Chapter 18

JUDGING

(Matthew 7:1-5)

 

          Before we begin our study of this portion of Jesus' sermon on the mountainside let us pray.

 

          Dear Heavenly Father,

                    We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God, please open our ears, our eyes and our hearts so we can hear and see and understand Your Word and instruction. Cause us to understand Your teaching about judging others and cause us to apply this knowledge to our present day life experiences.

Amen

 

INTRODUCTION

Let us begin by reading the Scriptures for the theme of this study.

 

Matthew 7:1-5

""[1] Do not judge, or you too will be judged. [2] For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [3] "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? [4] How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? [5] You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

 

         As one considers the above teaching one might be tempted to conclude that as a born again believer in Jesus Christ we are not to judge one another’s behavior or actions. However, as we read the Bible we find that this conclusion is not a complete understanding of what Jesus is teaching us. To see this let us read the instruction the Holy Spirit gave through the Apostle Paul in,

 

1 Corinthians 5:6-13(a)

"[6] Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? [7] Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. [8] Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. [9] I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- [10] not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. [11] But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. [12] What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? [13] God will judge those outside…"

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          6-8 … The body of Christ is to keep itself pure and holy. If it does not do this then, as the Scripture says, "a little yeast, that is a few sinful activities, will ultimately work its way through the whole batch of dough that is the entire church. We must not lose sight of the fact that Jesus came to save us from our sins. He did not come to ignore them.

 

          12-13 … We are to judge those inside the church, these are those who claim to be born again believers. However, judgments for those outside the church, who are non-believers, are to be left up to God and God alone.

 

          Thus, for our study we will review some of the Biblical instructions for,

                    1. Those that are outside the church, the non believers.

                    2. Those that are inside the church, the born again believers.

 

With the above in mind we begin with the instruction concerning,

 

THOSE WHO ARE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH, THE NON BELIEVERS

          As we read the Bible we discover that Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins. Thus, those who are still outside of the body of Christ need to be saved from their sins. Rebuking them and their sins may appear to be a noble and worthwhile endeavor. However, without their receiving and accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior they are still destined for the Lake of Fire. Hence, for those outside the church the Bible teaches us that the true born again believers in Jesus Christ should take the following three actions.

          First of all, in the Name of Jesus Christ, we are to pray and ask God the Father to save them and gather them to Jesus.. To see this let us read from,

 

1 Timothy 2:1-4

"[1] I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- [2] for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. [3] This is good, and pleases God our Savior, [4] who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

 

          Therefore, we are to pray and ask God the Father to send out His workers to gather in the lost. To see this let us read what Jesus told His disciples upon seeing all those who were in need of His salvation. His instruction is recorded for us in,

 

Matthew 9:35-38

"[35] Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. [36] When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. [37] Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. [38] Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.""

 

          To help us understand the significance of praying to God the Father for the salvation of others we must recall that Jesus taught that no one can come to Him unless God the Father draws that person to Him. To read this we go to,

 

John 6:44

""[44] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."

 

          Secondly, we are to show the unbeliever God's love and kindness. We do this through our good deeds and through our loving, considerate and respectful behavior. Let us recall the following passage from Jesus' sermon,

 

Matthew 5:14-16

""[14] You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

 

          The third and last activity is that we are to always be prepared to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To see this let us read from,

 

1 Peter 3:15-16

"[15] But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, [16] keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

 

Let us now move on to the instruction for,

 

THOSE WHO ARE INSIDE THE CHURCH, THE BELIEVERS

          As we read the Bible and especially the New Testament we discover that for those who claim to be born again believers or members of the body of Christ, there are activities to be judged and things that are not to be judged.

To see this we begin with,

 

THE AREAS OR ACTIVITIES WE ARE TO JUDGE

          In this section of our study we will see that as born again believers in Jesus Christ we are to judge: (1) sin, (2) idleness, (3) heretical doctrine or teaching and (4) the denial of Jesus Christ.

Let us begin with the issue of:

 

Sin

          To see that the born again believers in Jesus Christ are to judge sin let us read the following instruction of how the body of Christ is to apply,

 

Discipline within the church

          It is noted that the discipline or correction to be taken is to be performed with the intent of restoring or helping our fellow brother or sister to repent and forsake the particular sin they have fallen into. Some examples of the sins to be dealt with are identified in,

 

Galatians 5:19-21

"[19] The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

 

          For these types of sinful activities, we are to confront the individual with the intent of helping them to forsake their sinful activity. To see this let us consider the following instruction Paul gave to the churches in Galatia for the times when they discover this type of sinful activity within their assembly.

 

Galatians 6:1

"[1] Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted."

          Notice, that when we attempt to bring back a fellow brother or sister in Christ from a sinful activity, we must be very careful not to fall astray and also get caught up in their sinful activity.

          Now there may be times when a brother or sister may not believe they have a problem or they may be so caught up in their sinful activity that they ignore our pleadings and want to continue. What are we to do then?

