Four minutes to Wapner

To judge or not to judge

The passage we are about to get into has been twisted and bent to mean whatever the person reading it wants it to mean since the bible has been written.

Only God can judge me.

I am allowed to judge all Christians.

Who am I to judge anyone?

The only thing that matters is what Jesus meant when he spoke these words to his disciples.

Matthew 7:1–6 NASB95

1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at 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,’ and behold, the log is 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 what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Decide - come to a conclusion.

Prefer - to judge one thing better than another.

Evaluate - to judge based on the correctness of something.

Hold a view - Have an opinion

Make a legal decision - decide a legal question right or wrong.

Condemn - judge as guilty.

Rule over people - govern.

Matthew 7:1 NASB95

1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.

He was talking about harsh judgement:

Luke 6:37 NASB95

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.

1 Corinthians 4:5 NASB95

5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

Romans 14:4 NASB95

4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Romans 14:10 NASB95

10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

It ain’t your job to decide who is going to heaven and who isn’t.

What Jesus wasn’t saying:

Jesus wasn’t saying anything about not using discernment in what is right or wrong, or what is sound teaching vs. what is incorrect.

All religions can’t be true.

All “Christian” preachers aren’t preaching the truth.

1 John 4:1 NASB95

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:19–22 NASB95

19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.

There are many verses about false teachers. “those that think of godliness as a means to financial gain.”

And the responsibility falls on you to know the difference. You have to take the truth of who God is and what He said and compare it to what any preacher says and judge for yourself if they are speaking the truth.

Matthew 7:2 NASB95

2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

Jesus indicates a subtle change in how he uses the word judge here.

It comes from the tradition of Jewish law that said the the same measurement device would be used for both goods and payment.

But Jesus knew what we really do.

“We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behavior.” Stephen Covey

If we use a heavier weight to judge others, than there will come a time when that same weight will be used to weigh us.

But watch this, what if we judged ourselves more critically than we judge others. What if we used a the biggest weight possible to judge our own actions, but for others, offered and abundance of mercy?

By what Jesus said that the same measure that we judge others will be used to judge us, and if the weight we use for others is merciful, that we should receive mercy, right?

Matthew 5:7 NASB95

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

The speck and the log

Matthew 7:3–5 NASB95

3 “Why do you look at 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,’ and behold, the log is 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.

Hiding behind a strip of cloth. vs a blindfold.

They are the same size, but depending on how close to your eye it is, determines how blind you are.

The log

What means would you use to get a log out of your own eye?

You might have to use some pretty extreme measures to get that dude out.

by any means necessary.

On Wednesday nights we have been looking at a septics criticism of Christianity through seven questions that he doesn’t think are sufficiently answered.

One of the questions is basically this: If upon salvation we are transformed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, why are more Christians not living a joyful, love filled abundant life.

What he is was talking about is the fruit of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22–23 NASB95

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Why are Christians not more like that?

Too many of us have become comfortable with log’s in our eyes.

We hear the word tolerant, how we should be more tolerant. I believe it is time we become completely intolerant with the sin that is in our own lives. That we become uncompromising with any darkness that we find within ourselves.

We want to suppress and hid from the guilt and shame that comes from immorality, jealousy, anger, drunkenness, deceitfulness.

I pray that we become so sensitive to guilt and shame that is a result of sin, that we run, full speed back to to the foot of the cross.

If you don’t think that God wants us to search for and eradicate every sin out of our own lives, then how do you explain where Jesus said right eye, right hand?

The speck

You can’t use the same force to get the speck out as you can with your log.

If someone comes to you because they have a something in their eye, and you approach them with a set of channel locks, there is going to be resistance.

As a matter of fact, I have had something in my eye and asked Martye for help. The first thing that she would do is to gently blow in my eye. Immediately your eye tears up and hopefully washes it out. Step 2 is saline solutions or eye drops, to try and wash it out. I have had a contact wadded up in my eye before and asked for help. She first thoroughly washed her hands, positioned me where she had plenty of light to see and then gently and carefully removed the contact with the tips of her finger.

That is how we are to address a speck in our brother’s eye. With that same level of care and caution.

Galatians 6:1 NASB95

1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

2 Timothy 4:2 NASB95

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

I have hit people over the head with the Bible. I have tried to dig out that speck with a claw hammer.

But just as bad is to ignore it.

The reason Christian brothers and sisters ignore the specks in others eyes is twofold.

They have failed to address the log in their own eye.

They want you to keep your speck, so they don’t feel as bad about their log.

They don’t trust that you will take it well. They are afraid you lash out. Maybe they are right.

I encourage you to find a Christian friend or several and give them expressed permission to come to you if they see anything in you that needs to be addressed.

Dogs and Pigs

Matthew 7:6 NASB95

6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

I have heard this verse used for justification of not preaching Christ crucified. Not telling people about Jesus.

And there is a time to shake the dust off your feet.

Paul talked about not associating with a so-called brother if he is immoral.

1 Timothy talks about two people being handed over to satan. and said for those who continue to sin to rebuke them in front of everyone so that others would be afraid to sin.

None of that is what Jesus was expressing here.

What He was saying is that the gentle rebuke, the removing of a speck, is a gift from God for those that otherwise obey Him.

But you can’t do that for the world. It is like sweeping the driveway during a dust storm.

We want to clean people up and then lead them to Christ. Not only is that useless, it is counterproductive. The only way someone comes to Christ is that the first need to understand their need for Him. And if you start by trying to straighten them out, it camouflages that need.

It is also dangerous for you. Jesus said they will tear you to pieces.

We see this in the media every-time we try to impose our Christian values on other people.

That doesn’t mean we don’t speak the truth. That doesn’t mean we don’t confront people with the Cross.

That just means you have to understand that those without the Holy Spirit living inside them are slaves to sin. That have to be freed by Christ first.