Mythbusters Part 3

In Acts 20:29-30 Paul again warns the church, “Yes, I know that when I am gone, hungry wolves will come in among you. They will try to destroy the church. 30 Also men from your own group will begin to teach things that are not true. They will get men to follow them.”

In 1 Tim. 4:1 he warned, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”

In these last days, Paul’s warnings could not be more relevant.

Myths and false teachings are everywhere.

Now, the myths I’m targeting in this series are those that I see hindering and muzzling God’s church.

If there was ever a day when we need a red hot, bold, assertive, and influential church it is today.

So this time let’s look at MYTH #3—the myth that Christians are not to judge others—the myth of non-judgmentalism.

This myth has stemmed from the false philosophy of Political Correctness.

DEFINE: Political Correctness is the philosophy that says we should avoid any language or conduct that offends others.

“Don’t offend” is the watchword of PC.

And that means we shouldn’t judge another person’s lifestyle or belief system because that would offend them.

Thus, when Christians dare to judge a person’s lifestyle, or a belief system they see as wrong according to the Scriptures, people love to pull our passage from the Sermon on the Mount and quote it.

“Judge not!”

“Who are you to judge,” they say.

“Even Jesus said we shouldn’t judge.”

Or, they refer to Jesus’ dealings with the woman caught in adultery.

Those that caught her wanted to stone her.

But Jesus held up a stone and said “He that is without sin cast the first stone.”

See! They say. You shouldn’t judge! Jesus said so!

Their weapon of choice in this debate is:

The word “tolerance”

The cultural buzzword that is used to support this view of non-judgmentalism is “TOLERANCE.”

If “don’t judge” is the watchword of PC, “tolerance” is the Holy Grail.

We should be “tolerant” of others’ lifestyles and when we do so, we are showing love.

If we’re not “tolerant” we aren’t loving and are labeled as “haters,” or “bigots,” or “hypocrites.”

So let’s first define TOLERANCE as the dictionary gives it, and then as society now defines it.

The classic understanding of tolerance means “the act of putting up with somebody or something irritating or otherwise unpleasant.”

For instance, I “tolerate” broccoli when it’s put in front of me.

I don’t like it—especially steamed and raw—but I tolerate it.

But another definition of tolerance is the one we want today.

It defines tolerance as, “the acceptance of people with differing views—particularly in religious or political matters, and fairness toward the people who hold these different views.”

Note the distinction:

Tolerance means that I accept People of differing views, while still disagreeing with their views.

True tolerance is a form of graciousness whereby, though I disagree with the views of another, I don’t berate or attack them.

True tolerance has never meant that I must also embrace the views I disagree with.

But the new cultural view of tolerance has come to mean something very different.

The new view of tolerance means that I must accept every viewpoint as equally true and valid.

Not only must I respect the person holding the viewpoint, but I must respect the viewpoint as well!

And it now even goes a step further:

Not only must I accept differing views as equally as true and valid as my own, I must also celebrate them.

If I don’t accept and celebrate them, I am labeled a bigot, hater, homophobe (in the case of homosexuality), and so forth.

For instance, same-sex marriage is the current raging controversy.

I should, according to society, celebrate with those who want that arrangement.

If I don’t, I am a bigot, hater, homophobe, because how can I not see that the views of those entering the same-sex marriage are just as valid and worthy as my views?

Let’s be clear: Tolerance does not mean acceptance of what God calls wrong, and it certainly does not mean celebration of what God calls wrong!

And by the way, if someone tells you that you have no right to believe that way, remind them that they are right then and there being intolerant!

This new view of tolerance presents a huge problem to anyone who thinks.

Because if I accept as true and valid all lifestyles, concluding they are all equal in value, then there is no more right and wrong, no good and bad, no moral or immoral.

There is no one lifestyle that is better than another, no choices that are better than others because all views are equal—and we know that’s not true!

If I go with that view of tolerance, I must throw away my Bible because it clearly makes distinctions between various lifestyles, calling some good, some bad, some righteous, some wicked, some godly, and some ungodly.

