Wednesday 5 April 2017

Judgement and Duty

Judgment and Duty
The Psalmist states,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.
The Psalmist here makes it clear that God knows you intimately. The way I read this is that God knows your very DNA. He knows why you are the way you are even if you don’t.
It is for that very reason I believe no man has the right to judge you and say whether you will get to heaven or not.
Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.
The apostle Paul saying,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. 
“Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
Christians have limitations as to who they can judge. We cannot judge those outside the church especially when it comes to where they will spend eternity.
Christians however can judge other Christians, but only to determine if someone claiming to be Christian is following and presenting the message of Christ correctly. If they are not then we have the right to expel them from our congregation.
And while Christians believe the words of Jesus, who said,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
Who said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
While these words are true. This does not give Christians the right to say to anyone they are not going to heaven. Again because we do not know what is in a man’s heart.
Billy Graham the great American evangelist said,
It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict,
 God’s job to judge 
and my job to love, 
                                                                                 Billy Graham
Jesus told his disciples their duty,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
He did not tell them to judge. He taught his disciples to respect and love others. To present the gospel message to anyone who would listen.
This is the duty of the Christian to this day.
Please think about it.

No comments: