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
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/mwest/100427
Friday, May 21, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
ICR, Days of Praise, May 18 2010
A Righteous Heart
May 18, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
I Just Heard from Heaven
1. Once I wandered out in sin, far from God away,
Al my heart to Him I give, no more sin allowed,
And I've just heard from heaven, and it's all right now.
CHORUS:
Well, I've just heard from heaven and there's one thing I know.
My sins are all forgiven, He washed me white as snow.
The load that once I carried, He took away somehow,
And I've just heard from heaven, and it's all right now.
2. Trials come to you and me, burdens hard to bear,
But Our heartaches, grief, and pain He will gladly bear.
So just look up and trust in Him, and leave your burdens there,
And you will hear from heaven when you call in prayer.
CHORUS:
3. When my load is hard to bear, and my path dim,
No one else seems to care, then I go to Him.
He's my intercessor there, so at His feet I bow,
And I've just heard from heaven, and it's all right now.
CHORUS:
Saturday, May 15, 2010
In Touch Devotional, May 15, 2010
The Attitude of a Saint
1 Corinthians 15:9-11
The apostle Paul had a certain mindset that Christians are wise to emulate (1 Cor. 11:1). His attitude included:
1. Humility. Pride cannot hide in the heart of a believer who understands divine mercy. Paul spread the gospel because he believed that the grace which was sufficient to save a sinner like him was adequate for anyone.
2. A sense of obligation. The apostle never lost sight of how far God's grace had brought him. He frequently reminded followers of his role in persecuting the church (1 Tim. 1:13). Paul's gratitude for salvation from that former life never waned. The book of Acts records the almost constant turmoil and heartache of his travels, and yet he kept praising the Lord for the privilege of serving.
3. A sense of dependence. To describe the source of his strength, Paul used these words: "By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10). He knew what it was like to depend upon one's own goodness and work to be religious— and he wanted no part of it. Paul desired more of Jesus and none of himself (Phil 3:8).
4. A spirit of absolute confidence. At the end of his life, Paul was as certain as ever that God was real, in charge, and worthy of all honor, glory, and praise (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
Do you see these attitudes in yourself? If not, borrow a page from the apostle Paul's "playbook." Praise the Lord for all that He has done for you, and then get busy working for His kingdom. Do not allow His grace to be poured out on your life in vain (1 Cor. 15:10).
Friday, May 14, 2010
ICR, Days of Praise, May 14, 2010
The Dreamers
May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
ICR Days of Praise, May 13, 2010
Righteous Friends
May 13, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Biblically, Could Death Have Existed before Sin?
Biblically, Could Death Have Existed before Sin?
Satan, the Fall, and a Look at Good and Evil
by Bodie Hodge--March 2, 2010from Answers in Genesis
Death and sin—these are two things today’s society seems to want to avoid in a conversation! In today’s secular society, kids have been taught for generations that death goes back for millions of years. But there is a huge contrast when you open the pages of Scripture beginning in Genesis.
The Bible is the authority on the past (as well as the authority on scientific and theological aspects), and it is logical that the Bible should be the authority on the issue of death and its relationship with sin. Getting a big picture of sin and death and how they are related in the Bible can make us better witnesses to today’s culture.
Everything Was Originally Perfect
Genesis 1:31
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Figure 1. A very good creation
Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
When God finished creating at the end of Day 6, He declared everything “very good”—it was perfect. God’s work of creation is perfect. We expect nothing less of a perfect God.
What was this “perfect” or “very good” creation like? Were animals dying? Was man dying? Let’s look closer at what the Bible teaches.
Everything Was Originally Vegetarian
Genesis 1:29–30
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
We know that animals and man were not eating meat originally according to Genesis 1:29–30. So, meat-eaters today were all vegetarian originally, which also points to death not being part of the original creation. Plants are not “alive” in the biblical sense of nephesh chayyah, only animals and man. So, plants being eaten did not mean death existed before the Fall.1 One would not expect a God of life to be a god of death. When we look at God’s restoration in Revelation 21–22, there will be no death, pain, or suffering.
If a Christian wants to side with the atheistic view of a world where death existed for millions of years using the majority of the fossil layers as their evidence of slow gradual accumulation instead of a global Flood, then they have major problems.2 The fossil layers consist of many animals that have the remains of other animals in their stomach contents.3 As we’ll discuss later, Scripture tells us that sin brought about animal death, something that did not occur prior to the Fall. This rules out many of the rock layers as being evidence of million of years because the Lord declared that everything was originally vegetarian. The Flood of Noah’s day is a much better explanation of the rock layers, which show animals eating other animals after sin.
Death Is a Punishment
Genesis 2:16–17
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
God gave the command in Genesis 2:16–17 that sin would be punishable by death. This is significant when we look at the big picture of death. If death in any form was around prior to God’s declaration in Genesis 1:31 that everything was “very good,” then death would be very good too—hence not a punishment at all.
Some have pointed out that this passage is not referring to animal death. In one sense, we agree with them: this verse was not directed toward animals. But by the same logic, this command was only directed toward Adam, yet Eve died and so do we (Adam’s descendants) for sin. This shows the all-encompassing impact of the sin-death relationship.
Adam Knew What “Die” Meant
Some people have brought up the objection that if there was no death existing in the world, then how did Adam know what God meant in Genesis 2:17.
God, the author of language, programmed Adam with language when He created him, as they conversed right from the start on Day 6 (see Genesis 2). Since God makes things perfectly, Adam knew what death meant—even if he did not have experiential knowledge of it. In fact, he probably understood it better than any of us because he had a perfect mind, uncorrupted by sin and the Curse.
