Refrain from Judgement

Refrain from Judging 

Jesus said,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.

An important element of Christian life is never to judge anyone other than for our personal protection, (physical and spiritual). We as believers in Christ must refrain from Judging others especially those outside the church. 

Additionally we should never judge an individual with respect to where they will spend eternity. That is God's purview. 

We as mere mortals do not have all the facts. We do not know why a person is the way they are. Only God knows that. That’s why we must show love and not judge in anyway toward those around us.

That being said, I believe Christians can judge other Christians but only to see that they are teaching sound doctrine. The apostle Paul stating,

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. 

“Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.

Sadly within the church today too many people calling themselves Christians are judging people they disagree with outside the church. 

The late American evangelist Billy Graham once said,

It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God's job to judge

 and my job to love, 

                     Billy Graham

At the same those within the church are failing to judge whether or not, those calling themselves Christian leaders are truly teaching the word of God correctly.

No soul will ever be won for Christ by judging those outside the church. Those people will simply turn away and not listen.

At the same time men and women professing to be Christians will also turn many away from Christ. While at the same time leading believers away with half truths and misinterpretations of the gospel message.

Thus we as believers in Christ Jesus have two choices. 

1/ To avoid judging those outside of the church except for our personal physical protection.

2/ ensure that the pastors, evangelist, and Christian teachers you listen to are presenting the word of God correctly

Please think about it.

Notes from Jesus, Paul, and Psalms

Notes from Jesus, Paul and Psalms 

Jesus said,

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37.

The Psalmist writes,

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

         I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.

God knows our DNA. He knows why we are the way and why we do things we do. That is why we have no right to judge those around us except for our personal safety.

The apostle Paul tells us we can judge some people those people being those who claim to be Christians. Paul writes,

"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.

This is to make certain the truth from the scriptures are being taught correctly. 

The apostle Paul stating,

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."  2 Timothy 2:15.

Please think about it.

Out of the judging business

Out of the judging business

The Psalmist writes,

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16

What this portion of scripture tells me is that God knows you intimately. God knows you right down to the DNA level. He knows exactly why you are the way you are. That is why only He can judge you. That is why Jesus tells us,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”  Matthew 7:1

We as mere mortals cannot judge another person especially when it comes to where they will spend eternity, simply because we do not know why a person is as the way they are.

That being said Jesus warned.

“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1,2.

The apostle Paul said,

"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.

As Christians. As believers in Christ Jesus we have no right to judge those outside the church. Even when we judge those inside the church it should only be to tell whether or not they are presenting the gospel of Christ correctly.

Where an individual spends eternity is entirely up to God.

Tony Campolo the American Evangelist said,

“We ought to get out of the judging business. We should leave it up to God to determine who belongs in one arena or another when it comes to eternity. What we are obligated to do is to tell people about Jesus, and that's what I do.” Tony Campolo

Do you?

Please think about it.

 To Judge?

Jesus said,

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37.

Do you judge people? I’ve heard many who call themselves Christians who are not, that say we shouldn’t be judging them. They hide behind the quote I posted above. Do not judge. Do not condemn.

This is all well and good. It is not our place as Christians. As followers of Christ Jesus, to judge non-Christians or where a person will spend eternity. That is up to God. 

That being said Christians for their own safety and to ensure the Gospel message is being properly presented, do have the right to judge those who call themselves Christians. The apostle Paul telling us.

"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.

And just how do we know who a true Christian is? The apostle Paul tells us,

The apostle Paul writes,

"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:19-23. 

As Christians we need to look carefully at those around us, including pastors, evangelist, other church leaders and indeed politicians. We need to look at them and ourselves and ask, “Am I. Are they exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Please think about it.

How do you treat non-believers?

 How do you treat non-believers?

Jesus said,

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1,2.

We as mere mortals do not have all the facts. We do not know why a person is like they are. Only God knows that. That's why we must show love and not judge in anyway those around us. There are only two reasons we should judge another person. For our own safety, and to see it they are teaching God’s word correctly.

The apostle Paul states,

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1Corinthians 5:12,13

You cannot win a soul for Christ if you judge them. Our Job is not to judge them it’s to love them.

The late evangelist Billy Graham once wisely said,

"It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God's job to judge

 and my job to love," 

                                   Billy Graham.

How do you treat non-believers?

Please think about it.

Forgotten Scriptures

  Forgotten scripture

Jesus said,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

      For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1,2.

I think this is the most forgotten text in the Bible Here in North America. We as believers in Christ Jesus must remember we cannot judge anyone except those within the church. And even then we must only judge those within the church to see that they are preaching sound doctrine. The apostle Paul stating,

"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.

Sadly Christians do not do much expelling. They don’t stand up to men and women who are preaching wrong doctrine. 

The apostle Peter wrote,

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  

Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."2Peter2:1-3.

