ONE FAMILY PLAN
Judge Not
To JUDGE or NOT to JUDGE
"JUDGE NOT, that ye be not judged." (Matthew 7:1)
"JUDGE NOT, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned..." (Luke 6:37)
Clear? Did Jesus JUDGE? Does Jesus JUDGE? Certainly NOT AFTER THE FLESH, as man does
"Ye judge after the flesh; I JUDGE NO MAN." (John 8:15)
We are not sent into this world (as men) to judge
"For GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON TO THE WORLD THAT HE MAY JUDGE THE WORLD, but that the world may be saved through him..." (John 3:17, YLT)
What about the servants of God? Can we judge them?
"WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE'S SERVANT? TO THEIR OWN MASTER, SERVANTS STAND OR FALL. AND THEY WILL STAND, FOR THE LORD IS ABLE TO MAKE THEM STAND."
(Romans 14:14, NIV)
But didn't Jesus judge? Didn't He say
"WOE TO YOU, BLIND GUIDES!..." (Matthew 23:16)
"YOU BLIND FOOLS!..." (v 17)
Jesus did NOT judge IN THE FLESH. It is a SPIRITUAL story! It is not the throwing of stones. Man takes vengeance in his heart. We speak out against others... NOT the judgment of Christ...
It is a Parable!
"...without a parable He said NOTHING to them." (Matthew 13:34, Amplified)
"I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH WITH A PARABLE; I WILL UTTER HIDDEN THINGS, THINGS FROM OF OLD... THINGS WE HAVE HEARD AND KNOWN, THINGS OUR ANCESTORS HAVE TOLD US." (Psalm 78:2-3)
"...HE THAT IS JOINED UNTO THE LORD IS ONE SPIRIT." (1 Cor 6:17)
"...THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK UNTO YOU, THEY ARE SPIRIT, AND THEY ARE LIFE." (John 6:63)
IN CHRIST He judges IN THE SPIRIT! We judge in the flesh
POINTING FINGERS
"Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and HE WILL SAY, 'HERE I AM.' IF YOU TAKE AWAY THE YOKE FROM YOUR MIDST, THE POINTING OF THE FINGER, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday." (Isaiah 58:9-10, ESV)
It seems we are always attempting to "force" others to "stand" ...to "fix" others as though this is some power we hold of ourselves. We point fingers and condemn in our hearts! It makes us feel special. Often we miss the fact that God is the ONLY one that changes the heart of man.
"WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE'S SERVANT? TO THEIR OWN MASTER, SERVANTS STAND OR FALL. AND THEY WILL STAND, FOR THE LORD IS ABLE TO MAKE THEM STAND."
(Romans 14:14, NIV)
He doesn't need US running around trying to "fix" everything. This is a faith to faith walk and HE is in EVERY detail. It is HIS plan, NOT ours! If we condemn [in our hearts] ...if we hate [murder in our hearts] ...if we pass sentence [in our hearts] with an EVIL heart, we are guilty!
"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; FOR THOU THAT JUDGEST DOEST THE SAME THINGS. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?" (Romans 2:1-3)
Motives of the heart
"The heart is DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, and DESPERATELY WICKED: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
"For from within, OUT OF THE HEART OF MEN, PROCEED EVIL thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." (Mark 7:21-23)
How many times have we "avenged" ourselves in our hearts?
"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, NEVER AVENGE YOURSELVES, but LEAVE IT TO THE WRATH OF GOD, for it is written, 'VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY, SAYS THE LORD.'" (Romans 12:16-19, ESV)
Why are we pointing fingers? Do we wish horrors on those we hate? What? Hate? Never! How could we?! Murderers?! You? Me?
"ANYONE WHO HATES HIS BROTHER IS A MURDERER..."(1 John 3:15, NIV)
We forgive, of course. We love. WE SIMPLY HOPE THEY [OUR ENEMIES] PAY EVERY LAST PENNY [AND BURN FOR ALL ETERNITY IN OUR FABLED HELL]!! This is hypocrisy!! And this whole bit about "forgiving" someone but requiring that they "earn"OUR special trust. How many times have we heard: "It will take time before I can trust you?" Our "TRUST" is NOT in man! We can NEVER trust man.
"This is what the LORD says: 'CURSED IS THE ONE WHO TRUSTS IN MAN, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD.'" (Jeremiah 17:5, NIV)
Are we waiting for a man to prove himself? We are hypocrites!
JUDGE NOT!
"JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED." (Matthew 7:1)
"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)
"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, NIV)
Judge NOT according to the flesh ...handing out sentences [hoping/wishing for the pain of others and/or trying to "fix" people through our superpowers- Witchcraft!] ...God will "fix" people!! We are to SPEAK AND ACT according to the LAW OF MERCY!!
"BE YE THEREFORE MERCIFUL, AS YOUR FATHER ALSO IS MERCIFUL. JUDGE NOT, AND YE SHALL NOT BE JUDGED: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. FOR WITH THE SAME MEASURE THAT YE METE WITHAL IT SHALL BE MEASURED TO YOU AGAIN." (Luke 6:36-38)
"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing on My own initiative AS I HEAR, I JUDGE; AND MY JUDGMENT IS JUST, because I DO NOT SEEK MY OWN WILL, BUT THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME." (John 5:28-30, NASB)
"I HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY AND TO JUDGE OF YOU: but HE that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of HIM." (John 8:26)
THE LAW OF LIBERTY
"Speak not one against another, brethren; he who is speaking against a brother, and is judging his brother, doth speak against law, and doth judge law, and if law thou dost judge, thou art not a doer of law but a judge; ONE IS THE LAWGIVER, who is able to save and to destroy; thou -- who art thou that dost judge the other?" (James 4:11-12, YLT)
Again, we are NOT to pass sentence. If we speak against another, we are condemning in our hearts! We are NOT to judge UNTIL the judgment! If we wrongfully judge a brother we contradict [judge] the Law [of Liberty]
"So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." (James 2:12-13)
By wrongfully judging our brother [passing sentence] we are saying that the Law of Liberty is unrighteous in how it forgives and forbears. The Law of Liberty demands mercy from us. In order to be "doers" of the Law of Liberty we must be merciful. If we judge the Law of Mercy and supersede it we are not "doers" of the Law. If Christ has shown mercy to our brothers and sisters, we MUST do the same!
THE HEART OF JUDGMENT:
"Thus says the LORD: 'EXECUTE JUDGMENT AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, and DELIVER THE PLUNDERED OUT OF THE HAND OF THE OPPRESSOR. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place..." (Jeremiah 22:3)
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART, and you will find rest for your souls."(Matthew 11:29)
"Judge not thy neighbor."(Buddhism, Siamese Buddhist Proverbs)
"Follow that which is revealed to thee, and persevere with patience until God shall judge; for he is the best judge." (Islam, Qur'an 10:109)
"All religions teach that we should love one another, that we should seek out our own shortcomings before we presume to condemn the faults of others... Who are we to judge?" (Baha'i, Abduâ-Baha, Paris Talks, Part II, November 13, 1911)
