Matthew 7:24-29 A Tale of Two Hearers Part II

When we were examining this passage in the pervious post, we noted that there were two people who had the same privilege of hearing Christ teach. One of these people acted on what they heard—the other one ignored what he heard. Other than being pronounced by the Lord of Heaven and Earth as being “wise” or “foolish”, what effect did their response have on their lives? What did Jesus say here will be the result of their action or inaction in response to His words?

First of all, these men, who in this parable are builders, both built a house but they used very different foundations. I think we can probably take the building of a house to building or living our lives. At least, that seems to be the point Jesus is making. The wise man, who heard His words and acted on them, has found a firm foundation to build on because Jesus’ words are truthful and sure. Jesus says this man, the one who obeys what he has heard from the Lord, builds his house on a rock. His foundation is sturdy, level, and cannot be easily moved. Someone who places their trust in Christ and obeys His word will, therefore, have a sure footing.

Not so for the man who rejected the words of the Lord. The foundation he builds upon is sand. Have you ever tried to run in sand? It is hard to get a solid foothold. It’s easy to slip or sink because the sand cannot support your weight and shifts with the slightest movement. This instability is a reflection of the type of foundation one has in their life if they try to live by any standard other than that of Christ. They never have a sure footing as they walk through this world. Further, they have no way to stand up to the storms and trials of life.

Rest assured, my friends, those storms are coming. There is no way I could have gone through the things that I have gone through unless God had been with me. From joblessness to problems with my health and financial worries, I have learned that I can trust in God no matter how bad things get. I have found him to be a strong foundation for my house in the times of the storm. No matter what I go through, I can trust that God will provide for me and that my house will not fall, as Jesus says, because my house is built on His word.

In contrast, those who don’t trust in Christ and have rejected His word will see just how solid that sand is when the storms come. When the winds blow and the rains come, there will be nothing there to support the walls of the house. The sandy foundation will wash away and the house, as Jesus says in verse 27, will fall. Even if a non-believer is able to endure the tragedies of this life they will perish forever without Christ. That, my friends, is a fall you can’t recover from.

As we come to a close on this passage and on the Sermon on the Mount as a whole, I would ask that you observe with me the response of the crowd. Notice that they were astonished. Matthew records they were “amazed at His teaching”—but not just at the substance of it, which was awesome in its own right. They recognized His “authority”. The Scribes and Pharisees taught from authority. They had been to school, studied hard, and had been given authority. Jesus taught with authority. His authority was His because it was part of His nature as the divine Son of God. The question I would ask you to ponder today is this—have you submitted to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ? These people recognized it. Do you?

Matthew 7: 24-29 A Tale of Two Hearers Part I

What does saving faith look like? I mean, is it possible to tell just by looking if someone is saved or not? Probably not entirely. However, I submit to you that in this passage which culminates this masterful sermon that is recorded in Matthew that Jesus gives us a glimpse into something we will see in saving faith—obedience. If someone claims to be a Christian but doesn’t live like Jesus called Christians to live, there is a disconnect between that person’s claim and reality. There is an even greater problem for such a person—their lack of a foundation, as we will see in these verses. However, if perhaps you’ve just stumbled upon this blog let me assure you that these verses present a clear choice that you must make. This choice will have consequences in this present life, but more importantly, in eternity.

First of all, observe with me that there is an audience of two described in this passage. Verses 24 and 26 both say “everyone who hears these words of mine”. Both these people have the same opportunity. They both get to hear the message of the gospel. The fork in the road presented in verse 13 of this chapter is set before these two hypothetical people. They, like you and I, have a choice to make. What will our response to the message of the gospel be?

We observe next the actions of these two people. Jesus says in verse 24 one of these people hears what He has to say and “acts”. The gospel call is a call to action. We have to make a decision—do we obey the truth? Do we follow where Christ leads? If He is really our Savior He will also be our Lord. In His divinely inspired, inerrant word He has given us everything we need to know to live a life pleasing to Him. When we hear His word, our response should be to act. The other character in our story, in contrast, “does not act” on the words of Christ. The passage doesn’t tell us why. We do know that the actions of these two people demonstrate radically different responses to the gospel. One man acted on what he heard while the other let the words go in one ear and out the other.

Jesus goes on to give us the analysis of these two people. The one who heard what Jesus said and acted on it is called “wise”. He made the most of his opportunity. The words of Christ showed him his need and he took advantage of the message. He put into practice what he heard and it benefited him. The one who rejected the gospel—he is called “foolish”. Here was the message that answered every question that needed an answer. He was the water of life that satisfies the thirsty soul. This person had the same opportunity and squandered it. Instead of listening to the message and making the most of the opportunity, this person elected to squander his good fortune and reject the only thing that could save him.

However, as we will read next time, these two people are further contrasted by our Lord. There are consequences for their rejection of the truth.

Matthew 7:22-23 Not So Fast, My Friend

My family and I love the movie Cars. For the three of you who haven’t seen it (smile), the movie begins with a race. The race ends with an exciting photo finish. The main characters wait for the results to be announced after the replay is reviewed. Finally, the main character, Lightning McQueen, hears the announcement that begins “For the first time in racing history…” which he finishes “…a rookie has won the Piston Cup” because he was a rookie and assumed he had won. He dashes through the curtain as the announcer finishes the announcement “…we have a three way tie.” Needless to say he was pretty embarrassed. As Jesus says in these verses, there are going to be some surprised individuals on judgment day just as Lightning McQueen was at the announcement that they, too, have lost the race.

Their failure, however, will not come from a lack of effort. First of all, they use the right language. Their proclamation appears sincere. These false brethren call Him “Lord”. They profess the same thing that you and I profess, folks, that Jesus is the Sovereign King. And they’re making this proclamation in the right setting—“that day”—the day of judgment. So we can picture in our mind’s eye this crowd of people (“many”) standing before the Lord as He prepares to judge people. That these false sheep can stand in the presence of Christ and boldly proclaim Him to be their Lord demonstrates either brazen arrogance or pathetic self deception. I’m not sure which is worse.

However, in their mind, they have a track record that proves their claim. These people have been on fire for God, at least according to themselves. They have spoken God’s word to people (“prophesy”). Furthermore, they dealt in spiritual warfare (“cast out demons”). Finally, they have displayed God’s power in visible ways (“perform many miracles”). These people have been busy—busier than your average Joe Church-goer I would wager. Then, to top it off, as they make the point of repeating three different times, they did all these things “in Your name”. In other words, they claim to have been pure in their motivations. Their activity, which was obviously very zealous, was done in His authority. What presumptive arrogance we see from these people as they stand before Almighty God.

