People use that "judge not" mantra as manipulation to make us feel bad for holding them accountable for their sinful actions.
The Bible never told us not to judge, the instruction was to judge righteously. We are also told to judge all things. How could we possibly avoid error and develop discernment if we were not judging everything.
Ephesians 4:14-16...
"14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."
If we are to know truth, discerning good from evil and implementing what we know in our lives, then we must judge things according to God's principles.
Far too many people have been avoiding judging, only to end up with no standards at all, allowing wickedness to have free reign in our gatherings, encouraging evil by not confronting it head on, while influencing weak believers to continue in sin.
Want to know the truth of the matter.......Often believers do not confront sin because they are more concerned about being loved by people, than they are devoted to God. It is not love to allow a brother or sister to continue in sin without challenge.
James 5:19-20
"19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that [s]he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
God's kind of love, is to care deeply about a brother or sisters walk, much more than what others may think or whether or not the brother or sister is temporarily saddened by the correction.
2 Corinthians 7:8-9
"8 For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—
9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us."
2 Corinthians 7:10
"For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death."
No comments:
Post a Comment