JUDGY EYES
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Judgy eyes!!!
They can be all over the church!!!
In fact, i am pretty convinced the judgy eyes of the church toward each other and the world is a huge turn off to those who are not saved!!!
Not that it is a valid excuse to reject Christ based on the behavior of others - but how many of us have heard people reject the Gospel based on the behavior of the church and the church’s treatment of others??
Last week we mentioned the world will know we belong to Christ by our love, and one thing that does not fall into the category of love is JUDGY EYES!!!
However, for many years, in the Evangelical and Pentecostal churches - Christians have become judgy!
I think part of this is because some are a little bitter having to give up some sins in their lives and really want their sin back, and so they feel jealous of others who are still committing the same sins!!!
Rather than finding the value in living to please Christ, they want to make sure others feel as miserable as they do pining for their old ways!!!
Others judge because they do have things that are off in their lives, and by pointing out the sin in others lives it makes them feel better about their shortcomings!!!
The reality is, that none of this right!!!
1 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
1 With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it.
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Judging others is actually condemning others for their behaviors.
There are a few thoughts I would like to explore today regarding this subject...
1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.
2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?
5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
1. God is the Only TRUE Judge
1. God is the Only TRUE Judge
God is the only TRUE JUDGE who can judge mankind!!!
Basically because He is the only one truly righteous and perfect and JUST!!!
6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world?
1 God presides over heaven’s court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:
8 Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.
Ps 82
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.
6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
18 Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough.
10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
God is the fair judge of the earth, and like it or not, one day He will judge the world based on its actions, each one’s sin, what they did with the person of Jesus Christ, etc.
He alone is worthy to judge, because HE ALONE is perfect and holy!
So how can we - who are imperfect and only made holy through the blood of Jesus, be qualified to judge others???
3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?
It is not our place, but His alone to judge… one day, when Christ returns we will judge with Him, but not until that day...
The Mission of Christ is to SAVE from sin...
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
God tells us to judge the sin of others...
13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.
10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.
11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.
12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.
13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
1 cor
1 cor
For the current time, the mission is to see people come to Christ!!!
There is blatant sin that is contradictory to God’s Word --- we can see that sin, but the way to deal with that sin (and only that
To see those bound in sin set free by the blood of Jesus who died for them!
If this is His mission, it should be ours as well.
2. Judging Other Believers
2. Judging Other Believers
I know right now some are ready to say - what about
1 I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother.
2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.
3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man
4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus.
5 Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.
6 Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?
7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.
8 So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.
9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.
10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.
11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.
12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.
1 cor 5.
Here Paul is telling us to judge!!! However, it is a clear indication to clearly deal with REAL SIN, not perceived sin, and with pure heart.
There is much sin in our world today, and much that is trying to creep into the church...
We need to know what God’s Word says about things so we may judge things IN THE CHURCH correctly.
There is an enormous difference between JUDGING SITUATIONS THAT ARE SINFUL and JUDGING PEOPLE with CRITICAL HEARTS, condemnation and NO MOTIVATION to see REPENTANCE AND RESTORATION!
Let me remind you that in 2 Corinthians Paul had to call the church to restore this brother who became repentant of his sin!!!!
There is a proper way to INSPECT FRUIT, see what is right and wrong, and approach it with a heart like Christ! That is not using JUDGY EYES!!!
Judgy eyes look down on another with an heir of hypocrisy and disdain ignoring what is in our own heart!
3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?
YOU CANNOT!!
Jesus when talking about judging others lest you be judged was dealing with this kind of hypocrisy and a motive to condemn and not bring to repentance… (When He goes onto talking about throwing pearl before swine, that actually requires a judgment call....)
What is the proper way to judge then?
Consistently, not hypocritically (God’s word applied to all)
With Humility not superiority (not to make oneself feel above others)
With Facts, not assumptions (what is truly known, not suspected)
Words and Deeds, not motive and intent (what has taken place, not what you think was intended)
Biblical Issues, not personal preferences
Sins, not sinners (stop condemning people, condemn behaviors)
Temporal Matters, not eternal matters (salvation)
With a Goal to Show People Christ, not how good you are (what is our motive???)
When we judge a fellow believer without first examining our MOTIVATION, OUR OWN LIFESTYLE and BEHAVIOR, and in order to make ourselves FEEL BETTER (most off the cuff judgments) than we have failed to put true judgment and justice into place.
This is what JEsus meant when He said look in your own eye first!!!
People on the outside see how we treat one another??
The Word is not telling us to let sin run a muck! Rather to address it in love to gain our brother or sister.
GOSSIP, SLANDER, HATEFUL SPEECH will NEVER DO THIS!!!!
LOOKING DOWN OUR NOSES AT SOMEONE ELSE to give ourselves an AIR OF SUPERIORITY will not accomplish this!
The Holy Spirit is about convicting people (revealing their sin to gain their repentance and salvation), not CONDMENING them to PUNISH and DESTROY!
32 If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.
(If people reject the conviction of the Spirit, eventually the righteous judge in His justice will send them to eternal punshment because of their own choices… until then His desire is draw them to salvation through HIS LOVE AND GRACE!
7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
There is a difference between judging and condemning --- let us ensure that when we look upon fellow believers we are not condemning them!
3. Judging Non-Believers
3. Judging Non-Believers
This brings us to the part that talks about casting your pearl before swine or giving what is holy to the dogs ---
We do not have to pass judgment on non-believers --- their rejection of Christ will eventually be judged by Christ in the final judgment!
Likewise, as Christians, we have to be cautious in how much we throw at the lost!!!
We cannot expect NON CHRISTIANS to behave and act like CHRISTIANS --- in reality, can we legislate morality???
We put out spiritual arguments, Biblical thought on righteous living and throw it into the face of non-believers - condemning them for their way of thinking and acting...
What do we expect them to think or behave like — OR COURSE OUR THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIOR SHOULD BE DIFFERENT — the redeemed are citizens of a different kingdom than the lost!!!
When we cast our spiritual arguments intended for building up, discipling and strengthening the CHRISTIAN BELIEVER at the world — they don’t get it — in fact it repels them — why??
They do not have the truth of Christ in their heart to receive it!!!
They are not in the same treasure box to appreciate these PEARLS OF GREAT TRUTH!!!
When we VOMIT the deep truths of God’s Word in objection to the world’s behavior we are setting the deep truths of God’s WOrd that require faith to blossom at those who look at them as the stench of death.
14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.
14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.
15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.
16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.
15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.
They don’t want to smell the roses, to them it smells like fertilizer!
In fact, throwing these pearls out there - which to us are beautiful - is something to them to avoid, scoff at, mock, and run from.
Instead they need to see our LOVE, our GIVING, and our SERVING — it is the simplicity of these things that show the heart of Christ to the lost. (It is JESUS teaching us the truth of not putting the deep things of the Kingdom of God in front of outsiders to the Kingdom!)
Remember from - we were told to NOT JUDGE OUTSIDERS!
12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.
They need to know of the mercy of Christ and Forgiveness of Christ so they might find SALVATION and not CONDEMNATION!
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
So, Christian,
let us realize that the role of judgment is something to treat with respect and consideration ---
It is not the judgment of wrong behavior in the church that is to be ignored, but it must be treated respectfully and with forethought and consideration.
The depth of motive of the judgment is necessary, and not intended to be a quick, individual decision because we are made uncomfortable by something or because we dislike something.
May we realize, to pronounce judgment on the world through depth of spiritual debate and display trifles with the rich, deep truths of the Kingdom of God!!! Save them for discipling those of faith to take them deeper!
God in His time will justly judge and rule over the earth!!!