However, the Judge of all the earth will judge rightly. Jesus says that He will pronounce their doom. Possibly, this multitude has fooled a great many people, maybe even themselves, but they won’t pull the wool over this Lamb’s eyes. First of all, Jesus denies their claim that they acted in His name. He says that He will tell them “I never knew you” meaning they had no relationship with Him. They claimed they did what they did in the name of Christ but they did not know Christ because He did not know them. Further, He will cast them out from His presence. He gives the command for them to “Depart” which is in the present tense so you could say “Depart and keep on departing”. Get as far out of my sight as you can and then keep going. These wicked people who have claimed to speak for God when in fact they did not will be rejected totally and driven from His presence. Finally, He identifies their character. These people claimed to be so active on behalf of our Savior. They claimed to be so pious and pure in their motives. However, as we see, Jesus knowing their hearts declares them to be people “who practice lawlessness”. Truth be told, they might have claimed to be serving God but they were not. These people pretended to be Christians but their act wasn’t good enough to fool the almighty Judge. In the end, they will get what is coming to them.

The saddest part of these verses is that these people truly believed they were saved. They were deluded or had deluded themselves. Activity is not proof of salvation. We should take this as a sobering reminder that we must always examine ourselves—that it is a healthy thing to evaluate our relationship with Christ. The consequences of not doing so are eternal and soul damning.

Matthew 7:21 I’m (Not) In With The “In-Crowd”

I was talking to a friend of mine in our church youth group when we were on a mission trip one time. I asked him what his testimony was. I had just come to faith in Christ less than a year before that and I was really interested to hear how others came to faith in Christ. I remember my friend saying “Oh, I’ve been a Christians forever. My mom and dad are real strong in the Lord.” I didn’t say anything (but I should have—stupid pride) but I thought to myself “Is that really what he thinks makes him right with God—his parent’s relationship with Christ?” If that was the case, of course, he was as lost as a goose in a snow storm. I haven’t seen him in 20 years or so. I hope he did profess saving faith in Christ. If not, he will be like those who are the subject of Jesus’ pronouncement in the 21st verse of this chapter-someone who had deceived himself and will suffer the consequences.

First of all, notice with me that there are two divisions of people in this verse. There is, as Jesus paints the picture, a group of people standing and making a declaration. You can imagine a huge crowd of people and they’re all saying the same thing—“Lord, Lord”. However, within this group of people there are really two groups. Those who are really saved and know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and those who are simply saying “Lord, Lord” with no such relationship. You can’t tell by looking. You can’t even tell by listening. Jesus says “Not everyone”—in other words, there are some in the group who are not part of the group. These are the tares among the wheat (Matthew 13:27). As we look over the world and see and hear people profess faith in Christ we can’t ultimately truly know whether a profession of faith is genuine. However, Christ does know the division between those who are His and those who are not.

We also see two declarations in this verse. There are those who proclaim “Lord, Lord” with their lips and their life. The claim of faith is sincere. For them to call Christ their Lord is not just a matter of air passing over their vocal chords with their lips, tongue, and teeth coming together to form sounds. It is an expression of a heartfelt faith that has transformed their lives in a real way. In contrast, there are those (“Not everyone”) who go about saying (“says”-present tense which means this is something they are doing constantly) “Lord, Lord” but they don’t mean it. Or perhaps they think they mean it but have deceived themselves with activity, piety, or they have been deceived with a false gospel. In short, they make the declaration that Jesus is their Lord but it just “ain’t so”.

We also see two destinations that Jesus mentions—well one mentioned, the other implied. At the end of time, when God brings this universe to a close and brings in a new heaven and new earth, the redeemed from across the ages will come to live in a place so glorious, so majestic, as to defy human comprehension. We read a description in Revelation chapter 21 of the beauty of the heavenly home of those whom God has graciously saved. There will be no death, no crying, no pain, and no sin. However, “Not everyone…will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Well, if they’re not going there, what does that tell us? I mean, they’ve got to go somewhere, right? Jesus mentions heaven but the other location is implied—hell. Those who don’t go to heaven will be tormented forever in a lake of fire. Eternally conscious of their suffering, their punishment will go on throughout eternity. Although it sounds like a cheesy bumper sticker the fact is there are two destinations for eternity—smoking or non-smoking.

The key feature that those who enter heaven will have in common is their deportment (n.- the manner in which one conducts oneself). Jesus says those who enter heaven will be the one who “does the will of My Father who is in heaven”. Now, what is this “will” and how do I do it. Because, obviously, if I want to be in heaven I need to be busy doing that. Where can I go? How much should I give? If we read further in the immediate context of this verse, we see that it can’t just be religious activity. The people in the next verse, perhaps some of the very same Not Everyone’s mentioned in this verse, will be bragging about their religious activity for naught. I believe God’s will, in this case, would be best described in the passage from John 6:40—“"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." God’s will, in this case, indicates the means of salvation—saving faith in Jesus Christ. This saving faith, like a seed planted in the ground, will produce fruit (good works). But true good fruit does not come out of nowhere or nothing—it comes from a seed planted by the Master Gardener.

As we have seen thus far beginning with Jesus’ illustration of two roads, we see Jesus moving His audience to a point of decision. There really is no two ways about it. Every person must decide if they are going to follow Christ or follow anything else. As we have seen here, to choose to reject Christ or pay lip service to His Lordship is to accept dire consequences of eternal torment in hell.

Matthew 7:16-20 If It Walks Like A Duck…

As an auditor, I have to get 80 hours of continuing professional education every two years. Now, some of these are about as interesting as watching paint dry (Two words—GASB Updates. Trust me, it’s as boring as it sounds.) However, some of the fraud related classes I have had have been most interesting, particularly those related to interviewing. In those classes, the instructor gives examples of how to observe things to notice when a person is being deceptive. You see, you can hide some things but you can’t hide everything from someone who is willing to pay attention to what they see and hear. Jesus makes this same point related to false teachers. You can, as the saying goes, fool some of the people some of the time. However, these false teachers can’t fool God ever. By paying attention to their lives and their words, we can keep ourselves safe from false teachers and their destructive doctrine.

