| ( A ) GODS� COMMAND TO MAKE JUDGEMENT ----------------------------------------------------------------- Various scriptures reveal that God commands His children to judge. As we look at the issue of judgement as a Christian responsibilty, I want to begin with our heavenly Fathers� Words; 24. Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. - John 7:24 1. Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. 2. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. - Isaiah 56:1-2 8. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? - Micah 6:8 5. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6. If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7. Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. - Jeremiah 7:5-7 Notice within these few scriptures, God requires judgement and justice to be made by His people and particularly, righteous judgement and justice. Moreover, Gods� Word has this to say regarding the issue of judgement; 3. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. - Zephaniah 2:3 5. The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. - Zeph. 3:5 In these writings, verse 3 uses the phrase � have wrought � . Thus, clearly signifying that the meek people of God make judgement. That activity is supposed to be a foregone conclusion. Also, in relation to that activity of making judgement, God commands His meek people to continue in seeking righteousness. In doing so, the meek people of God will not fail to fulfill Gods� command in Johns� Gospel chapter 7 for righteous judgement. In addition to this, it is clearly shown in Isaiah chapter 56 that Gods� righteousness is revealed when His people keep judgement and do justice and consequently the result of such activity is a blessing. Take note of verse 5 in the book of Zephaniah, that it is the � just � Lord who brings judgement to light. So there is therefore a direct connection of the Lords� justness, that is to say His justice, with His act of making judgement. Gods� command for judgement and justice go hand in hand; 8. And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, 9. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: 10. And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. - Zechariah 7:8-10 16. These are the things that ye shall do; speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: 17. And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord. - Zech. 8:16-17 See how judgement and justice go hand in hand in these verses from Zechariah ? Especially true judgement. True judgement is the same thing as righteous judgement which God commanded in John chapter 7. Notice that God requires mercy and compassions to be mixed with judgement. In this manner, justice is sufficiently satisfied by preventing evil being done towards our fellow man. Justice, the mixture of true judgement along with mercy and compassion hinders oppression ( Jeremiah 7:5-7 ). Thus, such a society will produce the peace that God desires. Take note in the following verses how God Himself practices what He preaches, in combining mercy and compassion along with true, righteous judgement; 24. But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. - Jeremiah 9:24 2. And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. - Jere. 4:2 23. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. - Matt. 23:23 42. But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. - Luke 11:42 What value is it to combine mercy and compassion with judgement ? If we operate only in judgement and not have mercy and compassion, the result is condemnation, complete destruction. Notice these words in the book of Jeremiah; 24. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. - Jere. 10:24 12. O house of David, thus saith the Lord; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. 13. Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations? 14. But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it. - Jere. 21:12-14 The fury and fire which Jeremiah refers to is Gods� ability and justified authority to condemn. Once God makes condemnation of a person, there is no more hope there is only complete destruction. Take note of both Jesus� words and the scripture in Jude regarding Gods� enemy, Satan and the fallen angels; 41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: - Matt. 25:41 10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. - Rev. 20:10 6. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. - Jude 1:6-7 This manner of judgement is without mercy and compassion and yet remains judgement which is both true and righteous. This is condemnation and it is condemnatory judgement which God alone can make. No Christian is allowed to make this judgement of another person be they sinner or saint. I mention saint in regard to the apostate saint, that is to say the saint who has chosen to deny Christ and the Christian faith as well as a backsliding Christian, a righteous child of God who chooses to work iniquity. But this study will look into that matter later on. Finally, notice the conclusion which God makes regarding His friend, Abraham, and the issue of judgement and justice; 17. And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18. Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19. For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. - Genesis 18:17-19 Abraham, God concluded, kept and taught his family to do justly and to make judgement. Thus fulfilling the command of God as previously reviewed in the scriptures above, which show that God demands all of His children to do the same. Since Abraham did these things, the consequence or result was that God did not keep secrets from Abraham and God was able to fulfill His blessed promise which He spoke of concerning Abraham. It is a win � win situation. This is what God wants for all of His children. Therefore, it behooves all Christians to follow Gods� command to judge. Take note of the character which Gods� people are described as having with regard to judgement; 15. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. - 1 Corinthians 2:15 21. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. - 1 Thess. 5:21 1. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1 But what of the scriptures which clearly say that we should not judge ? ------------------------------------------------------------ |