80 Sermon Illustrations on Judging

“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1-3 NKJV)

The Jew Also is Without Excuse

• therefore — because of this judgment of God (1:32)

• man — having charged the Gentiles with these sins, the writer now turns to the Jews, whom he is (see v.17) now addressing

• judgest — 2 Sam 12:5, 7 — the less excusable thyself because thou judgest others

• thou…thyself — Matt 7:1-2 — self-condemned by the judgment passed on others

• judgest…things — John 8:8 — and must know the wrongness of acts for which others are censured

• we…sure [know] — Gk., we know: i.e. from character of God

• judgment — decision, opinion

• is…truth — is according to reality

• and…this — Gk., dost thou calculate (upon impunity) — Isa 28:15, Ps 50:21

Those who judge others judged — C. Simeon, B.A.

I. To whom the expostulation is addressed. The disposition here reproved shows itself,

1. in the world towards

a. Each other

b. Those who profess the Christian religion;

2. and in religious persons, towards

a. The world

b. Each other

II. The address itself. Concerning uncharitable persons it shows

1. How vain their hopes

2. How aggravated their guilt

3. How fearful their prospects

Application

1. Do not occupy yourselves too much about others, but rather take heed unto yourselves

2. Above all things, seek to know your need of a Saviour

The justice of God — Slow goes the hand of justice, like the shadow on the sun-dial; ever moving, yet creeping slowly on, with a motion all but imperceptible. Still stand in awe. The hand of justice has not stopped. Although imperceptible, it steadily advances; by-and-by it reaches the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth hour. And now the bell strikes. Then unless you have fled to Christ the blow, which was so slow to fall, shall descend over the head of impenitence with accumulated force. — Dr Guthrie

Human standards of judgment — We measure from ourselves; and as things are for our use and purpose, so we approve them. Bring a pear to the table that is rotten, we cry it down, ‘tis naught; but bring a medlar that is rotten and ‘tis a fine thing; and yet I’ll warrant you the pear thinks as well of itself as the medlar does. We measure the excellency of other men by some excellency we conceive to be in ourselves. Nash, a poet, poor enough (as poets used to be), seeing an alderman with his gold chain upon his great horse, by way of scorn said to one of his companions, “Do you see yon fellow, how big he looks? Why, that fellow cannot make a blank verse!” Nay, we measure the goodness of God from ourselves: we measure His goodness, His justice, His wisdom, by something we call just, good, or wise in ourselves; and in so doing, we judge proportionably to the country-fellow in the play, who said, if he were a king, he would live like a lord, and have peas and bacon every day and a whip that cried “slash.” — Selden

Dr. Johnson observed, “that no honest man could be an Atheist; for no man could be so after a fair examination of the proofs of Christianity.” The name of Hume being mentioned to him, “No, sir,” said he: “Hume owned to a clergyman of the bishopric of Durham, that he had never read the New Testament with attention.”

“Correct opinions well established on any subject, are the best preservative against the seductions of error.” — Bishop Mant

“All power, even the most despotic, rests ultimately on opinion.” — Hume

In a recent study included in the ARCHIVES OF PEDIATRICS & ADOLESCENT MEDICINE children were shown to overwhelmingly prefer the taste of food that comes in McDonald’s wrappers. The study had preschoolers sample identical foods in packaging from McDonald’s and in matched, but unbranded, packaging. The kids were then asked if the food tasted the same or if one tasted better. The unmarked foods lost the taste test every time. Even apple juice, carrots, and milk tasted better to the kids when taken from the familiar wrappings of the Golden Arches. “This study demonstrates simply and elegantly that advertising literally brainwashes young children into a baseless preference for certain food products,” said a physician from Yale’s School of Medicine. “Children, it seems, literally do judge a food by its cover. And they prefer the cover they know.”(1)

The science of advertising is often about convincing the world that books can and should be judged by their covers. These kids were not merely saying they preferred the taste of McDonald’s food. They actually believed the chicken nugget they thought was from McDonald’s tasted better than an identical nugget. From an early age and on through adulthood, branding is directive in telling us what we think and feel, who we are, and what matters.

But lest we blame television and marketing entirely for the wiles of brand recognition, we should recall that advertisers continue to have employment simply because advertising works. Long before marketers were encouraging customers to judge by image, wrapping, and cover, we were judging by these methods anyway. When Samuel was looking for the person God would ordain as king, he had a particular image in mind. In fact, when he first laid eyes on Eliab, Samuel thought confidently that this was the one God had chosen. But on the contrary, God said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

The most startling thing about the study with the preschoolers is how clearly we can see that a carrot in a McDonald’s bag is still inherently a carrot. Yet how often are we similarly blindsided by mere wrappings? Is the mistake of a child in believing the food tastes better in a yellow wrapper really any different than our own believing we are better people dressed with the right credentials, covered by the latest fashion, or wrapped in the right theology? Covered in whatever comforts us, or completely stripped of our many wrappings, we are the same people underneath.

There is one exception. Paul writes of a kind of clothing that forever changes the one inside them. “[F]or all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28). Clothed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus, we are wrapped in the identity and holiness of the one without sin. We are given new packaging, new life, new robes worn only by Christ, and thus, like him, we are now fitted to approach the throne of God.

Unlike the costliness of well-marketed wrappings, these robes are free. Christ only requires that we give him everything, that we come without costume or pretense. The many robes we collect and the wrappings with which we judge the world, we must be willing to give him. Christ takes from our shoulders our robes of self-importance and false security. He tears from our grasp our garments of self-pity and shame. Then he clothes us with garments of salvation, arrays us in robes of righteousness, and reminds us that we wear his holy name.

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1. “Foods Tastes Better With McDonald’s Logo, Kids Say,” FORBES, August 6, 2007.

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Copyright © 2007 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #7672]

“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” This thought we often hear posited as rationale for casting any type of public moralizing aside. Evidently, society cannot completely shake off its bequest from a Christian worldview. Ironically, this moral conviction is given even as we are stridently reminded that all morality is a private matter and not for public enforcement. But if all moral convictions are a private matter, why is this very conviction itself not kept private too? Why is it publicly enjoined?

Interestingly, every instance when I have asked those who cite this verse if they are aware of the context in which those words were uttered, virtually none could give it to me. One said it had to do with the woman in adultery. I followed up and asked if he was aware of what prompted that imperative and to whom Jesus had said those words. There was silence. Significantly, the entire confrontation came about because the Pharisees were seeking to trap Jesus into either explicitly defending the Law of Moses or implicitly overruling it. The whole scenario was a ploy, not to seek out the truth of a moral law, but to trap Jesus.

Fascinatingly, Jesus exposed their own spiritual bankruptcy by showing them that at the heart of law is God’s very character. There is a spiritual essence that precedes moral injunctions. Many of those who vociferously demand that only the one without sin may cast the first stone would not grant credence to God’s Word in its numerous other pronouncements. And for some, sin is not even a viable category. This selective use of Scripture is the very game the questioners of Jesus were playing. But what is lawful can only withstand the test of human guile if it reflects an understanding of what is sinful. Sin by definition points to an absolute moral law-giver. When the law is quoted while the reality of sin is denied, self-aggrandizing motives can override character. Thus, in our spiritually amputated world, the art of obscuring truth has become a science in courtroom and political theatrics.

Herein lies what I believe the crucial death of our times. There is no transcendent context within which to discuss moral theory. Just as words in order to have meaning must point beyond themselves to a commonly understood real existence, so also, must the reality point beyond itself to commonly accepted essence. Otherwise, reality has no moral quotient whatsoever and moral meaning dissolves into the subjective, rendering it beyond debate. Only the transcendent can unchangingly provide fixed moral worth.

But this death of the transcendent comes with a two-edged sword, both for the skeptic and the Christian alike. Yes, the law has moral value, but not as a means for shrewd lawyers to play deadly word games, minimize immorality, and kill the truth. At the same time the law has spiritual value so that we do not destroy the truly repentant individual. The grace of God abounds to the worst in our midst. Hidden in the odious nature of our failures is the scandalous secret of God’s forgiveness. When the prodigal returned, the anger he faced was not the father’s but the older son’s who failed to understand how marvelous was the grace of his father. Throughout history, God’s way of dealing with the reckless has disclosed how dramatic are his ways. We must allow for such possibilities. “This my son was dead, but is now alive.” Death lay in the wanderings of the passions and the seriousness of wrongdoing. Life was spelled in true repentance to return and “sin no more.” But let us take note. Forgiveness does not minimize the wrongdoing. It is offered in full recognition of the heinousness of what is being forgiven.

On the contrary, when words, consequences, purity, and transcendent contexts have died, a pigsty awaits. Only if we remember our Father’s address can we know where to return for forgiveness and love. But if we insist upon arguing as quick-witted political power-mongers or legal wordsmiths with no spiritual context, we may kill both law and love. That, I am afraid, is the abyss over which we often hover.

Yet I am confident that as precipitous as the edge seems, God has always been in the business of rescue. The truth is that as human beings we all fall short. Our only hope is for an understanding of God’s ways, through which forgiveness and responsibility come in balance. There is indeed another bridge, one on which a body was broken so that a path was made that we might cross over and live. In that Cross lie both judgment and mercy. The Judge of all the earth cannot be fooled by shades of meaning, nor can He be obliterated by the shadows of death. James Russell Lowell closed his hymn with these words:

Though the cause of evil prosper,

Yet ‘tis truth alone is strong;

Though her portion be the scaffold

And upon the throne be wrong,

Yet that scaffold sways the future,

And, behind the dim unknown,

Standeth God within the shadow

Keeping watch above his own.

He is our help in ages past and our only hope for years to come.

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Copyright © 2008 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #27299]

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:3-8, NIV).

A young minister was invited to give his first sermon. When the moment arrived, he walked proudly to the pulpit with his head held high, radiating self-confidence. But he stumbled reading the Scriptures and then lost his train of thought halfway through the message. He began to panic, so he did the safest thing: He quickly ended the message, prayed and walked dejectedly from the pulpit, his head down, his self-assurance gone.

Later, one of the godly elders whispered to the embarrassed young man, “If you had gone up to the pulpit the way you came down, you might have come down the way you went up.”

With His life, Jesus taught us tremendous lessons about humility. Paul tells us in Philippians 2 that Jesus made himself nothing.

Jesus refused to parade His superiority. Instead He taught, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

Servant

Jesus made himself nothing by becoming a servant. He demonstrated this in John 13. The disciples had come to eat the Passover meal, and there was no servant to wash the disciples’ feet. Jesus took off His outer robe, clothed himself in a towel, took a basin of water, and began to wash their dirty, smelly feet. Imagine the awkward silence that filled the room. Peter broke the silence by refusing to let Jesus wash his feet. Jesus assured him this was part of God’s plan. So Peter relented. Jesus finished all 12 disciples — including Judas — and returned to the table. Jesus was saying we should make ourselves servants — to touch people’s lives and meet their needs.

Jesus was not after position. He was the Master...they were students. Can I willfully serve those who may appear to be below me on some ladder of social importance? Jesus was not after recognition. Our ego will sometimes use humility as a means of self-promotion. Jesus never practiced this. There was no award for washing feet. Am I willing to serve without expectation of recognition?

Jesus was totally secure in who He was. The key to Christ’s ability to wash feet is: “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God” (v. 3). Jesus understood where He came from, where He was going, and what He had. That’s a good formula for overcoming insecurity – understand that our worth has come from our Heavenly Father, that we are going to spend eternity with Him, and that He has entrusted us with His authority. With that sense of understanding we can be free to wash feet.

Jealousy

Jesus made himself nothing by refusing jealousy. In Mark 9, we get an insight into Jesus’ view on competition. The account begins with the disciples feeling a little concerned that someone is cutting in on their operation. There is a person who is not one of the chosen who is going around casting out demons in the name of Jesus. The disciples tell the man to stop. John informs Jesus that they have taken care of this fellow.

Much to John’s surprise, Jesus does not give him an award of merit but a rebuke. Jesus says, “Do not stop him” (Mark 9:39). Jesus was thrilled that the kingdom of darkness was losing and the kingdom of heaven was advancing.

Here’s the test for you: Do I rejoice when others are blessed?

A few years ago I struggled with this question when a pastor in my area was experiencing tremendous growth. I was working hard and this new kid on the block was blowing everything away. His church was twice the size of mine in less than two years — I had been working for five years. Then God told me I had to start praying for this brother to be blessed even more. I disagreed with his philosophy. It took months for me to be able to honestly pray for God to bless him. The lesson was painful but effective. When I learned to honestly rejoice in his growth, God began to bless our work as well. The war with jealousy is never won — there are always new battle-fronts. That’s why I must keep a daily prayer closet. Humility and jealousy can never coexist.

Judging

Jesus made himself nothing by refusing to be judgmental.

This is illustrated in John 8, when men interrupted Jesus’ teaching by bringing in a woman who the religious leaders said was caught in the act of adultery. Case closed; she deserves to die. It is right there in the Law. What do You say?

Jesus writes in the sand.

Come on, Jesus. What should we do with someone caught in the obvious act of sin?

Jesus speaks. “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7). Jesus goes back to sand writing.

Interrogation over. Awkward exit of accusers.

Jesus stands. Looks around. Speaks. “Woman, where are they?” They are gone. “Then neither do I condemn you!”

Another illustration is in Luke 9:51-56. Jesus and the disciples are on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus sends some to a Samaritan village to get things prepared. The people of the village refuse to welcome them. James and John are indignant and ask permission to call down fire from heaven to destroy the village. Jesus rebukes James and John and simply goes to another village.

There have been occasions in my ministry when I knew that vengeance belongs to God, but I wanted to be His hand extended. There were people who were saying things and doing things and needed to be set straight. I felt I should be the one. But God hasn’t yet released me to be His spiritual enforcer. Humility means I don’t have to correct everyone.

Trusting

Jesus made himself nothing by trusting the Father’s timing. Back in Philippians 2, Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death; then God highly exalted Him. Travel with me to the cross. Suspended between heaven and earth is the Son of God. Unjustly tried and sentenced, He is brutally pinned to the wood by three nails. His body is beaten and torn. Each breath is a painful struggle. He gathers enough strength for one last statement, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). And then it is over.

