What is Sin - Part 5 : Murder, Anger and Resentment

WHAT IS SIN?

Part 5 - Murder, Anger and Resentment

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

SCRIPTURE READING

Matthew  5:21-26

“²¹"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'

²²But I tell you that anyone who is (unjustly) angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

[Raca and ‘you fool’ were both Hebrew expressions of extreme anger. Raca is an Aramaic word for contempt or resentment]

 ²³"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

INTRODUCTION

·        Anger, resentment and ridicule is the same as murder

·        You may or may not escape earthly law (the Sanhedrin), but you cannot escape God and His law

·        Jesus tells us, do not give an offering to God expecting that to make your offense against your brother void

·        The ONLY solution for our offense, is to make it right with our brother

I.                   SIN

a.      Sin is...

                                                             i.      Romans 5:20 “²⁰The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

1.      Many feel “they” have not sinned; Adam did, so why are they suffering.

2.      God gave the Ten Commandments so that all men may see how far they fall from His standards.

3.      As much as a man has sinned, God’s grace is greater.  And the greater the sins, the greater His grace.

                                                          ii.      Luke 7:36-50 “³⁶Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. ³⁷When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, ³⁸and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

 ⁴⁰Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
      "Tell me, teacher," he said.

 ⁴¹"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴²Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

 ⁴³Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
      "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

 ⁴⁴Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

⁴⁵You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.

⁴⁶You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.

⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

⁴⁸Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

 ⁴⁹The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

 ⁵⁰Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

1.      Where sin is increased, grace is increased all the more.

a.      We are made righteous only in Christ, justified by faith in Him, not by obeying the Law.

                                                                                                                                     i.      The woman heard of Jesus

                                                                                                                                  ii.      She went to Him

                                                                                                                               iii.      She cried at His feet

                                                                                                                                 iv.      She loved (action) Him with tears, washing His feet, and pouring perfume on Him

1.      She said no magic words...

2.      She didn’t ask for anything

3.      Nevertheless, Christ knew her heart, and gave her everything... forgiveness.

b.     No One is Righteous

                                                             i.      Romans 3:19-20 “¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. ²⁰Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”

1.      Trying to keep the Ten Commandments will NOT make you righteous.

2.      Some try to say you MUST keep this command, or you must keep that...BUT the scriptures say, if you break one, you have broken them all...

3.      You may keep some of the commands, but you CANNOT keep them all!  ONLY CHRIST HAS!

a.      “I came not to do away with the Law, but fulfill it.”

b.     How do “we” fulfill the law?

                                                                                                                                     i.      Romans 13:8 “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”

                                                                                                                                  ii.      Matthew 22:36-40 “ ³⁶"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" ³⁷Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

c.      If you are doing anything other than this (loving your brother, neighbor and even your enemy)...your efforts are futile.

                                                          ii.      Galatians 3:10-13 “¹⁰All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

¹¹Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith.” ¹²The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." ¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us...”

c.      Types of Sin

                                                             i.      Sins of Commission

1.      We sin in thoughts, words and deeds

a.      Matthew 22:36-40 “³⁶"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" ³⁷Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' ⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

                                                                                                                                     i.      Heart, soul & mind...thoughts, words and deeds

                                                          ii.      Sins of Omission

1.      Sinning by what you DON’T do

a.      James 4:17 “¹⁷Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.”

b.     Matthew 25:40-46 “ ⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

 ⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

 ⁴⁴"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

⁴⁵"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

 ⁴⁶"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

                                                       iii.      Unintentional Sins

1.      Sins we did not mean to commit, still happen...

a.      Numbers 15:29 “²⁹ One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether he is a native-born Israelite or an alien.”

d.     No One does Right

                                                             i.      John 3:20-21 “²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

                                                          ii.      Romans 3:23 “²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

                                                       iii.      I John 1:8-10 “ ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”

e.      What we must do about it

                                                             i.      Ecclesiastes 7:20 “²⁰ There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”

II.               MURDER, ANGER & RESENTMENT

a.      The Law

                                                             i.      Exodus 20:13 “...thou shalt not commit murder...

b.     Jesus clarifies

                                                             i.      Unjust anger and resentment are the same as murder...

1.      In the Bible, the type of anger which is not sinful is more properly called "righteous indignation". Righteous indignation does not produce emotion. Thus, whenever emotion is involved, sinful anger is the cause.

The Bible uses two Greek words for anger: orge, referring to mental anger, and thumos, for passionate and emotional anger.

It is possible, but not common, to have mental anger without an emotional response. In Ephesians 4:31, both types of anger are related to bitterness.

Anger is a sin which promotes sins against other people, such as gossip, self-righteous judging, slander, complaining.

Both anger and righteous indignation are reactions to events or circumstances. If the mental reaction is unjustifiable, it becomes a reaction such as irritation, exasperation, or irrationality.

However, if a reaction is justifiable, it is never irrational. An example would be righteous indignation regarding heresy, or purposeful deviation from the truth of God’s Word.

