Should
Christians Judge Others?
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/mwest/100427
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It’s
interesting how readily those who say we should not judge are trigger happy
ready to judge false prophets. And that is a good thing! For many years of my
life I thought the false prophets in wolves clothing were “outside offshoots.”
But it is interesting to note whom God indicts as the wolves in sheep’s
clothing even though this should not be interpreted to mean that there are not
wolves operating from outside the true church as well.
God
and Ellen White said that the following words apply more to SDA’s than the Jews
because we have their example and have followed in their footsteps:
23 And the word of the LORD came unto me,
saying, 24 Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not
cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. 25 There is a
conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured
souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her
many widows in the midst thereof. 26 Her priests have violated my law,
and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the
holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and
the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among
them. 27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like
wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest
gain. 28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter,
seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD,
when the LORD hath not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used
oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they
have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. 30 And I sought for a man
among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for
the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. 31
Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them
with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads,
saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 22:23, 31.
That
is some of the reasons why Ellen White said that Ezekiel 9 will be literally
fulfilled again beginning at His Sanctuary, the professing SDA church, Testimonies, Vol. 5, 211.
April 27, 2010
Should Christians "judge" others? You betcha!
By Marsha West
One of the biggest problems in the Church is that some
Christians are way too trusting. Jesus warned, "Beware of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves." (Mat 7:15). Far too many of the sheep do not heed our Lord's
words. Even when believers are cautioned about certain false teachers, they
blow off the warning and blindly follow these wolves.
You've probably heard this many times: "The Bible says not to judge."
What the Bible actually says is that we're not to judge a person's heart or
motives. "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things," says Paul,
"yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the
Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ" (1Cor
2:15-16). According to Paul true followers of Jesus are of the same mind. When
you have the mind of Christ you have spiritual discernment. Christians (who are
walking with Christ) have the authority to judge people's words and actions.
How do you know if someone is a false teacher? Go to the scriptures! In 2
Timothy 3:16-17 Paul says: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works."
No doubt some Christians will continue to complain that "judging" is
unbiblical and play the Mat. 7:1-3 card: "Judge not, that ye be not
judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the
mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in
thine own eye?" What they fail to understand is that the Spirit of God
abides in regenerate Christians. Hence we have the mind of Christ! As for the
unbeliever, Scripture clearly teaches that the natural man [unregenerate]
"receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto
him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1
Cor 2:14). So the unregenerate person does not — cannot — understand the things
of God. Amazingly, a growing number of self-professed Christians think the
things of God are foolishness.
Today many Christians are attending churches where their pastors teach outright
heresy! They just assume they're being taught the truth. Unfortunately
that's not always the case. Granted, there are a lot of ministers who preach
the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Still, there are a growing number of false
teachers who can charm an Eskimo into buying a beach umbrella.
The good news is that believers who read and study the Bible are not easily
taken in by apostates. But even mature believers can have the wool pulled over
their eyes if they stop being Bereans. It was for this very reason that John
penned this warning: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the
spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into
the world" (1 John 4:1).
Christians who have the good fortune to own a Bible must gain a thorough
understanding of what God says in His Word. "Thy word is a lamp unto my
feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). Those who truly desire a Christian
worldview will look to the Bible for wisdom and guidance.
© Marsha West