The key word is “commit.” According to Strong’s Bible Dictionary, the word can be translated “to deposit as a trust or for protection.” Jesus was saying to the Father, “I deposit myself as a trust for You to protect.” Jesus chose to trust the Father with the outcome.

Self-ego often wants to help God out when it seems that nobody notices our sacrifice, service or efforts. Yet Jesus showed us that true humility can trust God for the outcome.

One day many years ago I sat in a cafeteria with my father sharing some unpleasant news. I will never forget his words: “Darius, your number one job is keeping your heart right with God. God will take care of who is right and wrong.” I was learning that day to trust God’s timing.

Have you learned to humble yourself before God and trust His timing in your life? In an age when everyone seems to demand his or her rights, the life of Jesus provides a dramatic contrast. It is time to return to Christ’s example – we must lay down our robes of pride, jealousy and prejudice. Then we can learn to trust God with the outcome. The world is waiting to see Jesus through us.

This question, Is it right to judge? is one that puzzles many sincere Christians. A careful and open-minded study of the Bible makes it clear that concerning certain vital matters, it is not only right but a positive duty to judge. Many do not know that --

THE SCRIPTURE COMMANDS TO JUDGE

The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, “Judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). He told a man, “Thou hast rightly judged” (Luke 7:43). To others, our Lord asked, “Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?” (Luke 12:57).

The Apostle Paul wrote, “I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say” (1 Corinthians 10:15). Again, Paul declared, “He that is spiritual judgeth all things” (1 Corinthians 2:15). It is our positive duty to judge.

FALSE TEACHERS AND FALSE TEACHING

“Beware of false prophets!” (Matthew 7:15) is the warning and command of our Lord. But how could we “beware” and how could we know they are “false prophets” if we did not judge? And what is the God-given standard by which we are to judge? “To the Law and to the Testimony: if they speak not according to THIS WORD, it is because there is NO LIGHT in them” (Isaiah 8:20). “Ye shall know them by their fruits,” Christ said (Matthew 7:16). And in judging the “fruits,” we must judge by God’s Word, not by what appeals to human reasoning. Many things seem good to human judgment which are false to the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul admonished believers, “Now I beseech you, brethren, MARK THEM which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and AVOID THEM. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (Romans 16:17-18). This apostolic command could not be obeyed were it not right to judge. God wants us to know His Word and then test all teachers and teaching by it. Notice also that it is the false teachers who make the “divisions,” and not those who protest against their false teaching. And these deceivers are not serving Christ, as they profess, “but their own belly,” or their own “bread and butter as we would put it. We are to “MARK THEM” and “AVOID THEM.”

“Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 6:17; read also verses 14-18)

“From such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:5). “Withdraw yourselves.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Ephesians 5:11)

“ABHOR THAT WHICH IS EVIL; CLEAVE TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD.” (Romans 12:9)

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

It would be impossible to obey these injunctions of God’s Word unless it were right to judge. And remember, nothing is “good” in God’s sight that is not true to His Word.

The Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test, judge) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Again he wrote, “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh... If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, RECEIVE HIM NOT into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (2 John 7, 10-11). This Scripture commands us to judge between those who do and those who do not bring the true doctrine of Christ.

Whenever a child of God contributes to a denominational budget that supports Modernist missionaries or teachers, he is guilty before God, according to this Scripture, of bidding them “God speed” in the most effective way possible. And he thereby becomes a “partaker” with them of their “evil deeds” of spreading soul-damning poison. How terrible, but how true! Arouse yourself, child of God. If you are guilty, ask God to forgive you and help you never again to be guilty of the blood of souls for whom Christ died. When we are willing to suffer for Christ, we can readily see the truth of God’s Word on this tremendously important matter. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:12).

MISUNDERSTOOD AND MISUSED SCRIPTURE

One of the best known and most important and misapplied Scriptures is “Judge not” (Matthew 7:1). Let us examine the entire passage:

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? 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? THOU HYPOCRITE, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)

Read this again carefully. Notice that it is addressed to a hypocrite -- not to those who sincerely want to discern whether a teacher or teaching is true or false to God’s Word. And instead of being a prohibition against honest judgment, it is a solemn warning against hypocritical judgment. In fact, the last statement of this Scripture commands sincere judgment -- “Then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

IF WE TAKE A VERSE OR A PART OF A VERSE OUT OF ITS SETTING, WE CAN MAKE THE WORD OF GOD APPEAR TO TEACH THE VERY OPPOSITE OF WHAT IT REALLY DOES TEACH. And those who do this cannot escape the judgment of God for twisting His Word (2 Peter 3:16). Let this be a warning to us never again to take a text or Scripture out of its context.

Many who piously quote, “Judge not,” out of its connection, in order to defend that which is false to God’s Word, do not see their own inconsistency in thus judging those who would obey God’s Word about judging that which is untrue to the Bible. It is tragic that so much that is anti- Scriptural has found undeserved shelter behind a misuse of the Scripture just quoted.

The reason Christendom is today honeycombed and paralyzed by Satanic Modernism is because Christians have not obeyed the command of God’s Word to judge and put away and separate from false teachers and false teaching when they first appeared in their midst. Physical health is maintained by separation from disease germs. Spiritual health is maintained by separation from germs of false doctrine. The greatest peril of our day is not too much judging, but too little judging of spiritual falsehood. God wants His children to be like the noble Bereans who “searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Romans 2:1-3 is also addressed to the religious hypocrite who condemned himself because he was guilty of the same things for which he condemned others. James 4:11-12 refers to an evil spirit of backbiting and fault finding, not to judging whether teachers or teachings agree or disagree with God’s Word. The Bible never contradicts itself. To understand one portion of Scripture we must view it in the light of all Scripture. “No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private (isolated) interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). “Comparing spiritual things (words) with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13).

THE WHEAT AND THE TARES

The “Wheat and the Tares” parable of Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, is also much misunderstood. First of all, our Lord is talking about the world, not His Church -- “the field is the world.” He goes on to say that “the good seed are the children of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one.” (Matthew 13:38). They are the two groups in the world, children of God -- those who have received Christ (John 1:12), and the children of the devil -- those who reject Christ (John 8:44). When any of the “children of the wicked one” get into the professed church of Christ, as they have always done, a definite procedure for God’s children is set forth in His Word. First, it is their duty to tell them that they have “neither part nor lot” in Christ (see Acts 8:21-23 and context). If the children of the devil do not leave voluntarily, as is generally the case, God’s children are com manded to “purge out” these unbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:7). But God’s people have disobeyed His Word about this, and so unbelievers have gotten into control, as is now the case in most denominations. Therefore, those who purpose to be true to Christ and His Word are commanded to “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17), regardless of property or any other considerations. When we obey God’s Word, we can trust Him to take care of all the consequences of our obedience.

OTHER MATTERS TO BE JUDGED

Immoral conduct of professed believers in Christ is to be judged. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 tells a sad story and closes with the Apostolic injunction, “Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (2 Corinthians 5:13).

Disputes between Christians concerning “things that pertain to this life” (1 Corinthians 6:3) should be judged by a tribunal of fellow Christians instead of going before unbelievers in the civil courts. The whole sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians makes clear God’s plan for His people in this regard. And some startling truths are here revealed: First, “the saints shall judge the world.” Second, “we shall judge angels” (1 Corinthians 6:2- 3). Beloved, are we letting God prepare us for this high place?

