JUDGE ME?

JUDGE ME?

Monday, October 31, 2016

Proverbs [ESV] 27:17-19 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored. As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

John 5:30 [Jesus declared] "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

2Timothy 3:12-17 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2Timothy 4:1-5 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: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

  Is it ever right to judge? Should people judge me? Should I judge others?

  Reflecting on the Word, the answer lies in motive:

·         Ego, to wickedly elevate self in one’s own eyes. Wrong. No!

·         Condemnation. Unless in official capacity requiring, wrong. No!

·         To, as a leadership style, manipulate person or group. Wrong. No!

·         In Christ-like manner, as the Father would have us also to do, to compassionately evaluate needs of person or group. Correct. Yes!

  Please do judge me in the latter manner so as to edify, education, support, comfort , encouraging to  glorify God.

  Any salt and light pastor or elder judges needs and acts accordingly as did Jesus, the apostles, followers (disciples) of Christ. If not doing so they may be on the dung heap of those evilly responding to itching ears, the maddening crowd looking to suit their own passions.

EBB4

For the record: An elder as such may not be older. Paul explained this to young Timothy. (1Tim.4:12) I personally benefit from elders many decades younger than me.