Good morning. This morning sermon subject is about judgement. Thought it would be a good idea to cover judgement because sometimes it can be confusing if we listen to the wrong sources. Let’s turn in our Bibles or look at the screen. Matthew, chapter seven, verse one.
1Iudge not, that ye be not iudged.
2For with what iudgment ye iudge, yee shall be iudged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you againe.
Again, this is a very common couple of verses of Scripture that I have heard in my life used by professing Christians against other people, and it’s often taken out of context. So part of what I wanted to talk about this morning is, what does this mean? What is Jesus Christ teaching the Christians? So the purpose of this sermon is what is the judgement that we are not to judge? In Matthew seven? Go back and read it again. It is an admonition about using any judgement outside of God’s word. So if we say we should not judge anything, we deny Scripture. That’s very important. So the next time someone uses these two verses against you, or if you hear someone quoting them, make sure they understand what Jesus Christ is talking about. Whatever measure Ye meet shall be measured against you. Again, if you make up stuff like such and such behaviour is a sin, or drinking alcohol is a sin, or dancing is a sin, or putting on makeup is a sin.
These are all things that you are decreeing in your mouth, and if you got them from God’s Word, you’ll be fine. But if you’re making them up, they’re going to be tacked on to the judgement that you’ll receive someday when you face the Lord. That’s what the warning is. It says in John, chapter seven,
24Iudge not according to the appearance, but iudge righteous iudgement.
God tells believers to judge righteous judgement. So God definitely tells people that believe on Jesus Christ to judge, but they have to judge righteously, not unrighteously says in Psalm 119, verse 160,
Thy word is true from the beginning: and euery one of thy righteous iudgements endureth for euer.
So we get a greater idea that God’s Word is the one that judges from reading these verses. And then in Jeremiah, chapter 17, we read,
9¶ The heart is deceitfull aboue all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?
God tells us that if we rely on what we feel or what we think, then we’re going to be deceived because our own judgements are unrighteous. We can’t judge things in our own hearts. We have to judge by the word of God always. So many in the professing Christian community say, do not judge. They say we should not judge people because Jesus says to not judge or we will be judged. Therefore, God’s boundless love and mercy extends to all vices of the flesh and all of his children. From diverse cultures and religions with freedom to believe in any Bible deity or precepts of their preference. Great men of God are popular celebrities, too. We’re all one big happy ecumenical family. If you listen to the world, that’s what I have heard quite often, and I think it’s a pretty accurate representation of what the mainstream Christian pop culture belief is today.
As a reminder, it says in John seven, Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement if an unsaved person looks at the screen and sees pictures of different people. We have been programmed to associate evil with what we perceive by appearance to be evil. So the woman in the center top picture that’s giving a hand sign called a mono Cornudo and has an inverted cross on the side of her head looks evil. So we associate that to be an evil person. The same with the lower left hand corner there is Ryan Warner, I believe is his name, known as Marilyn Manson, posing with Anton LeVay. He has a mono Cornudo on his t-shirt or on his shirt. And we are programmed to associate their appearance as being evil, and that’s understandable. There’s no masquerading there. They definitely not only appear to be evil, but absolutely have evil deeds that follow their appearance. However, once you get nourished and you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are to judge by his words, and you can tell what comes out of the mouth indicates whether a person the fruits by their fruits, you shall know them or Ye shall know them by their fruits. And you can start judging people based on what comes out of their mouth.
For example, there’s a couple of pictures of the Pope there Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, Bob Jones. All of them endorsed biblical alignment with the Church of Rome. Certainly the papacy has lamps coming out of their mouth. They have their own scriptures, as we know from reading Job chapter 41, verse 19, for one example. But a lot of popular Christian so called celebrities or great men of God, such as Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, and Bob Jones, who are at the bottom row there, profess a text that aligns directly with the Pope of Rome. And they use scriptures that line up and are often based on the Catholic word of God, which is an ever changing, unspiritual testimony. So how does God judge someone that misleads people and prevents the Holy Ghost from falling on them? There is a greater damnation according to Jesus Christ.