We ought to judge ourselves. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened (child trained) of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:31-32). What a change and what a blessing it would be if we would judge our own faults as uncharitably as we do the faults of others -- and if we would judge the failings of others as charitably as we do our own! And Christians could save themselves much chastening of the Lord if they would judge and confess and cease their disobedience to God. And, O, how much dishonour and lack of fruit would our blessed Lord be spared!

LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN JUDGMENT

We are not to judge scruples. God forbids our judging our brethren concerning the eating of certain kinds of food, keeping of days, etc. Romans chapter 14; 1 Corinthians 10:23-33; and Colossians 2:16-17 cover this subject.

We are also not to judge motives. See 1 Corinthians 4:1-5. Only God can see into the heart and know the motives that underlie actions.

We are also not to judge who is saved. “The Lord knoweth them that are His” (2 Timothy 2:19). We cannot look into anyone’s heart and say whether or not they have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, if they profess that they have. But we had better test ourselves according to 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If any man be IN CHRIST, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” If this change has not taken place, our profession is vain.

ELEMENTS IN JUDGMENT

The New Testament Greek word that is most often translated “judge” or “judgment” is “krino.” On the one hand, it means to distinguish, to decide, to determine, to conclude, to try, to think and to call in question. That is what God wants His children to do as to whether preachers, teachers and their teachings are true or false to His Word.

The Apostle Paul writes: “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent” (Philippians 1:9-10). A wrong idea of love and lack of knowledge and judgment causes God’s people often to approve things that are anything but excellent in God’s sight. The epistle to the Hebrews tells us that mature believers, that is, those who are of “full age,” are those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

On the other hand, the Greek word “krino” -- judge or judgment -- means to condemn, to sentence, and to punish. This is God’s prerogative, for He has said, “Venegeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

Thus Christians are to exercise discernment, but not vengeance.

GUARD AGAINST A WRONG ATTITUDE

Christians should watch against the tendency of the flesh to assume a critical and censorious attitude toward those who do not share our opinions about other matters than those which have to do with Bible doctrine and moral conduct. Rather than “pick to pieces” our brethren in Christ, it is our privilege and duty to do everything we can to encourage their spiritual upbuilding. We ought to love and pray for one another and consider ourselves lest we be tempted.

A FINAL WORD

If you are saved, my reader, let us not forget that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10). It will be well with those who are studying God’s Word, walking in the light of it, living for Christ and the salvation of souls. It will go ill with those who have accepted Christ but who are living for the things of this world.

If you are a mere professor of Christ, or profess nothing, my friend, may I lovingly remind you that “judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel?” (1 Peter 4:17). Delay not another moment to ask God for Christ’s sake to forgive your sins. Surrender your heart and will to the loving Saviour who died for you. Make Him the Lord of your life. Happy and blessed will you be, now and forever.

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Reprinted December 27, 2004 (first published July 14, 1996) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143

Sermon in the series "The Quest for the Real Jesus," #3. Luke 7:36-50

JESUS AND JUDGMENTALISM

=======================

I. Rejects loved Jesus.

II. The dinner party.

A. A religious leader invites Jesus over.

B. A sinful woman shows up. 7:37

C. She does something unusual.

D. Simon is overwhelmed as well.

III. Is Simon that wrong?

A. We live in a ridicles that ridicules traditional moral standards.

B. Even churches get on this bandwagon.

C. Many Christians don't want to be caught in this trap.

IV. The double-edged blade of judgment.

A. Sinners are not just "over there."

B. Jesus applies the parable.

V. Jesus wants to see changed lives.

A. The story of the sinful woman has some subtle points.

B. On what basis is the woman forgiven?

C. Divine forgiveness can only come from one source.

[Holwick- Not a typical “safe” sermon illustration but shows an extreme angle on acceptance and not judging. Good for shock value and contrast. I view the condition as an emotional/psychological/spiritual disorder.]

Ain't for the Likes of Me to Judge

by Paulette S. Menard

Taunton, Massachusetts, USA

I am a male-to-female transsexual and have successfully transitioned fully to female. In the course of my transition, I had let slip many friendships due to many factors, among them fear of non-acceptance.

Emil is a friend who owns a motel in the next state. He moved there because it was getting too crowded here in the “flat lands”. We became friendly when I first stopped at his motel many years ago because we had been from neighboring towns. It was a chance for Emil to reconnect with his roots. I visited him two or three times a year as a male.

I hadn't visited Emil throughout my transition because he can be rather conservative in his politics, is a lifelong bachelor, and is rough as a corn cob. After my surgery and living my new life for a while, I felt it was time to try to connect with him again.

I went to Emil's motel and registered, and asked the desk clerk if Emil was around. She said he was at his cottage. After putting my things in my cottage, I walked over to visit him. I could see him watching me walk up and there was no recognition in his eyes.

I said hello and could see him working hard to place me. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he said, “Well, hi yourself. Come up and sit yourself down here. Want a beer?” He looked me up and down -- I was in a dress and he only had known me as man. His next words to me were, “Look different, don't ya.” I smiled, laughed and agreed. We chatted about our respective hometowns and other things for most of the afternoon. All the while I felt he was carefully avoiding asking any questions about what had happened to me. It got on to dinnertime and Emil said, “Don't suppose you're hungry? Got a roast in the oven for tomorrow, but you're here today.”

During dinner I asked him why he hadn't asked any questions about how I looked. “Fig'red you'd get around to telling me sooner or later,” he replied. So I told him about the reasons for my transition and the forces that led up to it. His only question was “Are you happy?” I replied yes, and as far as he was concerned that was that!

After dinner as we were sitting and talking I asked him what he thought about my transition. His response was “Ain't for the likes of me to judge one way or t'other.” It's funny, but sometimes those you expect to have an adverse reaction to such a major life change are the first ones to accept. Even now, a few months after this happened, I still get misty-eyed when I think of how accepting Emil is. I find this whole episode to be amazing. You just can't tell a book by its cover.

I thought long and hard before publishing this story, but decided that it was important: in my experience, people don't know much about transsexuals, and fear them. It is, I think, a fear of the unknown; part of my goal with HeroicStories is to show that people *are* people, even if they are different than you are. (This, for instance, is why I try so hard to get stories from countries other than USA; I want readers to see the humanity behind who they might consider “enemies”; it's very much harder to drop bombs on *people* you have some understanding of, and empathy with, than “enemies”.)

As a “sanity check”, I ran the story by the subscribers of the “Hero Talk” discussion list. At the time, there were about 140 people on the list; I asked if this was too controversial for HS. The reaction was VERY strong: they argued forcefully that I should run the story. With the permission of the people quoted, I'm including some of their comments here.

Andrew in British Columbia, Canada: “Paulette's decision to risk 'coming out' to a close friend, after letting many other friendships fall by the wayside, is a heroic breaching of her comfort zone. Emil's *lack* of reaction is heroic; I'd venture to say that most, if not all, people would exhibit at least a modicum of shock, if not open intolerance, and I very much doubt you could find a large number of people who would be as hospitable as Emil was. Heroism often lies in jolting people out of their complacency, and this story certainly has the potential to do that in spades. If we're on the front lines against prejudice and intolerance, we daren't shy away from a potential victory because we fear the backlash from the prejudiced and intolerant.” Paul in Colorado: “The hero accepts and demonstrates unconditional love. That was Jesus' message. How wonderful it got through!”

