Go Ahead, Judge
This is the lesson, it’s not a lesson in judging, it’s a lesson in being a hypocrite. The world is looking for, genuine, real, Jesus believing, loving caring and truthful, right walking lover’s of God.
My pastor called it last Sunday, God Godness. We all need a dose of Godness in our lives. None of us fear Him anymore and that is the basis for judging everything we see.
We ourselves need to run everything in our lives, through the measuring stick of our Love Letter, the Word, The Bible… it is the road map to life. I bet that 99% of people that use that condemning attitude toward you to tell you not to judge, has never read the Word of God and has no relationship with Jesus.
So, let this Scripture be one to follow when you decide to judge something and be free in your heart to judge something and not be condemned by the world. Run everything through the power of the Word and examine your own self, then you will not be judged or condemned because you have repented before the Lord and done your soul searching, "heart surgery" work already. Then, your lesson to learn and change and be all that God made you to be, will be fulfilled and you will not be condemned by someone to make you feel guilty.
Galatians 6:3-8:
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load. 6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
So, that is what the Lord gave me this morning and I had to put my hands to the keyboard and share it with you. Be free to judge. Not in criticism, but so that you will walk in the power of the lesson to not be a hypocrite and therefore, fulfill your ambassadorship for Christ in this world.
In Christ….
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Matthew 7:1-2
1) Judge not, that you be not judged. 2) for with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
1) Judge not, that you be not judged. 2) for with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
Ok, when I sat down
to do my bible study, it took me to two passages, one in Matthew 7 and one in
Matthew 15.
I opened up my bible to Matthew 7 and read it and then it happened again, that moment when you read something you've read so many times in your life, studying the Word, and bam… you get an insight from the Holy Spirit within that changes how you see and what you know from that revelation knowledge of the deeper part of scripture. Ever had that happen to you? Well, this was really a good one. This subject has come up over and over in front of me and I have been thinking it over for a couple years now.
I have been telling people of late that the “Don’t judge” thing that is rampant in the world with a wrong understanding of course, keeps stopping me in my tracks. I heard Irwin Lutzer (Moody Bible Institute's Pastor) preach on it one day a couple years ago and it has had me thinking about it and mulling it over.
He said that the bible is referring to discernment.
People around you and I, preaching and shouting, “Hey… You’re judging me!!! You can’t do that!!” don’t have a real clear understanding of it.
God has fashioned us all and has created us, as followers and disciples of Christ, for us to function at our fullest capacity that He designed us to be. Well, if He made us as thinkers and as people of choice, then why would be not be able to judge something to make a right decision?
When I see something, I don’t just look with my eyes, my brain engages and I start to evaluate the situation and size it up. In that process, you are judging what you saw, what it meant and also how it turned out or how you wonder how it did turn out.
That does not mean you are thinking you want to do something wrong or bad, but that you are trying to think, use your brain and make an assessment of something to learn from it and be further informed.
I opened up my bible to Matthew 7 and read it and then it happened again, that moment when you read something you've read so many times in your life, studying the Word, and bam… you get an insight from the Holy Spirit within that changes how you see and what you know from that revelation knowledge of the deeper part of scripture. Ever had that happen to you? Well, this was really a good one. This subject has come up over and over in front of me and I have been thinking it over for a couple years now.
I have been telling people of late that the “Don’t judge” thing that is rampant in the world with a wrong understanding of course, keeps stopping me in my tracks. I heard Irwin Lutzer (Moody Bible Institute's Pastor) preach on it one day a couple years ago and it has had me thinking about it and mulling it over.
He said that the bible is referring to discernment.
People around you and I, preaching and shouting, “Hey… You’re judging me!!! You can’t do that!!” don’t have a real clear understanding of it.
God has fashioned us all and has created us, as followers and disciples of Christ, for us to function at our fullest capacity that He designed us to be. Well, if He made us as thinkers and as people of choice, then why would be not be able to judge something to make a right decision?
When I see something, I don’t just look with my eyes, my brain engages and I start to evaluate the situation and size it up. In that process, you are judging what you saw, what it meant and also how it turned out or how you wonder how it did turn out.
That does not mean you are thinking you want to do something wrong or bad, but that you are trying to think, use your brain and make an assessment of something to learn from it and be further informed.
Look at verse 2 in Matthew 7,
read it slow, take time to “chew” eat each “mouthful” to get the full “flavor” of
the Word.
1. ‘For with what judgment you judge’ – So, when you look at something or think about some situation you are trying to understand or someone you are trying to figure out, you are judging the situation or issue.
1. ‘For with what judgment you judge’ – So, when you look at something or think about some situation you are trying to understand or someone you are trying to figure out, you are judging the situation or issue.
Here is a meaning of Judge from the Webster's dictionary:
Judge: Verb
a. to form an opinion about (something or someone) after careful thought
b. to regard (someone) as either good or bad
law: to make an official decision about (a legal case)
The noun of the word is the description of the person that we put up holding an office that wears a black robe and pronounces a judgment over a case he/she has studied.
So, what part of forming an opinion after careful thought or to regard someone as either good or bad making a decision for yourself of a matter or behavior, is bad? Why are you condemning others and yourself for that?
Because you have been told over and over again, “Ahh, ahh!!! Tisk tisk, you are judging… don’t do that!” (with a finger in your face waging back and forth).
a. to form an opinion about (something or someone) after careful thought
b. to regard (someone) as either good or bad
law: to make an official decision about (a legal case)
The noun of the word is the description of the person that we put up holding an office that wears a black robe and pronounces a judgment over a case he/she has studied.
So, what part of forming an opinion after careful thought or to regard someone as either good or bad making a decision for yourself of a matter or behavior, is bad? Why are you condemning others and yourself for that?
Because you have been told over and over again, “Ahh, ahh!!! Tisk tisk, you are judging… don’t do that!” (with a finger in your face waging back and forth).
You are suppose to
judge, you are suppose to make healthy, right judgments for what you see that
has perked you up to notice something … so judging is a healthy thing.
What Jesus said in verse 2 is ‘for what judgment you judge’, this means, where is this judgment coming from inside of you?
Why are you judging a situation? What are you expecting from making that judgment?
Are you wanting to slander someone? Are you wanting something they have (coveting) so you make them look bad so they lose what they have so you can get it? Are you bitter with unforgiveness inside your heart and you want revenge?
This is the second part of verse 2, ‘and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you’.
THIS is the issue that is important that Jesus is trying to get across… What’s in your heart.
Jesus looks on our hearts. That is the measure of our faith… In Romans 10:9-10, it is the scripture I love so much that is the ‘rule’ to our belief in Christ as Savior.
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (NKJV)
This is the truth that the world doesn’t know about the Word because they use the phrase to justify their own ‘stuff’ so that they will not feel ‘convicted’ and therefore, not repent and examine themselves. It's design it to make you feel you are wrong because you see something that is wrong and want to understand the error in what you are discerning to be out of sorts with what you know.
Our world is made up of people, now, that have no moral boundaries, only their own rules they live by and if they are not killing, not ‘lying’ (ya sure…), not ‘stealing’ (so what does that really mean anyway?) that they are good people and so then, because their theology is all messed up thinking that doing good is their ticket into Heaven, they will judge you for judging… Man!!! What a mess! And the enemy of our soul, loves to see us falsely condemned.
So, go ahead… JUDGE! Doesn’t that feel good? To know you have the freedom from the Word to judge?
Jesus went on to say in verse 3 and 4: And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
This is the part about examination. It’s always about us laying aside everything to allow our hearts to be examined by the Lord as to the motives we have towards a situation. Judgment is always about our own ‘stuff’. Even in Matthew 7:1-5, it’s all about making a pure and right judgment of what is down inside US. His point was so that we would see that it is about our heart and what is down inside of our own selves.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 was about the disciples sitting down to eat and the Pharisee’s judging them for not washing. It was about their pride with ‘following the rules’ and wanting to condemn the disciples for not following every letter of the law.
31) For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32) But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
So, this is telling you in Corinthians that judgment is important. We judge ourselves when we see something to judge. That is the purpose. What’s down in your heart? If you would judge the gook and the mire (sin) down inside of you, then you will not be condemned by the world’s standard either.
What Jesus said in verse 2 is ‘for what judgment you judge’, this means, where is this judgment coming from inside of you?
Why are you judging a situation? What are you expecting from making that judgment?
Are you wanting to slander someone? Are you wanting something they have (coveting) so you make them look bad so they lose what they have so you can get it? Are you bitter with unforgiveness inside your heart and you want revenge?
This is the second part of verse 2, ‘and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you’.
THIS is the issue that is important that Jesus is trying to get across… What’s in your heart.
Jesus looks on our hearts. That is the measure of our faith… In Romans 10:9-10, it is the scripture I love so much that is the ‘rule’ to our belief in Christ as Savior.
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (NKJV)
This is the truth that the world doesn’t know about the Word because they use the phrase to justify their own ‘stuff’ so that they will not feel ‘convicted’ and therefore, not repent and examine themselves. It's design it to make you feel you are wrong because you see something that is wrong and want to understand the error in what you are discerning to be out of sorts with what you know.
Our world is made up of people, now, that have no moral boundaries, only their own rules they live by and if they are not killing, not ‘lying’ (ya sure…), not ‘stealing’ (so what does that really mean anyway?) that they are good people and so then, because their theology is all messed up thinking that doing good is their ticket into Heaven, they will judge you for judging… Man!!! What a mess! And the enemy of our soul, loves to see us falsely condemned.
So, go ahead… JUDGE! Doesn’t that feel good? To know you have the freedom from the Word to judge?
Jesus went on to say in verse 3 and 4: And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
This is the part about examination. It’s always about us laying aside everything to allow our hearts to be examined by the Lord as to the motives we have towards a situation. Judgment is always about our own ‘stuff’. Even in Matthew 7:1-5, it’s all about making a pure and right judgment of what is down inside US. His point was so that we would see that it is about our heart and what is down inside of our own selves.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 was about the disciples sitting down to eat and the Pharisee’s judging them for not washing. It was about their pride with ‘following the rules’ and wanting to condemn the disciples for not following every letter of the law.
31) For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32) But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
So, this is telling you in Corinthians that judgment is important. We judge ourselves when we see something to judge. That is the purpose. What’s down in your heart? If you would judge the gook and the mire (sin) down inside of you, then you will not be condemned by the world’s standard either.
Think about it, when
you are told “ahh ahhhhh…you are judging… you’re not suppose to judge”… they
are judging you!
So, the lesson is,
go ahead, judge. But remember, judging is so that you will learn. It’s to get
the speck out of your own eye, to remove and repent of any attitude’s you may
have over a situation and, it is so you will learn. We learn when we observe
and take ‘notes’ and run our hearts past the One whom we trust to help us in
our examination of our deep soul stuff.
Don’t be condemned when you judge. You have the right to make a judgment over something, just remember, don’t be a person that looks at someone who is doing something wrong and then realize, in secret, you are doing something too. Judge it, learn from it, make it your mission in live to run everything across the power of God through the Holy Spirit’s counseling you and learn from your judging.
Don’t be condemned when you judge. You have the right to make a judgment over something, just remember, don’t be a person that looks at someone who is doing something wrong and then realize, in secret, you are doing something too. Judge it, learn from it, make it your mission in live to run everything across the power of God through the Holy Spirit’s counseling you and learn from your judging.
Then, you
won’t be the one in Matthew 7:5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own
eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
This is the lesson, it’s not a lesson in judging, it’s a lesson in being a hypocrite. The world is looking for, genuine, real, Jesus believing, loving caring and truthful, right walking lover’s of God.
My pastor called it last Sunday, God Godness. We all need a dose of Godness in our lives. None of us fear Him anymore and that is the basis for judging everything we see.
We ourselves need to run everything in our lives, through the measuring stick of our Love Letter, the Word, The Bible… it is the road map to life. I bet that 99% of people that use that condemning attitude toward you to tell you not to judge, has never read the Word of God and has no relationship with Jesus.
So, let this Scripture be one to follow when you decide to judge something and be free in your heart to judge something and not be condemned by the world. Run everything through the power of the Word and examine your own self, then you will not be judged or condemned because you have repented before the Lord and done your soul searching, "heart surgery" work already. Then, your lesson to learn and change and be all that God made you to be, will be fulfilled and you will not be condemned by someone to make you feel guilty.
Galatians 6:3-8:
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load. 6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
So, that is what the Lord gave me this morning and I had to put my hands to the keyboard and share it with you. Be free to judge. Not in criticism, but so that you will walk in the power of the lesson to not be a hypocrite and therefore, fulfill your ambassadorship for Christ in this world.
In Christ….
By: Michelle L. Bjorkman
January 20, 2014
January 20, 2014
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