"GRRR..."

"Grrr..." is the sound you are likely to hear from a sleeping dog when his sleep is being disturbed --and "grrr" is the common response of slumbering churchmen when they are rebuked for their disobedience to God.

They are comfortable in their sinful condition and do not want to be disturbed; so, they bare their teeth with a hypocritical smile and snarl:  "we are not supposed to judge."

That trite response comes  from these words of Jesus wrested from their context: "Judge not, that you be not judged."  

When the subject of judging comes up, we need to consider what Jesus meant by his words when he said them.  He did not mean that no one is ever supposed to judge; but rather, he is telling hypocrites that they must first repent of their sins before they are qualified to judge others ...  

"Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye?

**You hypocrite, FIRST  take the log out of your own eye, AND THEN you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.**  Matt 7:1-5 (RSV)

Jesus  shows us that we must first judge ourselves (lest we be judged).   Then, those who have repented of their sins are able to judge their BROTHERS!

The apostle Paul tells us that sinners within the church must be judged --BUT WE ARE NOT TO JUDGE THOSE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH.  

"I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I {did} not at all {mean} with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world.

But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any  SO-CALLED BROTHER if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a  drunkard, or a  swindler-- NOT EVEN TO EAT WITH SUCH A ONE.

 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within {the church} But those who are outside, God judges

REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.
1 Cor 5:9-13 (NAS)

Those words were spoken by an apostle; and with that authority, we are taught:  anyone who is committing sin (and will not repent or accept correction) is a "so-called brother"  that must be put out of the church. Yet, examples abound of churchmen who publicly demonstrate against the sins of the world and ignore gross sins within their own assemblies.

Furthermore, many Christians are not only judging the wrong people, they are also making false judgments every time they JUSTIFY a so-called brother who knowingly commits sin.   Think about it.  A judgment is made when a law-breaker is told that he has no condemnation and is righteous in God's sight because of his "faith".

If  you are saying:  "we are not supposed to judge",  then, why are you  making judgments that justify evil-doers by calling them righteous in God's sight?  That kind of judgment makes a mockery of justice and is a diabolical deception.   The apostle John warns us not to be deceived by people like you:

"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that DOETH RIGHTEOUSNESS is righteous, even as he is righteous."  I Jn 3:7 (KJV)

Friends, the church is in apostasy and has no hope of revival until it learns WHO IS TO JUDGE WHOM and until it uses The Ten Commandments (The law that defines sin.) as the standard  for judgment.  (Matt 19:17-19; James 2:10)

The persecuted Hebrew Christians were told not to stop associating with each other --even though it placed their lives in danger.  They needed to warn one another of the terrible judgment reserved for a believer who betrays Jesus.  

(WE BETRAY JESUS WHEN WE REFUSE TO STOP SINNING AND DELIBERATELY DO WHAT WE KNOW IS WRONG.)

In the book of Hebrews, we read:

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  **Not forsaking the assembling of  ourselves together**, as the manner of some is; but EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER:  and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

FOR IF WE SIN WILFULLY AFTER THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, THERE REMAINETH NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SINS,  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."  Heb 10:24-27 (KJV)

Considering the dreadful consequences of willful sin, when a brother corrects us for disobeying one of The Ten Commandments, we should never "growl" but say "thank you!".  That is why the proverbs say:  "...rebuke a wise man and he will love thee."

Harold and Donna Kupp