Judgement

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of the word "judgment"  includes the following:  a formal utterance of an authoritative opinion,  a formal decision given by a court,  the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing, the capacity for judging, and the final judging of humankind by God (when capitalized). I would like to say that we shouldn't judge at all because God's word does say, "Judge not lest ye be judged" but I don't think we can throw out all judgment because of Matthew 7:1-5.  There are many more verses that tell us to judge or discern which means that we should evaluate a situation by discerning and comparing it against God's word.  We should also have good judgment, or right judgment and we should definitely not be a person with poor judgment or the lack of judgment!

It is true that we should not judge each other but it is also true that as it says in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."  So we are to discern things about a person's life and if it is not in keeping with God's word, we are to avoid them.  We are not to take out a full page ad in the local paper, or make sure that their sins are aired on the nightly news, but we are to consider the kind of person they are and even if they have a form of godliness (which could even mean they are church goers), if they deny the truth and its power, then we are to stay away from such people as these.  It also says, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'" 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NASB)

So when it says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  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? 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? 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," (Matthew 7:1-5 NIV),  we are to be sure that we can see clearly to help our brother who may be stumbling.  We need to be sure that we, ourselves, are not guilty of the same offense (or other offenses!) that we are correcting in our brother or friend.  We are to judge with right judgment as it says in John 7:24 (ESV), "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." How can we judge/discern with right judgment if we have a log in our own eye?  Get yourself completely right with God, searching out every corner of your life and checking your own motivation, and then approach your brother who may be participating in things contrary to God's word.  This does not make you a judge, it makes you a friend.

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?  But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.'  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life."  Romans 2:1-7 (NIV)  We should not pass judgment!  God is the judge and we should definitely realize that although we may help someone back on the path of life, God is the one who judges everyone according to what they have done.  We should persist in doing good, seeking God's glory, honoring Him, and we will be given eternal life because of what Jesus Christ, our Lord, has done for us.  We should never think that God's kindness and tolerance and patience is so that we or anyone else can get away with anything, it is because He is gracious.

"No, that's not your experience at all. You've come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just. You've come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel's—a homicide that cried out for vengeance—became a proclamation of grace."  Hebrews 12:22 (The Message) God's judgment makes us just.  He judges and prunes the vine and molds the clay.  He is vinedresser, potter, and judge.  He judges to transform us into His image.

God guides us in judgment.  We need to have humble, meek hearts.  Too often we feel compelled to reprimand someone because it makes us feel better about ourselves.  We need to be sure that our motivation is the glory of God and the edification or building up of His people.  "The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way."  Psalm 25:9 (KJV)

God teaches us good judgment through the knowledge of His word. "Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments."  Psalm 119:66 (ESV)

Sound judgment and discernment are to be pursued, obtained, and displayed.  "By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck."  Proverbs 3:19-22 (NIV) 

We are not to be without judgment.  "The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment."  Proverbs 10:21 (NIV)

And we are to execute true judgment which is only from the Lord.  We are to show mercy and compassion to everybody.  "Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions, every man to his brother:  And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart."  Zechariah 7:8-10 (KJV) 

God is the one who judges the living and the dead.  We are to discern what the will of God is, the pleasing, good, and perfect will of God according to His word, as it says in Romans 12:2  (NASB), "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."  We are to encourage others to discern what the will of God is, too... "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor."  Matthew 7:1-5 (The Message)

"Here is a good rule for reprovers; first reform thyself." Matthew Henry

Dear Lord,  Help us not to judge others but instead to have good judgment and Your power of discernment.  Let the motivation of our hearts be Yours.   Make us and mold us into the people You want us to be and let us be humble instruments of Your love to a lost and dying world. 

Spiritual Discernment

"God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede." Oswald Chambers

Let's talk about discernment.  Discernment could be said to be the act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment.  Discernment according to Merriam-Webster is "the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure."  But I want you to know that is far more than either of these definitions.  It is true that some people are better at discerning than others.  They may even be gifted in discernment but the fact that some are gifted does not let the rest of us off the hook.  We are all called to discern the difference between good and evil as it says in Hebrews:   "About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."  Hebrews 5:11-14 (ESV)  The problem for many of us is that we have become hard of hearing!  Our powers of discernment haven't been trained by constant practice and so we cannot (many times) distinguish between good and evil.  And as a result we make poor decisions, or decisions based on our own desires instead of God's.  We need to move away from only wanting milk and on to solid food, to maturity, so that we will be skilled in the Word of righteousness.

In discerning, there are a few things to keep in mind. The Holy Spirit has been given for our benefit.  Allow Him to work in your life, to lead you and guide you in all things.  He is our helper, our comforter, our counselor as it says in John 14:16-20, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." (NIV)  It also says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22,  "Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.  Don't suppress the Spirit, and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good. Throw out anything tainted with evil."  (The Message)

With the Holy Spirit as our guide, there are four other concepts that need to be considered a we seek to discern good from evil.  The first is that our discernment must be Christ centered.  "What I want to talk about now is the various ways God's Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. Remember how you were when you didn't know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It's different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say "Jesus be damned!" Nor would anyone be inclined to say "Jesus is Master!" without the insight of the Holy Spirit."   1 Corinthians 12:1-3 (The Message)

The second thing to keep in mind in our discernment is that it should always be in accordance with scripture and should never lead us away from God's Word.  If it does, then it is not of God.  "When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?   To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn."  Isaiah 8"19-29 (NIV)

Our discernment should promote unity and the building up of the body of Christ.  "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  who is over all and through all and in all one God and Father of all,."  Ephesians 4:4-6 (ESV)  Our motives are of the utmost importance.  We need to make sure that our motivation is for edification and correction not pride or self-righteousness.

And lastly, our seeking to discern should always be governed by love.  "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."  1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV)

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."  Philippians 1:9-11  (NIV)  The ability to discern is available to all who know the Lord.  It is a muscle that must be exercised, however, and the more we use it the stronger it will become.

 "Be good to your servant, God; be as good as your Word. Train me in good common sense; I'm thoroughly committed to living your way.  Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place, but now I'm in step with your Word. You are good, and the source of good; train me in your goodness. The godless spread lies about me, but I focus my attention on what you are saying; They're bland as a bucket of lard, while I dance to the tune of your revelation. My troubles turned out all for the best— they forced me to learn from your textbook. Truth from your mouth means more to me than striking it rich in a gold mine."  Psalm 119-65-72 (The Message)

"My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared."  Proverbs 3:21-16 (NIV)

"Good friend, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. That's right—if you make Insight your priority, and won't take no for an answer, searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt, Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours; you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God."  Proverbs 2:1-5 (The Message)

Dear Lord,  Thank you for Your gift of discernment to us.  Teach us to know You and Your word so well that our ability to discern is well exercised and useful on a daily basis, not only for ourselves but also for other believers around us.  Help us to do everything in love, to build up Your church, to always be Christ centered, and according to Your word.