Matthew 7:1-12 "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye ? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye ? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone ? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent ? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your FATHER which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask HIM ? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the Law and the Prophets."
The notion that the Bible categorically forbids the Christian from judging is an outright denial of the plain teaching of the whole of Scripture. Yet time and time again we hear both the saved and unsaved alike parrot the command in today's text, "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (v.1 pictured above); when they are confronted with Scriptural examination and reproof. But does our text for today forbid judging ? Absolutely not ! In fact, it requires judging and explains how it is to be accomplished.
Hypocritical judgment - not Biblical discernment - is the issue in today's text. One cannot possibly be of help in pointing out the wrongdoing of others if he, himself, is guilty of an improper walk with GOD. The one referred to in our text cannot effectively deal with the speck in another's eye when a beam is lodged in his own eye (v.4 pictured above). The same principle is in effect, for example, when a believer attends a compromised church and yet urges a fellow Christian to separate from an unbiblical ministry, fellowship, or relationship. We need to remove the log in our own eye before we can effectively and consistently warn another. We must be willing to apply GOD's divine standard to ourselves just as readily as we do to other people. The LORD commands us to test, or to judge, by HIS WORD all that pertains to our Christian walk, witness, and associations. We are accountable to GOD for how we personally implement the WORD (by discerning and doing what is according to the Bible), and we certainly are not to accommodate those who trample it underfoot. Spineless conciliation is not a Christian virtue ! The good soldier of JESUS CHRIST must be vigilant, valiant, and faithful in the battle for truth DWC
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Copyright, FEATURE: A Daily Bible Study.
Used with permission. www.featoday.org
https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation
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