Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,076
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 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.” (Matthew 7:1-5 ESV)
The Bible does not teach that all judging is wrong, and in some cases we are actually taught where we are to judge, but to judge rightly, justly, and humbly. And in this case it warns us against hypocritical judging, i.e. judging others’ sins while we have a sinful condition that far exceeds theirs. For example, the man addicted to sexual immorality who is living in deliberate and habitual adultery against his spouse getting down on and attacking someone who left trash on the ground. You can see the disparity in that.
And I don’t think this is uncommon for those addicted to egregious sins to be criticizing and attacking others whose sins or faults are minor, by comparison. And I don’t understand the reasoning behind this, either, other than perhaps to make themselves feel superior, or out of repressed anger and bitterness, which is what keeps them on the sin cycle. For the Scriptures do teach that “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Luke 6:45; Matthew 15:17-20).
So, this is not teaching that all judging is wrong, but that hypocritical judging, which is of the flesh, and not of God, is wrong. Being blinded to our own sins, if this is our condition, while nitpicking over other people’s minor faults, is hypocritical. It is unkind, and it is selfish. So, if that is where any of us are, then we need to do a self-examination of what is in our own hearts and pray to God to guide us in what we need to do to get the log out of our own eye so that we can now walk in purity of devotion to our Lord.
Then, when we are in right standing with God, because we are now walking in obedience to his commands, and no longer in deliberate and habitual sin, God may or may not use us to help another brother or sister to overcome any sin that might be hindering his or her walk of faith in the Lord Jesus. But that shouldn’t be our goal. Our goal should be victory over any clinging sin in our own lives so that we can live holy lives, pleasing to our Lord. And then God will use us in whatever ways he has planned for us, for his glory.
But please note that not all judging is wrong, and the Scriptures do teach us where we are to judge, and on what basis. For example, if we see a brother or a sister in Christ taken captive to sin, and if we are walking in obedience to our Lord, and we are not walking in sin, but in righteousness, then we should attempt to restore this fallen brother or sister back to a right relationship with the Lord in holy living and in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his NC commandments (male with male and female with female).
And if we see a brother or sister in Christ wander from the truth of the Scriptures, and back into a sinful lifestyle, we should attempt to bring that brother or sister in Christ back into fellowship with the Lord in holy living, and away from his or her wandering. For this will save his or her soul from death and will cover (forgive, not cover up or hide) a multitude of sins, i.e. the sins will no longer be what overtake this person, but he or she will now be on a right path of living in righteousness, holy and pleasing to God.
And in the gatherings of the church, if we are aware of a brother or a sister in Christ (or one merely professing faith in the Lord) living in any egregious sins, such as incest and adultery, who refuses to repent of the sin, by his or her actions, then we, as the body of Christ, are to judge this person, and we are to remove this person from the fellowship of the believers until this person repents and comes back to (or to) a genuine walk of faith in the Lord Jesus in holy living and in a walk of obedience to our Lord’s NC commands.
And then we are taught that we are not to judge others by appearances, but with a right judgment. And we are not to cast judgment on someone without first giving him a hearing and without first learning what he does. And we are not to judge others according to the flesh, and according to human traditions. And we are not to judge others by ourselves, comparing them to us, thinking that they are altogether like us, or that they should be like us. For we are not to measure others by ourselves, but righteously.
So, Jesus wasn’t teaching that we should never judge sin, but that we should not judge hypocritically, or in hate, or with the wrong motives, or prejudicially, or by human standards, or by comparing others to ourselves, etc. But our judging needs to be done lovingly, speaking the truth in love, and always with a goal to restore the person sinning to a right relationship with God and to save his soul from hell. It should always be for the good of others, not to harm them, but to help them to walk rightly with God.
[Matthew 7:1-5; John 7:24,51; John 8:15-16; Romans 2:3; Galatians 6:1-5; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Corinthians 10:12; James 5:19-20; Jude 1:22-23]
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
Abbreviation: [NC=New Covenant]
An Original Work / January 22, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
The Bible does not teach that all judging is wrong, and in some cases we are actually taught where we are to judge, but to judge rightly, justly, and humbly. And in this case it warns us against hypocritical judging, i.e. judging others’ sins while we have a sinful condition that far exceeds theirs. For example, the man addicted to sexual immorality who is living in deliberate and habitual adultery against his spouse getting down on and attacking someone who left trash on the ground. You can see the disparity in that.
And I don’t think this is uncommon for those addicted to egregious sins to be criticizing and attacking others whose sins or faults are minor, by comparison. And I don’t understand the reasoning behind this, either, other than perhaps to make themselves feel superior, or out of repressed anger and bitterness, which is what keeps them on the sin cycle. For the Scriptures do teach that “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Luke 6:45; Matthew 15:17-20).
So, this is not teaching that all judging is wrong, but that hypocritical judging, which is of the flesh, and not of God, is wrong. Being blinded to our own sins, if this is our condition, while nitpicking over other people’s minor faults, is hypocritical. It is unkind, and it is selfish. So, if that is where any of us are, then we need to do a self-examination of what is in our own hearts and pray to God to guide us in what we need to do to get the log out of our own eye so that we can now walk in purity of devotion to our Lord.
Then, when we are in right standing with God, because we are now walking in obedience to his commands, and no longer in deliberate and habitual sin, God may or may not use us to help another brother or sister to overcome any sin that might be hindering his or her walk of faith in the Lord Jesus. But that shouldn’t be our goal. Our goal should be victory over any clinging sin in our own lives so that we can live holy lives, pleasing to our Lord. And then God will use us in whatever ways he has planned for us, for his glory.
But please note that not all judging is wrong, and the Scriptures do teach us where we are to judge, and on what basis. For example, if we see a brother or a sister in Christ taken captive to sin, and if we are walking in obedience to our Lord, and we are not walking in sin, but in righteousness, then we should attempt to restore this fallen brother or sister back to a right relationship with the Lord in holy living and in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his NC commandments (male with male and female with female).
And if we see a brother or sister in Christ wander from the truth of the Scriptures, and back into a sinful lifestyle, we should attempt to bring that brother or sister in Christ back into fellowship with the Lord in holy living, and away from his or her wandering. For this will save his or her soul from death and will cover (forgive, not cover up or hide) a multitude of sins, i.e. the sins will no longer be what overtake this person, but he or she will now be on a right path of living in righteousness, holy and pleasing to God.
And in the gatherings of the church, if we are aware of a brother or a sister in Christ (or one merely professing faith in the Lord) living in any egregious sins, such as incest and adultery, who refuses to repent of the sin, by his or her actions, then we, as the body of Christ, are to judge this person, and we are to remove this person from the fellowship of the believers until this person repents and comes back to (or to) a genuine walk of faith in the Lord Jesus in holy living and in a walk of obedience to our Lord’s NC commands.
And then we are taught that we are not to judge others by appearances, but with a right judgment. And we are not to cast judgment on someone without first giving him a hearing and without first learning what he does. And we are not to judge others according to the flesh, and according to human traditions. And we are not to judge others by ourselves, comparing them to us, thinking that they are altogether like us, or that they should be like us. For we are not to measure others by ourselves, but righteously.
So, Jesus wasn’t teaching that we should never judge sin, but that we should not judge hypocritically, or in hate, or with the wrong motives, or prejudicially, or by human standards, or by comparing others to ourselves, etc. But our judging needs to be done lovingly, speaking the truth in love, and always with a goal to restore the person sinning to a right relationship with God and to save his soul from hell. It should always be for the good of others, not to harm them, but to help them to walk rightly with God.
[Matthew 7:1-5; John 7:24,51; John 8:15-16; Romans 2:3; Galatians 6:1-5; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Corinthians 10:12; James 5:19-20; Jude 1:22-23]
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
Abbreviation: [NC=New Covenant]
An Original Work / January 22, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
