This sermon is a continuation of my previous teachings on "He Who is Without Sin has Already Cast the First Stone" and "Feelings Faulter Faith, but Faith Stands Firm."
We begin our reading of scripture at Matthew 7:1-6 (KJV), "Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote [twig or stick] that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam [log] that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. " The word "judge" is translated from the greek word krino (kree'-no) and is translated into judge 88 times, determine 7 times, condemn 5 times, go to law 2 times, call in question 2 times, esteem 2 times and miscellaneously 8 times for a total of 114 times.
Many Christians and so-called Christians make the erroneous claim we are not to judge and many, not knowing our Lord, proclaim Matthew 7:1 to cover their own sin. Oft times it is used by Christians to avoid doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord, because it might make Christians feel bad or it hurt someone's feelings. Our Lord Jesus Christ anticipated this reaction and spoke about it in this very chapter. Please take up reading at verse 21, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." To Judge is not only commanded in this passage but required as well. The word Judge in this chapter has the general definition of
a) to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong
b) to pronounce judgment, to subject to censure
We must at this point substantiate scripture with scripture, building precept upon precept. Please turn to 1 Corinthians, where Paul has written a letter to the church of Corinth. For context we pick up at chapter 2, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (KJV), "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Verse 13, 1 Corinthians 2:13-15 (KJV), "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." We are to judge and to judge with the Spirit of God. This is why the unsaved man is quick to jump on "judge not lest ye be judged" for he is excluded from judging righteously. Christians are to not judge as the natural man (feelings), not man's wisdom (politically correct), but are to judge by the what the Holy Ghost teacheth. This can only be taught by being filled with the Holy Ghost and by diligently reading the Word of God and praying for wisdom and discernment. Paul was not writing to the reprobates of Rome or the Jezebel's of Jerusalem, but to the believers at Corinth.
In response to my neighbors statements, let's pick up at 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (KJV), "I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.". The word "world" (kosmos kos'-mos) in verse 10 is used in both a narrow sense, "this world" meaning the inhabitants of the city of Corinth or the church of Corinth, and the wide sense "go out of the world" being exclusive of the previous context of "world". Make no mistake this letter was written to the Corinthians in the 1st century. The application however, MUST be made in the Historical Particular Baptist sense that even though written to the believers of Corinth that we are to apply the Word of God to our lives today.
We have now come to the point where the Word of God is made relevant to "litigation" using the modern day vernacular. 1 Corinthians 6:1-4 (KJV), "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. " Is Paul referring to the Pastor? The Bishop? The Elder? The Deacon? No, he is referring to the believer. The believer is to judge the world. This time the word "world" (kosmos kos'-mos) is using the "universe" sense which is contrasted to "the smallest matters" in verse 2. Once again, the Holy Spirit is using the same word, contrasted to itself to show its meaning. The relevancy of scripture in our day not only commands believers to judge, themselves, their family and their church, (1 Corinthians 5:9-13), we are to judge our community, county, state, country, world and their civil servants (1 Corinthians 6:1-4).
Now, we have come to the application of the Word of God. Please turn to 2 Peter chapter 2. Peter through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, in 2 Peter 2:4-9 (KJV), "For if God spared not the angels [aggelos ang'-el-os] that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 ¶ And delivered just Lot, vexed [kataponeo kat-ap-on-eh'-o
(to afflict or oppress with evils)] with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [basanizo bas-an-id'-zo (tortured)] his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" Even though Lot put himself into the city of Sodom and continued to stay in the city of Sodom, the Lord preserved him for His glory. He preserved Noah for His glory and he condemned angels that sinned for His glory. Questions: Did Sodom and Gomorrha fail to judge according to righteousness? Did they continue in their wickedness? The obvious answers are Yes. Christians are in fact to judge and our Lord Jesus Christ will preserve they whom He wills for His glory. If Christians fail to judge and judge righteously, it might be Christians that are utterly destroyed for our disobedience.
Please go with me to Romans chapter 2. Paul writes how judging is to be done. John 7:24 (KJV) reads, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." which Paul records what the Spirit of God speakth. Romans 2:1-5 (KJV), "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;" Paul is addressing hypocrites, those that accuse others of crimes which they themselves have committed and those that accuse others of crimes which the accusers were willing participants. Romans 2:11-16 (KJV), "For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." Clearly the hypocrites of Paul's day were being addressed in verse 15, "mean while accusing or else excusing one another". The application for our day is partake not of sin so that thou might be a worthy judge, verse 13 "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
There are three mind sets today. Two of which appear to overshadow the third. The first mind set is that one must have committed the sin of another in order to judge the particular sinner. How wicked! The second mind set is that one must be absolutely sinless in order to judge the sin of another. How reprobate! The third, that Christians are to judge righteously, by the Word of God. Others claim that the third is a minority, however I am persuaded that in Christ this position is the majority. All Christians should live righteously and soberly that they might be holy, perfect (mature), rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Romans 3:25 (KJV), "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;" Some misguided Christians would negate the law of God for the "feeling" of faith rather than the practice of faith. Romans 3:31 (KJV), "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Again, clearly, Christians are to establish the law of God in their world (all encompassing).
I have answered the question, "Know Ye Not, Christians Are To Judge?" It is as this time I would give you two examples and we will be done. A new testament example John chapter 8 and an old testament example Numbers 25. As we read in John chapter 8, we will find the words commonly removed out of the passage, then spoke by many. John Chapter 8: 1-8 (KJV) reads, "Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground." The scribes and Pharisees were "tempting" our Lord, for they had set up this woman for no other purpose than to trap our Lord. Jesus, God very God, very God, knew what they were attempting. He did as we should do when someone is trying to trap us, he ignored them. He reduced their presence to below that of the sand on the ground, then he addressed them. "He that is without sin AMONG YOU, let him first cast a stone at her." The implication was not that if one were sinless to enact the death penalty for the woman's crime, but addressing those who did not have a hand in fabricating this woman's crime. The scribes and the Pharisees knew full well they were guilty of this woman's crime. We continue, John 8:9-11 (KJV), "And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." The exodus of the accusers was not immediate to be sure since they left how? One by one. A modern day analogy would be the Thursday meeting crowd. When Men stood on the Word of God and did not back down and then ignored them for their wickedness, they fled. Like the Pharisees of old, convicted by scripture left not to acknowledge repentance, but to continue their vile perversion elsewhere. Lest I get sidetracked, one must ask, Was Jesus speaking to the world? The universe? How about the inhabited world? How about the city? No! Jesus was speaking to the scribes and the Pharisees at the came to the temple that morning to trick him.
Did the woman get away with her sin? No. Jesus knew that woman had committed adultery. Rest assured she will stand before a Holy God and give an account. Jesus, however upheld law of Moses, for you must have two or three witnesses of the act in order to put someone to death. Jesus did not negate the law, he fulfilled it.
In closing we come to Numbers chapter 25. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest stayed a great plague from the Isrealites by judging and executing the commandments of God. Numbers 25:1-13 (KJV), "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. 5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. 6 ¶ And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. 10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." Israel was, like America is, wrapped up in committing whoredom (sexual perversion) and idolatry. It was Phinehas that because of his obedience to the Lord, stayed the plague against Israel. The plague still killed 24,000 and could have been avoided if men of God would have used righteous judgment and executed the commandments of God before the harlotry of Israel.
In conclusion, executing the commandments of God does not mean I am endorsing vigilantism. Rather, Godly men must stand fast for Christ and judge righteously.
Our application today was given by my Pastor, Titus 2:11-15 (KJV), "¶ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Phinehas) 15 ¶ These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee."
May God be glorified in each of our lives!