Judgment
Judging Others Is Smart, Biblical and [Absolutely] Vital
One of the most common objections I get to my critique of Jason Westerfield is this: Do not judge.
The preferred text to back up their objection is Luke 6:37:
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
True, this text forbids hypocrisy and a condemning spirit rising from self-righteousness…
And I’ll be the first to admit I’m guilty of self-righteousness. Wicked self-absorption. Fierce condemnation.
But not so in this case.
In my critique of Jason Westerfield [or any book or doctrine or ministry for that matter] I’m not condemning him…
I’m simply evaluating his book and ministry the same way I’d evaluate any book or ministry: how it measures up to the Bible.
There’s nothing bizarre or unbiblical about that. It’s plain, garden-variety discernment. This is how John MacArthur puts it:
“There is a righteous kind of judgment we are supposed to exercise with careful discernment [John 7:24]. Censorious, hypocritical, self-righteous or other kinds of unfair judgements are forbidden.
MacArthur goes on to explain “in order to fulfill the commandments that follow it is necessary to discern dogs and swine [Matthew 7:6] from one’s own brethren.”
In other words, how are we supposed to tell the true believers from the false if we don’t discern and evaluate their deeds and doctrine?
The deal is, we can’t.
And if we can’t we are in opposition to God and his church because the Bible makes it abundantly clear that mature Christians must discern truth from error…
Even if that puts the unity of the church at risk. Which brings me to my next point.
The Mis-Guided Emphasis on Unity over Purity
Another accusation that usually gets thrown out their [and relevant to our discussion] is this:
“Unity needs to happen in the body.”
The implication is that I’m causing dissension when I critique Jason’s book.
Funny thing is, isn’t it just as reasonable to suggest that Jason is actually the one who’s causing dissension? Couldn’t his doctrine be cause of confusion and contention in the church?
But using the unity card concerns me for another reason. It suggests people are willing to look over sin for the sake of church unity.
Yes, having a unified church is important. But I don’t get that impression from reading my Bible that we strive for unity at the expense of purity.
Judging Others in the Old Testament
In fact, span the nearly 2,000 pages of Holy Scripture and it’s clear that God places a high-premium on purity–and it’s when purity is protected that unity prevails. Let’s look at some examples. First in the Old Testament.
1. The Holiness Code found in Leviticus 17-26 levels devastating sentences [capital punishment by stoning] on those who strayed from doctrinal purity.
2. God disintegrated priests who put unholy fire on the altar.
3. He executed a man for the hubris of believing that his hand was more clean than dirt.
4. He destroyed an entire generation of Israelites for their repeated disobedience–banning them from entering the promised land.
5. God finally drove the Israelite’s into exile and slavery for their chronic unfaithfulness, which usually took the form of wholesale worship of idols and pagan ideas.
And that’s just the Old Testament. In the New, we see the same intense concern for purity.
Judging Others in the New Testament
Paul scolded the Corinthians for harboring a sexual misfit in their church. He ramrodded the Galatians for deserting the gospel for a “different gospel, which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”
Peter even condemned a husband and wife for lying about their assets–and ordained their deaths by the hand of God.
And Jude changed the direction of his little letter from one of exhortation to one of correction:
For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God int licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
In every single one of these cases someone could argue “Did Uzziah have to die for his hubris? Nadab and Abihu for their deviation from God’s sacrifice prescription? Annias and Sappharia for tucking away a little cash for a rainy day? Do we have to chastise a few brothers because they snuck in a little gospel corruption?”
Obviously God answers “Yes, it’s absolutely necessary” because the purity of the church is important. In fact, when we get the purity down, unity naturally emerges.
Mature Christians Can Judge–and Handle Judgment
In John’s first letter he writes, “We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
In other words, a mature Christian with a mature mind established by the word of God can spot spiritual truth and error.
So a call for “more unity and less purity” is actually an unbiblical suggestion that spiritual error is not important.
That should concern us.
We want brothers and sisters in Christ to discern truth and error–using the Bible as template. Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”
But what does being judgmental look like? Here’s First John again: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
That is a clear example of being hypocritical. And exactly the sense that Jesus was talking about in Luke 6:41 when he said, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”
And this reproof would apply to me if I ducked away at night to indulge in the rituals of New Mystics like Jason.
But I’m not.
Final Thoughts
In the end, we all need to be acutely aware of the state of our spiritual condition–especially me.
