A
judge would never say that. And judges do exist so judging is the
function of some, even some who have taken the beam out of their eyes.
(No one said it was impossible - Matthew 7:5). Jesus' teaching is
plainly and precisely against judging hypocritically (Matthew 7:1-5).
The hypocrite is even told what to do to be able to exercise the love of
his neighbor and help him out in removing the speck out of his eye!
That requires seeing rightly and exercising discernment/a right
judgment. But some like to keep the beam in their own eyes and act like
everyone else has one in theirs, walks in darkness, and so would be a
hypocrite to pronounce judgment on any matter. That's the darkness they
are comfortable in simply.
_______
[13:54*]
*This
message takes about 15 minutes for a first reading (without looking up
the bible references). Time markers are added along the text for those
who are mindful of what they spend their time on in this hour. (Psalm
90:12) :-) God bless you!
_______
One
should not stand as a judge if he doesn't have a law that he is called
to be a minister of, while being himself obedient to it, but he must not
assume either that no one can judge (exercise a righteous judgment
about a matter or person, making clear distinctions between good and
evil, light and darkness, sweet and bitter - Isaiah 5:20, things that
must be done to walk a right path - because not all chosen paths are
right). And frankly, we all really do routinely judge. Ex: A young
couple may pass a drug addict as a potential caretaker for their child
and prefer a person with no such history. A new transport company may
hire a driver with a clean driving record rather than one who had a DUI
arrest even 10 years before. Employers seek to hire "the right
candidate" in general (one choice over other possible choices).
Judgment is exercised in those cases and a direction is chosen between
two mutually exclusive options. Is that wrong or a lot of judging is
usually called common sense rather, and even personal bias, while the
push to "NOT JUDGE", even with words taken out of context from the
Bible, can be magnified somehow as the loudest voice to be heard in
society?
[12:45]
John 7:24
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
This
cannot be an impossibility. There is a way to exercise righteous
judgment with a clear conscience. The Gospel opens the door to it. And
the following scriptures hold some guiding principles:
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
2 Timothy 2:19
However
God's firm foundation stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those
who are his," and, "Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart
from unrighteousness."
Luke 5:30-32
30.
Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying,
"Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?" 31.
Jesus answered them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a
physician, but those who are sick do. 32. I have not come to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Luke 15:7
I
tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner
who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no
repentance.
2 Peter: 3. 9.
The
Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is
patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.
1 Timothy 2:3-4
3.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4. who
desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.
[11:00]
Remark:
Truth,
righteousness, and salvation go hand in hand, and repentance with faith
towards God ushers in that walk of truth, righteousness, and salvation
that Jesus died to allow man to be on (Luke 1:68-75), taking care of
first things first: the forgiveness of one's sins committed up to that
moment that he/she decides to ask God for forgiveness (having also
forgiven others - Matthew 6:14-15) in repentance (turning to God,
towards careful and loving obedience to his will and turning away from
sin). On that walk then, when one has passed from death to life, from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18; John
5:24; 1 John 3:4), one has open eyes to judge especially between good
and evil, in agreement with God Himself. And unlike what may be
perceived by the world, if one is led by the Spirit of God, the purpose
is a loving one: to bring others from death to life, from darkness to
light, and from the power of Satan to God as it is the will of God. For
no one that is saved is saved to gather with like-minded believers only,
and be silent otherwise. Either one is light or one is darkness still!
(2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 5:8). And light by definition is not lit
to be hidden (Matthew 5:14-15).
[09:25]
Without
judgment, there is no justice and having laws is useless. No one can
be in trouble with any law, even the mass murderer could have a pass on
being a criminal. That is the allowed extreme of such mindsets that
forbid judgment absolutely. It is unequivocally a push towards
lawlessness (Matthew 24:12). And "where there is no law there is no
transgression" (Romans 4:15). So then sin also won't be seen as a
criminal matter in the eyes of God, and the loving sacrifice of his Son
to reconcile the sinful world to Himself is all but a narrative that
excludes the dying with Him to be resurrected with Him also to newness
of life (Romans 6:4; Ephesians 2:4-9; Colossians 3:1-4).
Such
"Good News" does not get to most believers. Why is that? Jesus is the
way, the truth, and the life; the only way to the Father (John 14:6).
Shall people through their denominations and traditions make their own
way to the Father? Shall they portray their own 'god' and worship
him/it? Idolatry is really what that amounts to: the worship of what is
not the one Eternal God. It is a deception.
