Archive for the ‘Judging’ Category
For Whom Was The Law Made?
1Ti_1:9 (KJV) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane…..
Nothing could be clearer than this one scripture verse that the Law, better known as the Ten Commandments, is for anyone who are not Christians.
Christians are no longer under the Law, but under Grace (Romans 6: 14), set free from the Law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and that Christ has redeemed them from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13).
So, if Christians are no longer required to be obedient to the Law, then what is the purpose of the Law for the those described in the above scripture of 1 Timothy 1:9? In Galatians 3:24 we read, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The Law is not for they who belong to Christ but for everyone else who are not Christians. Either they will be taught by the Law to repent of their sins and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus or it will be their judge to show them guilty of their disobedience to God and be thrown into the Lake of fire on judgement day.
As for Christians, they no longer are required to be obedient to the Law but neither does it give them free rein to sin all they want. It is God who works in each and everyone who are His children and He disciplines them as needed.
In doing so Christians will come to have a desire to be obedient to God in the framework of “love God and love your neighbor”. Anyone who calls himself or herself a Christian and is not bothered by doing sinful acts shows them not to be true Christians in the first place.
In short, the answer to the question of “For Whom Was The Law Made?” is very simple. If you are not a Christian, a true born-again disciple of Jesus, then it was made for you.
Will you not, by the grace of God, repent of your sins and bow before Jesus to confess Him to be Lord and believe that God has raised Him from the dead and be saved from facing the wrath of God because of your own sinfulness. I guarantee that you will not enjoy the alternative.
Peaceful – A Christians Lifestyle
The Christians who took part in the rebellious actions on January 6, 2021 against Congress did so thinking they were doing the will of President Trump, when actually they were acting in disobedience to the will of God.
I can only imagine that they were:
1. Not real Christians but Christians in name only.
2. Have never read the New Testament for themselves on living the Christian life.
3. Were never taught from the pulpit how a disciple of Jesus is supposed to live their life after having been born again by the Spirit of God.
If any of these had happened, they would have known a very simple verse on how to live the Christian life. It is found in Romans 12…
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live “peaceably” with all men.
Rom 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
As followers of Jesus, we are to live peaceably with all men.
What they did that day was anything but peaceful. They should have known that as disciples of Jesus they are also soldiers of Jesus in the spreading of the Gospel of salvation found only in Jesus and, as soldiers, they should have been obeying this command from 2 Timothy 2…
2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4 No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
The only way a Christian would not want to become involved with the affairs of this life would be if they were following the commands found in 1 John 2…
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
If anyone loves the things of this world, they would have found it easy to take part in the rebellion on that January day and, in doing so, showing themselves that they may not be a Christian at all. That is why it would have been so easy to take part in that violent and disastrous action.
Christians are to be different. We are to be peaceful and loving people showing forth the love of God to others. There are many verses in the Scriptures that speak of how a Christian is to be, and here are a few of them:
2Co 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
1Pe 3:11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
On that day in January, there is one thing they who called themselves Christians should have been doing:
1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
They who said they were Christians on that infamous day need to ask themselves, “Are they really disciples of Jesus?”
Maybe another question they should ask is this, are they attending a “Real” Christian church or just one that plays at being Christian. They certainly need to start reading the New Testament Scriptures for themselves and asking God to give them understanding into His Word. They should also be looking at their church leadership to see if they are qualified to be pastors, elders, deacons, etc.
The bottom line is this. Christians are to live peacefully with all men. For that is their lifestyle according to the Word of God. On January 6, 2021, many people showed by their actions that they are Christians in name only; their church leadership has failed them, or both.
The Real Avenger: Endgame
I am sure that by now everyone either has seen or at least heard about the new movie “Avengers: Endgame”. Well, I have at least heard about the movie. You see, I really do not go to the movies anymore. I am not into fantasy, sci-fi or bloody mayhem. I guess I am just an old-fashioned kind of a guy.
