Judging Others – 11

Sermon on the Mount - 82

Matthew 7:1–5 (NIV84)

1“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3“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?

4How 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?

5You 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.

Discernment

Philippians 1:9–10 (NIV84)

9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,

Discern = δοκιμάζω dokimazō = to approve: to judge to be right or commendable; think well of.

To make a critical examination of something to determine genuineness, put to the test, examine.

The ability to make discriminating judgments, to distinguish between, and recognize the moral implications of, different situations and courses of action. It includes the ability to weigh up and assess the moral and spiritual status of individuals, groups, and even movements.

To regard something as genuine or worthy on the basis of testing; to judge to be genuine, to judge as good, to approve.

The ability to perceive and distinguish what is true, good, fitting, or spiritually significant.

1 Thessalonians 5:20–23 (AMP)

20Do not spurn the gifts and utterances of the prophets [do not depreciate prophetic revelations nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning].

21But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast.

22Abstain from evil [shrink from it and keep aloof from it] in whatever form or whatever kind it may be.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV)

22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.

23And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

V. 20, Do not despise prophecies. The Thessalonians did not have the completed Scriptures as we have today. Paul instructs the people of God concerning the Word of God. Paul commands the church not to quench the Spirit; next he commands the church not to despise the preaching of God’s word.

Jimmy Draper wrote, “We are not to turn away the counsel of God’s Word that comes to us and from the moving of the Spirit of God in us. We can quench the Spirit by ignoring God’s word.”

“Prophecy that is given today is the expounding of the Word of God.” We are not to despise God’s blessed word.

Respect for the supremacy of the revelation of God in Scripture is what the apostle Paul had in mind.

Romans 12:6–8 (NIV84)

6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Prophesying = προφητεία prophēteia = to be able to speak inspired messages.

In the Old Testament, the prophets said, “Thus says the Lord,” and what followed had finality.

But in 1 Corinthians 14:29, Paul directs the church to “weigh” or “test” what prophets say: “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.”

The call to “weigh” prophecy drives the conclusion that “prophecy” can have two meanings.

Speech by an Old Testament prophet or an apostle. It has God’s authority and should be believed and received without question or hesitation.

Speech by any believer, perhaps especially a pastor or teacher, and should be weighed.

Charles Hodge (1797–1878): The inspiration of the apostles was abiding, … infallible and authoritative, whereas the inspiration of the prophets was occasional and transient.

The successors to Old Testament prophets are the apostles, not new covenant prophets.

Since service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and showing mercy still exist, it is likely that prophecy, in some form, continues too. But in what form?

John Calvin: Prophecy is nothing more than “the right understanding of the Scripture, and the peculiar faculty in explaining it.” A prophet is “anyone who skillfully and wisely” interprets and explains God’s will.

J. I. Packer: Prophecy describes a God-prompted application of truth that was already revealed. It is any verbal enforcement of biblical teaching applied to present hearers.”

Every sermon or informal message that has … a heart-searching character may be called prophecy.

Prophecy is preaching that convicts hearers and discloses the secrets of [the] heart so that people confess, “The Lord is in this place!”

To summarize, prophecy continues, not as new revelation, but as a stirring restatement of the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures.

The church tests prophecy because prophetic words must cohere with the standard of the faith. To be precise, the two words translated “our faith” at the end of Romans 12:6 are “the faith” in Greek.

Allen Parr: Do I believe that God can use someone to speak a word beyond what’s explicitly stated in the Scriptures, a word that can encourage and provide insight and wisdom to a fellow believer? Yes, I do. Do I believe that God is using people today to provide a general authoritative message to the body of Christ as new revelation that’s not found in the Bible? No, not at all… The canon is closed, and Scripture provides all that we need for life and godliness. We don’t see authoritative new revelation for the entire body of Christ through individual prophets.

Prophecy today is primarily geared toward forthtelling (a Spirit-empowered teaching of God’s truth as revealed in the Scriptures) or providing especially insightful words of truth and wisdom that may not be explicitly contained in Scripture but are consistent with it and provide special encouragement to the hearer.

Test = δοκιμάζω dokimazō = to examine (check out): to observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect. (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

To try to learn the genuineness of something by examination and testing, often through actual use; to test, to examine, to try to determine the genuineness of, testing.

Christians need to test what they hear and read, by comparing it with the Word of God, to determine if it is divine in its origin.

The teaching of the Bible is the plumb-line by which all claims to divine guidance, all new ideas, all intuitions must be tested. Its single, divine authorship means that Scripture has an inner harmony, without any contradictions.

“Led by the Spirit?”

Romans 8:13–14 (AMP)

13For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever.

14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Galatians 5:16–18 (NIV84)

16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Led = ἄγω agō = to be led (directed): to willingly undergo an action or course of action (due to the influence of a moral or spiritual influence).

To so influence others as to cause them to follow a recommended course of action; to guide, to direct, to lead.

Based on these two verses, the phrase, led by the Spirit, is commonly used as rationale for proceeding with a course of action.

The Spirit led me or God led me gives undisputed justification for someone’s action.

It becomes the uncontested official will of God.

When asking a person who believes they are led by the Spirit how they know, it often turns out that they had a feeling, impression, prompting, or even a personal desire.

Thus, the Holy Spirit is reduced from being a Person to a sensation. It becomes nearly impossible to reason with someone after they have attributed this emotional sensation to the Holy Spirit.

The greatest problem with the use of the phrase led by the Spirit is that in context these passages have nothing to do with guidance or making decisions.

Both passages contrast the lifestyle of fleshly desires with the lifestyle of godly living.

Choosing a godly lifestyle is equivalent to being led by the Spirit.

