A Judge Without a Gavel

"Don't judge me!" "You're not the judge of me." "No one has the right to judge, except God." You're being so judgmental." "Only God can judge me." "The Bible says not to judge one another." ...Sound familiar?

A Judge Without a Gavel

I suppose this is fitting for my 2nd post, because I am trying to set the general tone for my blog. I hope you came away from the last post understanding that I try to give other believers the freedom to follow their own convictions. I also do not see sin having rankings, meaning no one sin is greater than another sin. It is evident, to me, that we are all guilty and unworthy. Thus, in need of a Savior. 

I think the J-word starts to fly mostly among believers. Sure, there are plenty of situations where non-believers accuse Christians of judging their choice of lifestyle. They may feel like Christians are condemning them when they see nothing wrong with the way the choose to live. However, many Christians understand someone that does not claim to know Christ is obviously still lost in sin. And hopefully, they feel compassion for them. Lead by example, walk in love, and offer counsel if it is desired. The problem mostly arises when you have two people, both claiming to know Jesus, that have different viewpoints on a specific topic/way of life/etc.

And then of course, between them especially, the J-word can get muddy.

What it comes down to, is this:

John 8:7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." 

James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

Matthew 7:3 And why do you look at the speck in your  brother's eyes, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 

A gavel in a courtroom is a sign of authority. In a spiritual sense, the complete authority of judgement, the one supreme Judge of all, is the Lord God. He alone has that authority. He is the only one that can search someones heart, that can see into our beings and understand our thoughts, intentions, desires, motives, and pleas. He knows where we are at on our journey to Him. He knows if we have faith in the Son of God... or if we don't. He has the "gavel". Not this mess of flesh.

As you see from the posted scriptures above, the Bible cautions us to be very humble. It goes back to that personal relationship. We should focus on bettering ourselves, "fixing" ourselves, striving to becoming more Christ-like daily. Each of us are made up of a big mess of flesh. We will never run out of work to do on ourselves.

But at the same time...

Ken Ham states it wonderfully...

"We live in a world that increasingly strives to (supposedly) promote the idea of tolerance, but actually becomes intolerant of Christian absolutes as it does so. Ultimately, built into this "tolerance" is the concept that truth is determined by each individual, not by God."

And that's not O.K either. The secular world definitely does not hold the "gavel". However badly they wish to. When a Christan states that they believe something according to the Scriptures, to be a sin, we are often slammed with harsh comments. Unbelievers and believers alike quote scriptures, sometimes out of context, in such a way that almost silences a person trying to defend the Bible. And that is sad.

In this world, where it is becoming increasingly more popular to reject authority of any kind, secularists are succeeding in convincing a generation that there is no "right" or "wrong". Everything goes. They want us to be "politically correct" in all we do, say, and even...think. They begin to brain wash us to believe that the Bible holds no authority. That we are closed minded, judgmental, hypocritical, Bible carrying, pretend Saints. And sadly, there are some of those Christians in this world. Which doesn't make our case any easier.

What I wish & desire & pray, is that I will never be silenced. I am judging no one. I do not wish to look for arguments or proclaim my faith in such a way that turns away others. I do not wish to boast or set out to "find planks in other people's eyes". I would never throw the first stone. I have a pretty good idea (& yet probably still not to the full capacity) of just how unworthy I am.

But I do not wish to remain silent. I have chosen to accept the absolutes of God's word. I believe every word of the scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Do I understand every word? Nowhere close. But I press on. I strive to work on my own mess of flesh. I want to study and pray so that I will feel better equipped and more confident to defend my faith. But I never want to opt out. I do not choose to be the type of Christian that stays in the shadows to "keep everyone happy". I have heard many fellow believers say, "I know what I believe, but I'm just not getting into it." Well, shame on you. Christ died for us. I choose to live for Him. To advocate for Him...and his Word. Which sometimes, steps on toes. And I make no apologies for that.

With the J-word being used more than ever, it is becoming harder and harder for Christians to speak up. Don't be afraid to proclaim what you believe in a discerning and humble way...and always remember, to love.

Love one another. Walk in love.

Listen to Why Can't We by The Isaacs

Listen to Speak Life by Toby Mac

Listen to Start a Fire by Unspoken