[08:10]
Truth
establishes reality while lies maintain a delusion, even fifty shades
of gray (pun intended). Just switch on the light (ex: become a true
follower of Jesus) in any dark room where wicked things are happening
(ex: the world), and the evil works along with the evildoers will be
instantly exposed. It is the same when the word of God is spoken,
because it is light, a light more penetrating than anything natural. In
ideal circumstances, I perceive, it grinds the pride of man to powder
and exposes him as "not good", in a wretched condition and in dire need
of a Savior. The word of God will judge the hearts of people and expose
all the foolishness therein. And pride is opposed to that work so God
also is opposed to the prideful (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6) who love their
ways more than Him and cannot afford to lose the sinful life they are
living by undergoing the saving correction they are called to by the
Gospel of peace/reconciliation. That's because they don't think that
they are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18). They claim they see while they
are in fact blind (John 9:41; Revelation 3:17-18).
Mark 8:35
For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's shall save it.
Luke 9:23
He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.
John 14:15
If you love me, keep my commandments.
[06:30]
John 9:39-41
39.
Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment, that those who don't
see may see; and that those who see may become blind." 40. Those of the
Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, "Are we
also blind?" 41. Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have
no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.
John 12:46.
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
Jesus
will judge the world according to the word that He has spoken (John
12:48; Act 17:30-31). Love warns. And the truth may sting, but it heals!
It restores the soul (Psalm 19:7; 23:3) and ushers in life, that is,
true spiritual life (John 6:63).
Proverbs 16:6
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged (atoned for). And by the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.
John 8 31-32
Jesus
therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you remain in my
word, then you are truly my disciples. 32. You will know the truth, and
the truth will make you free (from bondage to sin - John 8:34)."
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[04:47]
John 16:7-8
7.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go
away, for if I don't go away, the Counselor (the promised Holy Spirit -
Acts 2:38, 5:30-32) won't come to you. But if I go, I will send him to
you. 8. When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about
righteousness, and about judgment;
John 8:12
Again,
therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world.
He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of
life."
Those
who walk in darkness champion a tolerance that is first of all
self-directed, and is a dark hiding place where what is surely evil can
coexist with what is surely good and be left alone. No
truth/light/justice is allowed in. So then what is often lauded as
tolerance which springs from the quality of being "open-minded" cannot
be an expression of love, when stripped of a foundation of truth. But it
is good news that honesty is universally appreciated, it seems. It is a
good way forward from any place or personal circumstances. That way,
one's state of need can be acknowledged and embraced before God, and
then He can intervene on the basis of that agreement with the truth and
show his saving power. What one is saved from is then made manifest and
exceeding peace and joy and eternal gratefulness sets into the heart as a
new life "in Jesus" is put into motion (John 15:1-8).
[03:08]
1 Corinthians: 13. 6.
(Love) doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
The
love of God towards mankind functions on the basis of truth - not
flattery. For at the root of every sin (sinful behavior or sinful
thinking) is a lie that is believed and acted upon. That is the very
story of the fall of man: a departure from the word of God that is true
for something else that sounded good (Genesis 3:1-6), thereby
instituting enmity with God through sin (Romans 5:6-11; 2 Corinthians
5:20). We all go that way and are called to return to God/repent/be
reconciled to Him/walk in righteousness and truth/live in obedience to
his will.
Acts 17:30-31
30.
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands
that all people everywhere should repent, 31. because he has appointed a
day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom
he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he
has raised him from the dead."
(Isaiah 59:1-2
1.
Behold, Yahweh's hand is not shortened, that it can't save; neither his
ear heavy, that it can't hear: 2. but your iniquities have separated
between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.)
[01:36]
Again...
2 Timothy: 2. 19
However
God's firm foundation stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those
who are his," and, "Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart
from unrighteousness."
Matthew: 4. 17.
From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
Still...
John 3:19-21
19.
This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men
loved the darkness rather than the light; because their deeds were evil.
20. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the
light, lest his deeds would be reproved. 21. But he who does the truth
comes to the light, that his deeds may be revealed, that they have been
done in God."
Acts 26:15-18
15.
"I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' "He said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting. 16. But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared
to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of
the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to
you; 17. delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom
I send you, 18. to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to
light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive
remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by
faith in me.'
See also:
Call to Repentance
"Judge Not. Period!" (a follow-up to this article)
"Only God can judge me!"
"You don't know me!"
The Myth of Casting Stones
https://yestothetruth.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-myth-of-casting-stones.html
Being Judgmental
On righteousness and righteous judgment
Source: https://www.facebook.com/yestothetruth/posts/1062040167208239
