Judge for Yourself

Lev 19:16-18 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. 17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

James 4:10-12 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

From Romans to Revelations in scripture, we are reading letters. We do not have the letter or a tape of the service that prompted the letter. In other words, we have the answers and not the questions. So as we read the answers and subjects addressed by the writers of these epistles (letters), then we are reading the subjects and situations that existed within the early church. In those days, writing a letter was no easy task. Today we have snail mail, e-mail, overnight mail, and tapes and video. Then if someone wanted to write a letter, usually they hired someone to actually write the letter as they dictated the letter out loud. There was no mail system, so then the author of the letter had to hire someone to physically carry the letter to the recipients. This was usually no easy journey either because they either walked, sailed, or humped (camels) their way to the place.

Also writing a letter then was also much more expensive than today because they did not use paper and pen as we know it. The Bible were originally written upon two mediums. Papyrus, the forerunner of our paper, which was made from reeds. Papyrus was readily available, but deteriorated very quickly. Thus anything written on papyrus had to be constantly transferred to keep over time. The other medium was animal skins which were much more expensive but deteriorated less quickly.

2 Tim 4:13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.

Luckily, in the fourth century, the invention of vellum, a parchment paper made from animal skins enabled books to be compiled and stored for long periods of time. We know that we do not have every letter or epistle that Paul, Peter, and the other authors of the New Testament wrote. For example we know that II Corinthians was not the second letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth.

2 Cor 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

Because of the depth and wording of I Corinthians, it very possible that we actually have II Corinthians and III Corinthians. Some scholars believe that the book of I Corinthians is actually II Corinthians and that the book now called II Corinthians is actually III and IV Corinthians combined. Either way we know that the letters that survived had to be meticulously cared for in order to survive until today. Most of you have learned that the things that relate to what you are going through is what becomes most important to you. In other words, the letters that survived until today, are the letters that addressed the subjects that were the most pressing concerns in that day. The subjects of the Books of Romans through Revelation were written to teach upon the most common problems of the established church. The reason that they are so relevant today is that human nature has not changed. We are not really struggling, like Peter and the original 12 before the Day of Pentecost to understand exactly what Jesus meant in His teachings on salvation and why they had to go tarry in Jerusalem (well, some denominations are, but hopefully now we are not). We are not trying to differentiate between questions such as “is Jesus going to overthrow the Romans?” “Why is Jesus leaving then?” The letters of the New Testament are written to established churches and address the problems of the established church. The principles taught are thus very personal to us today!

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As you begin to study the epistles (letters) from Romans to Revelation, you will begin to notice that there are some subjects that are mentioned frequently. James was the first letter written (about A.D. 50) and I John, II John, III John were the last three written somewhere around A.D. 95 - A.D. 100. The Day of Pentecost took place somewhere around A.D.______ so by the time the first letters were written, _____ years had passed. Despite the 50 year interval between James, and I, II, III John you will still find several problems addressed in every one of them. These subjects are the same subjects that you will hear me as your pastor bring up continually throughout the years because they are a recurring problem in any church. One such subject mentioned repeatedly is control of the tongue! A Pastor has to unfortunately repeatedly teach on the subject of the tongue because it seems it is something that people keep in subjection for a short time and eventually returns evil! The tongue and proper control or use of it is mentioned in every book of the New Testament. Obviously this is something that we are going to have repeatedly work at also.

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Jesus took a strong stand against criticism of other Christians:

Matt 7:1-5 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Notice Jesus did not deny that the person with the mote needed help, but that a person with a beam in their eye should first get rid of the beam in their eye so that they could see clearly to help their brother. No example in Jesus’ parables are there by accident. Anyone ever got something in your eye? {wife example} Getting something in your eye hinders doing anything else productive until it comes out. You also have trouble seeing clearly when you’ve got something in your eye. Your vision is blocked and hindered. When we talk about people and have ought against each other and judge each other’s motives and actions, then our own vision gets blurry, it affects our relationship with God, because we can’t help others because we can’t see clearly! We must learn to control our judgments of each other!

