“There really is no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus, judge not.”
I love this quote. My dad raised us this way - understanding that everyone has their own perspective and experiences and there is absolutely no way to perfectly know what they are thinking/feeling when they do/say something.
Wise advice from the prophet of the Lord. (and cute printable ;) )
John 3:16 used to be the most known scripture- even by non-Christians. Now it's Matthew 7:1 and it's one of the most abused scriptures in the Bible.
We must judge, we are commanded to judge. When you don't judge you are actually disobeying God. Granted, you must judge righteously, and not be a hypocrite. (as 'judge not lest ye be judged'' clearly says when taken in its full context.) You must also judge yourself. But not judging is unbiblical. The Lord Jesus Himself said we are to judge righteous judgment (Jn. 7:24).
We are to judge sin in the church (1 Cor. 5:3, 12). “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, ... For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?”
We are to judge matters between the brethren (1 Cor. 6:5). “I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?”
We are to judge preaching (1 Cor. 14:29). “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.”
We are to judge those who preach false gospels, false christs, and false spirits (2 Cor. 11:1-4). “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
We are to judge the works of darkness (Eph. 5:11). “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
We are to judge spirits (1 John 4:1). “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
We are even to judge all things (1 Cor. 2:15-16). “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
The spiritual man does not judge things by his own thinking but by the mind of Christ in the Word of God. He knows that he lives in a fallen world filled with lies and error and spiritual deception and he knows that he has the light of God in the Scripture and he thus judges all things by that.
I love this quote. My dad raised us this way - understanding that everyone has their own perspective and experiences and there is absolutely no way to perfectly know what they are thinking/feeling when they do/say something.
ReplyDeleteWise advice from the prophet of the Lord. (and cute printable ;) )
Agree Becca . . .
ReplyDeleteText out of context is pretext for prooftext.
ReplyDeleteJohn 3:16 used to be the most known scripture- even by non-Christians. Now it's Matthew 7:1 and it's one of the most abused scriptures in the Bible.
We must judge, we are commanded to judge. When you don't judge you are actually disobeying God. Granted, you must judge righteously, and not be a hypocrite. (as 'judge not lest ye be judged'' clearly says when taken in its full context.) You must also judge yourself. But not judging is unbiblical. The Lord Jesus Himself said we are to judge righteous judgment (Jn. 7:24).
We are to judge sin in the church (1 Cor. 5:3, 12). “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, ... For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?”
We are to judge matters between the brethren (1 Cor. 6:5). “I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?”
We are to judge preaching (1 Cor. 14:29). “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.”
We are to judge those who preach false gospels, false christs, and false spirits (2 Cor. 11:1-4). “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
We are to judge the works of darkness (Eph. 5:11). “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
We are to judge spirits (1 John 4:1). “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
We are even to judge all things (1 Cor. 2:15-16). “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
The spiritual man does not judge things by his own thinking but by the mind of Christ in the Word of God. He knows that he lives in a fallen world filled with lies and error and spiritual deception and he knows that he has the light of God in the Scripture and he thus judges all things by that.