For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. (Romans 7:18); Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17); There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
The last two lessons of James chapter four deal with judging others and making assumptions about our lives. Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? (James 4:11-12) We must keep these verses in context. The use of the word "judge" in scripture is another example of the limitation of the english translation of the original Hebrew and Greek words. The word is not wrong, but how we interpret the word often times doesn't stay within the context of the scripture.
We who profess to be Christians have to "judge" eachothers behavior, so that the "body of Christ" won't become defiled and misrepresented to nonbelievers: It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, ... In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person." (I Corinthians 5:1, 4-5, 9-13, God through Paul, speaking to the church)
We also have to have a judicial system that judges regarding civil matters: “Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him. You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’ And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do. (Deuteronomy 1:16-18) Judges should be people who believe in God, so that they will judge righteously and fairly, because when they don't know what to do, they will seek God's counsel through His Word and Spirit, and He will guide them.
The "judging" we cannot do is condemning someone to either heaven or hell: There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? (James 4:12); And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28) Only a person and God knows if they have a right relationship, and they both do know, regardless of what a person says or how a person acts: My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. (I John 3:18-21)
Finally, we are not to make assumptions about our life: Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:13-14); Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1); Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34)
So what should we do instead? Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:15-16) There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21) This verse gets used a lot, but it's so appropriate in how we are to approach our lives and our relationship with God: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)
We want to be prepared for tomorrow, and ...have life, and ... have it more abundantly (John 10:10)? Then we have to make sure we put first things first, and trust God to do the rest on our behalf: And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. (I John 3:22-23)
No comments:
Post a Comment