Some crimes perfectly capture the spirit of their age. Case in point: the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy in the spring of 1968, which epitomized the tumultuous 1960s.

Another such crime is the 1989 rape and beating of Trisha Meili, better known as the “Central Park Jogger.” The brutal attack at the hands of five young men introduced Americans to the word “wilding,” which summed up our fear of violent crime and the feral youth that committed it. It became a potent reminder of our need to “get tough” on crime and those who committed it.

The problem is that almost everything we thought we knew about the case was wrong.

The last most Americans heard about the case, five young men, all of them African-American or Hispanic, were arrested and charged with the attack. Four of them confessed and implicated the fifth one. They were convicted on the basis of their confessions and sentenced to long prison terms.

End of story.

Except it wasn’t the end of the story. What you probably don’t know is that twelve years later, another man confessed to the crime. And unlike the “Central Park Five,” none of whose DNA was found at the crime, his DNA was found. In fact, his DNA was the only DNA, apart from the victim’s, found at the crime scene.

You also probably don’t know that, based on this evidence, Robert Morgenthau, the Manhattan District Attorney, moved to have the convictions vacated. He reasoned that if the jury had heard this evidence, they would have doubted the validity of the confessions, which followed hours of questioning and were retracted days after they were made. New York Judge Charles L. Tejada agreed.

All of this is the subject of a Ken Burns film, “The Central Park Five,” based on the book of the same name by his daughter, Sarah. As Sarah Burns put it, the case “exposed the deepest fears of New Yorkers in the 1980s” and demonstrated “who and what we fear.”

Acting on that fear, there was a rush to judgment, especially in the media. As Poynter.org, which covers the media, said, the real “wolf pack” in the story was the New York media.

There was little if any discussion about “innocent until proven guilty.” Instead, there was the relentless pursuit of headlines and exclusives that reinforced the narrative of a city under siege by the feral “other.”

If innocent people were caught up in the rush to judgment, well, that was just the price of making people feel, if not safe, then avenged.

The problem is that whatever you might call this, it is not justice. And since, for the Christian, the right administration of justice is the government’s primary obligation, then we should be greatly concerned at this miscarriage of justice.

Chuck Colson understood this. While he recognized our fear of crime and the need for order, he also saw where that fear could take us. He knew that giving government a blank check to “get tough on crime” threatened all of our liberties, as well as risking injustice.

Pointing this out when everyone else was clamoring for blood was not the most popular position to take. It still isn’t. But as we’ve learned, the majority can be, and often are, wrong. And, besides, Christians are called to resist the spirit of their age.

________

Copyright (c) 2013 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

Chuck Colson used to say that to test a worldview, simply follow it to its logical conclusion. For the logical conclusion of relativism, just turn on the TV.

Back in the 1980s, Herbert Stein, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers under presidents Nixon and Ford, articulated what came to be known as “Stein’s Law”: “If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”

What Stein had in mind were unsustainable economic trends, which, with or without outside intervention, would collapse under the weight of their own flaws and unsustainability.

Unfortunately, “Stein’s Law” doesn’t seem to apply to unsustainable bad ideas.

Case in point: a recent article in the New York Times about Dylann Roof, who has been charged in connection with the nine murders at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

The article quoted several friends and acquaintances of Roof, all of whom knew about his racist ideas and his desire to use violence. One friend even recalled a time when Roof pointed to a Black woman, used a racial epithet, and said that he would shoot her.

His friend told the Times, “He was a racist; but I don’t judge people.”

Listen to that statement: “He was a racist; but I don’t judge people.” Those nine words represent the logical terminus of our insipid relativism. We’re so wary of being seen as “judgmental,” we can’t even bring ourselves to unequivocally condemn racism.

Now lest you think that Roof’s friend is an outlier, consider the opening of Allan Bloom’s landmark book, “The Closing of the American Mind” from nearly thirty years ago. In it, the University of Chicago professor described the hold that relativism had on young people — a relativism that, as the subtitle of the book put it, “impoverished their souls.”

“There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of,” the books opens, “almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative. If this belief is put to the test, one can count on the students’ reaction: they will be uncomprehending. That anyone should regard the proposition as not self-evident astonishes them, as though he were calling into question 2 + 2=4.”

Bloom then tells the story of his students’ response to the Hindu custom known as sati, wherein a widow is burned on her husband’s funeral pyre. When the custom was banned by the British, the Hindu priests complained, prompting British general Charles James Napier to reply, “This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pile. But my nation has also a custom. When men burn women alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property.” [*]

One hundred and fifty years later, Bloom’s students were so committed to their relativism that they either remained silent or “[replied] that the British should never have been there in the first place.” I’m guessing most Indian widows would disagree.

It’s important to understand that as ridiculous as it may seem, the kind of relativism on display in the Times and in Bloom’s classroom is the norm, not the exception. Bloom was correct when he wrote that “students, of course, cannot defend their opinion,” and relativism is the result of indoctrination. But, as we all know from experience, indoctrination can be difficult to overcome, and in the meantime, it prompts people to think and act in harmful ways.

That’s why I said “Stein’s Law” doesn’t seem to apply to bad ideas. People will defend the indefensible, as we saw in the case of the Planned Parenthood videos, and insist that truth is relative, even when it comes to burning widows or condemning racism.

This is why worldview, especially Christian worldview, is so vital, especially for our kids. If we do not teach them right from wrong and where the authority to distinguish the two comes from, they will get their ideas about the subject elsewhere.

[*] Similar BreakPoint Commentary on September 29, 2015, concerning the practice of abusing young boys in Afghanistan:

In the first century or so of British rule in India, British officials turned a similarly blind eye to the practice known as sati, wherein a widow was burned alive on her dead husband’s funeral pyre.

Like today, their reasons for going along with barbarity were political: they needed the cooperation of Indian elites to rule India and didn’t want to risk alienating them. Also like today, they justified their complicity by saying “it’s their culture.”

This only changed when William Wilberforce, after a twenty-year campaign, got Parliament to condition the renewal of the East India Company’s charter on the provision that teachers and chaplains be able to promote the “religious improvement” of Indians.

Missionaries and other evangelicals, along with Indian reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy, succeeded in getting a ban on sati enacted in 1829. Even then, there was resistance to the ban. In the 1840s, Hindu officials complained to General Charles Napier that the ban violated their customs.

Napier replied, “This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pyre. But my nation also has a custom. When men burn women alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property ... Let us all act according to national customs.”

________

Copyright (c) 2015 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

Throughout my ministry, I have heard few verses quoted from the Bible as regularly as Matthew 7:1, which says, “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.” Even when I speak to those who know very little of the Bible’s content or redemptive story, they are able to recite this verse.

In fact, I’ve noticed that many use this verse to prevent anyone from critiquing their actions. Like Captain America’s shield or Wonder Woman’s bracelets, this verse is used to block any incoming critique.

