JUDGMENT

When Christ followers immerse themselves in this world without girding their loins with spiritual caution and without the armor of God that scripture mentions (Ephesians 6:10-18), concepts of the world burrow and embed themselves into our subconscious, soon becoming copacetic. As I was reading through my devotional today, the topic handles the issue of judgment and Christians being seen as judgmental.

"Is it becoming more and more difficult for you to be a sold-out 100 percent-committed Christian? If so, you're on the right track! The apostle Paul warned his young mentor, Timothy, that in the last days it would be very difficult to live in a Christian life."

"If you're truly living in radical obedience to the lordship of Jesus Christ, you're well aware of the fact that it's...tough!"

"When you take a bold stand against sin, it's likely you'll be labeled judgmental. But it's important for you to know that those who call you that don't really understand the concept of judgment. Do you realize the Bible says there are times when we should be judgmental? Many Christians have the mistaken idea that tolerance is always a virtue."

"Jesus never had an open mind toward sin...God doesn't want you to be tolerant of sin. He wants you to tolerate people but not sin."

"Some Christians will even accuse you of judging others. But labeling sin for what it is isn't being judgmental; it's being factual."

"That's reality. Many Christians want to focus only on God's grace...There are two sides to our heavenly Father. If there weren't, he would be imbalanced...It's much easier to simply overlook His wrath and focus only on His grace, isn't it? But to do so isn't living a spiritually mature life."

--The One Year DEVOS by Susie Shellenberger

I found this particular devotion extremely refreshing, especially being a person who has been accused of being judgmental by close Christian friends before. I tend to find that the people who are GUNG HO on "Don't judge me", "not judging" and "Only God can judge me", those are the people that deep down know that they are in the wrong and doing something that NEEDS to be judged. Judging SIN is a task that Christ has imparted to us as well as Himself, judging PEOPLE is for God. Everything we call out should be in love-in a gentle and quiet spirit; a genuine care for the OTHER person. We should never call out to prove ourselves right. That is not of God. When it all comes down to it, Scripture is the FINAL WORD. Not what is politically correct, not our best friends, not people who have been Christians for years. Always, only God's Word.

"They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."

--1 John 4:5-6