judgment

The Law of the Lord

The day before I started the first full week of my new job, I walked and prayed for the Lord to take away my anxiety. He reminded me of all He’s done in my life and everything I’ve accomplished with His guidance and help. He has always been there, the ever-present constant. I have been the variable that has changed from one situation to the next. Sometimes I’ve trusted and other times I was overcome by fear. As I prayed this time, I had to decide who I want to be: a light for the Lord or a person who cowers in fear. After that day I went to work with the determination not to be anxious but to learn and try to the best of my ability. It doesn’t mean there aren’t trials and obstacles. It means that when those moments come, I choose to trust the Lord to help me through them and also ask for help. He has blessed me with a great team of people who are quick to provide assistance and guidance. I just have to be willing to ask.

A routine I’ve started each morning to help with anxiety and to get my mind right is reading the Psalms. The Psalms remind me of the humanity of each author as he faces trials and experiences moments of thanksgiving and joy. Even when there is despair, there is often a recollection of the Lord’s lovingkindness, strength, and wisdom. One of the Psalms I read this past week that stood out to me is Psalm 19, particularly verses 7-14 (NASB1995):

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;

Let them not rule over me;

Then I will be blameless,

And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Prior to these verses, David writes about how creation itself tells of the glory of the Lord. Then he proceeds to explain why we can trust in the Lord’s law to lead us into righteousness. What captured my attention were the adjectives. The Law of the Lord is perfect (v. 7); His testimony is sure (v. 7); the Lord’s precepts are right (v. 8); the commandment of the Lord is pure (v. 8); the fear of the Lord is clean (v. 9); His judgments are true, righteous, and more desirable than gold (vv. 9-10). Each adjective is followed by a participial phrase, explaining how God’s laws and judgments impact us. David (the author of this particular Psalm) doesn’t just share God’s goodness for its own sake (which is enough in itself) but how His goodness changes us. 

The Law of the Lord restores the soul (v. 7). When we’ve gone astray from God’s will, His law restores us back to obedience. The testimony of the Lord makes wise the simple (v. 7). Too often our culture thinks wisdom is marked by how much education one has. But the Lord has been gracious to not only give us His testimony in writing but in His very creation. All people have the opportunity to gain wisdom as they remember what the Lord has done–whether disciplining the wicked (Ex: plagues in Egypt) or liberating the righteous (Ex: winning battles against Israel’s numerous enemies)–and learning from those moments. The Lord proved Himself repeatedly to the Israelites, but many perished who walked their own way instead of trusting in His testimony. Those who remembered what the Lord had done and trusted Him were blessed.

The precepts of the Lord make the heart rejoice (v. 8). Whenever we think about rules, our first reaction is probably not to rejoice. Rules imply following someone else’s directions rather than our own. But David, the ruler of Israel, describes the Lord’s precepts as right, rejoicing the heart. What makes our hearts rejoice is that we don’t have to guess what the Lord wants. His precepts are to help us remain in right standing with Him, and because of this, our hearts rejoice. Many other religions have “gods” who want to be appeased. Other nations in the Ancient Near East even sacrificed their own children, or they mutilated themselves to try to make themselves right with their “god(s).” But the true, living God has given humanity righteous precepts to be a blessing, not a burden, to us. For He is not a god who is far off but has chosen to live within those who have made the decision to follow Him.

The commandment of the Lord enlightens the eyes (v. 8). When the world has blinded us from righteousness by declaring its own set of rules and guidelines, the Lord’s commandments help us to see clearly. While the world says to place our hope in man, one of the Lord’s commandments says to have no other idols whether that’s money, fame, a physical object, work, or anything that is placed above the Lord in our lives. Many of us are more guilty of this than we probably realize. We are also bombarded with messages from the world each day that it becomes easier to believe them when we fail to dwell on the Lord’s commandments. After Israel split into two kingdoms, it became more wicked in the northern kingdom as they forsook God’s commandments. But even the kings of Judah had lost their way. It wasn’t until the reign of King Josiah (2 Kings 22) that the book of the law was found after many years of being lost. When the book was read to Josiah, he responded by tearing his clothes (as a sign of humility and mourning) and commanded men he trusted to inquire of the Lord concerning the words of the book (vv. 11-13). He said, “for great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of the book, to do all that is written concerning us” (v. 13). The result was that the Lord would bring evil on them because the people have forsaken Him, but because Josiah humbled himself after hearing the words, the Lord gave him peace the rest of his days. King Josiah also made reforms in response to the commandments in the law (2 King 22:16-23:27). The people thought they were doing right until God’s law was revealed. These commandments opened King Josiah’s eyes to see the wickedness around him and responded with sincere reverence and humility before the Lord. While the law had been lost and then found, God still held the people accountable. They were the ones who asked for a king when God was already their King. Many times those kings led the people astray, and even when a righteous king came to power, not everything was made right until Josiah. How much more are we held accountable when we have the law of God at our fingertips and choose to ignore it? Will we choose to be blind or to have our eyes enlightened to the truth of God even if it means humbling ourselves and making changes?

