To Judge or Not to Judge?---That is the Question!

Sometimes of the words of Jesus are rather confusing. While at times you believe He is saying one thing, He then turns that tables and makes comments that are seemingly contradictory to what you though He said. Take Matthew 7 for instance. We are told not to “judge” (V.1); however, we are then told that if are heart is in the right place, we are allowed to speak into the lives of those who are erring in their ways (v.3-6). To further this, Jesus then tells us that we can recognize a “tree by its fruit” (v.15-23) which clearly tells us that He has given us a sense of discernment to make judgments concerning the issue of “truth.” So on one hand, Jesus tells us “Do not judge” and on the other, He tells us that we can “judge.” What is the method to his madness? Using the words of Shakespeare to fit our thinking, “To judge or not to judge?---that is the question!”

Writing from the perspective of an American (for those of you in Germany, Russia, and the UK), we take this issue very seriously. In fact, it appears to be an “either-or” way of thinking. In one camp you have the “Don’t judge me” people and in the other, you have the “I’m God’s agent of wrath who can reveal everything within the hearts of men” people. The truth is, neither one of these type of people are following the Biblical precedent concerning the Christians ability to “judge or not to judge.” The result is what you have come to see in this country. The “don’t judge me” people gravitate to churches that make them “feel” good about everything. They don’t talk about “sin” as they should and the goal of their faith is to be “happy.” If they are confronted about some sinful behavior by concerning people, they respond quite vehemently “Don’t judge me!” The other camp feels its place to condemn everyone who does not meet up to their “standard.” This is best scene in the ungodly ideas of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka Kansas” Clearly they have a “plank” in their eye called “hate” which is something that is not in the heart of God (not that I’m judging). For those of you in the “Don’t judge me” camp you also have to live with your hypocrisy as you most likely believe that Westboro is “wrong” in doing things like protesting military funerals---thus “judging them” for their actions.

The answer to this dilemma is simple---We are to judge---but not as we think. There are judgments that are reserved solely for God Himself. He alone is the only One who can determine a person’s eternal destination; furthermore, He alone is the only One who can know what is truly in the hearts of men. For us, however, we can “judge” the actions of others based upon what we know to be “truth” through the standard of God’s Word. There is, however, a condition that Jesus puts forth. To judge clearly, one must be in a place in his life where he has overcome a similar issue in his own life (v.3-6) Secondly, one must have the leading the Holy Spirit and walk in the spirit of love (v.7-12). Thirdly, one must be living in such a way that he is following the standard of God (v.13-14). Finally, one must realize the “purpose” as to why God allows for brothers and sisters in Christ to “judge” one another (v.15-27).

God wants us to know the “truth.” As children of God, He has given us the ability to recognize what it true and what is falsehood. Jesus emphatically tells us “by their fruit you will recognize them.” Who is the “them?”--- Those who are producing fruit which is contrary to God’s truth. The Bible calls them “false prophets” (v.15). They are active in the church and live among the Body of Christ. They experience what we experience and look very much like “normal Christians,” expect for one thing: when it comes to the real fruit of their lives in the issues of living by the standard of God, something does not quite line up. (Next’s week’s blog will explore the “false prophets” in more detail.)

Judging in the Body of Christ is about revealing “truth” to a person’s life rather than condemning “sin.” We, however, get offended when someone says to us, “I’m concerned about the choices you are making in life as they are in contradiction to the Word of God.” As the brother or sister in Christ is not “judging” you but they are trying to ensure that your life is built as the “wise man’s” (v.24-25). The qualification that kept the man’s house from being destroyed was not because he had accepted “Jesus.” Read the passage again: “Therefore everyone who HEARS THESE WORDS of mine and PUTS THEM INTO PRACTICE is like a wise man” (v. 24). We’re too caught up in semantics and we play this “don’t judge me” card like Isaac Stern plays the fiddle. As we have accepted Christ, we have also accepted the fact that we are members of a Body larger than ourselves (see 1 Corinthians 12). Just like there are parts of your physical body that alerts you when something is “wrong,” so the Body of Christ has the ability to do the same. You be the judge: would you rather have a doctor tell you that you two weeks to life because you have a cancer in which you felt no pain until it was too late or would have you much rather preferred that your body alerted to you that something was wrong before the disease spread? In encourage you to read the many passages of the New Testament that tell us that as the Body of Christ, we are to keep one another accountable for the way that we live-----not to play “God,” but to keep one another from having an awful end to what should be the most glorious life!

Could Jesus Have Sinned?

