No one can judge is the cry of our generation. I am told that the most quoted verse from the Bible is Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” But what is never quoted in connection with verse 1 is verse 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 fact
of the matter is that God’s people are instructed to judge and to be discerning far, far more than they are instructed not to judge. No one is ever to judge as though sitting in the seat of judgment that belongs to God alone. As Christians we are first to examine ourselves, repent of our own sin, so that we will approach others with a proper spirit of humility, and not fall into a snare by the devil.
I fear that this present generation in America is far more concerned about style of “worship” and music than it is about a clarity of Gospel truth. Even a superficial study of the Gospels and Acts will render a dividend of truth, that John the Baptist, Jesus, and His disciples came preaching a Gospel of repentance. This was the case in Acts 19:4, when Paul had asked the people into what were you baptized and they replied, into John’s baptism. Paul told them that John came preaching a Gospel of repentance.
Repentance is almost an unused word in the Church at large. Repentance speaks of turning from sin. Sin must be proclaimed and shouted from the house top, so that people will know most clearing why they are called to believe in Jesus. We are never called to believe in Jesus as an addition to our already good lives and to make them better, but to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21).
In Judges 21:3 the people said, “Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?” The answer was simple; they had not obeyed God according to His word. In Deuteronomy 16:18 the people were told, “You shall appoint for yourself judges…” What was true of the people of Israel is true of the Christian today, we are to appoint judges according to God’s word, in a proper spirit of humility, to judge sin, and to point the way to God’s salvation, that is found in Jesus Christ alone.
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