However, there is one Avenger who has a real “endgame” that I am interested in, and it is found in the Bible. Here it is from 2nd Thessalonians 2:
2Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
There is no one else Who has the power and right to bring vengeance on whom He wills than Jesus. Seeing that we also read the following in John 3:
oh 3:34 For he (Jesus) whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Joh 3:35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son(Jesus) hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Imagine being given the opportunity to repent of ones sins and to believe on Jesus or face the wrath of God, why would anyone refuse the offer. In the Gospel of Luke Jesus said the following:
Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
Luk 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
It does not matter whether you have little sins or big sins, any sin at all demands repentance of that sin and they who refuse to do so because they like their sin will face the wrath of God.
Why Jesus, you may ask. Here is the answer found in Acts 4:
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
In fact, in Romans 10: 2, 10 we read the following:
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
All of us commit sins, and we must all pay for them, unless we bow before Jesus and submit to Him as our Lord, and ask for forgiveness. If we do, we will be saved from facing the wrath of God. If we do not, we only have God’s wrath to face.
There is a real Avenger and He has a real “endgame”. His name is Jesus. As we read before:
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
From Hebrews 10 we read the following:
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Jesus is the real “Avenger” and he does have an “endgame”. A fearful endgame. One I pray that you do not want to face and will now repent and bow before Jesus as Lord and ask for forgiveness from the only true Savior of us all. For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
If you do not, you will only face the Real “Avenger”. That is something you will wish you had never done.
Is There Discrimination Against Christians? … Yes!
The basic meaning of “discrimination” is prejudice, bigotry, bias, intolerance, etc. Without a proper realization of what it means to discriminate against something or someone how can it be told that discrimination is real and that it is a clear and present danger.
The 1st Amendment of the Constitution begins this way:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
The Bible is the guide for how Christians are to live while in this world, and the 1st Amendment guarantees our rights in living out our lives as guided by the Bible. The problem arises when secular society sees differently on whether the Bible or secular humanism should rule the lifestyle of the average citizen. As the Church has become less important in the societal life of the average citizen so has the influence of the Bible become less important as a guide for morality, and because of that so has the outspokenness of Christians become no longer welcomed.
The decline of Christian influence because of the increase of secular humanism has now made Christianity irrelevant in the average life of the non-Christian in the United States. Thus what was once considered immoral or unnatural has now become the norm and is now the leader in how the average person is to view their lifestyle. In most cases, as long as love is involved, it is OK to now do what the Bible calls sinful because society says it is OK to do.
This is where discrimination comes to the fore. Here is an example. Secular society says that homosexuality is OK. After all, they love one another and they should be able to marry like heterosexuals. The Bible, however, says much about the homosexual relationship but let us look at some verses from the New Testament. In Romans 1: 26-27 we read:
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
So, Christians, “born again” Christians, see homosexuality as an unnatural act, and one that God says is a sinful activity. Secular society says that it is OK. What was once seen as evil is now seen as good and for that reason Christians have no right in “judging” others in a relationship that is now deemed “natural”. Basically, we are being told to stop spreading ridiculous ideas about homosexuality being sinful. They tell us that we should embrace this movement and allow it to go on, no matter what we believe, and to refrain in protesting in our responding to it being forced upon us, even though it goes against our religious beliefs to participate in it in any way that acknowledges its legitimacy, and by doing so we are being discriminated against and are looked upon as being intolerant bigots.
This clearly is a violation of our 1st Amendment rights in being denied our God-given, and Constitutional guarantee, to freely exercise our religious beliefs by refusing to participate in this activity in any way that would make it look as a legitimate activity instead of it being a sinful activity as proclaimed by God and the Bible.
As for homosexual marriages, in Matthew 19: 4-6 Jesus said the following:
4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Clearly, Jesus says that a marriage is to be between “a man and a woman”. Jesus also stated that “what God has joined together, let no man separate.” By secular society saying that homosexuals can legally get married is to go against Jesus (who is God in flesh) by separating what God has joined together by willfully disobeying God in so doing.
Again, by forcing Christians to participate in a homosexual wedding, even if they are only forced to provide a service as part of the activity, is to violate their 1st Amendment right to refuse to engage in an activity that legitimizes this un-natural activity, one that God says not to do and, in being forced to do so, they are being discriminated against by that very act.
Yes, discrimination is being done in a big way, covered by a secular society crying foul for the “civil rights” being denied of people engaging in an activity that God says is an un-natural and sinful activity, and doing so by using secular law which they make superior to God’s Law.