III.            OFFERINGS DO NOT CLEANSE YOU

Some think they can purchase forgiveness, pay a financial penance and be forgiven, or give an offering to the Lord and their wrong will be made right.

Offerings will not cleanse you, ONLY the blood of Jesus.  No other sacrifice can be made, other than the one that has already been made, the perfect sacrifice.

Tithes, offerings and alms are commanded, but they are to be done in obedience, not for receiving forgiveness.

CONCLUSION

The Word of God shows us that anger and resentment of others is the same as murder.

We see righteous indignation (or righteous anger) is anger towards unrighteousness and the effects of sin; an anger which does not bring emotions.

EXAMPLES

·        In Mark 10:14, Jesus became opposed to the disciples when they forbade the children to be brought unto Him. This was not anger, it was an understanding of a wrong.

·        Jesus expressed righteous indignation in Matthew 23:13-36 when he condemned the scribes and Pharisees.

·        Another example of righteous indignation is a Christian's mental attitude toward criminal activity. You can pursue, prosecute, and sentence a criminal without compromising such principles as grace, forgiveness, or impersonal love. You are aware that the criminal's act is wrong and that he must be stopped. That is righteous indignation. But you don't hate the criminal or fall apart emotionally because of sinful anger. Impersonal love is a result of Christian growth and allows believers to have a regard for even the most obnoxious people that does not depend on their character or behavior.

It is righteous indignation that allows God to be "angry" about sin but to love us anyway. His love for us depends on His character, not on ours.

Anger is associated with grieving the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:30-31 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Notice the contrast here between conditions of anger and the results of impersonal love.

Anger is a violation of the Christian's code of conduct as a member of the Body of Christ.

Colossians 3:8,9 "But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, {and} abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its {evil} practices"

Anger hinders effective prayer.

1 Timothy 2:8 "Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension."

Anger is always accompanied by other sins.

Proverbs 29:22 "An angry person stirs up strife, and a hot tempered person abounds in transgression."

Anger promotes the sins of gossip, self-righteous judging, maligning, revenge, complaining, bitterness, and many others.

Hebrews 12:15 "See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled."

1.      Recognize the sin of anger and confess to the Lord when you become angry. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9.

This way, you will maintain your walk with the Lord and be controlled (filled) by the Holy Spirit.

2. Continue to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Forgiveness is an important part of grace being used by a believer. The more you are oriented to God's plan of Grace, the more adept you will be at using the assets He provides.

3. Practice trusting God (or, using Faith). God says, "Cast your care on Me, because I care for you." When you are in bad situations, tell the Lord about it and let Him handle it.

Ephesians 4:26-27 “²⁶"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷and do not give the devil a foothold.”

What is Sin - Part 4 : Judge not, Unless You're Supposed to

WHAT IS SIN?

Part 4 - Judge not, unless you’re supposed to...

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

SCRIPTURE READING

Luke 6:37-38; 41-42

“³⁷"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

 ⁴¹"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴²How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”

INTRODUCTION

Most quote just the first scripture, forgetting the rest, and not fully understanding what this scripture means.

For some reason, the ones who are constantly quoting “Do not judge...” in my experience, happen to be some of the most judgmental people I know.

Crying “Do not judge...” while at the same time condemning others for various social, economical or personal reasons.

This judging of others is sometimes masqueraded as correction of another’s sin, although they never take a single step of biblical correction the scripture lay out for us.

 Sometimes judging is disguised as concern about another person’s negative actions or behavior, when it is nothing more than someone not liking another person.

Sometimes there is no disguise at all, and a believer will outright judge, and slander another person for no reason other than they think they are above someone else, which is usually related to “I’m closer to God than you”, “I have more money than you”, “I’m just better than you”.

It’s easy to misconstrue the actions and words of those we dislike.

Sinners - Romans 3:22-23 “...There is no difference, ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Poor - Luke 6:20 “ ²⁰Looking at his disciples, he said:
   "Blessed are you who are poor,
      for yours is the kingdom of God.”

Homeless - Luke 8:19-20 “¹⁹Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

 ²⁰Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Ugly - Isaiah 53:2 "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him."

Imprisoned - Apostles were imprisoned many times...so were God’s people in the Old Testament, imprisoned by Egypt...and now, God’s people are imprisoned by sin.

Hungry - Philippians 4:12 “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

the list goes on...

Forgetting the all-important parable, Jesus shares in scripture about this type of thinking and behavior.  Saying, “What you do to the least of these, you have done to me.”

Why is there so much confusion about judging?

This is because they fail to read the scripture in context, and fail to see the entire picture Jesus paints here in Luke.

Jesus commands in this text here, not to judge, but when you continue to read, it instructs us to remove the plank from our own eye, so we may see clearly to remove the speck from our brother’s eye.