And that I’ve got a disposition to hypocrisy and self-righteousness…trust me when I say that working out my salvation is an activity loaded with fear and trembling.
The same feeling extends to brothers and sisters in Christ.
Yes, I have deep concerns that Jason is being led away by his stomach–and in the long run is leading others away. Thus this is not a witch hunt. Rather it’s one Christian brother telling another to be careful–you could be out of line.
I know I was glad when someone pointed out error in my life. When someone corrected me. Rebuked me. It’s healthy. Smart for proper Christian growth. And vital for the church.
John goes on to say, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This is true for every single one of us. Not just for Jason. Or his fans. Or me. But for you. All of us. The church body proper.
So if I got this judging thing all wrong, let me know. Evaluate. Criticize. Reprove me. It’s biblical. And healthy.
4 Ways Final Judgment Can Influence Our Lives Now
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.”
Those aren’t Augustine’s words. Or Luther’s. Or Wesley’s. Spurgeon’s or Piper’s.
Those are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Words found in our sacred Scriptures.
That means that the doctrine of the Final Judgment is a doctrine we should teach and learn.
But not simply for head knowledge. Rather, we are looking for heart transformation. In this life.
The doctrine of the Final Judgment can do that. In fact, it can influence our lives in four specific ways. Here they are:
1. Satisfies Our Craving for Justice
We live in a world where justice is half-baked at best. Dictators murder millions. Babies are punched to death. And even if these criminals do go to court, it’s hard to fathom what actual justice looks like. We still feel a deep sense of loss over these tragedies.
However, the doctrine of the final judgment gives us a sense that because God is supreme and sovereign and keeps accurate records of all deeds and renders fair judgment, his universe is ultimately just and every crime–no matter it’s atrociousness–will be vindicated and our sense of justice pacified.
2. Enables Us to Forgive Others
I don’t care who you are–you will be wronged to some degree in this life. And it won’t just happen once. But repeatedly. And quite possibly by the same person. And you may be able to brush off those small insults, but at some point you will be wronged to such an intensity that you find it difficult to forgive. Bitterness will build. Hatred will creep in. And revenge crouches–ready to strike.
What the doctrine of the last judgment does is allow you to see that those who hurt you will ultimately be sentenced and punished–and that eternal punishment [hell] should break our hearts for that person so that in the end we follow Jesus’ example who said “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
3. Offers an Incentive to Live a Godly Life
On the one hand, a view of final judgment [where our eternal destinies are decided] motivates us to remain faithful, obedient and godly. It leads us to “store up treasures in heaven.” This is the comfort that an awareness of the final judgment brings to believers.
On the other hand, the doctrine provides some moral restraint for non-believers. When we live in a culture that acknowledges a sense of God as creator and Judge, a fear of God pervades–even for the unbeliever. But when that fear of God is absent, we give ourselves up to greater and greater evil. The doctrine of final judgment is thus a warning to unbelievers to flee sin and submit to God.
4. Provides a Great Motive to Evangelize
When we understand that our decisions in this life will determine our eternal destiny, we are eager to echo Ezekiel’s appeal to the house of Israel and tell the lost, “Turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?” [Read some of my best advice for sharing your faith.]
Listen: This is a tough doctrine to articulate [and even personally absorb] because the prevailing culture–inside and outside of the church–is pretty much humanistic: We only care about what occurs in this world.
Yet as Christians, this is where we put our trust in the historical figure Jesus Christ–who lived, died and rose again–and the words that he preached and look for how to apply his sermons so we can live better in this life–AND the next.
With that in mind, what other ways does the doctrine of the Final Judgment influence our lives in the here and now? Can you think of any? Did I miss anything? What would you add? I look forward to your thoughts.
Final Judgment [Do Not Take Lightly]
There is no getting around it–the Bible speaks of a coming day of ultimate and final judgment…
A day when Jesus will proclaim the eternal destinies of all people:
“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.” Revelation 20:12
This will be the event where God determines everyone’s spiritual condition–alive or dead.
It will be the ultimate separation of good and evil at the end of history. The Christian does not need to fear this moment. The unbeliever should.
The Biblical Fact of the Final Judgment
The Bible does not shy from the topic of a final judgment. Among all the details given on the final judgment, Jesus gives us one of the most vivid.
