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JUDGING SIN (part 1)
Dear saints,
I often use the term ’saints’, as the Apostle Paul often did, because that is what we are called to be.
Appearing over 100 times in the Scripture, the word "saint" means "a godly one", "a holy one", The Greek term Hagios "fundamentally signifies separated, and hence, in Scripture in its moral and spiritual significance, separated from sin and therefore consecrated to God, sacred." (Strongs)
Separated from sin. Not living in it, and believing that somehow God doesn’t see our sin because we call ourselves "Christian."
"Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you."
I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the LORD Almighty."
- 2 Cor 6:17-18
"come out...", "be separate", "touch not the unclean thing." If we do these things, we who name the Name of Christ, then we can claim the promise... then God will receive us as His sons & daughters. For then we are truly saints in His sight.
And not only saints, for He also is looking for priests who will rule with Him on the earth. (Rev 1:6, Rev 5:10) And of God’s priests it will be as it was with the Levites whom He chose even out of His people to be His voice, and His judgment.
"Moreover, they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."
- Eze 44:23
Oh, how we’ve strayed from the Path, how we’ve blocked our ears from hearing the Truth.
"For this is a rebellious people, false sons,
Sons who refuse to listen
To the instruction of the LORD;
Who say to the seers, "You must not see visions";
And to the prophets, "You must not prophesy to us what is right,
Speak to us pleasant words,
Prophesy illusions.
"Get out of the way, turn aside from the path,
Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel."
- Isaiah 30:9-11
The God preached from many pulpits across this nation each week, is not the God of the Bible. The "Holy One of Israel" has been forsaken for a God who is more like a politically correct, Santa Claus in the sky who changes with the times, and is begging people to accept His Son, so He can cover them with eternal forgiveness even though they continue to sin.
No, God has not changed. God, Himself, is separated from sin. Sin will never dwell in His Presence, lest it, and those in whom it rests, be consumed, "for our God is a consuming fire." (Heb 12:29)
The question to God’s people is this ~
"Who among us can live with the consuming fire?
Who among us can live with continual burning?"
Contrary to much current teaching, the Truth of God’s Word is this~
"He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity,
He who rejects unjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil."
- Isaiah 33:14b-15
Brothers & sisters, if we are to live with the consuming fire, the Holy One of Israel, then we must learn to discern good from evil. And we must judge.
I began writing on the topic of judging as it seems to have become a hot topic lately. Professing Christians, who get involved in fornication, substance abuse, pornography, and even homosexuality make excuses for their actions saying ’everyone sins’, ’God sees me through Christ’, or claiming that the Bible says we are never to judge. Recently I read a thread in a Christian forum with a topic on judging where the majority of those who posted were taking a stance that it doesn’t matter if we live in a sinful lifestyle, as long as we say we believe in Jesus. One response said, in effect, that we should never judge anyone, and that if we say we are following God and loving Him, then that’s all that matters. How we behave doesn’t really matter, because we all sin.
hmmm....
According to the Bible... It is obedience that matters. Obedience to God. Proven by our adherence to His commands to us. If we are truly following God and loving God with all that we are, then we will judge rightly against the sin in our own lives, and also against sin within the body of Christ.
I’m truly amazed that the Christian church, as a whole, has ceased from obeying the commandments of our Lord, and the charge of Jesus and the Apostles to judge with righteous judgment... all because they are afraid of hurting the feelings of others.
Let me ask...
Are we really showing love to someone when we don’t share with them about the eternal consequences of what they are doing because we don’t want to hurt their feelings??
If we have a little child who we see is doing something that they think is fun or harmless, but that will hurt or may even kill them, if they continue doing it... do we hesitate to yell out to them to STOP, because we are afraid that their feelings might be hurt? Do we not tell them the truth, because we’re afraid they might not like us anymore?? Of course not, that would be ludicrous. Their life is far more important than their feelings.
Likewise, when we see spiritually immature people in the churches engaging in activities that are abominable to God, and we know that if they continue in them they will suffer spiritually and possibly even face eternal separation from God... do we hesitate to yell out to them to STOP, because we are afraid to hurt their feelings? Do we not tell them the Truth, because we’re afraid it might drive them out of the church?? Are their feelings really more important than their life?? How about their chance at Eternal Life??
When we truly love people, we tell them the Truth. Sometimes, in fact often, things that will bring us Eternal Life, are going to be painful, or discomforting, to our human nature.
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."
