Are we to judge ourselves? Yes!

This is a message that I shared with a brother in Christ regarding one issue in the realm of how Christ taught His disciples to judge "justly". I make no apologies for it, unless it would be to say that I rest my arguments solely on the word of God, and that may He judge me for misrepresenting His word.

The Scripture passage that I was trying to remember earlier this evening is in 1 Corinthians, it is chapter 5:12, but to have a more perfect understanding of it someone should read it in the context of its paragraphical context, at the least, which is 1 Corinthians 5:9-13.

Paul writes:
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler - not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you.

1. Now notice from the one passage that states we "would need to go out of the world"? Remember the words of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane? He said that "All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth." - John 17:10-19

Jesus in these passages says that we, His disciples, are not "of this world" meaning that we are in citizens of heaven in the sense that we are pilgrims that are passing through this world system. This shouldn't and doesn't mean that we don't contribute to the betterment of the world in which we live, because as Christians we are called to salt and light - meaning that as salt we are a preservative, which keeps the best part of it alive and even we are called to revive it for the glorification of God. Yet while we are not of this world, as Christ said, we are still "in" the world physically. We have already been separated out in one sense in that spiritually we are already in the presence of Christ in the throne room of heaven (Colossians 3:3), but that as pilgrims in this world we live in two worlds at once, physically here and spiritually we are according to the Colossians passage "hidden with Christ in God". Since we are here, and we have dedicated ourselves to following Jesus, we are given the commandment
to pick up our cross daily and follow Him, and that as the Great Commission was given, we are to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)

2. The next passage that you will notice talks about how we are not to "associate with any who bears the name of 'brother' if he is guilty of the various things that Paul lists, which in other
passages he lists as things that unrighteous and which will keep one out of heaven in the
sense that the unrighteous things cannot enter into heaven. We are to judge ourselves, so
that we might have a better understanding of our standing before God, we are commended
often that we are to make sure that we are of the faith, to examine ourselves, but even in
1 Corinthians 11:31-33 we read Paul's admonition that if we "judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world." For we are also told that if we are loved truly by earthly fathers and are disciplined we love them for that, yet when we are disciplined by our heavenly Father, are we any less loved? Discipline if nothing else is a sign of His love for us as His children.

So, it is our concern to judge those who are our brothers, and let God deal with those outside the church. We are called to be among them, but not of them. We are to be amongst them sharing the bread of life, and the water which if drank will cause them to never thirst again (spiritually). We are to be salt and light in the world today. We are not to be corrupted by their influence, but rather to influence them towards a saving relationship with Christ through faith. This of course hearkens back to Romans 10:14-15, But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! I would simply ask that if we are to be separated from the world physically, then how would they ever hear the good news? Yet we do so uncritically in the sense that we present Christ to them, and leave it to the Holy Spirit to convict them of their sins, as Jesus said that he would in the gospel of John 16:8.

Even in Jesus' teaching to Nicodemus, He said, For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, (in other words God has already judged them, per our conversation regarding 1 Corinthians 5) because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, les his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God.

What is absolutely amazing about this text is that it states that we will not come to the light (Jesus) because our deeds are evil, and we love darkness rather than light. What then will draw us to the light? Our guilty consciences? Or is it the guilty conscience that is convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit? Yes, that is what will not only draw us to the light, but will push us onward in search of the truth, which can only be found in Jesus Christ. Our relief from our guilty conscience can only be found in the saving grace that is administered to us by the Great Physician, Jesus Christ.

Peace be with you my brother.
Jon

Death is all around us...

Amazing isn't it how much death has been in the news lately? It's not as if death is a new phenomenon, it happens everyday, just read the obituaries, the folks that are listed there are just as dead as the three big deaths announced over the last ten days or so.

First we had the moral struggle, for some at least, over whether or not to starve a mental cripple (no I don't believe that "ending artificial life-support" meant that starving Terri Schiavo was humane). {This whole episode deserves its own post, but maybe later!} Then the Pope died, and we discover that he was widely loved, and amazing as it is to realize there are those in this world who actually, in my humble opinion, "worshiped" him. Did he wish to be idolized and worshipped? I would think not based upon what he has said and done in the past. But then once he is dead who is he to stop them from doing so? A million people it has been reported have viewed the body, and the City of Rome is expecting upwards of five million people this weekend for the funeral. What a shame there will likely not be a gospel presentation presented to these people for them to respond to and have a chance to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and thus turn this event of unprecented magnitude (imagine 2 billion people watching!) for sharing the gospel. Can you imagine the impact that this one message might have upon the world if there was a gospel presentation offered? What would happen to the world? There are six billion people on the planet by the best guesses; and a full one-third of the population of the world are estimated to be watching this event on Friday afternoon. What would Jesus think of this event if there could be just one witness of His name at this event that would shout out to the lost and dying that there truly is a water that will quench their spiritual thirst, and a bread that fill all of their natural and supernatural hungers and desires, and this all comes in the form of Jesus Christ.

But in the end, we find that the Pope, was only a man. Like you and I, a sinner, one who death has claimed physically, but if his hope was truly placed in Jesus Christ for taking his place on the cross and taking his sin upon Himself, then truly we will see Karol Wotjyla in heaven one day. I pray that he was indeed a Christ follower. Are you? "Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves, or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Death has been defeated at the cross of Jesus Christ! Its ultimate defeat came three days later when the Lord Jesus Christ walked out from His tomb, and left it empty for all the world to see.

"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall all not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and teh dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory!' 'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the workd of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)

"Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." (John 5:28-29) Do you wonder about this statement of who has done good, and who has done evil? Do not wonder as it has been proclaimed from days gone by that those who know the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ are those who "know" Him, and follow Him, as their Lord and Savior. "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live." (John 5:25) "The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers...I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture...I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep...My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 10 & 14, selected passages)

No greater truth exists than this. Death has been defeated! The death of the Pope, the death of Terri Schiavo, and the death of Prince Rainier all point out that irregardless of your station in life, you too will die one day. If today is that day, are you prepared to stand before the Judge of the Universe, who knows all things from the beginning to the ending? What will you say to Him when asked why you should be allowed into eternal glory in the presence of God? Are you prepared to say that you of yourself are not worthy, but instead you claim the blood of Jesus Christ as the price paid for the sins you committed? And that by doing so you declare yourself a follower, a believer, and dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ? If you do not know this as the truth in your heart that will deliver you from death, than today make it so!

Please contact me if you wish to talk further, (crossblade@highstream.net) I will be glad to pray for you and ask the Father to take the spiritual blinders or cataracts from your eyes, and to unclog your ears that you may hear the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That He might also remove the prejudices that the human heart with the help of the devil put between you and the God who loves you. Please do not let another day go by without your knowing that your eternal destiny is set and that the King of Kings awaits you in eternity.

Blessed Be His Holy Name ~ All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name!!

Peace & Grace to you,
your brother in Christ,
jon