It’s not such a simple question!
A number of years ago I did a book display at a super ‘conservative’ Christian rally. I’d recently spent a number of years prior to that in a Pentecostal church but I’d attended the same rallies by the same conservative group as a small child with my parents. I stood there awash in The Fathers love and a sense of His presence and joy with the memory of being a toddler in that very auditorium and I knew the same joy I felt in the Pentecostal style worship was because it was the same Holy Spirit who was in each place. Neither set of beliefs governing style had everything right, but the Holy Spirit, by God’s grace, was present in both. He was there when I was a toddler in that auditorium, He was there in the Pentecostal church and He was there again that night.
Just a few years ago I went to a youth rally with our oldest two kids as young teenagers. I found myself feeling uncomfortable with aspects of what I saw and heard, but then there was something like a comforting pat on the back and I felt Him whisper to my heart “it’s alright Love – I’m here”. A few years later the founder of those teen rallies was outed as having faked a serious illness and had been caught up in porn throughout most of his life. Even tho that leader was caught in sin and I knew my cautions were real and justified, I still also know God was at work amidst those rallies. This again is because of God’s grace.
- PHP 1:15-18 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Twenty years ago I was healed of illness through teaching that gave me the prompt to ask God – but which in later years I realised was taught on false application of The Word. God healed because He is the Healer and He has told us to ask Him and in His grace He did a miracle in spite of the wrongly taught word.
Where God is shown to have worked through teachers and preachers in error, it is again proof of His grace and His dedicated pursuit of those He has called. It’s also a work of the Son as intercessor because of the human frailty we all possess.
Our personal testimonies are testimony of
God
not testimony of man.
When Christian concepts get incorrectly bundled,
they create bondage.
Sometimes we do this through simple not-knowing… not having had the time, momentum, inclination or prompt to think these things through. Sometimes it is through the manipulation of another whose purposes suit the form of bondage that idea promotes.
One example of bundling concepts is forgiveness.
When Jesus hung on the cross and prayed “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” He was completing the most comprehensive act of forgiveness of all time yet something else is needed to complete the restoration process. What remains necessary is for each individual than desires peace with God, to enter in of their own free will.
Sometimes Christians confuse forgiveness and restoration as the same thing and when they try and apply that they can end up in bondage.
Sure, sometimes one-way forgiveness is all that’s needed. Bearing with one another in love is a form of forgiveness. Forgiving whatever grievances we have against one another – can also be a one way event and the relationship continues in greater harmony through the heart action of one. Many times though, restoration is a separate process that needs to involve the second party. It is bondage to a wrong idea to live out of guilt over a lack of restoration if one has – like Christ – done ALL POSSIBLE to restore, yet the other refuses to enter in.
It’s the bundling of “judgement” concepts that is my main point here…
There is a difference between judging a person and judging their words/actions. One is sin, the other is an instruction of God. There is also a difference between judgement and discernment. If we bundle all these into one word and/or idea of application we will be confused and bound to impossible and contradictory ideas.
If we refuse to apply appropriate judgement and discernment to the words and actions of another claiming the name of Christ, we elevate a human to the same level of perfection as Jesus and we have entered idolatry.
If a man says anything less than for people to search The Word and measure what he teaches by it, then he bears one of the marks of a cult leader.
We are not instructed to accept everyone who claims to be of God, as such. We are instructed to test and approve, to be watchful and awake, to discern and to measure and yes, sometimes to judge. Not a persons standing before God. Not to look down upon, and not to slander but to judge their words and actions to be certain they agree with those of the Lord Jesus Christ. Recognising that calls for the making of a judgement in that context.
Today I did a study on the word “judge”.
There are 139 uses of the word judge and a number of ways it is utilised. The famous “judge not lest ye be judged” is not all the Scriptures have to say on the topic. Sometimes there are seeming contradictions but they are not actually contradictions – they speak to different tenses, situations and contexts. Applying the right tense, situation and context is the trick for right judging and right not-judging.
Some of the uses are desirable, and some are examples of UNdesirable judgement. Here they are. The Scriptures themselves follow. And for any not too faint of heart and sick of reading, Scriptures using the word “false” follow that.
When I finished this study the effect of it combined with the effect of a study I did a few weeks ago on “examine yourself” made me quite wobbly inside. The need to be free of hypocrisy speaks loud and clear. That point is not lost on me. And those that replace the idea of God’s judgement with the notion of “the removal of all things that hinder love” would do well to study the word “judgment” for it is sure and fearsome and it is not over. Not by a long shot.
Finally here, the point is not the validity of judging a teacher’s words, actions and fruit but do we know Jesus teaching well enough to make the measurements properly? And do we apply them to ourselves first. It’s the old speck and the log trick you see.
Different kinds of usage of the word “judge” in the Bible
- Asking GOD to be the judge
- Referring to God with the title of Judge
- As a manipulation of one person to another
- People calling on people/peers to judge a situation
- Sowing Judgement for Judgement – Double twist manipulation
- Calling God to judge his own unappreciated and misunderstood actions
- Judging what is of God when disputed between people
- Instructed by God to judge fairly
- Judging the quality of an offering to God. If it fits His requirements or not.
- Called to make legal judgements
- “Judge” as a human title with a job description
- The Lord as Judge
- God’s own appointed judges
- Wrongdoer wanting to be a judge
- Questioning God’s judgement
- People judging unfairly.
- God calling man to judge Him?! Taunt?
- The UNrighterous claiming God’s presence
- Judge as a human office
- Jesus instructing NOT to judge
- Jesus refusing to arbitrate
- Jesus saying TO judge what is right
- Judging in parables
- Unjust judgement
- Hypocrites acting as judges
- Judging brothers on disputable matters
- Having a clean conscience to be judged by others.
- Instructed not to judge before the appointed time
- Not judging outside the church but those inside
- Paul instructing believers to judge his words
- Told “Judge for yourselves”
- What not to be judged by others about
- Neither slander nor judge
You go to the Word. You be the judge of my take on this!