What Peter is saying here is happening in the church today and men and women of God need to stand up to them.

They need to stand up to them because they are bringing the word of God into disrepute.

Please think about it.

Judge those inside

 Judge those inside

The apostle Paul writes,

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."  2 Corinthians 5:20

As Christians, believers in Christ Jesus we are Christ’s ambassadors. An ambassador is one who represents a country in a foreign land. People in that foreign land see the country he or she represents through the words and deeds of the ambassador.

The same is true when it comes to Christians. People look to Christians to correctly represent Christ. Sadly way too many calling themselves Christians are not, or at least their words actions are not correctly representing Christ.

While I know that Christians are told to look to Christ and not a particular evangelist or preacher. Those who are not Christians do not know this. They see someone who claims to be Christian acting badly and say to themselves they want no part of Christianity.

North America and particularly the United States is full of men and women, evangelist and pastors claiming to be Christians that are not. 

These men and women are bringing Christ’s name into disrepute. And God will one day judge them. In the mean time it is up to those who love Christ to speak out against false teachers in our midst. We must remember the words of the apostle Paul who said,

"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.

Please think about it.

Gods job not ours

  Gods job not ours

The Psalmist writes,

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.

God knows us intimately. This quote from psalms in modern terminology is essentially saying God knows the very DNA make up of our being. He knows why we are the way we are. This is why God and God alone is the only one who can judge another person.

Jesus made it clear to all who believes,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1,2.

While we must be careful as to who we trust at time for our own safety. We have no right to judge where someone will spend eternity. That is Gods job. NOT ours.

Please think about it.

Judgement and the Christian

Judgement and the Christian
James the half brother of Jesus said,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:12,13
How do you speak and act with other people?
Do you refuse to interact with those of different faiths or lifestyles?
Do you judge those with whom you disagree with?
Are you quick to point out whether or not a person is going to hell?
Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”Matthew 7:1,2.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. 
“Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13
Christians have no right to judge other people. We can, I believe from what the apostle Paul states judge other Christians but only to see if they are teaching sound doctrine. We however have no right to judge anyone when it comes to where they will spend eternity.
The mandate of the church was given by Jesus when he said,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”Matthew 28:18-20.
Our job as individual Christians is to present the good news of salvation in Christ Jesus to those around us. We cannot do this if we are in any way judging those around us.
Please think about it.

On Getting to Heaven

On Getting to Heaven
The Psalmist writes,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.
I have this portion of the psalms written in the front of my Bible. It reminds me that God created me in the my mothers womb. That he if you will, knows my DNA.
God knows why am the way I am. No human being can say that of any person. That’s why I firmly believe no one has the right to judge me or anyone else. Especially when it comes to where I will spend eternity.
Billy Graham the great American evangelist said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                          Billy Graham

I believe anyone can get to heaven no matter who they are their ethnicity, their lifestyle or their sexual orientation.
The God I serve is a God of love. That’s why he sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ into the world. Jesus speaking of himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.
Belief, faith, in God and the acceptance of the saving grace God offers through Jesus Christ is the only criteria for getting into heaven. And only the individual an God knows if they are truly saved.
No one, believers in Christ or otherwise, have the right to judge where a person will spend eternity.
Tony Campolo the American evangelist states,
“Let us preach Christ, let us be faithful to proclaiming the Gospel, but let's leave judgment in the hands of God.” Tony Campolo.
Please think about it.

Woe

Woe
“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.  But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Matthew 18:5,6
Here is a warning from Jesus we need to be careful how we treat people and what we teach.
A friend of my daughter in law has a child about eight. She is visibly disabled.
The child grew up in church and heard much about a specific preacher. She wanted her mother to take her to this man to be healed.
They got there and were told to sit a the back. During the alter call, a call for those in need of a healing touch, the child asked her mother to take her forward.
To the horror of the mother they were intercepted on their way down to the front and asked to go to their seat.
It totally devastated the child, and the two went away disillusioned.
The mother also noticed at the time that there were no people at the front with visible or extreme disabilities.
Here is an example of how someone can cause someone’s faith to be questioned. To cause someone to sin.
Fortunately as I understand it the little girls faith rebounded because it was in Jesus not in the preacher.
Not all such encounters have such a happy ending.
The warning Jesus give in this passage is not only a warning about making children sin, but about making all people sin. Turning people from the saving grace of Christ.
Back in the nineties a high profile televangelist said God was going to kill all the homosexuals in North America within a few years. What garbage! And how wrong he was.
The LGBT community has more rights today that ever before in North America.
     Not only that each individual in the LGBT community is as important to God as anyone else in this world. God cares about everyone.
Rather than make such outlandish predictions that evangelist should have been sitting down with members of the LGBT community an presenting the Love of God to them.
Were that man to make such a prediction in old Testament times and found to be wrong he’d have been stoned to death.
Now I am not a gay man, but I cringe when I hear the gay community coming under attack by preachers and individuals who claim to be Christians as if they have some ‘special sin’.
Those who call themselves Christians and are attacking the LGBT community or any community be it Islam, Hindu’s Buddhist or any other group are guilty of making them stumble.
They are guilty of disobeying Jesus who said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2
The people who are being attacked see the attack especially if it’s on their faith or lifestyle as a personal attack. Thus it gets their guard up and shuts down all dialogue.
The apostle Paul make it clear what we in the church must do when he writes,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1Corinthians 5:12,13.
Tony Campolo and American evangelist wrote,
“Let us preach Christ, let us be faithful to proclaiming the Gospel, but let's leave judgment in the hands of God.”  Tony Campolo
Billy Graham the great American evangelist said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love,”

