IS IT RIGHT TO JUDGE? THE PERILS OF NOT JUDGING

IS IT RIGHT TO JUDGE? THE PERILS OF NOT JUDGING

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Leviticus [NLT] 10:1-7 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. So fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said, ‘I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people.’” And Aaron was silent. Then Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, Aaron’s cousins, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel. He said to them, “Come forward and carry away the bodies of your relatives from in front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” So they came forward and picked them up by their garments and carried them out of the camp, just as Moses had commanded. Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombed or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the Lord’s anger will strike the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn because of the Lord’s fiery destruction of Nadab and Abihu. But you must not leave the entrance of the Tabernacle[b] or you will die, for you have been anointed with the Lord’s anointing oil.” So they did as Moses commanded.

1 Corinthians [NLT] 11:28-31 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.

  Construction without consideration of original quality and later maintenance issues makes for disastrous results. Beginning with problem(s), a building deteriorates seriously through stresses, corrosion, and erosion.

  This is just as true spiritually for Christian individually and the congregant church.

  At hand, we have the perfect construction and maintenance plan, God’s schematic, His Word living (Jn.1:1) and written (Jn.17:17; 1Thes.2:13). To neglect, not reference, or trivialize sacred direction of self, brethren, or worldview is perilous.

  Without congregant judgment a church may lose its place as a spiritual powerhouse and become no more than a benevolent social ministry (Rev.2:18-23), or worse (Rev.2:5).

  Without personal examination of self we suffer not just loss of God’s support, but He resists us (Jam.4:4-10), or worse (Heb.10:31).

  Think not construction or maintenance faults are always readily recognized. Even undisciplined children can be happy . . . for awhile.

  I confess that in my flesh I cringe at examination of self or the local church. But I know I must, howbeit reluctantly, judge, for it too is part and parcel of discipleship.  EBB4