A Beam here refers to a large, wooden board. A Mote refers to a small wooden splinter. A splinter doesn’t grow by itself but comes from a board. (this is deep). The Mote comes from the Beam! Show me what someone criticized in others and I’ll show you what that person has a personal struggle with! Jesus called the first person a hypocrite not only because they had a beam in their own eye, but because the mote in the other person’s eye came from the beam! So it is with attitudes and criticism. Somebody comes talking to you about someone, then you know that eventually they are going to talk about you in the same way to that person! A person with a gossip and tongue problem is like a person with a huge board in their eye, going around sowing splinters! The board is big enough that as long as the splinters go somewhere else then they are fine, but everybody else with the splinters can not do anything else but be agitated! Don’t allow people with a tongue problem to drop their poisoned splinters of judgment and gossip into your life, because it will affect your vision: your ability to see clearly what God wants you to do. Proverbs 29:18 applies here: “where there is no vision, the people perish… .” You want to spiritually die? Then hang out with people who are always finding fault in others. Are you the one who has a problem criticizing others? You are complaining about a splinter of a problem when you are the source of the problem!

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Rom 14:10-13 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

Don’t believe Jesus? Look at Paul’s writings then. Paul stated that we should not judge our brother and sister because we should not put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in the path of our brother or sister. The point is clear: by judging you ARE putting a stumbling block in front of them. You are also revealing what you really need help with. The next time you start getting critical about somebody‘s motives for their actions, why don’t you look in mirror and you’ll find that what you were critical about was the very thing that God is trying to get out of you, that’s why it bugs you so much.

Paul also used the reasoning of James in our text to explain why you shouldn’t judge others. You are not the judge! Jesus Christ is and will one day judge the others. In other words, the one who is to judge by the law is the one who gave the law, and if you decide to place yourselves in the seat of judgment, then you are placing yourself in the seat of the lawgiver: God himself! We all agree that idolatry is wrong. If I were to set up a stone statue of a scorpion in here and command to you all that we were going to worship the scorpion and by doing so, the power of the scorpion would turn us all into gods, then every one of you would leave this place in a hurry! Why? Because I would be leading you into idolatry, as the lady said, “there is a god and you’re not Him.” The first commandment of the Ten Commandments is that we should have no other God before Him. Yet when you judge others, you place yourselves in the seat and stead of God and take on the authority of the lawgiver. Let’s call criticism for what it is: idolatry! Whether you realize it or not, you are saying that you are the law giver! The next time that someone’s actions or words aggravates you to the point that you want to gripe about them, why don’t you realize what those feelings are put there by God for: to show you what faults that YOU need to work on most, and go get yourself right with God!

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The Christian world of today likes to take these scriptures and apply them to the foundational truths such as salvation. Some things are not for debate, and we are to judge the teachings of teachers to see if it is scriptural or not. Notice the words of Jesus 9 verses after His teachings on judging others:

Matt 7:14-23 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: . . .

Paul taught that when someone prophesied we were to judge whether or not it was from God. How do we know? By knowing what God’s Word says.

1 Cor 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

Paul also taught tha a Christian should not sue another Christian but should allow a man of wisdom in the church to make the decision.

1 Cor 6:1-5 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

Paul also joined Jesus in repeatedly warning against false teachers:

Gal 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

The gospel refers to the good news of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and HOW TO IDENTIFY WITH IT. We identify with the gospel of Christ by dying to our sins at repentance, being buried with Jesus Christ by being baptized in His name, and rising again to a new life through the infilling of the Holy Ghost. If anyone, even an angel, were to preach to you that Repentance, Baptism in Jesus’ name, and infilling of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues is NOT necessary, then Paul said let them be accursed. The word there for accursed means “a religious ban placed upon them, excommunicated.”