So if you’re going to be a non-believer, don’t use the name Jesus Christ. To beguile people is one of the lessons here. So we don’t judge by appearance anymore. We judge righteous judgement based on how people measure up against the word of God. What are they telling us? And does it line up with scripture? What does God say in John chapter three?
He that beleeueth on him, is not condemned: but hee that beleeueth not, is condemned already, because hee hath not beleeued in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God.
So everyone’s condemned already. Your judgement has already been done. We’re all on our way to hell. There’s only one way to escape it, to be born again, says in one Corinthians, chapter eleven. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world. God corrects us, and it often hurts very much, but that’s because he loves us and he doesn’t want us to be condemned with the world by default. Everyone has been judged already and is on the way to the Lake of fire for an eternity, says in Matthew chapter seven,
14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth vnto life, and few there be that finde it.
God makes it very clear that few find their way to Salvation. Out of the people that profess a Christian faith. That’s an important distinction. Everyone’s condemned already. The whole world is condemned. And then there is a part of the world, maybe a third of the world that professes to be Christian. And of those, few are actually true Christians. In Matthew chapter 24, it says, for there shall arise false Christ and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomnia that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect God is warning about. Even the real Christians would be deceived if it were possible. So take heed that no man deceive you. A false Christ is a result of a false Prophet, which is a result of a subtle word change in Scripture which come out of the mouths of all of these highly respected Vatican type entertainers that profess to be Christians. So judge everything by the true, pure word of God, and you’ll be okay. How does God judge? John, chapter 12
48He that reiecteth me, and receiueth not my words, hath one that iudgeth him: þe word that I haue spoken, the same shall iudge him in the last day.
We’re all going to be judged at some point in time, even saved people. But God is telling everyone that if you reject him and you do not get born again, your judgement is still going to be by every word of God, and that judgement is going to judge you on the last day. So someone that is not familiar at all and has never been born again, and they don’t know God’s word, it’s going to be horrifying for them to find out what Jesus Christ says in his word about the unrighteous and the law of Moses and what you can and cannot do under the law, and that no one is justified unless they’re born again of the Spirit. So that’s an important scripture to remember. He that REJECTETH me and receiveth not my words hath one that judges him. The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day. So if someone quotes Matthew chapter seven and says, Judge not, then you can quote John chapter twelve that says, okay, well, God’s word is going to judge everyone, so no one’s getting away with anything. And you must be born again. Says in Psalm 119 160,
Thy word is true from the beginning: and euery one of thy righteous iudgements endureth for euer.
God’s Word is true, it’s pure, and no one is escaping it, and it endures forever. It’s never going away. So we ought to put our faith in Jesus Christ, trust in Him, and believe on his word, so that we can be born again of the Spirit and escape the judgement of the law that is contrary to us, and we will be judged according to our faith rather than what it says here in Romans chapter three.
20Therefore by the deedes of the Law, there shall no flesh be iustified in his sight: for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne.