Years ago when I was in my undergraduate studies, one of the classic theological questions came to the forefront of a discussion: “Could Jesus have sinned?” Given the fact that He wasn’t just “fully God” but also “fully man,” the discussion explored the dynamics of this loaded question. The truth of the matter, however, is answered in a simple but true reply, “It doesn’t matter because He didn’t!” The temptations of Christ, on the other hand, were very real experiences. I believe that we too often skim through the passages such as Matthew 4:1-11 and act as if Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness was nothing more than a formality so that He could briefly experience what those He created experience on a day in and day out basis. Furthermore, what was Satan trying to accomplish? Did he think that Jesus would actually bow down and worship him? After all, he tried to oppose God once before and it didn’t work out very well----so why try to assert his authority and power over him once again?

Regardless of whether you believe Jesus could have sinned or not, there is one truth that can be agreed upon from both positions: Jesus had the ability to feel what we feel. The same emotions that run through our veins ran through His as well. Did he ever feel “fear, doubt, sadness, or anger?” I believe He did. In order to consider the “courage” of Jesus, He would have felt the feelings of fear. In order for Him to offer “hope,” He would have known the feelings of “doubt.” The difference, however, is that Jesus did not submit to what He felt; rather, He made a stand against the things that often hinder man’s ability to truly overcoming in this life.

When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, I believe that he used the same tactics that he tried in the Garden of Eden----he attempted to bring doubt! As Jesus spend forty days fasting he certainly would had been tired, hungry, and lacking energy. Imagine yourself in such a place. In fact, many of you are in this place. The trials of life have left many tired, hungry, and lacking. They have left many feeling weak and wanting. And then the question comes---“Is this really worth it?” I’m sure you’ve heard this voice before. Like Jesus, who GOD called into the wilderness (Matt. 4:1), we sometimes find ourselves in a barren land----not because of the enemy, not because of anything we did, but because God has put us there! Being there leaves us famished for something to fill our lives. Being there leaves us confused as to why we need to be there. Being there makes us tired of being there and all we want to do is leave the God-forsaken place in our lives. And yet, God has put us there!

If that is all we had to endure, it may be a bearable situation. But that’s generally not the case. We have an enemy who comes to us like the snake he is and he begins to fill our heads with thoughts: “It’s not worth it, take the easy way out, and let’s get through this quickly so that you can get on with your life.” After being clothed in humanity for thirty-years, I wouldn’t have blamed Jesus to think to Himself, “These people are not worth my pain of going through this wilderness.” Perhaps the though came to Him, “Can I even bring myself to actually going through all the way to Calvary if it is going to be like this?” Maybe a though passed through his mind, “There has to be another way.” Isn’t that what Satan suggested with his last “temptation?” He suggested to Jesus that he could give Jesus what He wanted---“the kingdoms of this world”---and give it to him in an instant! (Matthew 4:8-9). With all that Satan whispered into the ear of Jesus, I believe that Jesus fully identified with the feelings of doubt and despair.

Doubt is an interesting thing. It is based upon our perception of what our circumstances dictate it us. When life is good and things are well, we seldom experience doubt. But when we are in the wilderness, doubt rears it ugly head and attempts to be our closest friend. Jesus, however, understood something that we seldom consider when it comes to doubt. His responses to the enemy’s attempt to cast those seeds based upon His circumstances were met with the words of TRUTH! Jesus’ proclamation of “it is written” reveals something that we all need to understanding while living in the wilderness. “Doubts” are lies! The hopeless situation you may be overwhelmed with is a LIE! The fear of not knowing what is to happen is a LIE! God does not send us into the wilderness to die; rather, He sends us to the wilderness so that we can LIVE! Life is not about “bread and water,” but it is about what God says it is about. We don’t have to try to prove that God cares about us when we are in the desert; we just have to know that He is THERE with us. We do not have to throw in the towel and take the easy way out because we know that our wilderness experience is meant to bring us into His plan for our lives----not to end it! Jesus stood upon truth when it came to doubt. It was truth that brought Him through the wilderness experience. He understood that the reality of life is discovered in the truth of God’s Word.

It doesn’t matter what your wilderness experience brings before you---what matters is what God says about you and His plan for your life. One of the greatest ways which we can worship the Lord is by simply saying the words, “I will trust You.” Remember brothers and sisters in Christ that your wilderness experience is an opportunity for you to worship the Lord. The enemy knows this and will try to take your eyes off of the truth. The things that you doubt in your life are not the things which God has promised you. Just like Jesus, remember what the Word of God has said and know that like your Lord, God has an incredible plan waiting for you to fulfill!

Why is God Hiding From Me?