          To find out let us read what Jesus taught us to do for this particular situation. His teaching is recorded for us in,

 

Matthew 18:15-20

""[15] If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. [16] But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' [17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. [18] "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. [19] "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.""

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          15 … The first step to be taken is for the person who was wronged or is aware of the sin is for them to confront the person who is sinning. In other words, with the hope of resolving the problem, the issue is to be kept between the two individuals.

 

          16 … However, if the person sinning will not listen or repent, then, with the hope of restoring the person who is sinning, they are to be confronted with two or three witnesses.

 

          17a … If the person who is sinning still will not repent then that person is to be brought before the church. To see this we go to,

 

1 Timothy 5:20

"[20] Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning."

 

Let us return to Chapter 18 of Matthew and notice the following verse,

 

          17b … If the individual in question refuses to listen to the church, then the person wanting to remain in their sin is no longer to be welcomed into their assembly.

         

          18-20 … When the body of Christ takes an action in accordance with the above steps Jesus Christ Himself is there and God the Father will perform their request.

 

To be sure we have correctly understood Jesus' instruction, let us read what happened in the church in Corinth and see how the Apostle Paul handled the situation.

 

The example in the Church in Corinth

The sin that was being committed is described in,

 

1 Corinthians 5:1-2

"[1] It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. [2] And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?"

 

Let us notice the following verse,

          2 … Instead of mourning or dealing with the horrible sin that was being committed in the church, the people were proud of all the "spiritual" activities that were present in their congregation. (NOTE: The church in Corinth was a very blessed and spiritually gifted body. However, they went astray in many areas. Thus, Paul wrote 1st and 2nd Corinthians to provide them with correction and instruction for the proper operation of the church.)

 

In the next set of verses we read about the action Paul took to deal with the sinful situation.

 

1 Corinthians 5:3-5

"[3] Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. [4] When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, [5] hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord."

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          3 … The Apostle Paul judged the sinful activity of the man who was committing adultery with his father's wife.

 

          4 … Remember, in our reading from the Gospel according to Matthew we found that Jesus said, "When two or three born again believers agree to a disciplinary action Jesus is present to grant their request".

 

          5 … The reason for the breaking fellowship with the sinning person was for their benefit. The hope was that by the loss of fellowship their sinful nature would be destroyed and their spirit would be saved. Thus, through the Apostle Paul the Holy Spirit instructed the church to expel the person who was in the sinful activity of incest from the congregation.

 

          We must remember the whole objective is not to condemn them but to restore them into fellowship with Jesus Christ and His body. Hence, when the person or persons who were caught in a sin confess their sin and seek forgiveness, the body of Christ is to forgive them and welcome them back into fellowship. To see this let us read from,

 

Luke 17:3-4

[3] Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. [4] And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

         

Let us notice the condition. Specifically, "if he repents, forgive him."

 

          With this in mind, let us return to the situation in the Corinthian church and read what happened after the church broke fellowship with the sinning party. This is recorded for us in Paul's second letter to the church in,

 

2 Corinthians 2:6-8

"[6] The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. [7] Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. [8] I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him."

 

          Although the Scripture does not explicitly tell us, I believe we can assume the sinning party repented from their sin and sought forgiveness from the church. Hence, the Apostle Paul instructed the church to forgive, comfort and reaffirm their love for him.

          We must remember that even if our fellow believer is in sin, they are not to be considered as an enemy. We are not to judge them to damnation. They are to be considered as a brother or sister in need of help. This is taught us in,

 

2 Thessalonians 3:15

"[15] Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother."

 

This now brings us to,

 

The second area that the body of Christ is to judge concerns itself with,

 

Idleness

          This instruction or teaching comes from the following excerpt of the Apostle Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

"[6] In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. [7] For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, [8] nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. [9] We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. [10] For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." [11] We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. [12] Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. [13] And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. [14] If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. [15] Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother."

 

          Since an in depth discussion of the above Scriptures was and is covered in Chapter 17, we will move on to

 

          The third area of concern for the born again believers in Jesus Christ to judge is,

 

Heretical or false Christian doctrine

          For this area of the Christian life the born again believers are instructed to note and stay away from those who are leading the body of Christ away from sound Biblical teaching. To do this let us read what was written on this subject to the churches in Galatia. To do this let us read from,

 

Galatians 1:6-9

"[6] I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- [7] which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! [9] As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          7 … By corrupting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there was an element within the churches that were causing confusion.

 

          8-9 … First let us notice that the warning is repeated twice. Hence, it is very important and worthy of our full attention. Secondly, this issue of preaching or teaching a false gospel is so serious that God the Holy Spirit tells us that if an angel or Paul himself would teach something other than the true Gospel, then they would be eternally condemned.

 

          Given the seriousness of this issue the question arises as to; “What is a born again believer to do if they are confronted with a situation where there is false or heretical teaching of the gospel?”