Matthew 7:1, however, is often misunderstood and misapplied. Jesus does not mean that we should never judge someone’s behavior. He called out the Pharisees for being hypocrites (Matthew 6:2,5,16). He called some people dogs and pigs for mistreating things that are holy (Matthew 7:6). And He labels others as false teachers (Matthew 7:15). It is clear that Jesus judged others. However, He always judged righteously and correctly. He was never judgmental.

Jesus is speaking in Matthew 7 against an attitude of arrogant and self-righteous judgmentalism. He says it’s foolish to criticize the splinter in your brother’s eye when you have a beam of wood sticking out of your own eye (Matthew 7:3-5). We are using a standard against another that we do not meet nor want others to apply to us. We are being judgmental when we become, as Scottish theologian Sinclair Ferguson says, more sensitive to the sin in others than the sin in our own hearts.

How then can those of us who have been redeemed from all of our sins by the precious blood of Christ Jesus make righteous and correct judgments without wrongly being judgmental? Here are 10 practical principles we can draw from Scripture.

First, check your motives. Ask yourself, why am I thinking this thought? Have I checked my heart knowing that ultimately only God knows the motives and intentions of the heart (Proverbs 16:2; 1 Corinthians 4:3-5)?

Second, examine your own walk with the Lord. Ask, am I walking in the Spirit, characterized by a gentle spirit that is careful to monitor my own sin (Galatians 6:1-2)? Am I sensitive to the sin of others but desensitized to my own sin?

Third, before acting, seek the wisdom of God’s Word and godly counsel. God has given us His Word and His spirit-filled people to give us discernment (Proverbs 10:13, 10:14, 11:14, 15:22). However, be careful that you don’t let the search for godly counsel become an excuse to gossip.

Fourth, practice the Golden Rule. Think about how you would want to be treated if you were on the receiving end of correction (Matthew 7:12). Think about how you would want someone to pray for, love and be merciful to you.

Fifth, be careful not to make a snap decision or quick judgment. Take the time to get the facts and listen before taking action (Proverbs 18:13).

Sixth, pray for the one who appears to be caught in sin before correcting them. Prayer is a necessary starting point (James 5:15-16). We are not the Holy Spirit. Only God’s Spirit has the power to change someone.

Seventh, don’t forget the example of Jesus and how He ministered to sinners. Jesus was condemned and ridiculed for the way He cared for and loved sinners, tax collectors, pagans and the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53-8:11). This does not mean we don’t call sin “sin,” but we should always be quick to love and care for all people because this is what God, in Jesus, has done for us.

Eighth, speak the truth, but do it in love. There is a time when we need to speak against false teaching (Matthew 7:15-20) and exercise discipline for sin (Matthew 18:15-20). As Charles Spurgeon says, “After we are ourselves sanctified, we are bound to be eyes to the blind, and correctors of unholy living; but not till then.” When time comes that we need to speak, our goal should be to do so with Christ-exalting love (Ephesians 4:15), not with self-exalting pride.

Ninth, keep in mind that some things are right and wrong, but some things are just different. Be careful not to confuse what is moral with what is simply a cultural or a personality difference (Romans 14:1-6, 13-23).

Tenth, never forget that ultimately everyone must give an account to the Lord, not to us. God sees all our actions. Only He is the judge. We would be careful to not put ourselves in the place of God (Romans 14:7-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

All of this can be summarized by simply remembering what God, the only righteous judge, has done for you and me in the Gospel. When Christ should have given you and me what we deserve for our sin, He loved us, paying the penalty for our sins at the cross. Instead of looking down His nose at you and me, He had compassion on us because we were sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:26).

Ferguson says it perfectly, “The heart that has tasted the Lord’s grace and forgiveness will always be restrained in its judgment of others. It has seen itself deserving judgment and condemnation before the Lord and yet, instead of experiencing his burning anger, has tasted his infinite mercy.” If you and I can remember the mercy we have received from our Lord Jesus, then we will be far from judgmentalism.

________

Danny Akin is president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

If you feel the need to spice up your marriage, make sure you don’t leave out the key ingredient.

If you’ve read one of the "how to add life to your marriage" books and your relationship is STILL floundering, try something new. Check out how you and your spouse are growing spiritually. Have you spent as much time thinking about how to become more like Christ as you have on how to spice up your marriage?

I don’t believe couples fall out of love -- they fall out of repentance. I’m convinced that when couples commit themselves to growing in the virtues taught by Christ, there’s little chance for their relationship to fail. When you’re focused on growing in humility, gentleness, patience, love and generosity, you’re creating the building blocks that nurture and maintain intimacy.

Actually, humility is a great place to begin. Peter urges us, "Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another" (1 Pet. 5:5). I’m afraid most of us spend more time worrying about our outer appearance than we do about the inner clothing of humility. But I’m determined to do better at clothing myself in a way that will strengthen my marriage.

WHAT HUMILITY LOOKS LIKE

When my wife and I got married, I was shocked at how different two people could be. It showed up in the little things -- like where we’d keep our medicines and spices. To me, it seemed inherently wrong to store Pepto-Bismol next to the vanilla, but that’s the way my wife’s family had always done it.

We also had widely divergent eating habits, which weren’t a big deal until we had kids and one of them complained at breakfast, "How come Daddy’s cereals have toys and ours don’t?"

These differences shined a light on my pride. A proud person never thinks to question something he’s always thought was right. He doesn’t feel a need to see a divisive issue from someone else’s point of view -- he simply wants to win the argument.

What does this have to do with humility? If you look in our cereal cupboard now, you won’t find any boxes with toys. I had to admit I was wrong for passing on an unhealthy eating habit to my kids. Thank goodness for the give-and-take of marriage, which forces us to understand another person’s perspective.

But humility is more than just being able to admit being wrong. It isn’t thinking less OF ourselves; it’s thinking less ABOUT ourselves. Obsessing over what you AREN’T makes you as self-absorbed as the person who obsesses about what she IS.

Humility is placing others above ourselves. Jesus was humble, yet he never pretended he wasn’t the Son of God. He never claimed that his mission in life wasn’t important; he just used his power to serve and love rather than to dominate and manipulate.

Humility gives us the strength to accept who we are, respect others and escape from an egocentric worldview in which we expect everyone (especially a spouse) to bend to our demands and desires. Humility is the Christlike spirit of becoming a servant. Humility is essential to marriage because without it, two strong egos do nothing but butt heads.

PROVIDING A SERVICE

Humility exerts itself through service. It proves itself when, moment-by-moment, you decide to make yourself a servant. Andrew Murray noted that "it is in our most unguarded moments that we really show and see what we are. To know... how the humble man behaves, you must follow him in the common course of daily life."

My family spent the night at a friend’s house one New Year’s Eve. I flew into town that day from the Midwest, so my "body clock" was already two hours ahead of everyone else. When midnight rolled around, I was exhausted. I went to bed and was dropping off to sleep when our friend came in and whispered, "Lisa!" I knew what was coming. "One of your kids is sick."

My wife started stirring, and I knew I could pretend I was asleep. After all, our friend wasn’t talking to me. I’d been up for almost 20 hours. It would be so easy for me just to stay in bed. But I’d been reading and studying about humility -- and I recognized my chance to practice it.

"I’ll take care of it," I told her.

That’s almost embarrassingly insignificant, but humility lives in such small decisions. I may never BECOME humble, but I can learn to PRACTICE humility in the routine acts of service in which I put others first.