- Prov 27:6
When we see someone we love (or more importantly - God loves) in bondage to sin, do we coddle them which only enables them to sin more, or do we faithfully wound their selfish Adamic nature in order to bring them spiritual Life, enabling them to be set free from that bondage. Jesus never enabled anyone to remain in their sin. He didn’t then, doesn’t now, and never will tolerate sin. When He forgave the woman caught in adultery, Jesus told her - "Go, and from now on do not sin any more." (John 8:11) After healing a lame man, our Savior told him - "Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." (John 5:14)
Paul knew this well, and admonished believers even then who were mis-interpreting the Gospel message of forgiveness and grace, writing to the Christian church - "Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God I speak this to your shame." (1 Cor 15:34)
God will never allow sin into His Kingdom. Contrary to public opinion - Tolerance is NOT a Biblical principal.
One of the purposes of the body of Christ is to make us judges. Righteous judges. (see Is 1:26, 1 Cor 6:2 Matt 19:28) We are never to tolerate sinful behavior in ourselves, or in the church. The Scripture is undeniably clear on this. The Apostle Paul addressed this when he rebuked the Christian church in Corinth for not dealing righteously with a sexually immoral man in their congregation. And in his letter, he addresses also the difference between judging those outside the church, who have not yet come to Christ, and those in the church, who have called on the Name of the Lord, and received initial salvation -
"I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ’Expel the wicked man from among you.’"
- 1 Cor 5:9-13
We are to exercise righteous judgment. Especially those who are in positions of leadership, or as we have opportunity to minister Truth to our brothers & sisters in Christ. When God spoke to Ezekiel, addressing him with the same name the Lord Jesus would use to describe Himself, He told him to warn - not the sinners in the world - but the sinners in the family of God. (Which is where judgment begins - 1 Pet 4:15-19)
"So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul."
- Eze 33:7
I’ve often heard (far too often) the phrase - "Hate the sin, but love the sinner". Dear saints, it’s not in the Bible. And any application it might have is the attitude we should have toward those in the world who do not yet know the Truth. Sadly, I usually hear it used to excuse wicked behavior among those who call themselves ’Christian.’ But, the Truth is, Christ will not only remove all sin and offenses from His Eternal Kingdom when He returns, but also all those "who practice (or commit) lawlessness", or "who do evil" (Matt 13:41) Sexual immorality, pornography, murder, hate, lying, stealing, covetousness... these have no part in the Kingdom of God and of Christ. If we choose to allow these things to be a part of our lives, then as those "who do evil", we too will be barred from His Kingdom. Grace and mercy will not work in that Day. God would be defiling His own Kingdom if He were to allow any sin to enter in.
The Lord is bringing judgment against the modern Christian church today for their tolerance of, and in some cases encouragement of, sinful behavior. The Scripture gives stern warning to those in the church who engage in activities and lifestyles that God has condemned (including all sex outside of the man-woman marriage covenant). By the Spirit of God, Paul judges these harshly because they who know "the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them." (Rom 1:32)
The commission to the church was, and still is to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matt 28:19-20)
Since then, countless have been baptized, and forgiven of their past sins, but precious few have actually become disciples who are being taught to obey all that Jesus commanded. Yes, great strides have been made in the advancement of the Gospel (at least in part) these last few decades, but along with that has been a steep decline in morality all over the world, and a passive attitude toward sin among Christians. Entire doctrines have been developed which make excuse for sin, and separate anyone who has "made a profession of Christ" from being accountable for behaviors that God condemns. These are the doctrines of man, not God.(Is 29:13, Mark 7:6-7)
"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: ’I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.
But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds."
- Rev 2:18-23
"Unless they repent..." Pretty harsh words from our loving, gentle, shepherd Jesus. But it is He who uttered them. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, whose sword is in His hand, whose eyes are like fire, whose judgments are righteous and true... He spoke them, And they are True. And for our time. Indeed each one of us will give an account for our deeds. By our works we shall be rewarded, and by our works we shall be condemned. (John 5:28-29, Matt 16:27, Rom 14:12, 2 Cor 5:10)
Honestly, the unScriptural doctrines being ’taught’ in so many churches today... "God doesn’t see our sin, because He sees us through Christ"... " We can never be worthy"... "God only gave us His commandments to show us we couldn’t keep them, so we would need a Savior"... "Jesus did it all, and there is nothing righteous I can do"... These are the complete opposite of God’s Word.
As we continue this study, we’ll take a look at what God’s Word says concerning these doctrines.
God’s wisdom and understanding to all,
Michael
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