 After taking a week off from the blog, I have struggled to figure out what’s next? A few week’s ago, I attended my annual pilgrimage to Green Bay for my yearly silent prayer retreat. As much as I want to “move on” from my incredible encounter with the Spirit of the Lord and begin to walk the journey which he has placed before me in this upcoming year, I cannot get past the convicting truth which He has brought to my attention---and yes, you guessed it, it is a truth I will now share with you. Two years ago at the retreat, God had me focus on the story of Hezekiah and the purification of the temple. And while he reminded me that that time is now in preparing my temple and that I should not be negligent in doing so ( see 2 Chronicles 29), apparently he was not done in teaching me something through this powerful passage of Scripture as He brought it to me this year once again.

King Hezekiah was a great king and we typically think of a man of faith and a man who trusted the Lord in all he did; however, we sometimes forget about what Hezekiah’s life also produced-----a Manasseh, who was considered to be among the most wicked of Judah’s kings. One has to wonder how such a man of “faith” was inept in making a impact upon his son. Although Hezekiah was a “good” king, he was not without his issues. The end of Hezekiah’s reign did not fair well as his “pride” became his downfall (see 2 Chronicles 32). After God has miraculously healed him and delivered him from the hand of the Assyrians, Hezekiah had allowed pride to enter his heart and caused judgment to fall upon the nation. The end result of his life was a Manasseh.

What causes “Manassehs?” I believe the answer to these things is found in Hezekiah’s dealings in purifying the temple in 2 Chronicles 29. Like Hezekiah, many of us have a passion for the church. We have a passion for worship to take place in the Body of Christ. We long for God to move among his people and we will do whatever it takes to see the “temple” where we worship purified and blessed by the Lord. As Hezekiah began the process, however, he ran into an interesting problem. While there were “Levites” who were more than ready to be used of God and were consecrated to do so, there was a lack of priests to finish the job. 2 Chronicles 29:34 states that “The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their kinsmen the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more CONSCIENTIOUS in CONSECRATING themselves than the priests had been.”

At first glance, we may think “What’s so bad about that?” However, when we consider the implications of what that points to, it is rather convicting! The Levites were individuals who were “set apart” for the service of God. Like many of us, we have an area of our life which we have set apart for the service of God. It may be being a member on a worship team, small group leader, deacon, or an usher. Regardless of where it is you may serve, many of us do a great job of making sure that our “service” to the Lord is a consecrated aspect of our lives. Hezekiah’s service to the people of God as “King” was something that he did extremely well in leading the people of God. He understood that as king, he needed to be obedient, trusting, and faithful to the Lord. We would not dispute that concerning our own lives as well. Being in a ministry at the church requires that we also be “consecrated” in fulfilling that ministry.

The priesthood, on the other hand, speaks to something much deeper that Levitical ministry. The priesthood was a life-long calling. It was more than a ministry but it was indicative of the person----they were the “priests” of the Living God. In other words, Levitical ministry is something you do while the priesthood is someone you “are.” I believe that in the church today, we have many who are consecrated in “doing” their ministry, but few who are “consecrated” in all of life! Hezekiah, while being a great king, failed miserably as the priest of his home. He did “kingship” well, but what about his personal life when he was away from the throne?

It is not difficult to the parallels in this story. We have churches full of people who serve the church well in what God has called them to----but what about their lives outside of the church? Are they living consecrated lives? When the TV goes on at home, is the temple remaining “consecrated or are we allowing things which compromise our priesthood? Does our “holy” conversation at church sound like the conversation we have behind close doors in the security of our homes? Do we serve our family like we treat the people we “minister” to with the same passion and respect? Or is home a place to take a “day off” from the grueling task of being “consecrated?”

True worship can only take place in a purified temple. If we fail to keep the temple truly consecrated, then God will do something incredible----he will “hide” from us” (2 Chronicles 32:31). By removing His presence, he will reveal the truth about what is truly in our hearts. Unfortunately, we discover that despite the fact that we serve Him faithfully in the church, His presence remains elusive. Could it be that because we do not see the need to have all of life consecrated unto Him that the process of having a purified temple cannot be made complete? Its not that God does not want to make His presence known to His people but it is because we have yet to live in a way where we act as if we truly desire it. The real fruit of our live will not be measured by the service we do in the church; rather, it will be measured by the person we are at all times before the Lord. Yes, Hezekiah was a great king, but he failed at the more important role of being the priest of his home. We must remember, despite his great faith and trust in God as a king, the Lord didn’t measure his legacy based upon how he served----but in who he was. For Hezekiah, he saw the ever-so-important role as being King of Judah, but lost sight of seeing himself as a person in need of God in all areas of life and living in such a way where his life was consecrated for the full-time service of worship.