It’s important to remember that none of us I thought about well, what examples do I give? Well, is someone that’s born a homosexual or becomes a homosexual any worse off than someone that’s not well, according to God, no flesh is justified in his sight. So it doesn’t matter how good or bad we think we are in the flesh, none of us are justified. The law gives us knowledge of sin, and then ultimately where we’re led as Christians is that all unrighteousness is sin, as it’s revealed in the New Testament. Because everyone has sinned, we’ve all transgressed the law. It says in Galatians, chapter two, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. The law is grievous and contrary to our nature. We cannot be justified. We have a sin problem. The only way to escape that problem, which has caused condemnation because of our lack of belief in the Word of God, is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. His Word is true. That’s the only way we can escape it, and then we must be born again of the Spirit. God tries us, and if our belief is true, only he knows. He tries our faith and he sends us the Holy Spirit if we are true believers. And of course, as Christians know, the chastening is part of being received by God, and that chastening or some form of correction is going to happen at times through our life as Christians, as we need correction after we get saved as well. Christians must judge. It says in 1 Corinthians, chapter six,
9Know yee not that the vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God? Be not deceiued: neither fornicatours, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselues with mankinde,
10Nor theeues, nor couetous, nor drunkards, nor reuilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
That covers all of us. I just put some pictures up of different types of offences in the flesh, but all of us are in this category. None of us are going to get into the Kingdom of heaven unless we’re born again of the Spirit. So this is another warning against trusting in the flesh. All of us are guilty. If you just break one part of the law, you transgress the entire law. So we’re all in this category together. Christians must judge righteously by God’s Word. It says in One Corinthians, chapter two, but he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. So that’s important. If you’re born again of the Spirit, you judge all things. So the next time someone says, oh, judge not, lest ye be judged and tries to use Matthew seven against us. And often these are people that have not been born again based on my own personal experience, because they don’t know what the Bible says. Really, you can say, hey, there’s a number of places in the Bible.
In One Corinthians, chapter two is one of them that says that if you’re spiritual, you judge all things. Yet we’re not judged of any man because God’s Word has already judged us and we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. It says in One Corinthians, chapter six,
2Do ye not know that the Saints shall iudge the world? And if the world shalbe iudged by you, are ye vnworthy to iudge the smallest matters?
In other words, those that are spiritual judge the world. And if the world shall be judged by you, and Ye are Ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? God is telling us that the Saints, the born again believers, judge the world by the Word of God. That’s the ultimate metric. We are just not to judge outside of the Word of God. That’s where we get in trouble. So it says in One Thessalonians, chapter five,
21Proue all things: hold fast that which is good.
Somebody says something, prove it against the Word of God. That’s the ultimate metric. That’s the ultimate standard that we have to measure against Hebrews chapter five. But strong meat belongs to them that are a full age. Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Strong meat, as we know, Jesus says, My flesh is meat indeed. And he’s talking about his Word, that once we get mature and understand the Word of God, we are able to discern good and evil with a much better sense. In One Corinthians, chapter eleven,
29For hee that eateth and drinketh vnworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe, not discerning the Lords body.
When you feed on the Word of God and you could be reading the 1611 Authorized Version, but if you’re not a real believer as you read it, you’re not discerning the Lord’s body, you’re not receiving spiritual things. And if you don’t get born again of the spirit, you’re not going to get into the Kingdom of heaven. And that’s what God is talking about here is that when you open up and read the word of God, you have to believe what you’re reading is a true testimony. Otherwise it’s going to be a foolish testimony to you and you’ll never receive the Holy Spirit. So in conclusion, Christians must judge however, God warns us not to use our own unrighteous judgement rather use his word to judge all things. So if you get anything out of this sermon this morning, remember that we as Christians must judge righteous judgement by the word of God. And of course, the final thought that I’ll leave everyone Is what Jesus Christ tells the born again and believers in Matthew eleven or the would be believers. He says,
28¶ Come vnto me all yee that labour, and are heauy laden, and I will giue you rest.
29Take my yoke vpon you, and learne of me, for I am meeke and lowly in heart: and yee shall find rest vnto your soules.
30For my yoke is easie, and my burden is light.
Very comforting because Jesus Christ makes it clear that once we understand that we’re not justified in our fleshy bodies and we’re not justified by the law, but rather we’ve been brought to the knowledge of sin, he is the only answer we must believe on him and he will give rest to our souls and his yoke is easy and his burden is light. And that’s a very comforting couple of verses there because without Jesus Christ and his righteousness, we would never be able to accomplish anything. He says, for without me ye can doe nothing. So thank the Lord for the sacrifice for our Lord Jesus Christ who made it possible just through belief that we would be born again and be able to use a righteous judgement by saying that his word is true and he defines what is right and what is wrong. We don’t do that in our own unrighteous judgement. Have a great week, everyone. I’ll look forward to talking again soon. God bless and stay safe.