In short, you are guilty of discrimination against Christians and you are in violation of their 1st Amendment right to freely exercise their religious beliefs. What is worse, you are willfully disobeying the commands of God in allowing this activity to take place.
The Kentucky County Clerk and Faith
I am sure that you have heard about the Kentucky County Clerk, Kim Davis, who went to jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses, not just to homosexuals, but to anyone who wanted a license. The question is why and what does she want? The answer is very simple. First read the following passage from Romans 1: 18-32. It may seem long but unless you understand from where she is coming you will not be able to understand her reasoning for refusing to issuing the licenses.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
I do not have to explain these verses. If you do not understand what they are saying it is only because you do not want to believe what you are reading. However, the very last verses is the immediately important one for a Christian. In short, anyone who just accepts the sinful activities of others and says that it is OK for them to do so, are just as guilty of those sins as if they had participated in doing the same.
By having her name on the marriage licenses, even if she did not issue them herself, in her belief she is just as guilty as they who are participating in the sin. In a September 8th news article by CBS news they wrote the following:
“Davis, an apostolic Christian, believes gay marriage is a sin. She also believes it would be a sin for her to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple because the licenses are issued under her authority.”
All she wants is for her name “Not” be on those marriage licenses and, as long as she did not have to issue them, she would be OK if someone else in the Clerks office would do so. This way she is not participating in this sinful activity by agreeing to allow homosexuals to marry; which does go against Christian teachings, as found in the Bible, and would by denying Mrs. Davis her first amendment right of practicing her religion. You know, “prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
The question for you is twofold. First, if homosexuals can demand their rights, why cannot Christians also demand theirs? Second, who are “you” going to obey – God or man? Maybe you should go back and read the above verses again. Even if you do not participate in homosexual activity, just by going along with them and saying that it is OK, makes you just as guilty of that sin as if you also participate in it as well.
I would advise you to answer very carefully as your answer may determine your eternal destiny…
Obedience Proves Your Faith
So many people call themselves Christian yet by their life they say otherwise. Cheap grace has infected the Christian church due to the fact that so many people, although they say they are believers in the Gospel of Christ, are not showing their faith by their obedience to God. The excuse they give is they say that it is done out of love.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian, said, “Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.” This is a great example of what Christians are supposed to be doing when they declare their faith.
This is the same as when God tells us in James 2:18:
But some man might say, Thou hast the faith, and I have works: show me thy faith out of thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.
In other words, if you say that you are a Christian what you do everyday, how you work out your faith in everyday living, should be proof that you are in deed a Christian. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, if you truly believe then you will be obedient in your service to Christ, and by your obedience you will show that you truly believe. However, so many so-called Christian choose not to be obedient because they say that they do so out of love. Love has become the all-inclusive reason for “not” being obedient to Jesus.
I love money so I will do whatever it takes to get it. I want to be with that person even if it is wrong because I love them. We don’t have to get married to have physical intimacy because we love each other. I will leave my spouse to be with another because I no longer love my spouse because I love that other person. These are just a few examples of disobedience because of love for something or someone other than Jesus.
Now I am not talking about or judging people outside of the Church as God will judge them. Who I am talking about are people who call themselves Christian but live a life of disobedience to the Word of God.
In John 14: 21 Jesus said the following:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
Jesus is very plain in saying that you truly show your love for Him by your obedience. Then He reinforces this statement with the following from verses 23 & 24:
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
The Bible is the Word of God. Christ is in the written Word. While there are commandments that were in the Old Testament that are not for today, they were only for certain individuals or for the People of Israel, there are commandments from both Testaments that we are to follow today if we are a Christian. And we are to put Jesus first in everything if we are to follow Him and show that we are true disciples. Jesus made this very clear in Luke 14: 26 & 33:
26: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
33: So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Using love as an excuse for being disobedient to the commands of Jesus is hypocritical. Our first and greatest love is to be Jesus. All other aspects of our life is to play off of that. Anyone we say that we love, any material thing that we say we love, any emotional feeling that we say that we love, no matter what we say that we love is to be second only to Jesus. The love that we have for Him should guide us into the love that we have for anyone or anything else.
