Tag: judge

Abiding In The Word Made Flesh

Barbara Weber

John 12:46-48 WEB

I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. [47] If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day.

The Word of God will judge us on the last day. That is an excellent reason to become familiar with the Bible. Jesus came to save us. Even now, he is not judging us but rather, loving us into the kingdom. That love includes the grace you need to lay ahold of the truth found in the Bible. If you have access to a Bible, you are responsible for all it says. According to the world that is impossible. But we are not of the world and Jesus clearly thought we could know the Word. We have the truth, and that truth will judge us in the end.

The truth is a great light to all who believe (Ps 119:130). For those who reject the Word of God as a mandate, there is darkness. Not darkness as the world perceives, but darkness of the mind and spirit. When we are witnessing to the lost we are talking to people lost in the dark. Thus, we must shine brightly with righteousness and holiness so the lost can find their way (Mt 4:16).

These virtues come to us when we hide the Word in our hearts. Jesus is called the Word. When we are hiding the Word in our hearts we are abiding with Christ. We know he abides with us, but we must be deliberate if we are going to abide with him. Jesus is the living Word, and the Word was inspired by the Holy Spirit. So, when we hide the Word in our hearts, not only are we abiding in Christ, but we are also filling ourselves with the Spirit. The Word is the mind of Christ. The Word is our lamp, and we must keep our light brightly shining (Isa 28:18).  

Lord, please bless me to hunger and thirst for Your Word. Fill me with an interest in the Bible and help me practice hiding it in my heart. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Jesus Pleased the Father

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John 8:27-29 WEB

They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father. [28] Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things. [29] He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

There is a stunning implication in this verse. Jesus says the Father is with him because Jesus pleases him. So, if a person does not please God, then God is not with them. That sounds too harsh to be a post-cross idea. However, we must remember that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). He is the same, he does not change. Yet, the things we are judged by have changed.

For example, in the Old Testament people were judged for keeping the Law of the Pentateuch (Ps 119:5-6). In the New Testament, Jesus says his life judges people (Rom 3:26). We see Jesus pleased the Father intentionally (John 8:29). As we endeavor to bring together the whole counsel of God, we recognize it is by grace we are made right with the Father. Even so, Jesus says if we love him, we will obey him (John 10:9, Mat 7:13-14).

Obedience to Christ is the standard that proves we are covered by grace (1 Pet 1:2). Without grace, we could not keep the commands of Christ. If we are not keeping the commands of Christ, the Father is not pleased with us. There comes a point in all believers’ journey they must pick up their cross and follow Jesus (Mat 10:38). Just as Jesus was obedient to the Father, we must be obedient to Christ. By this, we can be sure we are in the Lord’s good favor.

Lord, lead me into obedience through your mercy and grace. Teach me to become more obedient and help me mature in my faith. I want to do those things which please you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

What Jesus Heard

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John 8:25-27 WEB

They said therefore to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. [26] I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.” [27] They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father.

Even Jesus had to hold his tongue. He was constrained by the voice of the Father. If Jesus heard it, he was faithful to say it. If he only had his own opinion, he remained silent.  However, the Jews wanted to know more about Jesus. They pressed him for an answer. The only answer Jesus had for the Jews was that he was who and what he said he was from the beginning. Jesus assumes they have heard him previously and he judges them based on what they should know.

But that judgment is implied at this point. Jesus tells them he is going to judge them and say things about them. Yet, it wasn’t the right time. In his humility, Jesus remains silent. He gives the Jews enough information they can intuit his meaning. But he did not say anything outright. Instead, he would wait to hear from his Father and then speak.

Jesus implies another judgment. He has judged the Father as trustworthy. Jesus clearly believed he could hear the Father’s voice, he believed the Father was trustworthy, and these two things together meant the Jews were responsible to accept his testimony. Jesus felt his testimony was valid because he only spoke what the Father said, and the Father always speaks the truth.  

Lord Jesus, train my ear to hear you. Protect me as I stretch out my faith and act upon your voice. Give me the wisdom to go slow. Teach me humility and discernment so I will be silent when all I have is my opinion. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Jesus’ Righteous Judgment

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John 8:15-18 WEB

You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. [16] Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. [17] It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. [18] I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

I love to see Jesus generalize. In the above passage, he says, “I judge no one. [16] Even if I do judge…” He says he doesn’t judge unless he does. How great is it to see Jesus accomplish God’s will through normal human conversation? Unfortunately, this is the kind of verse some will hang doctrine on.

The word-for-word crowd could easily take this to mean we should judge no one. But the problem is we are told to execute righteous judgments in other verses (John 5:30, 7:24). So, if this verse is saying that you and I should not judge, ever, it is out of step with the rest of scripture.

Of course, this verse is not out of step with the rest of the Bible. It is a matter of reading to know Jesus versus reading to know the rules (Exo 20:18-19, John 17:3). However, in this verse we have Jesus making a generalization that he does not judge people as a matter of practice. Then, he goes on to say on the rare occasion he does judge another he is making righteous judgments. Jesus’ judgments were righteous because he remained in step with the Spirit (John 5:19-20).

