Are Christians Judgmental or Judicious? Part 2

By Jill Krueger Wagner

In my previous blog I wrote about Jesus making judgments. Today I’m going to address whether we are to follow Christ’s example regarding judging others.

Are we to judge?

Is it Biblical for us to judge? Many people who have never opened a Bible know that Jesus said, “Judge not.” Yet, as my Pastor has repeatedly taught, “context is everything.” Looking at Matthew 7 Jesus’ teaching shows us that if we judge, we’ll be judged by the same standard, so the first step we must take before judging anyone is to look in the mirror. We must analyze our own lives, ask the Lord to show us if we do the same thing, and listen for the Holy Spirit’s conviction. If we do the same thing, we must “take the log out” of our own eye – repent. After we’ve made things right between us and God, then we can “see clearly to remove the speck” from someone else’s eye, which certainly implies judging. Removing a speck is a helpful thing but one must examine the motivation as to why one wants to do that.

No love in the motivation

As Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem those in a Samaritan village did not welcome him (Luke 9:51-56) and this raised the judgmental ire of James and John. Motivated by a “holier than thou” revenge, they asked Jesus if they should call down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans, but Jesus rebuked them. He didn’t come to destroy but to save. James and John loved Jesus and they made a judgment that those who didn’t deserved death. They were zealous for him, but it was “zeal without knowledge.” They didn’t understand His mission. Their judgment was driven by the wrong motive and any one of us can fall prey to loveless motivation.

Did the early disciples judge?

In Acts 5:1-11 Peter told Ananias that he had lied to the Holy Spirit and then he accused Sapphira of testing the Spirit of the Lord. In Galatians 2:11-13 Paul rebukes Peter for hypocrisy regarding separating himself from eating with the Gentiles when certain Jews were around. In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul called out the church for not punishing a man guilty of immorality. So clearly those in the early church did judge.  Let’s examine the motivation in each of these cases?

In Acts 5, Peter confronts the deceit of Ananias and Sapphira. They had sold a piece of property and kept back a portion of the sale for their own use but proceeded to pretend to give all of it to the church. Their sin was lying to the Holy Spirit (who lives within each Christian) and testing the Spirit of the Lord to see just what they could get away with. When faced with what they had done they each fell down dead. The result was the fear of God fell upon the church. Peter’s motivation for confronting them was most certainly to root out deception in the Church. Although salvation is based on grace, not works, God doesn’t turn a blind eye to sin within the church. Perhaps Peter’s motivation was to maintain the purity of the church.

In Galatians 2:11-14 it is Peter who is on the receiving end of some well-deserved judgment. In the beginning of the church there were many problems in trying to balance the grace we receive by faith with obedience to the Old Testament Laws. Peter had been given revelation directly from God that Gentiles can be converted (Acts 10). He went into the house of the Gentiles and ate with them. He was criticized for this by Jewish Believers but explained how God showed them the Gentiles were worthy of salvation by pouring out the Holy Spirit on them.  So initially, Peter got the message that eating with Gentiles isn’t a problem. However, just like anyone of us can forget lessons God has taught us, Peter gave way to peer pressure and separated himself from the Gentiles when certain men were around.  Paul was most certainly reminding Peter to “not call anything (or anyone) impure that God has made clean.” As the apostle to the Gentiles, Perhaps Paul was motivated to remind Jews and Gentiles alike that salvation is by grace, not works or birthright.

In 1 Corinthians 5, it is again Paul who is judging sin within the Church. The city of Corinth was noted for everything sinful. It was here that Aphrodite’s great temple existed along with 1,000 temple prostitutes. It was an “anything goes” sort of city and many in the church came out of this type of immorality (see 1 Corinthian 6:9-11). In verses 5:1-5 Paul metes out the punishment for a man in the church who was in an incestuous relationship with his step-mother. Perhaps Paul’s motivation is to show the church that grace doesn’t allow sin. Christians mustn’t be “godless men, who change the grace of God into a license for immorality” (Jude 4).  “Unconditional love does not mean unconditional acceptance of bad behavior.” One more thing to note in this passage is in verses 12-13. It isn’t our job to judge those outside of the church, only those inside. You can’t expect unregenerate sinners to act like Christians, but we do have a responsibility to hold brothers and sisters accountable to not bring shame to the church of Jesus Christ.