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever (v. 9). At first I was surprised to read the word translated as “clean” to describe the fear of the Lord, but as I dug a little deeper, the meaning of “clean” came to be understood as “undefiled” or “uncontaminated” in a spiritual sense, leading to the idea of holiness. Because it is undefiled, it will not decay, causing it to endure (or stand) forever. I believe a clear distinction is between fearing God or fearing man. David often makes that comparison in the Psalms, and Jesus also says in Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” When the Lord spoke to the people at Mount Sinai, they trembled at “the thunder and lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking” (Exodus 20:18) and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die” (v. 19). Moses’ reply, along with what Jesus stated in Matthew, help us to understand the importance of fearing the Lord: “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin” (v. 20). There are two uses of fear in this passage. The first is telling the people not to be terrified that they shrink back from the Lord. The second is telling the people to have the fear of the Lord to remain with them so they do not sin. To fear the Lord means to remain in righteousness just as a child fears a loving father who disciplines his children when they do wrong. That discipline leads to repentance which leads to righteousness. Jesus, the Son of God, clearly states that it is the Lord who destroys both body and soul of those who have chosen not to fear Him. Too often people exchange “respect” for the word “fear” because it sounds nicer, but that is not accurate. The Lord chose to speak to the Israelites and show a glimpse of His glory so that they would not sin. They were truly terrified. “Respect” does not induce the same kind of fear. But if one maintains the fear of the Lord that keeps himself or herself from sinning, then he or she will endure with the Lord forever no matter what man tries to do. The fear of the Lord has eternal rewards. The fear of man is temporary, leading to a false sense of security.

The judgments of the Lord provide warnings and lead to great rewards by those who keep them (vv. 9-11). When we think of judgment, we don’t often get warm, fuzzy feelings. But Scripture describes the Lord’s judgments as true, righteous, more desirable than gold, and sweeter than honey. His judgments aren’t tainted by human error and emotion. He also provides opportunities for change and gives warnings. When Israel asked for a king, He gave them what they wanted but not before telling them exactly what would happen in 1 Samuel 8:10-18. However, the people refused to listen and asked for a king anyway. In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel reminded the people of past choices made and the outcomes for their rejection of the Lord. In sharing this he made it clear that if the people and the king fear the Lord and follow Him, the Lord will be with them. But if they do not fear Him, He will be against them. As generations went on, God’s judgments were righteous as the people took turns rejecting and repenting. We don’t want a Judge who is biased but who upholds His law for the sake of righteousness. Are we willing to submit to His authority and listen to His warnings so that we can be in right standing with Him?

In Psalm 19:12-13, David not only asks the Lord to acquit him from hidden errors–sins unknowingly committed–but also to keep him from presumptuous sins. These are sins committed with a person’s full knowledge of what he or she is doing. In other words, they are acting in rebellion to God’s commandments. David writes that he does not want his sins to rule over him so that he will be blameless before the Lord. What keeps our sins from ruling over us is following the Lord’s commands and fearing Him as this particular Psalm describes. The Lord is both loving Father and an all-consuming fire.

The final verse brings back memories as it was the benediction after every chapel during my undergraduate years: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (v. 14). While constant repetition of a passage can lead to lack of meaning, reading this verse again in light of verses 7-13 restores the appropriate response. When our hearts and minds are fixed on the Lord’s commandments that lead to righteousness, our words and thoughts should be a reflection of those precepts. The Lord delights when we dwell on the truth of His Word and our actions show it. We are a people without excuse, and we are a church in danger of the consequences of ancient Israel. Too often we forsake the Lord’s commandments for more palatable translations that allow us to maintain our sinful tendencies. We listen to people who tickle our ears rather than be convicted by the Lord’s double-edged sword: His Word. Will we be a church who fears the Lord who can destroy the soul, or will we ignore the numerous warnings and seal the fate of our own downfall? The Lord’s judgments are not hidden or encrypted. They are clearly stated, and as an effective Teacher, He has given us many examples of what we should and should not do. We have one choice to make as the body of Christ: Will we follow the law of our King, or will we be a church of anarchists?

©Lauren Demuth

The Sermon on the Mount: A Message for Jesus’ Disciples- Part 3

Judgment. Not exactly a popular word in the church. Yet this is the topic Jesus talks about next in Matthew 7. I feel like most people want to start and stop in v. 1, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” There you have it, folks, the Bible says do not judge! Or does it?