So, how about you? Do you show that you believe in Jesus, and love Him, by your obedience to Him? Do you show your obedience because you truly believe in and love Jesus? How much do you really love Jesus more than anyone or anything?
The good thing is that it is never to late to repent. So much that is being taught in the Church these days is not from the Bible but from people who either should not be in the position of leadership, or are not even a Christian themselves, and are only teaching the commands of what man says that you should be doing.
All you need to do is to read the Bible for yourself, especially the New Testament, and submit to the teaching of the Holy Spirit as you read the Word, and you will find out what it is that you should and should not be doing in your change to loving and be obedient to Jesus above all else.
Remember, Jesus said that “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word“. Do you really love Jesus more than anyone or anything? Your obedience to Jesus will be the proof of that. Please, do not use love as an excuse for being disobedient. It will not get you into Heaven.
Should Christians Judge Non-Christians?
How many times have you pointed out a sin with which someone is involved only to be told something like, “who are you to judge me”, or “remember, the bible tells us that we should not judge another”. Is judging others, especially non-Christians, something Christians should be doing?
In response, I would always use the verses from James 5: 19, 20 to show that it is OK to point out sin in others:
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
This would seem to say that it is OK to point out the sins of others. Otherwise, how else could you turn someone from the errors of their ways? Well, I’ve discovered that there is more to this than James 5.
Recently, while reading through 1 Corinthians, I came across a verse that I’ve read numerous times but it never jumped off of the page as it did this particular time. The verse about which I’m talking is from 1 Co. 5: 12, 13 which reads:
12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges.”
Did you catch it? I did, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Paul is asking the people in the church at Corinth “why are you judging those who are outside the church (non-Christians). Leave them alone as God will judge them. it is very clear that Paul here is teaching that Christians should not be judging non-Christians. We are to leave that to God.
So, when you put this together with what James stated, as we read above, only those in the church, they whom we call Christians, are the ones who we should be judging in the sense of letting them know what God has said about the matter and then to bring them back into the fold once they see their sin and repent of it. That is also taught in 1 Corinthians 5, and that is what Paul is telling us. Leave it to God to do the judging of non-Christians.
The answer then to the question of “Should Christians Judge Non-Christians” is an emphatic ” NO “! The reason for this, in addition to what we are taught by Paul, through the Holy Spirit, is that non-Christians will not and cannot understand the spiritual things of God.
Take for example 1 Co. 2: 14
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Here we are told that the natural man, who is a non-Christian, will not and cannot understand the spiritual things of God. So, we can talk to them until we are blue in the face, so to speak, and they will never accept what we are saying. This is something that used to drive me crazy because to me it was so simple and I would get so upset that the one to whom I was talking would not accept what I was saying. Now I know why… Simply put they cannot do so without the Holy Spirit working in them to give them understanding.
More importantly Jesus makes this even more clear as to why non-Christians will not and cannot understand what we are talking about when we specifically point out their sin, and they will even get angry and argue or fight with us in the process of rejecting what we are saying.
In the Gospel of John 8 we see Jesus talking with The Pharisees and they are constantly asking Him who was He? The response of Jesus in answering them is very telling. They do not understand all that He is saying and He even tells them why they cannot.
First, in verses 42 and 43 Jesus says this:
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.”
You see, Jesus plainly tells them that the reason they do not understand what He is saying is because they are no able to listen to His word. Then He goes on to tell them why.
In verses 45 through 47 Jesus tells them:
45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
In simple words, Jesus tells them that they do not belong to God, basically they are non-Christians, and because of that they cannot hear God’s words – “you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
Again, in John 10 Jesus is talking with the Jewish leaders and they ask Him in verse 24:
24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Pointedly they have asked Him if He truly was the Christ and He answers them in verses 25 through 27 that He has already told them, they didn’t believe Him and Jesus even tells them “why” they don’t believe Him.
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
What Jesus tells them is that He has already answered them and the reason they will not and cannot believe Him is because they do not belong to them; they are non-Christians.