The Bible itself is thoroughly intolerant of some lifestyles, moral choices, and actions.

Why? Because God says they’re wrong!

Now, let’s go back to the words of Jesus and look at:

What Jesus really meant about judging

Jesus said in Matt.7:1-2:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Was Jesus literally commanding us to never judge?

Was He actually teaching His followers to blink at every sin, to turn a blind eye to wickedness and immorality in order to avoid judging it?

No!

In fact, just a few verses later, He calls some people wolves in sheep’s clothing, and evildoers.

Sounds judgmental to me!

And I find in John 7:24, that Jesus commands His followers:

“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

Here’s Jesus telling us to MAKE JUDGMENTS!

In the same chapter where Jesus says, “Judge not,” He instructs His followers to judge the fruit of others’ lives:

Matt. 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them…”

QUESTION: How will I recognize them if I don’t judge their words and lifestyles?

Clearly, we who follow Christ are being told to judge the fruit in other people’s lives to see if it’s good or bad!

ILLUS: Hawks and sparrows in back yard.

The sparrows instantly judge the shape, the approach, the size of the hawk.

If they didn’t judge they’d be dead—a good Politically Correct sparrow—but dead!

It is insane, illogical, dangerous, and defies all common sense to not practice judgment!

So what was Jesus forbidding in Matthew 7?

Jesus is actually forbidding the WRONG KIND of judging.

The point in Matthew 7 is that we are to avoid judging with an attitude of superiority over another person because of that person’s failures.

In other words, we are not to look at someone who has fallen short with some smug “holier-than-thou” attitude.

We know this is what He meant because Jesus went on to say:

Vs. 3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Clearly, Jesus is warning against self-righteousness, which is the “PLANK” in your own eye.

He is saying, “Don’t judge others with a smug, self-righteous, nose in the air, condescending attitude.”

Jesus addresses this very thing in the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18.

We find a Pharisee in the temple praying, “God, thank You that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers; or even like this tax collector” pointing judgmentally to another man in the temple.

“But the tax collector,” Jesus said, “could not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”

What Jesus condemns in this story is a critical and judgmental spirit.

In Matthew 7 Jesus doesn’t command us to never judge; but he does command us to examine ourselves FIRST for the problems we see so easily in others.

Now, if we are to make “right judgments,” where do we get the STANDARD for those right judgments?

Where do we get our measuring stick from?

Dr. Laura? Dr. Phil?

Oprah? Billy Graham?

Mother Teresa?

From within ourselves?

From whatever our culture says is right or wrong?

No!

The standard from which we judge is the unchanging, totally reliable, inspired and inerrant Word of God, the Bible.

HERE’S WHERE WE STAND:

If the Bible condemns it, it is to be condemned.

If the Bible commends it, it is to be commended.

Here’s what we must realize:

When we apply God’s Word to the issue, WE are not judging; God is!

We are only communicating God’s judgment.

Therefore, their argument is really with God and not with you!

Now, a third key component to judging is:

Knowing How to Respond

How do we respond to those who accuse us of being intolerant and judgmental?

We respond in two ways. First…

A). Respond with truth.

Not your own opinion, but with the truth of Scripture.

One of Jesus’ favorite sayings was, “Truly, truly I say to you.”

It may take time, but truth will prevail.

Spurgeon said, “The quickest way to slay error is to proclaim the truth.”

The second way to respond to accusations of being intolerant is:

B). Respond in love.

When speaking the truth, we need to remember the instruction of Eph 4:15 to “speak the truth in love.”

1 Cor. 13:1 “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.”

“If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.”

Learn to blend the firmness of conviction with the spirit of love.

If the discussion starts moving from a healthy debate to a fleshly argument, walk away.

You get nowhere screaming and yelling, except to make yourself look bad.

SUMMARY:

Jesus did not teach His followers to never judge belief systems, lifestyles, or actions.

He did teach us to avoid self-righteous, patronizing types of judgment.

Our standard for judging is the Word of God.

Our method of judging is “in a spirit of love and concern.”

LET’S PRAY:

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