          If they do not heed our concern or correction, the Bible instructs us to stay away from anyone or any religious organization that either adds to or takes away from the pure Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In other words, we are to judge or determine what sound Christian Biblical doctrine is and what is not. This instruction is clearly given to us throughout the New Testament. For example let us read the following from,

 

Romans 16:17-20

"[17] I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. [18] For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. [19] Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. [20] The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          17 … Keep away from them!

 

          18 … Those who teach a different gospel, that is augment it by adding to or subtracting from the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ, are not serving Him but are serving themselves.

 

          19 … Be wise in what is good, that is learn it, hold on to it, and use it. However, be innocent, with things that are evil or contrary to God's Word.

 

          The fourth and last area that the born again believers in Jesus Christ are to judge are,

 

THOSE WHO DENY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

To see this let us read from,

 

1 John 4:1-3

"[1] Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, [3] but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          1 … To determine whether or not a prophet, teacher and or preacher are a true representative of God we are to test, that is judge, the spirit speaking through of them.

 

          2 … Those who confess, that is believe, preach and teach that Jesus Christ was and is true God and true man are from God.

 

          3 … Those who deny that Jesus Christ was and is true God and true man, are from the antichrist.

 

We find a similar exhortation for the born again believer in,

 

2 John 7-11

"[7] Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. [8] Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. [9] Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. [10] If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. [11] Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work."

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          10-11 … We are not to allow anyone to teach, preach or bring into our homes doctrines and teachings that are not consistent with God's Word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In summary, the Bible instructs and encourages us to,

 

TEST EVERYTHING

To see this let us read the following excerpt from Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

"[21] Test everything. Hold on to the good. [22] Avoid every kind of evil."

 

          With all the above in mind the question arises as to; “Is there anything within the church that the Bible teaches us to not judge?” The answer to this question brings us to the second and last portion of our study which concerns itself with,

 

THE AREAS OR ACTIVITIES WE ARE NOT TO JUDGE

          For this portion of our study we will also discover that the born again believers are not to judge: (1) disputable Christian matters or teachings and (2) another person's heart.

          We begin by exploring the fact that the born again believers are not to judge things or activities relative to,

 

Disputable Matters

          In other words we are not to judge issues that are either unclear or do not detract from true Biblical Christian doctrine. To see this we will examine the following two examples: (1) eating of food and (2) keeping special days.

Let us begin with the subject of,

 

Food

          A good summary of God the Holy Spirit's instruction relative to the diet of the born again believer is provided in,

 

Romans 14:1-4

"[1] Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. [2] One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. [3] The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. [4] Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          1 … Do not dispute, that is judge or argue, about doubtful things.

 

          2 … A person who is strong in their faith may believe there are no restrictions as to what they may eat. However, a person who may not be as strong in their faith may believe they are not to eat certain types of foods, such as those defined by the Old Testament as unclean.

 

          3 … The person who is strong in their faith is not to judge or condemn the one who may be weak. The reverse is also true. Specifically, those who are weak in their faith are not to judge those by what they eat.

 

          4 … These types of matters are also to be left up to God to judge.

 

          Our second example of a disputable matter that a born again believer is not to judge another by is that of,

 

Keeping a special day

To see this let us read from,

 

Romans 14:5

"[5] One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          5a … Some may set aside one day of the week, such as Sunday, or some may consider holidays such as Christmas, Palm Sunday, Easter, etc. as special or sacred days.  However another person may consider everyday as a special and sacred.

 

          5b … No matter which way a person is convinced about a special day they observe it to God. Who are we to judge such matters?

 

The second area of life that the born again believers in Jesus Christ are not to judge is,

 

ANOTHER PERSON'S HEART

          Perhaps the best way for us to see why our Lord has given us this command is through an example. To do this let briefly review what happened after God's prophet Samuel arrived at the house of Jesse to anoint David as king over Israel. This meeting of interest is recorded for us in,

 

1 Samuel 16:6-7

"[6] When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the LORD." [7] But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.""

 

          In other words, the judgment of people within the church is not to be based upon their outward appearance, financial status, where they live, etc. It is only God who sees and knows our hearts. To amplify upon this a bit let us read the following excerpt from King Solomon's prayer that he gave during the dedication of the first permanent Temple to God. The passage of interest is in,

 

1 Kings 8:39

"[39] then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men),"

 

          In fact as we study the Holy Scriptures God tells us that we are not even able to correctly judge our own hearts. This is taught to us in,

 

Proverbs 21:2

"[2] All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart."

 

          This is why the Apostle Paul wrote that even though he believed that his conscience was clear he would leave the judgement of his heart up to God. To read what he had to say let us go to,

 

1 Corinthians 4:3-5

"[3] I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. [4] My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. [5] Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God."

 

CLOSING

Let us close our study by reading the following exhortation.

 

Colossians 3: 12-17

"[12] … as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. [13] Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. [14] And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. [15] Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. [17] And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

 

Blessed be the Lord forever,

AMEN and AMEN