The radical truth of Christianity is that love isn’t based on the other person becoming more lovely, but on our willingness to act lovingly. A person in search of virtue finds fulfillment from the inner witness of acting in accordance with God’s will and purpose. That’s good news, as actions are something we can control -- unlike our emotions, which constantly ebb and flow.

NO LICENSE TO JUDGE

When I’m experiencing persistent anger with Lisa, almost always I can find a point where I’m judging her -- calling myself "right" and my wife "wrong." Christ took away our license to judge. A humble spouse focuses on changing himself.

Without humility, we become thoroughly disagreeable and demanding characters. Estrangement, hate, anger, bitterness and resentment -- the killers of human relationships -- are born in judging others, in putting yourself above others. Where I fail in humility, I fail in love. Without humility, what starts out as a mutual affection can collapse into a contest of wills, judgment and accusation.

Years ago, I finally realized that marriage is for holiness more than happiness. Marriage creates the best environment in which I can serve God and grow in the character of Christ -- and that’s what I should expect from it more than anything else. This doesn’t mean that happiness and holiness are mutually exclusive; often they aren’t. But the primary purpose in my life is not to pursue happiness, it’s to become like Christ. How thankful I am to be married -- to be in an ideal environment for spiritual growth.

When I was married for happiness, and I went through the inevitable seasons of unhappiness (or just the routines of life), I assumed my lack of happiness meant my wife wasn’t measuring up. I judged her failings and she judged mine.

When I realized I was married for holiness, I knew that I never measured up. I became more than satisfied with my wife as I focused on what I needed to change. My wife didn’t change, but my perspective did.

Humility gave me a new marriage because it gave me a new me. If God, who is perfectly holy and righteous, can delight in my wife as he does then I can respond with similar delight.

Eventually, a proud man or woman becomes a lonely man or woman, because pride erodes relationships. Relationships are based on entering into other people’s lives, but when we’re so focused on ourselves it is impossible to care genuinely about others.

The beauty of humility is that we become empowered to respect others -- beginning with our spouses. Paul encourages us to "show true humility toward all" (Titus 3:2). We can’t control a lot of things in life -- including our mates. But we can control how we respect our spouses, how we serve and honor them and how we try to start seeing things from their perspective.

And when we do that, we’ll discover a whole new marriage.

__________________________

Gary L. Thomas is the author of Seeking the Face of God (Harvest House) and The Glorious Pursuit (NavPress). He and his wife, Lisa, have been married 15 years.

Copyright © 1999 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Marriage Partnership magazine

Winter 1999, Vol. 16, No. 4, Page 8

*

If you feel the need to spice up your marriage, make sure you don’t leave out the key ingredient.

If you’ve read one of the "how to add life to your marriage" books and your relationship is STILL floundering, try something new. Check out how you and your spouse are growing spiritually. Have you spent as much time thinking about how to become more like Christ as you have on how to spice up your marriage?

I don’t believe couples fall out of love -- they fall out of repentance. I’m convinced that when couples commit themselves to growing in the virtues taught by Christ, there’s little chance for their relationship to fail. When you’re focused on growing in humility, gentleness, patience, love and generosity, you’re creating the building blocks that nurture and maintain intimacy.

Actually, humility is a great place to begin. Peter urges us, "Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another" (1 Pet. 5:5). I’m afraid most of us spend more time worrying about our outer appearance than we do about the inner clothing of humility. But I’m determined to do better at clothing myself in a way that will strengthen my marriage.

WHAT HUMILITY LOOKS LIKE

When my wife and I got married, I was shocked at how different two people could be. It showed up in the little things -- like where we’d keep our medicines and spices. To me, it seemed inherently wrong to store Pepto-Bismol next to the vanilla, but that’s the way my wife’s family had always done it.

We also had widely divergent eating habits, which weren’t a big deal until we had kids and one of them complained at breakfast, "How come Daddy’s cereals have toys and ours don’t?"

These differences shined a light on my pride. A proud person never thinks to question something he’s always thought was right. He doesn’t feel a need to see a divisive issue from someone else’s point of view -- he simply wants to win the argument.

What does this have to do with humility? If you look in our cereal cupboard now, you won’t find any boxes with toys. I had to admit I was wrong for passing on an unhealthy eating habit to my kids. Thank goodness for the give-and-take of marriage, which forces us to understand another person’s perspective.

But humility is more than just being able to admit being wrong. It isn’t thinking less OF ourselves; it’s thinking less ABOUT ourselves. Obsessing over what you AREN’T makes you as self-absorbed as the person who obsesses about what she IS.

Humility is placing others above ourselves. Jesus was humble, yet he never pretended he wasn’t the Son of God. He never claimed that his mission in life wasn’t important; he just used his power to serve and love rather than to dominate and manipulate.

Humility gives us the strength to accept who we are, respect others and escape from an egocentric worldview in which we expect everyone (especially a spouse) to bend to our demands and desires. Humility is the Christlike spirit of becoming a servant. Humility is essential to marriage because without it, two strong egos do nothing but butt heads.

PROVIDING A SERVICE

Humility exerts itself through service. It proves itself when, moment-by-moment, you decide to make yourself a servant. Andrew Murray noted that "it is in our most unguarded moments that we really show and see what we are. To know... how the humble man behaves, you must follow him in the common course of daily life."

My family spent the night at a friend’s house one New Year’s Eve. I flew into town that day from the Midwest, so my "body clock" was already two hours ahead of everyone else. When midnight rolled around, I was exhausted. I went to bed and was dropping off to sleep when our friend came in and whispered, "Lisa!" I knew what was coming. "One of your kids is sick."

My wife started stirring, and I knew I could pretend I was asleep. After all, our friend wasn’t talking to me. I’d been up for almost 20 hours. It would be so easy for me just to stay in bed. But I’d been reading and studying about humility -- and I recognized my chance to practice it.

"I’ll take care of it," I told her.

That’s almost embarrassingly insignificant, but humility lives in such small decisions. I may never BECOME humble, but I can learn to PRACTICE humility in the routine acts of service in which I put others first.

The radical truth of Christianity is that love isn’t based on the other person becoming more lovely, but on our willingness to act lovingly. A person in search of virtue finds fulfillment from the inner witness of acting in accordance with God’s will and purpose. That’s good news, as actions are something we can control -- unlike our emotions, which constantly ebb and flow.

NO LICENSE TO JUDGE

When I’m experiencing persistent anger with Lisa, almost always I can find a point where I’m judging her -- calling myself "right" and my wife "wrong." Christ took away our license to judge. A humble spouse focuses on changing himself.

Without humility, we become thoroughly disagreeable and demanding characters. Estrangement, hate, anger, bitterness and resentment -- the killers of human relationships -- are born in judging others, in putting yourself above others. Where I fail in humility, I fail in love. Without humility, what starts out as a mutual affection can collapse into a contest of wills, judgment and accusation.

Years ago, I finally realized that marriage is for holiness more than happiness. Marriage creates the best environment in which I can serve God and grow in the character of Christ -- and that’s what I should expect from it more than anything else. This doesn’t mean that happiness and holiness are mutually exclusive; often they aren’t. But the primary purpose in my life is not to pursue happiness, it’s to become like Christ. How thankful I am to be married -- to be in an ideal environment for spiritual growth.