Lord Jesus, please help me hear your small still voice. Light the path before me and help me walk in it. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Righteous Judgments

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John 7:21-24 WEB

Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel because of it. [22] Moses has given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a boy. [23] If a boy receives circumcision on the Sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me, because I made a man completely healthy on the Sabbath? [24] Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”

I have always wondered how to define “righteous judgment.” Then, when I read the above verses, I realized, the Bible is full of Christ’s judgments. If there is anyone who gives righteous judgments it’s Jesus. Most people are familiar with the Lord’s judgments against religious leaders. However, the Lord made all sorts of righteous judgments. Three that caught my attention include the demoniac of Gadarenes, the woman who receives scraps under the table, and the believing centurion.

Luke 8:27-39 is the story of the demoniac of Gadarenes. The main judgment in this cautionary tale is against the people of Gadarenes. After silencing the demons in the man and finding out their name, Jesus sends the spirits into a herd of pigs and the pigs die. When the people of Gadarenes learn of the financial loss, they ask Jesus to leave.

There is a bit of misdirection at play here by the author of the book of Luke. While the reader is focused on the demoniac, Jesus judges the townspeople. The people of Gadarenes do not express a word of praise that a man’s life was saved. Nor do they express a word of remorse for raising pigs, something no believing Jewish person would do. Instead, they focus on the financial loss. Moreover, the townspeople do not seem to recognize they are being judged. The righteous judgment is, one single human being has more value than money. Even when that money is the lively hood of an entire town of God’s people.

Next, I have always liked the story of the woman who received scraps under the table. In Mark 7:24-30 we learn the woman is Greek and has a daughter who is demonized. The woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter and he deflects her request calling her a dog. However, instead of getting upset or discouraged, the woman presses into the hope of God’s goodness and humbles herself before the Lord. He says she has great faith and heals her daughter.

This is another interesting use of distraction. While everyone is focused on Jesus calling the woman a dog, he judges his disciples for their prejudice. The Lord reveals the prejudice of the disciples when he grants the woman’s request. At the same time, he judges their arrogance for believing Jewish people are better than all others. The righteous judgment of the Lord in this story is all believing people can receive from God, even those others call unworthy.

Finally, Matthew 8:5-16 is the story of the Centurion’s faith. As Jesus enters Capernaum, he is approached by a Roman Centurion. The man asks Jesus to heal his paralyzed and tormented servant. When Jesus agrees to come, the Centurion says if he will only say a word, it will be enough. He goes on to explain his understanding of authority and expresses great faith at the same time.

Interestingly, this judgment explores the faith of the disciples compared to the faith of a Roman Soldier. The soldier is judged faithful, and his servant is healed. Meanwhile, Peter’s mother is sick. Instead of asking the Lord to say a word of authority for her healing, the disciples wait until Jesus can touch her. Peter’s mother does not get healed until Christ arrives. Finally, Jesus goes on to deliver and heal all who are sick or demonized.

The judgments in this tale compare the faith of the disciples to that of a believing Roman. They also compare the compassion of Christ against the compassion of the disciples. The judgment here is that the disciples are found less faithful than one they consider to be an enemy and God responds with goodness to all who come in faith.  

What ties all these judgments together? God’s love. Jesus loves all people, and he calls judgments righteous that recognize the worth and acceptance of all believers. Rebuking prejudice, faithlessness, and hardness of heart, Jesus uses righteous judgments to adjust the disciples’ thinking. More, Jesus does not call out the shame of his disciples directly. Instead, he protects them while he heals their hearts and corrects their thinking. Lastly, these judgments are all indirect which probably means those with unbelieving hearts would miss the true meaning.

Lord Jesus, please teach me to judge righteously. Forgive me for past unrighteous judgments and reveal to me how you would judge the circumstances and situations of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Measuring Belief

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John 5:45-47 WEB

“Don’t think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, even Moses, on whom you have set your hope. [46] For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me. [47] But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

How many verses do you think are in the New Testament? There are just under 8000 verses in the New Testament. Of those many verses, there are a few Christians tend to ignore. For instance, “For I am afraid that by any means, when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you don’t desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots;” (2 Corinthians 12:20 WEB) In this verse gossip is called slander and it is grouped with several other undesirable behaviors. Although it is clearly taught in the Bible to avoid talking about others, gossip seems to persist in most churches.

There are other examples in the New Testament such as, “nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom.” In this verse covetous also means greed. The church is bad about greed. Ministers talk excessively about blessings stirring up passionate desires in the congregants. Even Christian music teaches greed with excessive songs about blessings.

There are several passages in the New Testament that Christians tend to ignore. This suggests much of the church does not truly believe in Jesus. That seems absurd. Yet, it is what Jesus taught, “Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ [23] Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’” (Matthew 7:22-23 WEB) Gossip and greed are iniquities. They are both prevalent in much of Christianity.

