Judging others- Part 2
Part 1, we saw that accessment is not judgement.
Accessment is based on standards.
So we asked ‘What is judgement?’
Why it is portrayed as wrong?
Let’s go back to the scene from yesterday. You are the good teacher.
You made assessment by grading the answer sheet. You declared some failed and some did very good.
That is correct and factual.
When the teacher declares a student failed it is accurate assessment. But when she/he declares the student a failure. She/he has stepped into judgement.
Let’s break it down even further. When the teacher start constructs the reason for a student failing, he or she is enters into the realm of speculation and that is judging.
Let’s say a kid scored only one correct answer in 10 questions. She has scored 1. That is accurate assessment.
But teacher now thinking that the child is lazy, not interested in studies, is less intelligent, a failure. Oh that is judgemental.
Are you able to catch the difference. Hope I am getting the point across.
Assessing and calling out an action is permissible and is necessary. But assessing the motive of the action is judgemental.
The motive is only know by the person and God. And God alone can judge someone’s heart.
But we are called to assess the actions and call them out.
Did you catch a thing/error in the writing from yesterday and today?
I did not quote any Scripture. I did that wantedly. I was intentionally writing it as my opinion.
As I always say, who cares about my opinion. Even I do not care about my opinion. 🙂
It’s God opinion that matters. It is the Word that matters.
I was leading upto these 2 Scriptures. These verses surprised me and shook me.
I had to submit to the Word and accept it. Let God be true, every man be a liar.
God’s Word
1 Corinthians 5:9-13 NIV
9 I wrote to 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 to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[a] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
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. “Expel the wicked person from among you
The same Bible which said ‘judge not’ is now saying,
“Are you not to judge those inside?”
Meaning, judging a believer or someone who claims to be a believer in Christ. Yes, you ought to.
The judging mentioned here is assessment of action. Just like the teacher would assess the answers based on text book, so are we to assess based on our text book. The BIBLE.
There is no way around it. Calling a sin as sin is an assessment,if it based on the Word.
Some have taken route in the cloud of walking in love and accepted everything and consumed the cool aid. I was one of them. When i came grace first, I was like that, self ventured Christian. I understand the dilemma of grace. But these Scripture shook me. I had to repent and submit to the Word not unto my own opinion.
Go back to the passage, it makes distinction between inside and outside.
Let’s jump back to our classroom teacher. The teacher, if she is assessing her class it is a good assessment. But, can she assess someone else’s student?
Can we give a English test to Latin students. Nope.. that is not a true assessment.
Can we judge a Hindu or a Muslim or an atheist based on Bible. Nope it is like giving a English test to Latin students.
That is why Paul is saying here those on the outside God will judge. But those on the inside, “are you not to judge those inside?”
Paul, who had the revelation of grace is talking this. Is this one Scripture, that is isolated?
Fair enough. That is a good question.
Let’s turn to
Leviticus 19:17 KJV
I am going to use King James Version, to show the weight of the verse
17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
If you do not rebuke, Bible calls it as hate.
How?
Say, I am doing something wrong, and you know that I am doing wrong. But you are not telling me because you think, “if I tell Chandru, he might get angry and the relationship would break.”
Now you are loving the relationship more than you love me. That is hating.
It is self-less to openly rebuke motivated by love.
It opens a different subject, how do we do that?
Bible answers it.
I leave you with this verse?
Ephesians 4:29-30 NIV
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.