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There is hardly any verse of the Bible that is more misunderstood than Jesus' words, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged" ( Matt. 7:1). And there is hardly any verse that is more frequently disobeyed among Christians than that verse! For years I have had it on my prayer list for myself, yet I have disobeyed it many times. I'm sure that I'm not an exception. Also, keep in mind that it is a sin to judge another person in your heart, even if you keep your thoughts to yourself. Judgmental words eventually will flow out of a judgmental heart, but the sin begins in the heart. It is a manifestation of pride; we think that we're better than others are.
In concluding this section on resolving conflicts ( James 4:1), James elaborates on Jesus' command against judging one another. His message is:
To resolve conflicts, stop judging others and submit to God's authoritative Word.
1. To resolve conflicts, stop judging others.
That command is easy to state, but it's a bit more complex to understand. So we need to carefully define this sin.
A. WHAT JUDGING OTHERS DOES NOT MEAN:
(1). IT IS NOT JUDGING SOMEONE TO BE DISCERNING WITH REGARD TO HIS CHARACTER OR TEACHING.
Many people cite Matthew 7:1 about not judging others, but they never bother to read down to verse 6, where Jesus says, "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine." He was talking about people who are dogs and swine! To obey verse 6, you must make some judgmental decisions about the person's character! "That guy is a dog! That guy is a swine!"
Also, if you keep reading ( Matt. 7:15), Jesus says, "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves." It takes a discerning sheep to recognize, "That's not a true sheep! That's a wolf dressed like a sheep!" It requires judging the man's teaching as false.
We live in times when tolerance, unity, and "love" (usually means, being nice) are taught in church.
In concluding this section on resolving conflicts ( James 4:1), James elaborates on Jesus' command against judging one another. His message is:
To resolve conflicts, stop judging others and submit to God's authoritative Word.
1. To resolve conflicts, stop judging others.
That command is easy to state, but it's a bit more complex to understand. So we need to carefully define this sin.
A. WHAT JUDGING OTHERS DOES NOT MEAN:
(1). IT IS NOT JUDGING SOMEONE TO BE DISCERNING WITH REGARD TO HIS CHARACTER OR TEACHING.
Many people cite Matthew 7:1 about not judging others, but they never bother to read down to verse 6, where Jesus says, "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine." He was talking about people who are dogs and swine! To obey verse 6, you must make some judgmental decisions about the person's character! "That guy is a dog! That guy is a swine!"
Also, if you keep reading ( Matt. 7:15), Jesus says, "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves." It takes a discerning sheep to recognize, "That's not a true sheep! That's a wolf dressed like a sheep!" It requires judging the man's teaching as false.
We live in times when tolerance, unity, and "love" (usually means, being nice) are taught in church.
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