First of all, notice that Jesus states in verse 16 and 17 His thesis—this is the central point that He is making in these verses. He states in verse 16, first of all, the comforting fact that you and I “will know them”. In other words, if we are observant and pay attention to a man, what he says, and how he lives, we can know if what he’s saying is from God and if he is actually a true prophet by applying biblical discernment. Jesus uses the analogy between plants and their fruits to symbolize what he is talking about. Just as fruit bearing plants produce what they produce naturally, a persons words and actions are the natural outgrowth of what is on the inside of them. The fruit that is produced identifies the plant just as the teachings, words, and actions of a person identify the kind of person he really is in his heart. With this as a foundation, Jesus builds His thesis—“Every good tree bears good fruit but the bad tree bears bad fruit”. This simple, matter of fact statement reminds us as it reminded his listeners that the kind of spiritual transformation that is brought about by the Holy Spirit in the life of someone who is truly converted is something that is evident. You can tell an apple tree is an apple tree because, well, it has apples

However, someone might make the point “Well, aren’t there exceptions to every rule.” Could it be possible that a person might be falsely labeled a false prophet? Notice here, though, that Jesus doesn’t just make the statement that good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit. He states it negatively, thereby eliminating the possibility that someone could claim an exception. In verse 18, He states that it is not possible for a good tree to produce bad fruit or a bad tree to be found with good fruit hanging from its limbs. Therefore, the type of fruit produced is exclusive to the tree. This, of course, makes perfect sense given the point Jesus is making. Even if a man preaches bible exposition, taking years to go through a book, adheres to what appears to be sound biblical theology, if that man shows himself to be a false prophet through greed and a lack of integrity, the “fruit” he is producing will not have eternal benefit. It mike look like good, wholesome fruit on the outside but on the inside it will be rotten. Just as good trees are only capable of producing good fruit, bad trees can only produce bad fruit.

So, Jesus has stated in these verses not only his thesis but also the antithesis of His point. As we read verse 19 we find a terrifying picture of the torment awaiting these deceivers who lead others astray. Their doom is sure and even though it has not come today, you can be sure it will come. Jesus says the ultimate end of these bad trees that cannot produce good fruit but only produce bad fruit is that they are “thrown into the fire”. Now, sometimes in scripture fire is used to represent a purifying of something—like smelting an ore to refine it. However, that’s not what happens with wood. When you throw wood onto a fire, it is destroyed—burned up. It is reduced to ashes. These false teachers proudly stand in pulpits and mock God with their prideful words but one day they’re going to get what’s coming to them. As wood in a fire has nothing that can protect it from the flames, so these people will burn forever in a lake of fire, tormented for all eternity for their lies.

You and I can take comfort, however, that Jesus has promised in verse 20 that we “will know them by their fruits”. These men who refuse to be accountable and set themselves up as kings over their little kingdom depend on people who are willing to check their brains at the door. They prosper when people refuse to apply biblical discernment to examine them and their lives. However, Christians should apply such discernment in order to be good stewards of the faith and defend it from false teachers.

Mathew 7:15 Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf

It is important for all Christians to always be on guard for false teaching. We need to be Bereans and constantly test all things against the truth of God’s word. And praise God that He gave us a written word that never changes so that we always have a plumb line to measure what people teach against. As Peter warns us in II Peter chapter 2, false teachers are going to come, not from without the church (which could happen), but from within—from among folks who call themselves Christians. How should believers guard themselves against false teachers and false teaching? Jesus, in this verse, gives us some practical guidance as to what our mindset should be as we interact with people who claim to teach God’s word.

First of all, we need an attitude of vigilance. Jesus tells His audience to “Beware of the false prophets”. The word “beware” was used literally to mean “bring near” and was used to describe anchoring a ship in a harbor. In this sense, it figuratively meant to pay close attention to something or constantly call something to mind. Jesus’ point, then, is that we need to always be watching out for those who claim to be speaking for God but are not in fact speaking for God. As opposed to true prophets, who preach the truth of scripture faithfully, these “false prophets” speak out of their own imaginations. Their words are empty and lead to destruction (II Peter 2:17) as opposed to the words that lead to eternal life that a preached by true prophets, apostles, and, today, preachers of the word of God. In fact, though it is not explicitly stated here, there is a contrast between these “false prophets” and true prophets and we can safely assume that everything that Christ says about false prophets is not true about faithful, honorable prophets who preach the word of God faithfully. In any case, our attitude should be one of constant vigilance. We need to perpetually be being aware.

Christ gives further instructions on how to identify these false prophets in the subsequent verses saying that we will know them by their fruits. However, we will also know them by the disparity between what they profess and what they are. You can take a dog, wash him, put a new collar on him, and get him as clean as fresh snow. However, as soon as you’re done, that dog will invariably go “woller” in some pile of something and get all dirty again. They will not stay clean for long. They can’t hide their true nature forever—eventually it will show. In just the same way, these false teachers, if you look long enough will show their true colors. They will come at first playing the part of a true shepherd wearing “sheep’s clothing”. They will present themselves as a man of God who seeks to faithfully teach God’s word. From the outside, they look innocent and harmless, like a sheep. People will notice their humility and laud their faithfulness in teaching the truth of scripture. However, it’s all an act.

Their inward character will eventually shine through and if you’re looking, you’ll see them for what they are—“ravenous wolves”. The word “ravenous” could also be translated “swindlers” (I Corinthians 5:10) and has the idea of someone who snatches what they want without regard for whether they deserve it or not. Or perhaps it’s better to say they believe they deserve it whether they do or not. They have a mindset that says “If I see it and I want it, by golly gum, I’m going to take it so you better not have your hand in my way or you’re going to pull a bloody stump back”. They have a bottomless pit for a stomach and have an endless appetite for stuff—money, possessions, praise, power. When you see someone like that, no matter how well they may have taught or how orthodox their doctrine is, Christ advises us to beware of them. Ultimately, since their “god” is their stomach (desire), they will eventually abandon the truth for convenience sake when it suits them (i.e. when donations are down). Their convictions are only strong when it is expedient for them to have strong convictions and those shift with the wind. These false prophets are dangerous and greedy, seeking only to fleece the sheep and enrich themselves.

False prophets did come to the early church. False prophets are still among us today. I recently had to pull my family out of a church that we attended for 3 years because I discovered the avarice of the senior pastor and his lack of integrity. It was a hard decision to make but it was the right one. It is important for us to examine the doctrine and the character of teachers in the church. They are to be held to a high standard. True, godly, teachers of the bible should be honored. We should beware of false teachers because of the damage they can do.

Matthew 7:13-14 Two Roads

One of my favorite poets is Robert Frost. His poem “Two Roads” is really beautiful and in my opinion deeply profound. As we live our lives we make choices and those choices have consequences. Now, some of those choices are pretty mundane and immaterial—Do I wear a bow-tie to work or not? The consequence to that might be that I look like a geek. However, some choices we make have eternal consequences. Jesus, in these last verses, makes plain from the imagery He uses that He has presented His audience with a choice. Will they follow God, recognizing their spiritual bankruptcy and desperately cry out for the righteousness that only comes from faith or will they try the Pharisees brand of “do it yourself” religion and try to make it to God on their own terms.

The scenario couldn’t be more clearly marked out than the choices Christ lays out in these verses. There is a “narrow gate” and a “wide gate”. Christ commands His listeners to enter by the narrow gate. The path to salvation through faith in Christ is narrow. Now matter how many people want to be ecumenical and open minded about how a person can get saved by claiming “It doesn’t matter what you believe”, Christ declares the way to salvation to be narrow. It is narrow because there is one God, one Savior, one Way for a person to be right with God, and one gospel. People do not decide what truth is—God has revealed truth in the pages of scripture. Truth, by it’s very nature, is narrow and specific. If something is true, then anything that does not match that truth is by definition false. Since there is only one truth that saves, the way is salvation is very narrow.

In contrast, if one chooses to go on the other road, they will have plenty of company. This gate is “wide” and the way is “broad”. It’s an easier path and a popular one. There are “many who enter through” this gate. If someone wanted to go along with the crowd and be accepted, this would be the way to go but there is a catch. While the road is easy since it is unencumbered by all that sticky doctrine and truth, the final destination is “destruction”. The word “destruction” does not mean annihilation or that the person is going to cease to exist. Rather, it is the same word that is translation “perdition” when speaking of Judas Iscariot—it means “ruin” or “waste”. There is a final destination for those who choose to reject the narrow path offered in the Bible that leads to salvation. It is to be utterly ruined with no hope of recovery. It is a sad state where a person suffers forever and ever with no relief for all eternity. The way looks easy and comfortable. In truth, it is easier and more comfortable than taking up a cross daily to follow Christ and choosing to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. However, the wide road must be rejected. To choose that path has eternal, soul damning consequences.

In contrast, the road that leads to life is “narrow”—there isn’t a lot of wiggle room. This will not be the popular path because there are only a “few who find it”. However, this way leading to life includes days of persecution, grief, testing, ridicule, and mistreatment—and that’s just from the folks who call themselves Christians to say nothing of how the world will react.

However, the choice Christ makes is clear. Choose the easy way. Relax if you want to. Take it easy, friend, and you will seal your eternal doom. If you want to save your life, if you want to follow Christ as a disciple be prepared for a hard road. The perils of the life of faith are not for the faint of heart and they are certainly not for those who refuse to enter eternal life by the only means possible—faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:13-28 Make Your Choice

I used to love Choose Your Own adventure books when I was a kid. For those not familiar with them, they were books that would present a choice for you to make in the book that would affect the story. For instance, they might say something like "If you choose to stay with the princess turn to page 74. If you choose to chase the villain, turn to page 32." You would turn to those pages and continue reading from there. In a very real sense, we're faced with those kind of decisions everyday and the choices we make affect our lives. Of course, we have to consider the providence of God and the fact that He knows the end from the beginning yet somehow we are responsible for the consequences of our choices. As we begin to study this last section of the Sermon on the Mount, I believe it would be a good time for us to consider the choice that Jesus presents here in what is essentially an invitation at the end of this masterful sermon.

Observe, in verse 13 and 14, we see two gates (small/wide) and two ways or paths (broad/narrow). In verses 15 through 20, Jesus says there are two trees and two different kinds of fruits. As we read on in verses 21 through 23, we notice that there are two responses by people to Jesus, those who insincerely call Him "Lord" as opposed to the unmentioned but implied group who are sincere in their affirmation of His Lordship. We see, in verses 24-27, that there are two builders, two houses, and two different results of the storm on the two houses.

Do you get the feeling that Jesus was trying to make a point?

The specifics of each of these situations are worth studying on their own but it is instructive to note that the general theme of this section is that there is a choice to be made and there is not an equal outcome to each of those choices. There is a good and a bad--a right and a wrong and we are responsible for what we choose. You can't escape the fact that being a Christian, choosing to follow Jesus as a disciple, means choose to not follow you own will, ideas, and feelings. In fact, a disciple of Christ denies himself or herself and follows the Lord.

There are not many ways to heaven. There are not many truths. You and I have, in these verses, a choice to make. Shall we be faithful to Him who called us, or try to get to heaven our own way?

Make your choice.

Matthew 7:12 Keeping It Simple

I was a band director for about 5 years. For two of those years, I had a marching band. Now, most band directors will stay up late during band camp writing their drills for the half time show. They’ll try to show how creative and innovative they can be. Many times, the first song will consist of 20 or 30 sets that the kinds have to march to on the field. In any of the shows that I charted, I don’t think we had twenty sets for all 4 songs combined. I had a philosophy called “KISS” which stood for Keep It Simple, Stupid and the “Stupid” was me. Sure, people wrote more complicated and interesting shows but the kids in my bands didn’t have to work nearly as hard and the show was much easier to clean without all of the clutter. In theology, we can get very cluttered sometimes. Does regeneration precede faith? Is the gift of tongues still in operation today? These and other important questions can and should be wrestled with but not at the expense of living as God has called us to live as salt and light in this world. To that end, Jesus gives us very simple, very directed instruction here in this verse that we should all take to heart.

Observe that this teaching in verse 12 is comprehensive. Jesus says “In everything”. He doesn’t say “When at church” or when “When you’re around your friends”. Christians who only behave as Christians when they’re being watched are called hypocrites and rightly so. I was working at a Sears once and a pastor of a local church came in to buy a dryer. He was quite simply very rude to me. I asked him “Aren’t you the pastor of suchandsuch church?” Almost immediately, his demeanor changed. I imagine that you would probably have stories that are similar that you have seen as well. If we are truly new creatures in Christ it should affect every area of our lives. We should live differently. What Jesus has described in the Sermon on the Mount is a supernatural righteousness that can only be explained by the indwelling, transforming power of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus says “In everything, therefore” what He means is “Based on the truths I’ve revealed that a person cannot produce true righteousness themselves but must beg God to transform them, you must realize that the evidence of a transformed life will be total. Since you’re going to be a new creation with a living heart of flesh replacing your dead heart of stone you will live differently all the time. The fruits of this transformation will be evident if you are truly transformed”.

Also, we should take note that what Jesus prescribes here for believers is preemptive. You see, the teachers of the law taught that you should treat people the same way they treated you. In fact, most of us have that as an instinct within us, don’t we? If someone is rude or hateful to us, we naturally want to respond in kind. However, Jesus teaches just the opposite here. He teaches us that we should “treat people the same way [we] want them to treat [us]”. If we want people to be kind and patient with us, then that is how we should treat other people. Children are taught a version of this in elementary school—“To have a friend, be one”. If we are unkind, unloving, and un-Christlike in our dealings with people, not only are we not living as a true witness to the love of God who, despite our sinful heart, is infinitely loving and patient with us, but we also can expect that same kind of treatment from others. Of course, we can expect persecution when we witness for Christ so obviously this doesn’t guarantee that we will be treated well. What it does guarantee is a faithful, consistent Christian witness.

In fact, if we truly wish to live a life pleasing to God, Jesus give us in this verse a simple, easy to remember, way to do so. We don’t have a list of rules that we have to memorize. If we are treating people the way we want them to treat us, we will not sin. In fact, we will be living completely consistent with God’s entire revelation in scripture. Jesus says if we do this, we will be living as revealed in “the Law and the Prophets”—the Old Testament. Of course, since nothing in the New Testament contradicts the Old Testament, our lives will be consistent with that revelation as well. If we live as Jesus called us to in this verse, we won’t violate the commands of God in scripture.

Of course, we know we won’t live that way all the time. We’re going to sin and as Christ has taught in the Sermon on the Mount, God’s demand for perfect righteousness isn’t graded on a curve. What this teaching should do, therefore, is not just inform us as to how we should live but it should also drive us to our knees in repentance when we fail. Thankfully, we serve a God who is merciful and forgives us when we sin.

Matthew 7:9-11 The Perfect Example of a Father

I have an admission that will not surprise anyone who knows me. I am selfish, irritable, grumpy, ill-tempered and difficult to get along with. As such, I really make a lousy father. I want to be good but the fact of the matter is I’m really not—at least, not like my kids deserve. However, even with my failings they would probably rate me as a good daddy. They’re too young to really understand it when I’m short with them or to read my irritation when they ask me for something and sometimes I just really don’t want to get up to get it because I’m being lazy.

One day, though, I know they will see those chinks in my armor. I’ll no longer be Super-dad. They will see me as the sinful, impossibly broken man that I am. It is my hope that they will realize that my failures as a father are a result of sin and that they will see that there is a perfect heavenly Father who never sins. Perhaps, as Jesus points out in these verses, the contrast between their all too human dad and the omnipotent, all loving, patient, kind Father in heaven will give them a new appreciation for His mercy and grace.

Parents love and care for their children. I mean, there is just something unexplainable about the love that you feel when you hold your child for the first time. You want to do good for them. You want to give good things to them. It is true that there are those who abuse their children and mistreat them but that is the exception, I believe, and not the rule. Therefore, Jesus asks a question and assumes the answer He would get when He says in verses that a parent whose child asks for bread will not give that child a stone or substitute a snake for a fish. First of all, that would represent not just a complete disregard for what the child actually asked but would actually demonstrate the intent of the parent to hurt the child. No good parent does that. Even the psychotic ones wouldn’t admit to it out in public.

Now, with that in mind and on the heels of His exhortation that we pray to God and go to Him with our needs, He makes His point. We, each and everyone one of us, are “evil” from the tops of our heads to the tips of our toes. We have times where we don’t want to get up and get the child what they are asking for when they’re hungry or tired. That’s the sinful part of our self—the part that says “My comfort on this couch is more important that what my child is asking for”. We can all relate to that. Most all of us have never done anything that would qualify as abuse but we have all been selfish or irritated with our children. We know that when scripture says “There is none righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10) that we ourselves are living proof of that text. In Genesis, we can insert our name for the word “his” when it says in Genesis 6:5 “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”. When Jesus says “If you then, being evil”, He nails every one of us without exception.

He acknowledges that we, as parents, try to do right. We take care of our children as best as we can and we “give good gifts to them” even in our sinful state. We’re not perfect but by and large parent care for their children. If we’re impossibly wicked, and we are, and we do good to our children then Christ draws a contrast that should startle all of us as we ponder its implications. Our “Father”, who is God, is perfect and holy whereas we are fallen and sinful. He is “in heaven”—above all things, eternal, and separated from all sin.. We’re here on this earth, finite, temporal, and surrounded by the pollution of sin. If we give our children good things when they ask, Jesus says, God, by His very nature, will certainly not fail to give us good things when we ask Him.

Therefore, when we feel the tug of sin on our hearts, when we become continually aware of how far short of the mark we fall, and we pray to God “Please, forgive me. Change me from the inside out. Conform me to the likeness of your Blessed Son” we can know that God will hear and answer our prayer. When we pray to Him for the things we need to live, we can be confident that He will give us what we need. The fact that we fail our children should grieve us and drive us to repent and live as we are called. However, even in our failings we can be encouraged by the contrast of our fallen nature and the perfection of our heavenly Father who always responds in love to His children.

Matthew 7:7-8 God-A Heavenly Father or Cosmic Slot Machine?

Why does Jesus instruct us to pray in the Sermon on the Mount and even show us how we should pray? As we examine these verses, I believe it’s pretty clear that God is our Father and wants us to realize and therefore depend on His love for us. Because of His relationship with us, we can go to Him in prayer with out needs. However, we should not take these verses out of context to insinuate that God sits on His throne, exalted in heaven, wearing a celestial plastic name tag saying “May I take your order?”

Notice, first of all in verse 7, that Jesus gives us 3 commands (imperative). The first of these is that we are to “ask”. Now, obviously, if we are asking for something that suggests a lack of some sort. I mean, you wouldn’t ask for something that you already had or had enough of. The Greek verb actually has the sense of imploring in earnest. You might even describe it as begging. This is not just a simple request but an urgent one. Jesus also tells us to “seek”. We’re not to just ask, sit on our hands, and wait for the answer to drop out of the sky. If we are so urgent in our needs that we are pleading with God then we will actively look for His solution. We will put feet to our faith. Again, since the verb in the Greek is in the present tense it should be understood that we are to continually seek. We should be persistent.

Finally, if we’re really serious in our prayer to God, we should also “knock”. Notice the progression, not only in activity but in intensity. If you’ve ever been home when someone has come by that you didn’t want to see and you hid out while they knocked on the door you know how irritating a persistent knocking on the door can be. I don’t believe that Christ’s point is that we should annoy God as if such a thing were even possible. I submit that His intention was that we should not give up on prayer and we should constantly and consistently come before the throne of God with our needs.

As we see in verse 7 and verse 8, prayer is effective. God is moved when His children pray and when we “ask…seek…and knock” we can be sure that we receive, find, and discover that the door is opened. But, the question is surely raised, what is it that we will find? Those with an unbiblical “name it/claim it” theology strip this verse from its context and use it to justify asking from a greedy heart, seeking in a covetous manner, and imagine themselves knocking on the door of the vault of heaven’s riches. However, let us remember the context of this command. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has painted a picture of humility, and a sincere, perfect devotion to God as demonstrated by not only the outward action of the person but the inward character of the individual. Now, recognizing that, all of us have to admit that none of us get close to that. I know, in my own heart, that when I get to heaven I want to compare notes with the Apostle Paul about the whole “chief of sinners” thing, because I’m pretty sure I’ve got him beat. If we truly meditate on our unworthiness and God’s righteousness and just how far we fall short of that then I doubt seriously we will treat God as the equivalent of an omnipotent Bellhop. I can’t conceive of someone who recognizes themselves as a sinner who deserves not God’s grace but God’s wrath and that it is only by His sovereign election that he or she is saved they will not pray selfishly. We can and certainly should come to God with our needs, the most preeminent of which is our spiritual need to have our hearts and minds made new and conformed to the image of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jesus in these verses directs us to persistently seek God in prayer. In fact, He commands it. As we will see in the following verses, we do not go simply as sinners imploring the Almighty Ancient of Days. We are children of God and we can approach Him as such, as we will see in the next verses.

Matthew 7:6-Don’t try to teach pigs to sing

I saw a sign once in music school that read “Never try to teach a pig to sing—it frustrates you and annoys the pig”. That has not been easy advice for me to follow. You see, I am like a bulldog chasing a car when I get in an argument. I go as hard as I can, hold on as tight as I can, and don’t know when to give up the chase. This is particularly true related to my core convictions as a Christian. While there are some issues that I can agree to disagree on, there are others that I sometimes, shamefully, get so worked up over I could punch somebody in the nose. As I have studied and meditated on the truths of this verse, I have been convicted of the fact that there are times where we as Christians must be willing to say “Enough is enough” and that I personally need to be willing to forgo the goal of winning a battle so as not to loose the war.

First of all, notice that Jesus here commands discrimination. In this verse, we are told “Do not give” and “Do not throw”. Whether we are giving (didomi [1325]-to give based on the decision or will of the giver) intentionally or throwing (ballo [906]-to throw or let go of something without concern for where it falls) haphazardly, we are not to completely abandon discernment. Much to the chagrin of liberals who love Matthew 7:1 for all the wrong reasons, Christ is, in this verse, calling people to judge. And based upon that judgment using biblical discernment, He calls for His followers to “not give” and “not throw”.

Further, He identifies the distinction that we should make when sharing the precious truth of God’s word. We should recognize first of all that the truth of scripture is “holy” and that it is as valuable as “pearls”. To be holy is to be set apart and biblical truth is certainly set apart by God as His unique revelation of Himself to mankind. It is the antithesis of human wisdom. The Bible reveals not only the character but the supernatural genius of God. It is also precious and valuable. Without the written, inspired, inerrant word of God each man or woman would have to try to figure God out all by themselves using solely subjective means to do so. We would be like Israel in Judges where everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

Not only is biblical truth distinctive, but we must make distinctions as we share the truth. Not everyone is going to be willing to hear and obey the word of God. Some reject it as being wholly true and therefore believe some parts are truer than others. There are those who simply reject the Bible and its truth outright. Certainly we may not know how someone will respond before we have the opportunity to share with them, but we should take their response into account when deciding to further share God’s word with them. This is true not only with unbelievers but also with believers. Hebrews 5:14 tells us that “But solid food (doctrine) is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses rained to discern good and evil.” If we use discernment in how we present doctrine to believers, how much more carefully should we present biblical truth to unbelievers? We should judge, by their reaction, their receptivity to the truth and determine whether they are “dogs” (vicious, potentially dangerous) or “swine” (profane). Dogs were not at the time that Jesus lived, domesticated pets. They roamed the streets and the wild in packs, carried diseases, and scavenged for food. Swine were the filthiest animals a Jewish person could think of. They represented being unclean. As we share the gospel with folks and we observe their reaction, we should be careful to distinguish between those who have an open animosity toward the gospel and those who do not. We are called, upon making this distinction to not “give what is holy” or “throw pearls” before those who have shown themselves to be hostile to the gospel.

There is a very specific reason for the warning Jesus gives in this verse. We discriminate in this manner to avoid placing ourselves in real danger where it can be avoided. Now, there will be times and are times where sharing the word of God will be dangerous. In China, churches have to meet in secret to avoid being arrested. In fact, Christians all over the world are still martyred in various countries. There are times when you are going to have to choose to obey God rather than men and share your faith. However, to simply do so indiscriminately without an awareness of your audience or surroundings is unwise. For instance, if you are at work and a co-worker mentions that he is gay, it may not be the best idea for you to explain to him that homosexuality is a sin and then call him to repent and trust Christ. I would suspect you would likely be fired for that. There is a time, place and manner to share that truth with him. There may be situations where you would be able to share like that during a casual conversation at work. However, I can imagine few scenarios where a situation like that is going to turn out well. It is far more likely that the co worker will “trample” that truth under his feet and “tear” into you verbally before going and filing a complaint with human resources. Certainly, if you know beforehand someone is going to be strongly opposed to the gospel, you should exercise caution when sharing it.

We have to use our heads if we’re going to honor God in our efforts to evangelize people and share the truth of God’s word. Sometimes as one of the character Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus says, we’re going to have to “take chances, get messy, and make mistakes”. However, we need not check common sense at the door. There are some battles that should be left to the Holy Spirit. It is not our job to convert souls, but to speak the truth in love.

Matthew 7:3-5 Judgment—Where to begin

As we have seen in our study of this chapter thus far, not to mention the whole Sermon on the Mount, Jesus does not forbid Christians in all instances from judging. However, He does tell us how not to judge. We are not to use human wisdom or our own personal preferences. The judging we do should be based on God’s word and the truth’s it contains. If we are going to proclaim something (a law, for instance) to be sinful like legalized abortion or if we are going to come alongside a fellow believer and exhort them to repent of their sin, we should look to these verses so that we do so in a God honoring manner.

First of all, Jesus asks a question that my mother might have summed up this way “Rake around your own door and keep it clean before you come raking around mine.” The Lord asks us, basically, to consider our perspective. In short, the question asks why we are focused on someone else’s condition while not evaluating our own. The terms used in verse 3 (“speck” “log”) are metaphors that reflect a spiritual truth. If we take the time to “look at the speck that’s in [our] brother’s eye” then we have missed the point of our responsibility to speak the truth of God in love. The verb “look” is in the present tense in Greek which means the act of constantly looking at something—in this case a speck in our brother’s eye. This isn’t a passing glance but rather we are constantly directing our attention to the speck. We are actively examining this problem. However our Lord says that is not the first thing we should do.

He chides us for paying such close attention to this speck while not giving much needed attention to the “log” in our eye. I would submit, based on the context, that the log represents the sin of pride. Here, Jesus shows someone assuming that their poor brother needs help. He has seen the speck in his brother’s eye and knows the he can help him remove it. The problem is he has not examined himself first. He sees his brother’s needed to be cleansed of sin but does not recognize his own need. We will never, while living in the world, be free from sin. We will all have specks in our eye with which we need godly men and women to come alongside us and help us remove. But we cannot help anyone without examining ourselves first. As Paul says in Romans 1, we cannot go to someone who is dealing with sexual sin if we’re dealing with that as well. The church’s witness to the world regarding sexual morality would be much less hypocritical if we didn’t say “Homosexuality is sin” with the same mouth that we say “I want a divorce” just because we’ve decided that our spouse gets on our nerves or we fell “out of love”.

This does not preclude us from proclaiming biblical morality. It does put a high standard in front of us that we must reflect upon because, brothers and sisters, we are called to live holy lives. If we are going to witness to the world that God calls men and women everywhere to repent and believe in Jesus Christ, we must live lives consistent with our proclamation that we have done just that. We have a huge responsibility to live what we believe. If we do not examine ourselves in the light of scripture and, as David said, pray that God would show us any of our faults, there is no way we can say to the world or our fellow Christians “Let me take the speck out of your eye” when, as Jesus says in verse 4, we have a big, honkin’ huge log stuck in our eye. That log says “My sin is not as bad as your sin”. Without dealing with that self righteous attitude, we will be of no help to anyone.

In fact, Jesus commands us to drop our self righteous act (“You hypocrite”) and examine ourselves. Where are we falling short of living as God has called us to live? Is it at home? At work? We can put up a good front some of the time but there is no one who can keep it up all of the time. Our hypocritical mask of being Super-Christian is just that—a mask like a child might wear on Halloween. We are commanded to take out this log immediately. The tense of the verb gives the sense of “Do it now. Don’t delay. Quickly!” When we have done that, we are in a position to go to our brother and help him. When we have allowed God’s Holy Spirit to lead us in self examination and we have confessed our sins we are able to help others deal with theirs.

Does this sound like a tall order? I think it should. I don’t think nearly as many Christians are spiritually mature enough to help others as this verse instructs us to do. We certainly have a responsibility to speak biblical truth to people, but we must be sure that we are doing so with the proper perspective. It is imperative for us to seek to be right with God before we can help others do that.

Matthew 7:2 To Judge or Not To Judge

As we have seen in the study of this chapter in Matthew, Jesus did not intend in chapter 7 verse 1 to forbid Christians from all judging. The immediate context demonstrates this pretty clearly. The broader context of the New Testament also proves this unquestionably. We are left then with the question “How are we to judge?” I believe, as we look at chapter 7 verse 2, we can see a clearer picture of the kind of judging Jesus is talking about.

First of all, observe that Jesus tell us that we will be judged. He says in this verse “…you will be judged…” and “…it will be measured to you.” Now, He doesn’t say who is going to do this judging. Obviously, He may have had two things in mind—the judgment of God and the judgment of man. Perhaps He intended both here.

Now, He further clarifies not only that we will be judged but how we will be judged and in so doing gives us our parameters for judging, if you will. We see here that the kind of judgment we will have applied to us is the same kind of judgment that we use. Now, the question then becomes “What kind of judgment do we want applied to us?” Let’s look at some examples from scripture and see.

• Psalm 139:23- Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
• Job 31:6- Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity.
• Psalm 26:2--Examine me, Lord, and try me. Test my mind and my heart.

I could go on, but I think we see a pattern developing here. If our desire is to live a life that pleases the Lord, we invite the judgment of our heavenly Father. When He judges, He does so according to perfect righteousness and that perfect righteousness is revealed in scripture. Therefore, when we judge, it should be according to scripture. However, we must be humble and bear in mind that we are not omniscient (we don’t know the minds and hearts of people) and therefore must be cautious in any judging that we do.

Jesus is not issuing a blanket prohibition on judgment by Christians but rather giving us guidelines in exercising that judgment. As we apply those guidelines, we should bear in mind that it is God alone that judges perfectly and while we should never bend or waver on defending the truth of scripture and of the gospel, we must remember that there are some battles worth fighting and some where we must agree to disagree.

Matthew 7:1 This verse ain’t just for libs Pt III

We have seen in the previous two posts on this verse what it does not mean—namely, that it does not mean a Christian is forbidden from judging. We’ve seen that in the immediate context it does not mean that a Christian cannot judge. Further, the larger context of scripture shows that it doesn’t mean that a Christian is forbidden from judging. So, we have established from scripture beyond the shadow of a doubt what this verse does not mean. Therefore, since it does not mean we are categorically forbidden from judging ever, but it does say “Do not judge” we are left with the question “What kind of judging is it talking about?”

The kinds of judging that we saw in the previous two posts (Matthew 7:3-6, Matthew 7:16, I Corinthians 5:3, 5, 9-12) have something in common. They all involve a Christian judging using biblical criteria. Those who pronounced religious judgments during the time when Christ walked the earth did so using their own doctrines, not scripture. That is why they could say “Well, yeah sure, I’ve never committed adultery” but they had lusted after a woman in their heart. That was the criteria they used—man made, powerless, hypocritical, easily manipulated measuring sticks that they could measure up to very easily but suddenly use to make other people feel very small because they weren’t as good as the Pharisee’s were. However, as the scriptures above indicate, when we judge we are to use God’s standard—not ours. We are to use the scriptures as the criteria by which we determine if something is sinful or if someone is committing sin. Then, just like a doctor would diagnose a patient, we are to loving call fellow Christians to repent of their sins and call unbelievers to repent of their sins and trust Christ. Sin is a spiritual cancer and we are commanded to share the truth of what scripture says about it. However, we must never judge with a hypocritical, unbiblical standard as the religious leaders of the day did. That is the kind of judging that is being prohibited.

We can see that Jesus had this kind of judging in mind when He says “so that you will not be judged”. The purpose, then, of abstaining from a hypocritical type of judging is that we avoid that kind of judgment from men. The world is very quick to point fingers at the church and accuse of us being narrow minded, prejudiced, and uncaring. May I suggest to you that one reason the world is so quick to judge us is because some in the church have lived contrary to their professed faith but have been very vocal in calling the world to account for its sin. The sad fact is, brothers and sisters, we have judged not with the Bible but too often with our own standards. We must lovingly confront sin where we find it, be it in the church or in the world, but we must always be mindful that if we want to avoid being judged in a harsh and unjust manner we must be willing to judge using the standard God has given—His word.

Matthew 7:1 This Verse Ain’t Just For Libs Part II

I used to love to watch the People’s Court. I think my favorite character on there was Rusty the Bailiff. I always thought Judge Wapner had a real good sense of character and could get at the truth of what happened and make a judgment. The funny thing is, I’ve never once heard a liberal christian complain “Who is he to judge? You know what it says in Matthew 7:1.” In fact, the only time I’ve ever heard a liberal christian use this verse is when a Christian is proclaiming truth from God’s holy word that the liberal christian deems to be unloving. As we looked at this verse last time, we observed that it does not preclude a Christian from any judging given the immediate context. As we will see in I Corinthians 5, neither does the broader context of the New Testament suggest that we should not judge in some instances.

Now, just to sort of remind us here, the word in question that we’re looking at is the Greek word krinete (2919). The word can mean to judge in a positive or negative light and can also mean to evaluate or consider. In other words, it doesn’t just mean to judge in a legal or judicial sense although it is used in that context. Paul is writing in this chapter how he has heard reports of sexual immorality among them that isn’t even heard of outside of the church. Instead of recognizing this behavior as sinful, they were proud of the fact that they were such a loving church that they didn’t judge anyone but instead could love them anyway.

Paul’s response is pretty pointed and he doesn’t mince words here. He says in I Corinthians 5:3 that “I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (kekrika-2919) him who has so committed this, as though I were present.” Now, if Jesus in Matthew 7:1 means that we as Christians are never supposed to judge and that doing so is sin, then why is Paul not repenting of his judgment in the case of this incestuous relationship he has heard about? Why would God allow Paul to include his sinful judgment of this sin in a letter to a church where Paul was having to deal with problems anyway? The only possible reason for Paul to make this statement using the same Greek word (in a different tense) is for him to say he was judging this sin. And, notice, he didn’t just pass judgment and declare the verdict, he in verse 5 gives us his sentence. We read in I Corinthians 5:5 “I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” That isn’t the sugar-coated, cotton candy approach we find our liberal christian friends would like us to take. No, no, no, my friends, Paul didn’t say “Go set these people in the Thinking Chair over in the corner. They’ve just earned them selves a time out”. Nope, he said he has delivered them over to Satan. Now, it’s beyond the scope of this blog post to go into exactly what that means but suffice it to say it doesn’t sound pleasant. I would conclude, then, that Paul was judging in this case. But does that make it ok for us to judge?

That is a fair question. I mean, I don’t know, maybe Paul got some sort of special badge that said he could judge so that the liberal christian could say “Woah, now hoss. I’m not like Paul. I can’t go judging. I don’t have any business doing that. He was an apostle. I’m just plain ol’ Joe Schmoe over here.” However, look at what Paul writes just a few verses later.

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.
Paul says for them to separate from someone who, through unrepentant sin, demonstrates that he is not really a Christian. In order to do that, you’re going to have to determine if the behavior is sinful which will involve judging. Then, in verse I Corinthians 5:12, he asks a rhetorical question:

For what have I to do with judging (krinein-2919) outsiders? Do you (his audience) not judge (krinete-2919) those who are within the church?

Folks, there is nothing in the immediate context of Matthew 7:1 nor in the broader biblical context as we seen in I Corinthians 5:1-12 that would preclude our judging in appropriate times and places. Therefore, that verse does not mean that we are NEVER to judge in ANY circumstances. You might ask “Well then, what does it mean?” We’ll get into that next time.

Matthew 7:1 This Verse Ain’t Just For Libs Part I

One day, while driving to class during my work toward an accounting degree, I was listening to someone on a radio call in show who made the point “Now, I’m a Christian but I can’t go saying that homosexuality is a sin.” I knew what was coming next. I’m sure you do, too. “God tells us not to judge.” Of course, she couldn’t quote the verse or its associated reference, but she was dead certain that God told us in the Bible not to judge. It used to be that it was non-Christians who loved that verse because they could throw it back in the face of some Christian who was calling their behavior sinful as a kind of almighty trump card to whatever theological argument they may have had.

The sad part is, for so long the church has suffered through biblical illiteracy where the average Joe in the pew expects the person in the pulpit to have all the answers rather than being able to give a solid testimony and a defense of his faith. However, as the caller on the radio points out, it’s not just non-Christians who quote or cite that verse. There are Christians, or those who profess to be Christians, who believe that it is not our job to call people to repentance from sin. They use this same verse to justify theological wishy-washiness or to avoid confrontation with those who oppose the Bible and its doctrine. However, if one actually studies what this verse says, it is pretty clear that we don’t have to check our spines at the door when confronting sin from a biblical perspective.

First of all, we need to think carefully about what chapter 7 verse 1 actually says and means. I suggest one way to do that is to examine what the verse does not mean. Let us observe that the word translated “judge” in this verse is the word “krino”(2919). The word means to choose, distinguish, separate between things but does not imply anything about quality. In other words, it’s not necessarily used to describe judging something as bad or wrong although it can be used for that purpose. Now, this word could be used of a judge rendering decisions in a legal matter or someone judging a work of art. It has a fairly wide semantic range. Therefore, it is imperative that we look at the context to help us interpret this correctly and, as I suggested, decide first of all what this does not mean.

Now, let’s look at the immediate context of the verse. In chapter 6, Jesus calls for His audience to judge their own motives when they fast, pray, and give charitably (6:1-18). He calls for them, after they have removed the log in their own eye, to help their brother with the speck in his eye a few verses later in this chapter (vs. 3-6). In a more abstract sense, He calls for them to judge false prophets by their fruits (v 16). Therefore, from the immediate context it seems that Jesus is not forbidding people from making judgments. In fact, in those verses, He is commanding them to do so. Now, granted it’s a different word but they will have to perform the same sort of mental evaluation to discern good from evil as they would to judge it—they would examine the evidence and draw a conclusion. I would say, then, from the immediate context we are given, Jesus is not saying that His followers are forbidden to judge.

However, what about the broader biblical context? Does the bible elsewhere tell us that we as Christians are forbidden from judging? Tune in next time.