Tuesday,
July 16, 2013 Nick Cirino
Matthew
7:1 ESV: “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
Often
when someone say, “Don’t judge,” they mean, “Don’t say anything
negative about another person.”
A
blogger gave this example: “Luke has just informed his uncle that he and his
girlfriend have moved in together. Owen responds that he thinks this is morally
wrong. Owen explains that he still loves Luke and understands that society
accepts co-habitation as an acceptable living arrangement, but since the Bible
considers sex outside marriage a sin, he must too. Luke then responds with
‘Christians are so judgmental.’”
Is
that judgmental? I’m not so sure. I’m convinced there is un-judgmental ways
to say something negative about another person. In fact, I think that sometimes
it is loving to say something negative about another person. Not judging does
not turning a blind eye to sin.
In
last week’s sermon I said that when I judge someone, it is usually a signal
that is an area where I am legalistic. So what is the difference between saying
something negative judgmentally and saying something negative non-judgmentally?
Pride
and love. More on that tomorrow.
Quote
from: theruthlessmonk.com/christian-stereotypes-christians-are-judgmental/
Photo
from: flickr.com/photos/safari_vacation/
I don't think I am being judgmental when I simply state a fact about a person . . . if a person is rude, for example, I am being truthful and loving by so saying. Granted, rather than saying "You are rude", I can be more loving by saying, "What you did to John yesterday was rude" so that he/she can hopefully see the error of their ways and amend them. "Telling the truth in love" is an art-form but it is not being judgmental. Truth is truth and we can do great damage by avoiding it.
ReplyDeleteLooking at what Jesus says through Matthew 7:1 we have to remember to take the entire bible in account as a whole. When Mathew says “Judge not, that you be not judged.” we also have to reflect on other verses on this subject. I recommend reading all the way through down from Looking at what Jesus says through Matthew 7:1 we have to remember to take the entire bible in account as a whole. When Mathew says “Judge not, that you be not judged.” we also have to reflect on other verses on this subject. I recommend reading all the way through down from Matthew 7:1 to 6 then maybe head to John 7:24 and then on, there are several other verses that will start to give us a clearer picture. But to know how to react to a situation this will not come from any wisdom we can imagine up. We can't base our reaction on what we think to be true or fact but does it line up with what God says, for that is the only truth. And we have to go beyond what we feel and react by what God is telling us in scripture. Being a Christian or to say a believer in Jesus Christ we need to trust and remember that a christians walk with christ is an incline to knowing God and that faith is given in different measures. WE are to love and forgive so that we don't cause our brothers to stumble, to question their faith. The best answer for any reaction is to seek God for guidance and trust the outcome and even if you feel nothing came about be faithful and continue praying and waiting. God will never let you down. A good example I like to use is if we both stood outside and looked at the horizon or what ever was in front of us. How do we see what is in front of us in what way do we see things. We both probably see things a little different and what has given us that world view. What we read, what we've watched what we've experienced in our lives. This has given us that view. Jesus tells us to turn from the way we see things. The way we see the world. How can we know God, things of God - see Matt 11:27, John 1:18, I Cor. 1:21. Jesus wants to give us a proper world view to see through his eyes in any situation.
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