On the Mount of Olives he concludes his sermon with an explanation of the former parables [Ten Virginsand Ten Talents]:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31-46
This is the scene of the final judgment. An event that will occur at the end of history, after the millennium. All individuals and nations will be judged. John describes it like this:
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.
All the dead and the living–from the beginning of time to the end of time–will be judged.
Who and What Will Be Judged?
No man is excused from this judgment. Each of us will give account of ourselves to God. Believer and unbeliever alike will stand before the his judgment seat.
For the unbeliever, their deepest secrets will be exposed and every wrong deed laid out on the table–whether good or evil. Based on these deeds, Jesus will measure out degrees of punishment.
But the most condemning piece of evidence against the unbeliever will be their persistent rejection of God’s salvation.
Believers, on the other hand, will be judged out of The Book of Life–a list of all who accepted God’s mercy through Christ.
Indeed, all their deeds will also be judged. But they will be judged to bestow degrees of reward–not on their justification. For those who trust in the Lord, repent of sin and walk in his ways will not be condemned: ”There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Who Will Judge?
The Bible is quite clear: the judge will be Jesus.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:1
And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. Acts 10:42:
Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. Acts 17:31
God gave the son this right to judge:
For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. John 5:26-27
Jesus’ death is a unique judgment where God paid the price justice demands for mankind’s sin. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the foundations on which sinners are saved. So it is significant that he is chosen to be the judge.
The Necessity of the Final Judgment
The final and ultimate judgment at the end of history is simply the culmination of redemptive history and God’s frequent judgment on his people. From the earliest of time, God has been mankind’s judge.
In the Old Testament God brought abundant blessing on mankind but he also visited judgment on them, too, for their constant rebellion and unfaithfulness.
Think the Flood, the tower of Babel and Sodom and Gomorrah. And to this day God’s judgment continues against sin and idolatry and unfaithfulness.
Judgments throughout history serve as warnings for the consequences of unbelief, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.”
In this way God’s historical judgment and the future, final judgment reflect his character. It reveals his holiness, justice and wrath.
Yet, if believers pass from death into presence with God and unbelievers into a state of separation from God, why does God have a time of final judgment at all?
Simple. It serves the purpose of displaying before all rational creatures the declarative glory of God in a formal, forensic act.
Final Judgment Should Not Be Taken Lightly
The Bible’s message of God’s grace is set against the backdrop of a just God before whom we live. A just God who demands the satisfaction that crimes against him [for that is what sin is] be paid in full.
Crime demands justice. God’s judgment of unrepentant criminals naturally flows from this. On the other hand, his justification of repentant criminals flows from his grace. And this accomplishes one, very important thing…
In the end, all human history–from creation to the final judgment to heaven and hell–glorifies Jesus. He will be glorified through both grace and judgement.
For the believer, falling down before God’s throne to worship him will be a privilege. It will be all misery and torment for the unbeliever.
Let’s do what we can to make sure we bring as many believers with us.
Abandonment of Christianity: 2 Things That Occur
**Part of the 10 Hard Truths about Being Born Again series**
A funny thing seems to happen on the way to becoming an atheist…
At least that’s the perennial refrain I hear from those who’ve made the transition from Christian to atheist.
[Of course it's debatable whether they were even Christians to begin with.]
But there’s just one problem…
Two things essentially rise from an abandonment of Christianity. Your sense of morality. And your bitterness towards God.
Naturally, when you lower the barrier for goodness, you’ll appear more moral. You really don’t have to exert yourself…just lower the bar, and BAM…
You’re a pretty decent guy. [Or gal.]
Yet, when anyone brings up God as the true standard for goodness, you stiff-arm what you imagine to be excessive demands.
Who knew you could be so bitter? And why? This hatred comes from a mind that’s conscious of it’s guilt.
If your own personal moral standard is in danger, the best thing to do is fight back. Tooth and claw. Guard your right to think, say or do what you want.
Of course, the ultimate insult to an atheist is that unbelief should be punished with eternal death. Calvin said:
All think it harsh that they who do not believe in Christ should be devoted to destruction. That no man may ascribe his condemnation to Christ, he shows that every man ought to impute the blame to himself. The reason is, that unbelief is a testimony of a bad conscience; and hence it is evident that it is their own wickedness which hinders unbelievers from approaching to Christ.
And this is precisely why new birth is essential: Not only are you dead…but you also live in the dark. And hate the light. The light that exposes your sin.
