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Charles Spurgeon said, "It cannot but grieve gracious souls to see what pains men take to go to hell." He also said that if you do not despair over sin, not only yours, but others, then you lack "inward holiness." Tough words. They bump up strongly against the world's anger when Christians speak out against the sin of the world and of the human heart.
Do not judge!
I hear that continually...but if that is our standard, then why does the Bible say, "Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?" (1 Corinthians 6:3)
While we cannot condemn, only God condemns, how are we to despair over sin if we have not grappled with and made a judgment of what sin is? We judge every day, every one of us. Every action we take, every person we choose to befriend, the school we decide to go to, the spouse we marry, the choices we make as a parent all involve judgment and most involve judging others. It is foolish to claim we should not judge or that you yourself don't judge! Right now I suspect you are judging whether I am worth listening to. We are to make judgments in love, and with the goal of encouraging and bringing others closer to God, but to say we are not to judge ignores the hundreds of Bible verses that tell us we are to do just that. How we judge is important and many verses say we are to do so in humility, love, respect, and without hypocrisy. But if we are to judge angels...we better be learning to judge rightly.
I thought of all this as I wandered the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with my daughter Asherel this weekend. We were there for the express purpose of judging. We were judging how this college bumped up against others she'd applied to so she would make a wise choice of where to spend the next four years of her life. I thought of my own judgment as a parent over the years -- the things I have taken a stand on, the things I have let slide. I see whenever I mention any of those choices publicly (which as a writer, happens every day), I find people furious with me from either side of the choice I am discussing.
That's because we all judge. And I hope that most of us make judgments based on facts, conscience, experience, and spiritual insights. As the Bible says, we ourselves will be judged one day. We will come to God with our life of choices and will give an account of what we did and why. For example, I will be judged for my decision that we don't celebrate Halloween as a family, or chose to homeschool, or enforced curfews at certain times for my kids, or had certain rules and expectations. You will be judged for your decisions. You do not have to defend your decision before me. You only have to defend yours before God.
But in my judgment, God gave me a gift and love of writing and art. I communicate what He impresses upon my heart because it is what I feel called to do. I am not condemning anyone for choices they make because I express an opinion that might vary from yours. But I may judge that I am correct, or I probably wouldn't dare write it...and live it. I am certain I will be wrong on many things. I hope I will be right on some. If I were not to judge and take action, I would be a thistle blown about in the wind of public opinion, and that to me, is far more dangerous than setting roots on carefully considered firm ground.
Meanwhile, back to SCAD -- if I were young again entering school, I would have loved to go to a college like that dedicated to the creative arts. But that's my judgment. Asherel will have to judge for herself.
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Deuteronomy 1:16-17
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Judging-Others#sthash.uUPOrBQA.dpuf
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Judging-Others#sthash.uUPOrBQA.dpuf
2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.John 3:17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.1 Corinthians 5:12-13
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”Psalm 1:1-6
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;Ezekiel 22:2
“And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations.1 Corinthians 5:1-3
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.James 5:19-20
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Deuteronomy 1:16-17
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Judging-Others#sthash.uUPOrBQA.dpuf
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Judging-Others#sthash.uUPOrBQA.dpuf
Leviticus 19:15
'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.
'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.
Deuteronomy 1:16-17
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
Proverbs 24:23
These also are sayings of the wise To show partiality in judgment is not good.
These also are sayings of the wise To show partiality in judgment is not good.
Leviticus 19:15
'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.
'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.
Deuteronomy 1:16-17
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
Proverbs 24:23
These also are sayings of the wise To show partiality in judgment is not good.
These also are sayings of the wise To show partiality in judgment is not good.
Deuteronomy 1:16-17
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Judging-Others#sthash.uUPOrBQA.dpuf
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Judging-Others#sthash.uUPOrBQA.dpuf
Deuteronomy 1:16-17
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Judging-Others#sthash.uUPOrBQA.dpuf
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Judging-Others#sthash.uUPOrBQA.dpuf
Leviticus 19:15
'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.
'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.
Deuteronomy 1:16-17
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
"Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
Proverbs 24:23
These also are sayings of the wise To show partiality in judgment is not good.
These also are sayings of the wise To show partiality in judgment is not good.
You would not believe the common threads we have with your "ideals" .....I have taken the liberty to print your post to file away for future references.....I am not up on how to sign this and will do so as anonymous as I am not very computer tech.....I love your stuff.....thank you for standing out......Gary Scott
ReplyDeleteThank you Gary. I think we are fellow sojourners on a path that is not always easy, but as long as the goal is God, we will get there. He promises that.
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