From these examples, we can see certain judgments we in the Church can make that are judicious, not judgmental. After initially examining yourself, if you wonder if you are to address something that is sinful in a brother or sister in Christ any judgment must pass the THINK test.

 Is it:

True

Helpful

Inspiring

Necessary

Kind

Then answer a few more questions:
Has God chosen me to address this?

Is there Scriptural principle being broken?

Have I prayed about the issue?

Another good habit is to ask a mature Christian to pray for you without telling him/her the circumstances. Say something like, “I’m troubled by the behavior of a brother or sister, but I need Holy Spirit guidance on what do to. Would you please pray for me?”

If you become convicted by the Holy Spirit that you are to address the issue, Matthew 18:15-17 is a perfect place to learn the correct way to be judicial regarding sin in the church. First one on one, then with one or two others, then finally before the church.

Helpful Scriptures Proverb 16:2 All man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. 1 Samuel 2:3b for the Lord is a God who knows, by him deeds are weighed1 Samuel 16:7 …the Lord looks at the heart. Finally, Paul’s admonition to Timothy is great advice for us all: “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.” 1 Timothy 5:1-2

Are Christians Judgmental or Judicious Part 1

By Jill Krueger Wagner

  Although Jesus’ primary purpose in ministry was to save, he made judgments. Jesus called Peter “Satan” when Peter balked at Jesus’ telling the disciples he’d be crucified. He told the woman caught in adultery to “leave her life of sin,” he told the man he healed at the Pool of Bethsaida to stop sinning, he told the Samaritan woman at the well that her form of worship was inferior to that of the Jews. He also accused the Pharisees many times of ungodly behavior.

What would have been Christ’s motivation in each of these judgments?

Jesus told Peter that he was a stumbling block and that he did not have in mind the things of God, but of men. Satan was using Peter to tempt Jesus not to follow the path of God’s will. This was certainly a teaching moment, for Jesus then told the disciples that if they wanted to follow him, they must deny themselves, take up the cross and follow him. What was Jesus’ motivation? Was it to have Peter understand that he was being used? Was it to show Peter and the other disciples to rethink their view of why the Messiah came, or was it to explain they needed to count the cost of following him? Although we don’t know precisely what his motives were, we do know is it was for Peter’s good.

The woman caught in adultery probably knew she was seeking fulfillment in men rather than God before the teachers of the law and the Pharisees dragged her before Jesus. Now she was face to face with the tenderhearted man whose wisdom had just saved her from being stoned to death. His demeanor was certainly nothing like those who had brought her before him.  She may have assumed God was OK with what she did since she hadn’t fallen under Christ’s condemnation, but Christ had a responsibility to let her know that her lifestyle was sinful. He didn’t condemn her, but he also didn’t condone her behavior. "Unconditional love does not mean unconditional acceptance of bad behavior." His motivation was certainly for her good (See Galatians 5:20-12).

In John 15:14 after Jesus healed the man at the Pool of Bethsaida, he told him to “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” Again, Jesus seeks the man’s good.

In John 4 he was quite blunt with the woman who had 5 husbands. He said, “You Samaritan’s worship what you do not know, we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.” He debunked the lie that every form of worship results in salvation. He then proceeded to reveal himself as the messiah leading not only to her salvation but also to many in her village. Jesus sought her good and the good of her community.