Lord Jesus, please help me believe in you. Reveal to me the iniquities that I need to bring to you for healing and help. I do not want to get to the final judgment and find that I missed you. I trust your grace to see me safely through. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

One Way the Father Speaks

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John 5:31-36 WEB

“If I testify about myself, my witness is not valid. [32] It is another who testifies about me. I know that the testimony which he testifies about me is true. [33] You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. [34] But the testimony which I receive is not from man. However, I say these things that you may be saved. [35] He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. [36] But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John, for the works which the Father gave me to accomplish, the very works that I do, testify about me, that the Father has sent me.

When I think of my works speaking, I shudder. Thank God for grace. Still, I can look back at times when the works I was doing were speaking for the Father. Times when things went wrong, so much that I began to believe the Father was telling me to stop. Other times, I have seen things go so remarkably well that I felt the Father was lighting the path as I walked. Like Jesus, I must recognize the Father to recognize when he is speaking and what he is saying.

Jesus was humble in his interpretation. He does not boast. In fact, he hedges when he says, “…the Father has sent me.” (John 5:36 WEB) It is hedging because he knew more but he keeps the scope small with a simple, “he sent me.” That is great because it is something I can do in my life. I can see where the Father is lighting my path and recognize its meaning, that I am sent. I do not have to know every detail. What is significant is that I can recognize I am on a path with the Father.

It seems Jesus expected to be judged. He tells his audience to judge the works he does, for they testify of Jesus on behalf of the Father. Jesus did not have an audible relationship with the Father while he was on earth. Like those around him, Jesus had to interpret the meaning of the signs that he was performing. His interpretation was that the miracles spoke for the Father. He believed in his own destiny because he could recognize the works of the Father.

Lord Jesus, please give me eyes to see and ears to hear so that I will recognize the works of God in my life. Help me to interpret what you do in my life accurately. Please give me the grace to rest knowing you are with me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Bringing Life

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John 5:20-24 WEB

For the Father has affection for the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does. He will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel. [21] For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires. [22] For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son, [23] that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him. [24] “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

It’s interesting to read the Father has given all judgment to Jesus. In another place, Jesus declares he did not come to judge. (John 12:47) Rather, he came to bring life. (John 10:10) In the text scriptures above it says the Father put life in Jesus so people will honor Jesus in the way they honor the Father. (John 5:22-23)  

The Father is leading the world to honor Jesus. In fact, while the Father is seeking the Son’s glory, the Son is seeking the Father’s glory. Part of how Jesus brings glory to the Father is by remaining in the truth. He testified what he saw and heard, even when it would bring derision. Jesus was faithful to the mission God gave him.

It is impossible to know exactly when Jesus realized it was the Father’s will for him to sacrifice his life. Yet, in his perfection, Jesus was willing to die. That may be why he could say delusional-sounding things. He could say he was granted life to pass out by the Father. He could say the Father honored him. Jesus could say all these challenging things because he was willing to exchange his life for the life of others.  

Lord Jesus, thank you for qualifying me for eternal life through your own death. I trust you and believe you. I honor you and I honor the Father. Lord, please help me imitate you and give of myself for the good of others. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Condemnation or Salvation

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John 3:17 WEB

For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

Do you look at the world through the lens of condemnation or salvation? We know that God loves the world and wants all people to be saved (John 3:16). Yet, many Christians judge the world and condemn the lost. This is worldly. It seems godly to stand against unrighteousness. However, it is not right to condemn the lost before they have a chance to get saved and adopt a righteous lifestyle. On the other hand, we should condemn unrighteousness in ourselves. This is part of us becoming holy. We must be holy to bring people to Jesus so that He can save them. Furthermore, when we live righteously it proves that we believe in Jesus and the finished work of the cross. If we believe Jesus we will live righteously. Thus, when we demonstrate our beliefs through our actions we know we are in right standing with God. Once we are in right standing with God we become holy which means we are able to give the lost access to Jesus. Matthew 7:21-25 tells us that if we do not obey Christ’s teachings he does not know us. That is scary. It is comfortable to imagine that all we have to do is confess with our mouths that Jesus is the Lord and we are saved. This leaves us room to “be in process” or to keep some of Christ’s teachings but not all of Christ’s teachings. Many people want to throw all their unrighteousness under the cross and call it good. Essentially they are trusting in their confession alone to save them. But if this was true, then even the demons would be saved. However, this is not the case. We must believe and confess to be saved (Romans 10:9-10). The only way we know that we believe is if we keep the teachings of Jesus (Matthew 7:24). It is significant to note that Jesus loved the lost. The truth is He condemned those who professed to love God but demonstrated only love for themselves. So, where do you stand? Does your life condemn you or are you genuinly saved both believing and confessing?

Lord Jesus, please have mercy on me and show me my unrighteousness. I accept that I have to see my sin to correct my sin. I am not afraid for you to tell me the truth. I am only afraid of not genuinely believing. Please help my unbelief. In Jesus’ name, amen.