This now brings us back to the question of “Should Christians Judge Non-Christians”? And the answer is “NO”…
Not only will they not believe what you will say but they cannot believe what you will say because they do not belong to God. They are non-Christians and they will not hear nor understand anything you tell them of a spiritual nature.
Now judging non-Christians and sharing the gospel are two different actions. Pointing out specific sin in others who are non-Christians is something that Christians should “not” do, but sharing the gospel and explaining what sin is will be the beginning of the path for non-Christians to follow which will lead them to Christ.
Leave the judging of non-Christians to God. In doing so we can trust in this:
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
1 Corinthians 4: 5
Is It Really Judging?
Why is it that whenever one points out the sin that another is doing that someone always brings up the thing about “judging others”.
Here’s an example.
Recently, I made a comment that pointing out to someone about a sin they are doing is a good thing, I used this verse to support it:
“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” James 5: 19, 20
Right after that another responded with the comment of “who are you to judge another” and quoted from James 4: 12:
“There is one Lawgiver….. Who are you to judge another?”
Now I have to admit that this got me to thinking. How can these two verses be reconciled? Then it came to me and it was quite easy.
You see, all laws are based on a morality standard, but whose standards of morality do we use? Actually there are only two from which to choose; mans or Gods.
Mans standard of morality is always changing, and it does so based on what man is doing at the time. In other words, at one point something may be declared to be wrong only to be changed somewhere down the line and made to be good. There’s never a true standard of what’s right and wrong because someone will always state that for them it is not wrong. This basically is called “situation ethics”.
Situation ethics states that if it is wrong for you then it is wrong, but only for you. I may not think it is wrong and for me, since I enjoy it and want to do it, then it isn’t wrong for me to do so. In that case, then, it would be correct to say, “who are you to judge another?”
Or as Jesus said in Luke 6: 42:
“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
In this case you have one person pointing out the wrong doing of another when they have something in their own life that is just as wrong as the wrong they are condemning.
However, it is just the same as “situation ethics” in which one is pointing out the wrong that someone else is doing when to them is isn’t wrong or the wrong they may be doing is OK to do by someone else.
Man just cannot come up with a “black & white” way of stating what is right and what is wrong. Maybe that is why in the Bible it is written:
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14: 12
Man will always choose a way that pleases him and not look to what God wants and this will always lead to death; spiritual and physical. For it is not always God’s way.
Now with God. His standard of morality is always “black & white”. There are no questions and God does not say, “OK it’s alright to do this now, but don’t do it again.” God is not wishy-washy and His ways do not change.
With that in mind, then, as a Christian, and only as a Christian, when one sees a brother or sister doing what God has called wrong – a sin – and lovingly brings that to their attention, they are doing good in helping that person get back onto the road to life.
This can also come into play when talking to a non-Christina about their eternal destiny and the salvation they can achieve from being forgiven for their sins, they must have pointed out to them the sin they are doing. For it is in seeing the Law of God that they will see their sinfulness and come to the realization that they are destined for Hell and they can do nothing about it.
Once they see this they will know that their only hope is in submitting to Jesus as Lord and believing that He has done for them what they cannot do for them self and that is being obedient to the Law of God. They will see that Jesus suffered the punishment they deserve and, because of that, they will be forgiven for the sins they have committed.
It is hypocritical for a non-Christian to point out the wrongs of another non-Christian because they are guilty of doing wrong themselves, even if it isn’t for the same wrong they are bringing to light.
Only a true Christian can bring to light the sins of another because it is not their standard of morality they are basing this on. They are basing it on the standard of morality set by God. God the Father speaks through His children and it is through them that He brings to light the sins of the world.
A Christian can say that “this is wrong”, and do so knowing that what they are saying are not their words. They are doing so because they can say, “In the Bible, it is written”. As Jesus says in Luke 10: 16:
“He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
When a non-Christian, and so-called Christians, reject what a true Christian says is written in the Bible, they are not rejecting them. In reality they are rejecting Jesus and, in doing so, they are rejecting God the Father.
It is not OK for non-Christians to judge another, as the Bible so correctly points out, but it is OK for a Christian to point out the sins of another. It is NOT really judging, as long as it is done with the notice that this is what God says, and as long as they say, “For in the Bible it is written”.
Riff's Christian Journal 