When it came to the religious leaders of the day, many were worthless shepherds of the flock of God. As the good shepherd he had to call them into account for misusing their power and misleading the sheep. Jesus was following a precedent that God set in the Old Testament. There we learn that God used judgment to seek justice and speed the cause of the righteous (Isaiah 16:5), to save all the afflicted and teach restraint (Psalm 76:9-10) and to winnow out evil (Proverbs 20:8).

The religious leaders taught that following rules was the only way to please God. In Matthew 23, Jesus called them out for the following:

·         They did things for show

·         They were proud, lacking a servant’s heart

·         They were teaching others to follow their loveless ways

·         They were being blind guides, altering Scripture

·         They neglected the love of God, justice, mercy, and faithfulness

·         They were greedy and self-indulgent

·         They were full of hypocrisy and wickedness

These leaders were in danger of going to hell (Mt. 23:33). Was it unloving for Jesus to call them out? Not at all – it could have saved their lives, it was for their good.

Consistently when Jesus judges, his judgments are always meant for good. Furthermore, contrary to current thought, the church is also to judge for the good of others. I will cover that in my next blog.

Dreading Christmas

Dreading Christmas

By Jill Krueger Wagner

The Apostle Paul said we are to “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season,” and one of the best seasons to preach the Gospel is Christmas; yet we are often so preoccupied with preparations that instead of looking for ways to tell others the Gospel, we simply dread the holiday.

Why would anyone dread celebrating the day our Savior was born? When our focus shifts from Jesus to celebrating a cultural Christmas, joy often becomes a casualty of our skewed priorities. The sweetness of an old-fashioned Christmas — enjoying the reading of Luke 2 and making precious memories with those we love — has been supplanted by the stress of trying to buy the perfect gift, putting up excessive decorations, overeating and partying. 

The very mention of Christmas causes many to stress. Why? Too much to do and too little time in which to do it. We want to focus on Jesus’ birth, but the list of must-dos far outweighs our can-dos and the real reason for the season gets lost. Where can we start so that this Christmas will be different? Pare down your list of expectations and start preparation earlier so you can focus on Jesus’ birth.

Pare down your list of expectations

We all have many things we want to do but as someone once said, “You can’t do everything everyone wants you to do, you can’t even do everything you want to do, but you can do everything Jesus wants you to do.” What does Jesus want for your holiday?

Mathew 11:29 he said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.” He wants you to learn from him. He had many expectations placed on him, but He didn’t overdo.

Ask your husband and children individually what they love most about Christmas, then ask them what they hate. Typically, I have found that gifts may be on their list, but time spent with family is first. They love baking together, playing together. They often hate that mom gets short-tempered or dad complains about the money spent. Every family has its own dynamics so find out what matters to yours. 

Once you’ve surveyed your family, take a 3x5 card and ask the Lord to show you what your top three priorities for Christmas should be. Get a binder with dividers and pockets. Paper clip the card with your priorities in a prominent place in your binder. Your plan is to analyze each suggested event as to whether it will fulfill your priorities. 

Make a list of everything you usually do for Christmas, from making a certain dish to places you go. Ask God to help you remember everything. Call a family meeting and explain that you want to make this the best Christmas ever. Tell them that in the past you’ve tried to do too much, but this year you want Jesus to be No. 1 in your celebration, so some things will have to go. 

Customize your binder tabs to your needs – gifts, card list, events, entertaining, travel, menus, and miscellaneous – one section for organizing. Then, seek out advice on how to organize what is important to your family. The internet has a wealth of information and you might want to ask friends, perhaps someone who always seem to have a system for everything. Tap her brain for suggestions. Having everything written down helps alleviate stress – if it’s down on paper you’re less likely to forget. 

Suggest a gift exchange to the extended family where you only must purchase one gift and there is a set amount you can spend. The first year I suggested this for all the young cousins, the idea was shot down. However, within a few years the rest of the family decided it was a good idea. Now the kids exchange names and they really know what to get one another. It has evolved into a yearly “cousin’s Christmas party” that they all anticipate. 