If we read beyond v. 1, we will discover that Jesus gives reasons not to be too hasty to judge. First, by the way I judge others, I will also be judged (v. 2). Does this say that I shouldn’t judge? No. What it does say is to be careful because if I judge harshly, I will also be judged harshly. Second, if I judge others before I recognize and deal with my own sin, I am a hypocrite (vv. 3-4). Notice that vv. 3-4 do not say that we shouldn’t judge; however, we must look at ourselves first before we judge others. Verse 5 clarifies that thought even more, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Who is the one being judged in these verses? Jesus does not refer to everyone, but refers to one’s brother. Even though the church hasn’t been officially formed yet, I believe that Jesus is talking about other believers. Paul teaches the same thing in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 after addressing a serious issue of immorality in the Corinthian church:

“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” (NASB)

Seems harsh, but is it? Paul isn’t talking about people who sin and repent. When we repent, we are washed clean. Sins are forgiven and the Father remembers no more. Rather, he’s talking about people who continually sin. They are unrepentant, yet they call themselves Christians. For example, in 1 Corinthians 5 Paul is addressing the church because there is a man who has his father’s wife, and the church has done nothing about it. Paul is angry about that and says in vv. 3-5, “For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” What is the purpose of judgment here? Addressing sin will hopefully lead to repentance and salvation.

Here is another example of judgment with the purpose of helping a fellow Christian:

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.” ~ Galatians 6:1-5 (NASB)

Judgment, when used properly, can lead to spiritual growth. It can also weed out the false Christians in the church. Let’s see what Jesus has to say in Matthew 7:15-23:

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

We should know who true followers of God are because of their fruit. What is good fruit?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” ~ Galatians 5:22-23

People can say all they want. Some may appear righteous–like the Pharisees who had all that knowledge and pomp–but they bear bad fruit and do not follow the Lord’s will. What is bad fruit?

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” ~Galatians 5:19-21

Even worse, false Christians may lead people astray. Here’s some strong words from 2 Peter 2:

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.

Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.  But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A dog returns to its own vomit,’ and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.’” (Bold print for emphasis)

Jesus also says that before His second coming, “false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” ~ Matthew 24:24

Why must we judge between good and bad fruit? Paul tells the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 5:6-8, “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” If we allow even the smallest piece of wickedness to remain in the church, the entire church becomes full wickedness. Scripture is full of warnings to stay away from evil. From Genesis to Revelation, the message does not change: Be holy. Be different from the world and all of its temptations. Show reverence for the Lord God. Live righteously. For our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

If we claim to know and follow truth, why do we not act when there’s wickedness in the church? Why doesn’t it bother us? Why don’t we see the danger in letting the leaven of wickedness permeate the entire church? Why do we let culture dictate what is acceptable?

The idea of judgment is challenging or even uncomfortable because we are taught that we shouldn’t judge. The world preaches tolerance even if something is abhorrent. And the church has chosen to follow this teaching instead of Scripture. When we read Scripture, we learn about grace, forgiveness, mercy, and compassion. But we also learn that there is no tolerance for a person who practices wickedness (1 John 3:4-10). There is a difference between someone who sins and repents and someone who continually sins without repentance. That is why judgment looks different in each circumstance.

In Matthew 7, Jesus warns His disciples to be slow in their judgment toward one another. In the way that I judge someone I should be prepared to receive the same kind of judgment. That thought is humbling. It should make us think before we judge someone. Jesus points His disciples back to themselves first, and since we are also Christ’s disciples, we should first ask ourselves before any kind of judgment, “Do I have sin in my life that I have not asked forgiveness for? Am I walking righteously and in line with God’s will?” Before we can help a fellow Christian with his or her spiritual walk, we better be right with God first. If not, we may be perceived as a hypocrite, or we may fall into temptation when trying to help. Once we are in right-standing with God, we can restore someone in gentleness if they are caught in sin (Gal. 6).

If someone in the church continues to sin without repentance, they need to be removed. The purpose for their removal is so that their wickedness does not permeate the church, and it is also for them to recognize their sin and repent. Our motivation should not be out of malice but for that person to come back to Christ.

Now there are those who actively work against God. They are the wolves in sheep’s clothing. We know them by their fruit, and if this fruit is bad, they must be thrown out. They do not follow God’s will but lead the flock astray. This is not tolerable. Peter says that judgment is already reserved for them.

The people that we shouldn’t judge are those in the world. This doesn’t mean that we should be ignorant or walk into wickedness. This also doesn’t mean that we accept what they do. We judge the church because the church knows the truth. We should know better. We do not judge the world because the world doesn’t know the truth. As Jesus and Paul indicate, disciples are supposed to be in the world as witnesses of the gospel. Paul makes it clear that God judges non-Christians. But we should be able to determine the good and bad fruit amongst the body of Christ.

Even though “judgment” isn’t the only message in Matthew 7 I believe it is important for the church to understand. We are accountable for what we let into our lives. If we don’t judge between good and bad fruit, we will suffer spiritually. We may possibly face God’s wrath for not seeing what should be obvious and acting upon it.

Judgment is not something to take lightly. In truth, it should direct us to ourselves first. But it also isn’t evil if our motives are in line with God’s will. The Word teaches us to always be ready for Christ’s return. Part of being ready is judging what is good and evil so that we may not be lead astray. And what better way for the enemy to lead Christ’s bride astray than to do it from within the body of Christ.

The Sermon on the Mount- Part 1

The Sermon on the Mount- Part 2

©Lauren Heiligenthal