Speaker: Dave Nelson

Theme: Judging Others

Weekend Music links on iTunes: Happy Day by Tim Hughes; The Time Has Come by Hillsong; Let God Arise by Chris Tomlin; The Stand by Hillsong.

Read:  I Corinthians 5:12-6:6; Romans 2:1-4

Think:  God’s judgment is based on Truth.  Upon what do I base my judgments?  Truth as I see it?  Truth filtered through my sinful mind?  Truth as defined by the situation?

I believe we have over quoted Matt. 7:1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged,” while under acting upon II Timothy 4:2 ,”Preach the Word; be prepared in season an out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage---with great patience and careful instruction.”

We are told to judge those inside the church; the purpose being to destroy the sinful nature while saving the spirit.  The motivation here is love from a pure heart.  When was the last time you felt compelled to act based on such honorable motives?  It is very difficult to speak up and confront others.  It is the unusual person who can confidently and wisely judge a fellow believer.  I believe that every one of us has faced a situation where we felt we had to speak up, but because of fear, guilt, insecurity, or some other emotion we remained quiet.  Unfortunately our silence may be taken as approval.

How can we develop the ability to judge one another wisely?  We live in a society that has moved so far into acceptance of all things, at all times, in all places, that tolerance has become the most highly respected virtue.  Truth has become perceived as fluctuating beliefs that flex with situations, feelings, and circumstances.  We are still asking Pilate’s question, what is Truth? Webster’s Dictionary defines truth as “conformity with fact, reality, actual existence; accuracy; an established fact.”

May we be faithful and obedient to judge one another as commanded by God, with His wisdom and His motives.

Do:  Most actions are preceded by strong feelings. Let us be people who take time to think before acting out our feelings.  A few minutes of silence and reflection may prevent possible regret and result in a life time of peace. 

Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being Truth. May we know you so well that our minds will filter our thoughts so we too will judge based on Truth. Remind us, “It is God’s kindness that leads us toward repentance.”  (Rom. 2:4)  AMEN     

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

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