"Does the Bible Say..." (3)
"Does The Bible Say..." • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Are motives always pure when people take verses out of context?
Are motives always pure when people take verses out of context?
Sometimes people have pure motives and repeat things they have heard or have been taught.
Sometimes our motives can be impure as we pursue a verse that seems to say what we want to say or believe.
Tonight’s verse is essentially one of those verses people quote, more often than not, out of a sense of protection or possibly deflection.
Protection — when they feel someone is attacking them.
Deflection— when they know better, but are in utter rebellion.
Let’s Read Our Misquoted Verse:
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
At first glance, what does the verse mean?
At first glance, what does the verse mean?
Christians should never judge.
Don’t judge me for my actions or God will judge you.
People who judge are sinning and unloving.
How many of us believe it is a sin to judge what someone else does?
How many of us believe it is a sin to judge what someone else does?
Take a minute on these next questions and right yes or no beside 1-8 and answer #9:
Take a minute on these next questions and right yes or no beside 1-8 and answer #9:
What if someone takes the last cookie?
What if someone calls you a liar?
What if someone lies to you or about you?
What if someone takes your stuff?
What if someone hurts your spouse, child, or grandchild?
What if someone commits murder?
What if someone is a rapist?
What if someone is a pedophile?
At what point does it become alright to judge?
What is the context of our verse, Matthew 7:1?
What is the context of our verse, Matthew 7:1?
The greater context is the “Sermon on the Mount.”
Jesus is essentially describing the depth of what it means to walk with Christ.
Chapters 5 & 6 challenge us to take stock of our own spiritual lives.
Let me start here and say, before you go home tonight with the wrong idea of what I am about to teach, Christians have no right to be judgmental.
Let me also say: this does not mean Christians should not assess, analyze, or evaluate what is going on in the life of themselves or fellow Christians.
κρίνω = distinguish, pick out, choose, judge, estimate, decide, interpret, bring to trial, accuse, condemn, pass sentence upon
The Greek word just like the English word can have many meetings and usages.
To Judge —
to form an opinion about through careful weighing of evidence and testing of
to form an estimate or evaluation of
A public official
If the context prior to the passage is calling us to be holy and the context after the passage is dealing with how God treats His people...
There should be an equal understanding and outflow...
How God treats us is an important context of how we should treat one another.
He gives better gifts to us and treats us better than we treat each other.
With this in mind, we examine Matthew 7:1 with its context of the next 5 verses.
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
The Christ follower should never be judgmental.
The Christ follower should never be judgmental.
2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
We are accountable in the same way we hold others accountable.
Therefore, if we are judgmental, we are storing up the same judgment against ourselves.
We might compare this to the Pharisees.
But what are these verses not saying?
But what are these verses not saying?
Let’s look at vs. 3:
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Check yourself before addressing others.
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
Address your own sin and then you are prepared to see clearly when dealing with others.
The reality in this verse is not “don’t hold others accountable,” it is not “do not practice corporate sanctification,” it is not “do not assess the sin of your brother in Christ,” and it certainly does not call accountability unloving.
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
The verses are simply pointing to the fact of cleaning up your closet before you go Marie Kondo on someone else.
Likewise, within the context we find vs 6:
6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
Will someone who does not know Christ find the things of Christ acceptable?
Will someone who does not know Christ find the things of Christ acceptable?
Vs. 6 says no.
In short: NO!
In the long run, those who do not know Christ will not receive or cleave to the things that are not what they desire to hear.
Walking Away, But In...
Walking Away, But In...
Being judgmental is wrong.
Holding Christians Accountable is Right.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE.