Edition 14. October 18th 2009

In this edition:

●To judge or not to judge

_______________________________

Principles of judgement

"Don't judge, don't you know the Bible says don't judge" How many times have you heard that?

The tragic issue here is that you can be very sure that those who say this don't know anything at all about the Bible and are in a very dangerous place of deception and rank ignorance. In fact they are preparing the way for the antichrist.

This really is a wonderful subject. It is clean and full of glory, holiness and righteousness.

Let's have a look now at what the Bible does say, what it doesn't say and the correct application. We'll also look at how the miss-application has ruined the world and will set the stage for coming cataclysmic judgements of God on this evil world.

If I've heard it once I've heard it a thousand times..."don't judge, just walk in love" The problem with this is that this is equated with tolerance, which is the last evil virtue of a collapsing society!

The verse that says "don't judge lest you be judged" uses the word judgement in the continuous present tense, which is only evident in the original Greek. In other words it is saying don't be a continuous nit-picker over every little thing.

I was sitting in a restaurant the other day and this group of women were sitting at a table next to mine. They were continuously judging. "Did you see what she was wearing, did hear what she said, how could she" and so they went on for an hour. This is what the verse is talking about.

The key for us in the area of judging can be found with our Messiah Himself. Jeshua / Jesus says in John 5:30 "I judge and My judgement is righteous because I seek not My own will." This is the key. If you are out there trying to prove others wrong and yourself right you are as guilty as the other. If you are putting others down all the time and exalting yourself you are wrong. But if you are standing for the truth of God, it's a different story. Judgement from a point of view of pride or self-elevation is wrong.

John 7:24 "Don't judge according to outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgement." In other words, don't worry about what she was wearing. righteous judgement involves standing up for God and his Word.

1 Corinthians 2:15 "He who is spiritual judges all things" This implies judging into many matters, but only by those who are spiritual. In other words a baby believer has no business getting involved in judgement.

The above two verses need no explanation, but it's worth saying that most of the modern church today has laid this aside. This is the reason the church is so divided and compromised today.

It is largely because there is no more judgement in the church that a lot of it has lost its calling. Much of the church now tolerates most worldly things that have in the past brought the judgement of God on the world and will again do so.

Romans 1:1,2 declares that God's judgement is "according to truth"

The principle of judgement is actually love in action. The children of Israel went through the Red Sea while the judgement of God closed in on Egyptian opposition. Judgement is punishment yes but it is love and grace in the sense that it creates purity and holiness. God uses judgement to save and bring victory to His own.

Judgement in the church:

The duty of the church is to keep itself lined up with truth and to set the truth-standard as a banner for all to see. A part of the church will keep the standard which is the Word of God and judge between right and wrong keeping itself pure.

As we move closer to the coming of our Lord and Saviour, the attacks on the church will intensify. "Truth will be cast down in the street" Isaiah 19:14.

1Corinthians 1:10 "Speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but be perfectly joined in the same mind and judgement"

1Peter 4:17 "Judgement is to begin in the house of God"

1 John 4:1 "Don't believe every spirit, but test the spirits"

A simple reading through the book of Acts shows clearly that much of the work of the early church leadership was to judge and keep error out.

It was the introduction of error that produced the dark ages.

Judgement and discernment are very closely associated and are desperately needed today. I encourage you to read edition no 11 which deals with Gods view, opinions and judgement on the church.

Judgement in line with truth destroys error and sin while bringing unity and maintaining the glory of God.

Error and sin is not corrected by discussion and argument, but by judgement according to truth.

Judgement on a individual level:

One of the most powerful and glorious factors of the believers life is that we have been judged. The cross has done its deadly work and created within us a pure clean new life in the spirit at the new birth. But our lives also have a soul realm which has to be renewed daily. Here judgement is our own responsibility. "Judge yourselves that you be not judged" This relates to our daily lives as we walk through this evil world. It relates to repentance of sin.

Today repentance from sin is not easy, simply because many believers don't even know what sin is. it has been so watered down and made so acceptable by spineless preachers. There is no standard or absolutes anymore. Everything is variable and relative in today's evil world.

I once got my 4x4 vehicle stuck in thick mud after a rain storm in a desert. We had to dig it out. I was covered in this thick stinking mud, which dried on my skin. There was no water around for 500kms. I felt dirty. In fact it affected my mood as well. Finally we made it to the camp site where a good shower cleaned everything off.

The feeling was incredible. I was clean, so I could now go on in peace! This simply illustrates what self judgement does. It cleans us spiritually, sets us right with God and lets us become a pure vessel of His glory.

Only people that live in darkness, live in the world peacefully. In the glory of God's light no one can live in sin. God brings beauty and joy and peace out of the ashes of judgement.

The cross brings a believer deliverance from the world the flesh and the demonic. Only an enormous fool goes into eternity trusting in himself

In fact the power of the cross enables you to break what you were unable to break or overcome. It brings deliverance and victory.

Judgement relating to the world:

Isaiah 26:9 "When His judgements are in the world, people will learn righteousness.

Hosea 4:1 "There is no truth, mercy or knowledge of God in the land" The rest of this portion of scripture lists the symptoms: "Swearing lying, killing, stealing, adultery, no restraint, bloodshed after bloodshed. The land mourns, authority is questioned...My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"

God always judges sin. For believers this has already happened in the form of the cross and self judgement as we go on. For unbelievers there awaits the fearful Great White Throne judgement from which all unbelievers will be cast into hell. For the world at large, due its ever increasing sin, it is about to go into the most severe forms of judgements the world has ever seen. In the past God judged the world for its sin of homosexuality on a few occasions. He judged the world for its general wickedness on a few other occasions. He judged Israel for her rebellion on many occasions.

What is coming very soon will put all the above to shame.

One great purpose of judgement is to create an environment of holiness. So although judgement itself is a negative the outcome is positive and is in fact love in action.

Think of it like this. If we had no judicial system there would be anarchy. The sending of one bad criminal to jail purifies the environment a little. So the coming monumental judgements of God will purify the universe and fill it with the glory of God.

The presence of God is incompatible with sin and evil. You either go through the cross to purity, or into hell which, in the process purifies the world of all sin and evil.

The judgement of God on this world is about to begin. It will start with forerunners and intensify through the seven year tribulation period to the cataclysmic final conflict of the ages. Many in this time period will refuse to repent, blame God and continue in rebellion, resulting in ever increasing judgements, but an enormous number will repent and come to salvation in this time period.

It's worth bearing in mind that judgement produces great opportunities for the gospel. When God shakes everything that can be shaken, everything that people put their security in shakes and falls. This causes many to look to unshakable eternal security...The Kingdom of our Great God, Lord and Messiah.

For the believer, glory lies on the far side of the cross. The unbeliever is on this side of the cross and awaits a terrifying future judgement.

For additional study on the subject please read:

Eternal Judgement by Derek Prince

The Spirit of Judgement by Watchman Nee

______________________________________________

In closing here is a composite relating to the two comings of our Lord. He came the first time as the Lamb of God, to be judged condemned and slaughtered in our place. He is coming again soon as King of the universe, the Lion of Judah to judge, condemn and purify the world of all the unsaved and all sin.

Kind regards and many blessings...Shalom and hang in there!