Sin Brought Animal Death
The first recorded death and passages referring to death as a reality came with sin in Genesis 3 when the serpent, Eve, and Adam all were disobedient to God. Please note that what happened is the first hint that things will die:
Genesis 3:14
So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:14 indicates that animals, which were cursed along with the serpent, would no longer live forever but have a limited life (all the days of your life). This is the first hint of animal death. Since animals were cursed, they too will now die.
Figure 2. The Lord’s sacrifice to make coats of skins for Adam and Eve
Though this particular verse doesn’t rule out animal death prior to sin, its placement with sin and the Curse in Genesis 3 may very well be significant. The first recorded death of animals comes in Genesis 3:21, when God covered Adam and Eve with coats of skins to replace their fig leaf coverings they assumed would cover their nakedness.
Genesis 3:21
The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
Abel apparently mimicked something like this when he sacrificed from his flocks (fat portions) in Genesis 4:4, as did Noah after the Flood in Genesis 8:20. The Israelites did this as well, giving sin offerings of lambs, doves, etc.
Figure 3. Noah offering sacrifices
The punishment for sin was death; so, something had to die. Rightly, Adam and Eve deserved to die, but we serve a God of grace, mercy, and love. And out of His love and His mercy, He basically gave us a “grace period” to repent.
The Lord sacrificed an animal to cover this sin. It was not enough to take away sin, but merely offered a temporary covering. This shows how much more valuable mankind is than animals (see also Matthew 6:26, 12:12). The punishment for sinning against an infinitely holy God is an infinite punishment, and animals are not infinite. They simply cannot take that punishment. We needed a perfect and infinite sacrifice that could take the infinite punishment from an infinite God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is infinite, could take that punishment. These animal sacrifices foreshadowed Jesus Christ who was the ultimate, perfect, infinite sacrifice for our sins on the cross. Hebrews reveals:
Hebrews 9:22
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
This is why Jesus had to die, and this is why animals were sacrificed to cover sin. These passages make it clear that animal death has a relationship with human sin as well as the fact that it came after sin (see Christian Theodicy in Light of Genesis and Modern Science). Also, it is the very basis and foundation of the gospel.
Sin Brought Human Death
This same type of proclamation that animals will ultimately die (all the days of your life) comes back in Genesis 3:17, where man would also die (all the days of your life). Like the animals, man would die in fulfillment of what was said in Genesis 2:17.
Genesis 3:17
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.”
Some have stated that they believe this was only a spiritual death, but God made it clear in Genesis 3:19 by adding that humanity will return to the dust from which we came, which makes it clear it was not excluding a physical death.
Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.
Even Paul, when speaking of human death, specifically says:
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned
1 Corinthians 15:26
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
Romans 5:14
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Romans 5:17
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
If the death God mentioned is only spiritual, then why did Jesus have to die physically—or rise physically? If the Curse meant only spiritual death, then the gospel is undermined.
It is true that Adam and Eve didn’t die the exact day they ate, as some seem to think Genesis 2:17 implies. The Hebrew is die-die (muwth-muwth), which is often translated as “surely die” or literally as “dying you shall die,” which indicates the beginning of dying (i.e. an ingressive sense). At that point, Adam and Eve began to die and would return to dust. If they were meant to have died right then, the text should have used muwth only once, as is used in the Hebrew meaning “dead, died, or die” and not “beginning to die” or “surely die.”
Does the Bible Teach Death before Sin?
The Bible tells us very clearly that there was no death before sin from many passages. In fact, there are no Bible verses indicating there was death prior to sin.
Click to enlarge
Figure 4. Death before sin is a problem for a perfect creation at the end of Day 6
The only reason some people try to insert death before sin is to fit man’s ideas of “millions of years” of death from a uniformitarian view of the fossil record into the Bible. But this makes a mockery of God’s statement that everything was very good in Genesis 1:31. Death, animals eating other animals, thorns, cancer, tumors, and so on are not very good, and, yet, these are found in those fossil layers.
This leads to compromising what God plainly says to accommodate fallible man’s ideas. Besides, the Scriptures reveal a global Flood in Genesis 6–8, after sin, which explains the vast majority of fossil layers. So, one need not appeal to billions of years to explain these layers. It is better to trust what God says:
Psalm 118:8
It is better to trust in God, than to trust in man.
Keep in mind that having death before sin also undermines the very gospel, where Jesus Christ stepped into history to conquer sin and death. In doing so, He graciously offered the free gift of salvation to all who receive him.
Conclusion
Figure 5. Biblical view of death
Figure 6. A secular view of death
Keep in mind there are primarily two views of history (secular and Christian) with two different authorities (man’s fallible reason apart from God and a perfect God) with conflicting views about the past.
According to the Bible, a perfect God created a perfect creation, and because of man’s sin, death and suffering came into the world. But through Christ we look forward to a time when there will be no more pain or death or suffering (Revelation 21:4).
In a secular worldview, there has always been death. So, when Christians try to incorporate secular history of millions of years into their theology, two main questions arise. Was there really a change when Adam and Eve sinned? And what will heaven really be like then . . . ?
Footnotes
- See “Do Leaves Die?” Back
- Bodie Hodge, “How old is the earth?” Answers in Genesis. Back
- Ryan McClay, “Dino Dinner Hard to Swallow,” Answers in Genesis. Back
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
ICR, Days of Praise, May 11, 2010
A Righteous Desire
May 11, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
ICR, Days of Praise, May 10, 2010
The Christian's Calling May 10, 2010 |
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