When I was married for happiness, and I went through the inevitable seasons of unhappiness (or just the routines of life), I assumed my lack of happiness meant my wife wasn’t measuring up. I judged her failings and she judged mine.

When I realized I was married for holiness, I knew that I never measured up. I became more than satisfied with my wife as I focused on what I needed to change. My wife didn’t change, but my perspective did.

Humility gave me a new marriage because it gave me a new me. If God, who is perfectly holy and righteous, can delight in my wife as he does then I can respond with similar delight.

Eventually, a proud man or woman becomes a lonely man or woman, because pride erodes relationships. Relationships are based on entering into other people’s lives, but when we’re so focused on ourselves it is impossible to care genuinely about others.

The beauty of humility is that we become empowered to respect others -- beginning with our spouses. Paul encourages us to "show true humility toward all" (Titus 3:2). We can’t control a lot of things in life -- including our mates. But we can control how we respect our spouses, how we serve and honor them and how we try to start seeing things from their perspective.

And when we do that, we’ll discover a whole new marriage.

__________________________

Gary L. Thomas is the author of Seeking the Face of God (Harvest House) and The Glorious Pursuit (NavPress). He and his wife, Lisa, have been married 15 years.

Copyright © 1999 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Marriage Partnership magazine

Winter 1999, Vol. 16, No. 4, Page 8

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“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1-3 NKJV)

The Jew Also is Without Excuse

• therefore — because of this judgment of God (1:32)

• man — having charged the Gentiles with these sins, the writer now turns to the Jews, whom he is (see v.17) now addressing

• judgest — 2 Sam 12:5, 7 — the less excusable thyself because thou judgest others

• thou…thyself — Matt 7:1-2 — self-condemned by the judgment passed on others

• judgest…things — John 8:8 — and must know the wrongness of acts for which others are censured

• we…sure [know] — Gk., we know: i.e. from character of God

• judgment — decision, opinion

• is…truth — is according to reality

• and…this — Gk., dost thou calculate (upon impunity) — Isa 28:15, Ps 50:21

Those who judge others judged — C. Simeon, B.A.

I. To whom the expostulation is addressed. The disposition here reproved shows itself,

1. in the world towards

a. Each other

b. Those who profess the Christian religion;

2. and in religious persons, towards

a. The world

b. Each other

II. The address itself. Concerning uncharitable persons it shows

1. How vain their hopes

2. How aggravated their guilt

3. How fearful their prospects

Application

1. Do not occupy yourselves too much about others, but rather take heed unto yourselves

2. Above all things, seek to know your need of a Saviour

The justice of God — Slow goes the hand of justice, like the shadow on the sun-dial; ever moving, yet creeping slowly on, with a motion all but imperceptible. Still stand in awe. The hand of justice has not stopped. Although imperceptible, it steadily advances; by-and-by it reaches the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth hour. And now the bell strikes. Then unless you have fled to Christ the blow, which was so slow to fall, shall descend over the head of impenitence with accumulated force. — Dr Guthrie

Human standards of judgment — We measure from ourselves; and as things are for our use and purpose, so we approve them. Bring a pear to the table that is rotten, we cry it down, ‘tis naught; but bring a medlar that is rotten and ‘tis a fine thing; and yet I’ll warrant you the pear thinks as well of itself as the medlar does. We measure the excellency of other men by some excellency we conceive to be in ourselves. Nash, a poet, poor enough (as poets used to be), seeing an alderman with his gold chain upon his great horse, by way of scorn said to one of his companions, “Do you see yon fellow, how big he looks? Why, that fellow cannot make a blank verse!” Nay, we measure the goodness of God from ourselves: we measure His goodness, His justice, His wisdom, by something we call just, good, or wise in ourselves; and in so doing, we judge proportionably to the country-fellow in the play, who said, if he were a king, he would live like a lord, and have peas and bacon every day and a whip that cried “slash.” — Selden

Dr. Johnson observed, “that no honest man could be an Atheist; for no man could be so after a fair examination of the proofs of Christianity.” The name of Hume being mentioned to him, “No, sir,” said he: “Hume owned to a clergyman of the bishopric of Durham, that he had never read the New Testament with attention.”

“Correct opinions well established on any subject, are the best preservative against the seductions of error.” — Bishop Mant

“All power, even the most despotic, rests ultimately on opinion.” — Hume

A note in a Caribbean Airline Travel Guide:

"Just in case you find any mistakes in this magazine, please remember they were put there for a purpose. We try to offer something for everyone. Some people are always looking for mistakes."

“Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems [one] day above another; another esteems every day [alike]. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.” (Romans 14:4-5 NKJV)

Self-Persuasion

• judgest…servant — therefore much less should you judge a servant of God

• to…falleth — Christians to the great Master

• he…up {stand} — notwithstanding your censures, or predictions to the contrary

• God…stand — Ps 37:17 — now and at the judgment

• day…another — Lev 23:4-7, etc., Col 2:16-17 — as more holy. So some regard fast and feast days

• every {each}…mind — act according to conviction, not be borne on the stream of custom

Religion, an intelligent service — F. Wagstaff

The possession of the Divine favour in individual cases is not the result of –

I. Hereditary transmission;

II. Fatalism;

III. Formalism. Three things at least are apprehended by all who receive Christ:

1. Man is a sinner;

2. Christ is his Saviour;

3. In receiving Christ, the man begins to lead a new life

Religious non-observance of the Sabbath — F. W. Robertson

I. Paul’s own view upon the question. Let us understand the principle upon which he declared the repeal of the Sabbath:

1. Christ’s blood had vindicated God’s parental right to all humanity; therefore, there could be no peculiar people;

2. The Gospel of Christ had sanctified all time; hence no time could be specially God’s.

II. The modifications of this view.

1. There is a religious observance of the Sabbath-day possible;

2. There is such a thing as religious non-observance of the Sabbath.

No one to be despised — An Englishman, a native of Yorkshire, going to reside at Kingston, in Jamaica, was reduced from a state of affluence to very great distress; so much so, that in the time of sickness he was destitute of home, money, medicine, food, and friends. Just in this time of need, an old Christian negro offered his assistance, which, being gladly accepted, this “neighbour to him” bought medicine, and administered it himself; furnished nourishment; sat up three nights; and, in short, acted the part of doctor, nurse, and host. Through the blessing of God, the old negro’s efforts were rendered successful in the recovery of the sick man, who then inquired what expenses he had been at, and promised remuneration as soon as possible. The generous old Christian replied, “Master, you owe me nothing; I owe you much still.” “How do you make that out?” said the restored man. “Why, master, I never able to pay you; because you taught me to read the Word of God!” This reply so affected the man, that he resolved, from that time, to seek the Lord.

“The wisest are not wise in every respect, and the most learned are often ignorant of the commonest subj subjects.” — Zeno

“If I had all men’s consciences in my keeping, I could, in disputable cases, give laws unto them, as well as unto myself; but it is one thing what I can do, and another thing what all other men must do.” — Abp Ussher

“That action is not warrantable, which either blushes to beg a blessing; or, having succeeded, dares not present thanksgiving.” — F. Quarles