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:19-21
Jesus’ purpose was never to condemn the world. We do that ourselves when we reject Christ. Jesus’ purpose was to save the world.
He came to bring the gift of new birth. He came to invite you to join God’s family–to go from being a child of wrath to a child of God–initiated by repentance.
In the end, new birth brings about a conviction of moral poverty. It opens our eyes to see we are miserable and destitute of all power of doing good. And it brings about a rushing to the grace of God.
So, since we live in and love the dark, let’s learn that we can’t judge our works by any other standard than the light of the gospel. There’s just no other way.
A Portrait of God as Judge
**Part of The Nature of God series.**
When Ben Stein asked Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins what he’d say to God if given the opportunity–as seen in the movie Expelled–Dawkins, quoting 20th Century philosopher Bertrand Russell, replied: “I’ll ask why did he hide so well.”
At some other time and place atheist Dan Barker said: “If I face God on Judgment Day, I will tell Him to go to hell.”
More common objections to God…but no less accusatory…sound like this: “You have not done enough” or “One way to salvation is not enough.”
These objections accuse God of being narrow minded. Exclusive. Harsh.
Or, as in Barker’s case, make him out to be a laughable caricature: God as a puny man leaning away from his fury.
Finally, some people will simply plead by saying, “If I’m found guilty before God, I’ll ask him to forgive me. He’s a loving, forgiving God.”
The Problem with Statements Like These
Implicit in all these comments is the idea that God would somehow standby and allow someone to speak. Furthermore, that when in the face of God they’d EVEN be able to speak.
See, the Bible unmistakably describes God as a judge. A judge who is to be respected and feared.
In the Old Testament, God judged Adam and Eve, the corrupt world of Noah’s day, Sodom and Gomorrah, Israel’s Egyptian taskmasters and those who worshiped the golden calf.
God also judged Nadab and Abihu for illegal fire, Korah, Dathan and Abiram for rising up against Moses, Acah for sacrilegious thieving and Nebuchadnezzar and his son Belshazzar for their impiety.
Judgment Not Isolated to Old Testament
In the New Testament, judgment falls on the Jews for rejecting Christ, on Ananias and Sapphira for lying to God, on Herod for his pride, on Elymas the magician for his opposition to the gospel.
God even brought judgment on the Christians at Corinth.
The thought throughout all these Scriptures is that the Mosaic Law is handed down by a just judge who will not hesitate to swiftly, supernaturally and sovereignly punish people who break his law.
The picture of God as an incorruptible, righteous, omnipotent judge couldn’t be more clear.
So, if that’s the case, then why do so many believers and non believers fight the thought of God as a judge to be feared? Good question.
Martin Luther said:
God is called a fire because he utterly destroys the godless and leaves them nothing; nor is there anything that can resist his wrath….The wrath of God is real, not fictitious, not a jest. If it were false, then mercy would be fictitious; for as the wrath, so the mercy which forgives…Christ most assuredly took upon Himself the wrath of God and bore it for us….God punishes in a two-fold manner. In the first place, he does so in grace, as a benevolent father; and the chastisement is temporal. In the second place, He punishes in wrath as a strict judge; and this punishment is eternal.
J I Packer said, “The entire New Testament is overshadowed by the certainty of a coming day of universal judgement and by the problem thence arising: How may sinners get right with God while there is yet time.”
In other words, the Christian view of judgment means that history moves to a goal.
The Essence of Jesus as the Judge
Not only does the New Testament look on to the Day of judgment, the day of wrath, the wrath to come, but it also proclaims Jesus, the divine Savior, as the divinely appointed Judge.
Therefore, the New Testament main authority of final judgment is Jesus Christ.
And He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. John 5:27
Jesus constantly affirmed that in the day when all appear before God’s throne to receive the abiding and eternal consequences of the life they have lived, he himself will be the father’s agent in judgement and his word of acceptance or rejection will be decisive.
In fact, the Gospels of Jesus Christ spend a good deal more space preaching judgment than they do predicting the Messiah and his kingdom.
Consider John 9:39:
And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”
This is a spiritual statement. A moral statement. A statement not to be confused with physical healing.
It’s only appropriate that these are spiritual and moral statements, because the Jesus of the New Testament, who is the wold’s judge, is indeed, the world’s Savior, someone who will come to heal our lawlessness.
Think about it: Who could be a better Savior other than the judge and the executioner?
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