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
[23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
[24] Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
[25] If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
[26] Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
I have heard that we are to love one another, but never to judge one another. I understood this as never to condemn one another which, of course, is true. However, if a true Christian is lovingly judging one another with the heart of Christ and a motive to restore one to the favor of God, then I must disagree with this absolute statement of never judging one another. A judgment must be biblically verified to be in harmony with the will of God. A “Loving Church” and a “Judging Church” are not necessarily in disharmony to true Christianity depending on how one defines “judgment”.
If Romans 7:18-24 is interpreted that we are not always able to obey God; although we always want to do good, but we just can’t, then there is misunderstanding of our free will. This statement also caused me to ponder greatly, and wonder how it lines up with the Word of God. I understand and have experienced the influence of my flesh to do those things that are not proper or in the will of God. Yes, I have been overcome by these temptations, but never because of my inability to trust in Jesus Christ for victory, but always because of my unwillingness to trust God, because I have allowed my flesh to be my master. I refuse to hold onto a victim mentality, and blame anyone or anything instead of myself for not placing my trust in God rather than myself.
Are we truly “unable” to obey God, or is it more accurate and truthful to say that at times we are simply “unwilling” to obey because we have simply allowed our flesh to be our master, and not the Holy Spirit. If we all truly had an “inability”, then we would all truly have an excuse, but not before God. Romans 1:20 says, “…so that they are without excuse”. It is true that no one can say that since their true conversion to Jesus Christ; that no one has chosen to walk according to their flesh and sin against God. However, living in a prolonged condition or state of bondage to sin is radically different than occasional sin that hopefully is quickly confessed and repented of.
Of course, we all know or have the idea that we are living contrary God when we are allowing our flesh to be our master. We may not be convicted to the point of confession and repentance of our sin. This is especially true when one is receiving false comfort in their sin by Christians who have been taught only to “love”, but strongly prohibited from “judging”. Who will love someone enough to judge them as Jesus calls us to do in Galatians 6:1,2? We have to ask ourselves the question, “Does the Bible say that our sin separates us from God or does it not”?
I listened to a sermon sent to us by our new son-in-law entitled, “Getting out of the boat”. This is referring to Jesus speaking to Peter sitting in the comfort of the boat (or warming the pews if you will), and not willing to get out of the boat, face his fears, and walk on the water, (or risk rejection or the judgment of others who hold a different belief).
It is ironic, but if I now complete this letter and present it to anyone who says, “we are never to judge anyone in the Church”; I will be judged by the very ones who said it is wrong to judge. I don’t say this in a critical judgmental or condemning way, but as a matter of fact. It is because we all judge or spiritually appraise people and circumstances to determine good or evil for the greatest good of all. Jesus said in Luke 12:57 we are to judge a righteous judgment. If someone says that they never judge; they are simply making a “judgment” not to judge, but either way we always judge, but hopefully with the heart and motive of Jesus Christ to love others as ourselves.