                      Billy Graham

Jesus gave the Church it’s prime directive when he said,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20.
Jesus did not tell his followers to judge anyone. Quite the contrary when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
Prior to the Matthew’s gospel quotes Jesus as saying,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,...” Matthew 5:43,44
This is what Christians are called to do. For Christians not to do it has the potential for eternal consequences.
Please think about it.

Your View

Your view
James the half brother of Jesus wrote,
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.  
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  
If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” James 2:1-4.
Sadly all too many people in society judge a book by it’s cover. They see a person wearing a thousand dollar suit and judge him to be good. While a person in shabby jeans with a bit of a body odour is considered bad. This should not be so.
One policeman I know once told me a person in that thousand dollar suit with the expensive watches and rings is just as likely to do something illegal as someone dressed in rags. The only difference is that the well dressed person is more likely to get away with millions of dollars while the poorly dressed person gets away with a couple of dollars.
My point here is rich or poor we are all the same. No matter who we are we can choose to do good or bad.
In God’s eyes we are all equal and as believers in Christ Jesus we need to treat all people the same.
One of my favourite quotes from the American evangelist Billy Graham is ,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love,”

                                   Billy Graham.

Question: Do you judge a person by the way they look or the way they are dressed?
If a person well dressed were to enter your church congregation for the first time would he or she be treated better than a person entering poorly dressed with a body odour?
If so consider the words of James who states,
“If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” James 2:3-4.
Please think about it.

Do not judge

Do Not Judge
Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.
Jesus here is speaking to believers but it is something everyone needs to think about. Jesus is not saying we should refrain from judging things entirely. There are times when we need to judge whether or not a thing is good or bad for us. Whether someone talking to us is being truthful and such.
What Jesus is saying, it’s easy to find fault with people. There seems to be no end of people who will show you every fault someone else has. This should not be so. Especially if you claim to be a Christian.
The apostle Paul warns Christians,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
Christians have the right to judge those within their faith especially with respect to what an individual claiming to be Christian is teaching. Such judgement is needed to ensure the teaching is correct.
However Christians have no right to judge those outside their faith especially when it comes to where a person will spend eternity.
The warning of Jesus in Matthew 7:1,2, is not to have a “judgmental spirit”. To constantly be criticizing others.
Jesus warns us,
“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:2.
By criticizing others you are giving them the right to criticize you in the same way. Jesus summed this up when he said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
So to judge others is to essentially tell others they can judge you in the same way you judged them.
On the other hand if you want to be treated well, to be treated fairly and honestly you must do the same to others.
I believe  the words of Jesus I quoted, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
The so called “golden rule” is something everyone, Christian and non-Christians can understand. Something if followed it is a rule that makes everyone’s life better.
Please think about it.

An admission from a Christian

A admission from a Christian

The Psalmist wrote,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” 
                                                                                   Psalm 139:13-16.
The way I see it. What the Psalmist is saying is, God knows our very make up. He knows why we are the way we are. He knows our genetic make up, saying
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
That is why I believe God has told Christians in particular not to judge.
Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 
                    Matthew 7:1,2.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 
                                                                                              1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
I as a Christian admit there are a lot of people out there calling themselves Christians who are judging others wrongly.
But then the apostle Paul has a warning saying,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 
                                                                                           2Timothy 4:3,4.
I believe what Paul warned Timothy about is starting to happen today in the Christian community. Many particularly those who have a pulpit in the Media here in North America are turning from the truths of the Bible.
I believe also that they will one day hear the words of Jesus who said,
“Many will say to me  on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” 
                                                                                                                   Matthew 7:22,23.
To those who are not Christians I would however ask that you not judge the whole Christian community by the sins of the few however vocal they are. There are after all good and bad people in every group of people in every society.
What I would ask non-Christians to do is take some time to read at least the New Testament and see what God want’s you to know.
Read it with and open mind.
I would ask that you visit a church I recommend Baptist Churches anywhere in the world and Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada Churches here in Canada.
Approach the pastor of the church and ask him or her to tell you about their faith. Any good pastor will take time to talk to you no matter who you are.
Please as this new year commences at least think about it.