What is going on here is the scripture is defining the difference between the judging we are not supposed to do, and the judging the word clearly instructs us to do.

We discover the difference in semantics.

Judge Not, but do Correct.

We are basically commanded to judge no one, but correct those who are within the church, when it is appropriate to do so.

Today we are going to look at incorrect judging that took place in the scripture, and correct judging that took place, as well as read a few scripture about the True and Just Judge of all.

I.                   JUDGMENT, CORRECTION, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

a.      Defined -

                                                              i.      Judgment - We are NOT to look down on others (this is pride), we are not to judge sinners (they are already condemned), we are not to say whether someone is going to heaven or hell...that is up to God alone! (only God knows the heart of man).

                                                           ii.      Correction - We ARE to judge ourselves (correction), we are to judge our children (correction), we are to judge those who call themselves Christians, who say they are part of the Body of Christ.

b.     Scriptures commanding us NOT to judge

                                                              i.      James 4:11-12 “¹¹Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹²There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”

                                                           ii.      James 2:1-6 “¹My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. ²Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. ³If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," ⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

 ⁵Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? ⁶But you have insulted the poor.

1.      Luke 9:47-48 “⁴⁷Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. ⁴⁸Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest."

2.      Matthew 25:31-46 “³¹"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

 ³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

 ³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

 ⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

 ⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

 ⁴⁴"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

 ⁴⁵"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

 ⁴⁶"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

                                                         iii.      Romans 14:10-13 “¹⁰You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. ¹¹It is written:
   " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
   'every knee will bow before me;
      every tongue will confess to God.'” ¹²So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

 ¹³Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

c.      Commanded TO judge (correction)

                                                              i.      I John 5:16-17 “ ¹⁶If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. ¹⁷All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.”

1.      the sin that leads not to death - “Errors we make daily”

2.      sin that leads to death - “Choosing to life continually in a direction that is in obvious opposition to God”

                                                           ii.      Matthew 18:15-17 “ ¹⁵"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. ¹⁶But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'¹⁷If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan...”

1.      Treat him as one who is NOT a follower of Christ, a non-believer, no longer a brother, but a neighbor.

                                                         iii.      Galatians 6:1-4 “ ¹Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. ²Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴Each one should test his own actions.”

                                                         iv.      Luke 17:1-4 “ ¹Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. ²It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. ³So watch yourselves.
      "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

                                                           v.      I Corinthians 5:9-13 “⁹I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. ¹¹But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

 ¹²What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

1.      We are to judge believers in the church...

2.      We are NOT to judge those outside of the church!

II.               JUDGMENTS

a.      Incorrect Judgment in Scripture

                                                              i.      John the Baptist

1.      Matthew 3:3-4 “³This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
   "A voice of one calling in the desert,
   'Prepare the way for the Lord,
      make straight paths for him.' "

⁴John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

                                                           ii.      Apostles

1.      Galatians 2:4-6 “⁴This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. ⁵We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

 ⁶As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message.”

2.      Pentecost  Many said they were drunk when they spoke in the known languages of other lands and peoples.

                                                         iii.      Colossians 2:16-19 “ ¹⁶Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. ¹⁹He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.”

                                                         iv.      Jesus

1.      “...can anything good come from Nazareth?”

2.      “...Isn’t that the carpenter’s son?”

3.      “...he can’t even save himself...”

                                                           v.      Myself

1.      Don’t judge a man by the clothes he wears, God made one, the tailor, the other.

a.      Your tie doesn’t match your suit

b.      White socks with dress shoes?

c.      You need a hair cut

d.     Where did you go to Seminary?

e.      You have tattoos

b.     Correct Judgment in Scripture (Correction)

                                                              i.      Judge Ourselves

1.      I Corinthians 11:31-32 “³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. ³²When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.”

                                                           ii.      Ananias and Saphira

1.      Judged for lying to the Holy Spirit

                                                         iii.      I Corinthians 11:31-32 “³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. ³²When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.”

                                                         iv.      Romans - Correction for those who call themselves followers of Christ, yet follow nothing but the sinful desires of their flesh and this world.

III.            THE ONE TRUE JUDGE OF ALL

a.      God, the true and just judge of all

                                                              i.      James 5:9 “⁹Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”

                                                           ii.      I Peter 2:23 “²³When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

                                                         iii.      John 12:48 “⁴⁸There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”

CONCLUSION

We are commanded NOT to judge others who;

1.      Are sinners NOT in the Body of Christ

2.      Whether someone is going to heaven or hell

3.      For any reason, whether social, financial, personal...

We are commanded TO judge (correction) others who;

1.      Are professing Christians (followers of Christ)

2.      But, primarily we are to judge ourselves.

 If you have judged another, or spoke wrongly of others, you must confess your sin to the Lord and you will be forgiven.  If you continue to judge others wrongly, it is sin, and if you continue, you endanger your relationship with God the Father, who refuses to be in the presence of sinful people.

Confess and repent today, so that you may receive forgiveness.