J. I. Packer: Twice Paul speaks of being led by the Holy Spirit [Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:18], and the phrase has passed into evangelical jargon: believers say they are being led by the Spirit whenever they feel a strong sense of obligation to act in a particular way.

But in neither place is Paul talking about being drawn to a specific decision or policy; both times, his theme is overall life-quality, as a sign that one has passed from spiritual death into spiritual life.

Luke 4:1–2 (NIV84)

1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert,

2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

Led = ἄγω agō = to be led (directed): to willingly undergo an action or course of action (due to the influence of a moral or spiritual influence).

The Greek verb agō is used in the imperfect tense (or aspect) meaning that for the forty-day period Jesus was kept on the move; and that the phrase rendered by the Spirit is literally in [en] the Spirit, and should be understood as meaning that Jesus was kept at a constant level of high spiritual awareness rather than that the Spirit directly prompted each move from one place to another.

In all three cases, being led by the Spirit is a phrase that points to living in the Spirit as a personal fact, rather than to particular experiences of guidance, in whatever form.

Exodus 20:7 (ESV)

7“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (misuse, niv84), for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Misuse = שָׁוְא šāwʾ shawe = vanity, futility, worthlessness, i.e., that which has no result or use and so worthless.

To use God’s name “in vain” or “for worthless purposes.”

To “take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” means to speak about God’s names, attributes, works, or presence as if he were nothing, distant, powerless, or dead. God forbids this irreverence and says that he “will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Ex. 20:7)—that is, God will punish the one who violates this commandment (34:7).

The third commandment is not limited to blasphemy, for it forbids any speaking of God lightly.

Such violations of the third commandment are called “profanity” because they treat what is sacred as if it were common or ordinary.

Thomas Watson: We take God’s name in vain … when we use God’s name in idle discourse. He is not to be spoken of but with a holy awe upon our hearts. To bring his name in at every turn, when we are not thinking of him, to say, ‘O God!’ or, ‘O Christ!’ … is to take God’s name in vain.

Joel R. Beeke: Frivolous oaths—the quickly rattled off I swear to God!—also take the Lord’s name in vain.

To “take the name … in vain” (KJV, “for worthlessness,” i.e., for no good purpose, thus NIV, “You shall not misuse the name”) is to use it irresponsibly, whether in worship (cf. Ps. 50:16; Isa. 29:13), in common speech (cf. Matt. 5:34), or in an attempt to wield power (cf. Acts 19:13–16).

Falsely attributing thoughts or directives to God fits this pattern.

This commandment forbids the use of that trustworthy name for any untrustworthy purpose.

It forbids invoking His name to give credence to any false pronouncement. (and this leads us to...)

God told me…

John 10:27 (NIV84)

27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Neil T. Anderson: God has spoken through His prophets and apostles who faithfully proclaimed His Word and wrote it down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We listen to the voice of God when we read His Word, and when we hear it proclaimed by faithful servants who have been called as evangelists, pastors and teachers.

We also listened to His voice when Jesus opened the gate and invited us in. Our acceptance of that invitation may have been in response to a gospel tract or an evangelistic meeting, an invitation at church or someone who simply shared his or her faith.

We felt convicted of our sin, but at the same time we saw the open door because our eyes had been opened. We knew that somebody was calling us. It probably wasn’t audible, but we heard it in our spirit and we responded. Somehow, we knew the truth in a way we had never known before.

The spiritual world does not operate through our natural senses; therefore, knowledge of it is not received through the normal channels of perception.

Coupled with the written Word, which is hidden in our hearts, this inner voice nudges us in the right direction or gives us a check in our spirit against that which is wrong.

We start thinking thoughts that are wise, insightful and in accordance with Scripture. Somehow, we know what we are supposed to do or say—and with a sense of confidence that is not natural. He is leading us and we are following Him.

Isaiah 30:20–21 (NIV84)

20Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.

21Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

These Scripture verses are often used by those who justify hearing the voice of God.

When people extract this verse for personal guidance today, they’re applying a promise about national restoration to individual decision-making—a fundamental category mistake.

The passage contrasts the future teacher with the rebellious people of Isaiah’s generation who rejected God’s instruction, promising “This is the way, walk in it” in contrast to their demand that prophets stop confronting them.

Isaiah was addressing Israel’s future restoration, when the remnant will finally heed the warnings given to them by the prophets.

Christian Horoscope?

Matthew 4:5–7 (NIV84)

5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.

6“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Psalm 91:11-12 (NIV84)

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

7Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

This is an example where Scripture can be quoted accurately but applied incorrectly.

Satan was not misquoting Scripture to deceive Jesus. He was misusing Scripture by applying a genuine promise in a manner God never intended.

People may take a genuine biblical promise, remove it from its historical and literary context, and apply it to their personal circumstances as though God were making them a specific promise.

2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP)

15Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

Even Satan quoted Scripture! The problem was not what Scripture said, but how he attempted to use it.

Christians today must be careful not to turn God's Word into a collection of personal promises and predictions that God never actually made.

Some Christians approach the Bible almost as though it were a Christian Horoscope.

They read a verse or a daily devotional and assume that God is giving them a personal message or promise concerning what will happen in their lives.

But the Bible was not given to us as a collection of daily predictions about our personal circumstances.

It is God's revealed Word, and we must understand what He intended to communicate when He inspired its writers.

We must be careful not to take promises God made to specific individuals or groups under particular circumstances and assume that those same promises apply directly to us.

We must never confuse what we want God to say with what God has actually said.

Are we reading God's Word to discover what He has actually said, or are we searching His Word for something we want Him to say?

To be continued… (The Lord Willing)