Start preparation earlier

Fall is an extraordinarily busy season, so if you don’t make Christmas prep a priority it will sneak up on you. There are many things you can do before December that will enable you to focus on the Gift we received that first Christmas. 

Build a gift list. Make a document that includes the name, budgeted amount to spend on that person, gift, actual cost. Next year print out the list again (adding or subtracting names as needed) and put it in the binder with the year.  That way you don’t need to make a list every year, and you have the benefit of knowing what you’ve given them in previous years. Once I gave my father the same gift two years in a row – I felt so silly.

In this section of your binder, you can store ideas for people – like if you hear Aunt Marie say in June that she would like a new casserole dish, write it down. If you are reading a magazine and think, “Mom would love a subscription,” or you see an ad for something your sister would enjoy – make a note. Don’t include your kids on this list since you may leave it lying around and little ones are curious. I made their lists on index cards that I kept with me or hidden in a safe place.

If you don’t have any gift ideas, do an online search for a certain category like, “toys for a five-year-old,” or “gifts for elderly shut-ins.” You’ll find many ideas. 

Budget for Christmas – usually one marriage partner is a spender and one is a saver. Christmas sometimes causes great stress on the saver. Early in the fall talk it out and set a budget for how much you are both comfortable with spending. Remember, Jesus was only given three gifts and that’s not a bad rule of thumb. 

Start purchasing a few supplies every week. At the grocery, buy extra flour and sugar for the baking. At the dollar store, buy wrapping paper, ribbon, name tags, replacement light bulbs – really, anything that you will need so that it doesn’t hit all at once. Consider resale stores for some of these items.

Consider doubling your dinner recipes in November then freezing the leftovers in serving dishes you can just throw into the oven on those busy December days.

Ask your friends to help you with specific issues you may have; they are a wealth of information. 

Focus on Jesus’ birth

Choose some of these suggestions that fit with your family.

·         Consider a family advent calendar or wreath

·         Pray as a family for one or more friends, neighbors, or relative that needs Jesus, asking God what you can do for them to show His heart to them

·         Each day, pray for God to give you an opportunity to spread the Gospel

·         Buy tracts about the true meaning of Christmas and give them out to fellow shoppers

·         Look for ways to spread the love of Jesus

·         Beginning on December 1, read a chapter in the Gospel of Luke each day to learn about Jesus’ life

·         Look for devotions or Christ-centered Christmas stories to read each night

·         One family I knew would have a nativity with everyone except the baby Jesus in the family room. He would be in a room far away and someone would get the privilege of bringing him a little closer each day until on Christmas morning he’d be in the manger.

·         Make a birthday cake for Jesus and take it outside on Christmas morning. Sing “happy birthday” to Him and gently moving it back and forth so Jesus (the wind) can blow the candles out

·         Give paper and an envelope to each family member for them to write what they would like to give to Jesus as a gift this Christmas, things like a kinder heart toward a little sister, reading to a neighborhood shut-in, or doing chores without being crabby. Put the envelope on the Christmas tree to be opened on Christmas morning

·         Volunteer at a homeless shelter

·         Do Christmas carols at a local hospital or in your neighborhood

·         On Christmas morning, read Luke 2

·          Invite a lonely neighbor or a student who can’t go home for the holiday to your Christmas dinner

After Jesus, put your family before anything else. Mark up your family calendar with Christmas concerts the kids are in, commitment to extended family, when you’d like to make those Christmas cookies, nights when you’d like to go see the area lights. Here’s a fun idea for seeing the lights that can add a bit of joy for someone else: vote on your favorite decorated house and have the family take a small dollar store gift to the door and say, “Thank you for your decorations – they brought us joy.”

Hopefully instituting some of these suggestions will turn your thoughts of Christmas from dread to a sweet expectancy so you can robustly sing, “Joy to the world, our Lord is come!”