We ARE to judge whether or not a teacher is teaching the truth. That is why I encourage you to get the tapes, take notes, and go back and read the scriptures for yourself -- make sure I am in the Word of the Lord and am taking the whole council of God. By the way, we are to try to help brothers and sisters that fall, but if a person has knowledge of the truth and rejects the truth of the Gospel of Christ, then there is not much we can do. It is a personal decision that they have made to reject the Word of the Lord. In fact, Paul here says to let them be accursed meaning that we should not hang out with them or even spend a lot of time around them. This applies to someone who has been in our midst and chosen to walk away because they rejected the Bible‘s teaching on salvation, not to someone who has never been taught salvation thoroughly. This also does not apply to a brother or sister that falls into sin or someone who left over some other offense. We should do all we can to restore these people to the walk that they have fallen from. According to scripture, a person who rejects the gospel news, and refuses to obey Jesus’ commandments on salvation is different and to “be accursed.” Jesus also taught this when sending His disciples out to preach and teach:

Matt 10:14-15 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

So we are to judge the teachings of others and make sure that they line up with the word of the Lord, especially in the area of salvation. We are to allow the authorities of the church to judge in legal matters and not sue each other if both parties are believers. We are also to judge the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit and make sure that they are used in a manner that is in obedience to God’s Word, but we NEVER find a person judging another person’s motives, actions, or constructive criticism that is scathing in nature.

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James 3:1-2 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

James 3:1-2 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

Teachers are judged stricter than others. That is why I study so thoroughly and you should also. God wants to use us to teach His word, but your motives for becoming a teacher must be right. Paul here is not saying that someone who is called to be a teacher should not teach, in fact, Jesus has commanded us all to go and teach others in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). In Romans 12:6-7 and I Corinthians 12:28, Paul encourages teachers to teach. Verse 1 here means two things: First we should realize the awesome responsibility in teaching others. Teachers are judged stricter than others because they have a greater influence over others. Consider these two passages about teachers:

Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

John 9:39-41 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

The Pharisees were teachers of the law and loved being called “Rabbi” which means “teacher.” (Matthew 23:7-8) Jesus let them know that because they say that they understand things but really do not, then they would be held accountable. Jesus told them once that when they taught somebody wrong and led that person away from Christ that they made that person a “two-fold child of hell.” (Matthew 23:15) This situation came about because Jesus had just healed a blind person and notice His wording in verse 41: the Pharisees were “blind” because they say that they were able to see but couldn’t because of the sin in their life. Look at verse 2 of James chapter 3. The man who is able to bridle his tongue is a “perfect” man. The word for perfect in the King James means “mature.” The ultimate sign of a mature saint in God is being able to control your tongue! The Pharisees thought that they were mature because of their knowledge of the scriptures and political and spiritual position, but failed the ultimate test of maturity: controlling their tongue. So is it today the same way: God wants to use us to teach His Word but is unable to do so until we pass the test of being able to control our tongue. Will we ever completely conquer it while a mortal person? No, but must we learn to not judge others. By judging others and speaking out against a person, we commit spiritual idolatry, hurt our brother, hurt ourselves, and become spiritually blind unable to even find our own way nevertheless lead others to God!

Gossip is not defined as repeating something that is not true, but is also repeating something that may be true but could hurt or injure the reputation of the person. Judge a teachers teaching but do not judge the teacher. Judge the legal squabbles that may arise between you and someone else in the church but do not judge the person that you have the legal squabble with. When you feel the urge to criticize someone, or “someone gets your goat,” remember that what is aggravating you the most is exactly what you need to work on and the area that you need to mature in. Take the Beam out of your own eye and remember that most likely the reason that the other person is having a problem with that area is because they picked it up from you: either in attitude, observation, or spiritually. Judge yourselves for now and let God judge others, and one day -- on the other side of the Rapture -- we’ll judge angels! Now think of the scriptures that I have taught you tonight and judge whether or not you need to make some changes in your friends, methods of conversation, or attitudes.