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Who is the Judge of
Your Humility?
MP3
All true firstfruits are in the
Salvation Process. In this process are many elements we spend the
lifetime of our calling mastering. They include love, faith,
repentance, overcoming sin, patience, forgiveness, longsuffering, tithing & giving and humility,
just to mention a few. If we were to list them all, we would be
talking about hundreds of separate issues. All are fruits of the
Spirit and we master them by that same Spirit in us. Christ is the
embodiment of these elements and He lives in and through us.
This being true, why do we find people in the Body of Christ judging one
another regarding these salvation elements? What are the criteria
for each judgment? Would it not be different for each element?
Would there not be one template for judging a person's repentance and
another for judging his tithing? For what purpose would one
brother desire to judge another?
There was a case some time back, when some individuals in the church were
attempting to judge the humility (of all things) of another. Their
judgment was that this man was considering himself an important and
influential person in the church. They apparently made these
judgments based on the "cover of the book", that is, their
interpretation of his actions. One judgment was made solely on
where he sat during services. This particular man, though not
ordained, had a speaking credential and occasionally gave sermonettes.
On at least one Sabbath, they felt he was using them as the target of
accusation by what he presented in the
sermonette. Judging by the cover of the book
DOES NOT WORK!!
Many of these situations arise out of envy, jealously, bitterness and
dislike of the person being judged. If the target is a
credentialed speaker, deacon or minister, often the judgment is coming
from one who desires to be that speaker, deacon or minister. This
play has been acted out countless times in the history of the church
dating back to the days of Peter and Paul. Paul describes the
situations himself and names names (Alexander the coppersmith, Hymenaeus, others--Read his letters to Timothy).
At any rate, we cannot judge the humility of a person by where he sits,
who he talks to before services, what duty he performs for the
congregation or what he does as a career or hobby. As I have
stated so many times, if I set myself as your judge, I can and will find
fault with every action I see you take. I could conceivably find
fault regardless of whether you sat at the head of the table, the middle
or stood away from the table. I could bring blame against you and
apply motive for your sitting in the front row at services, the second,
the middle, the back, in the middle of a row as opposed to an aisle or
if you chose to stand at the back of the room. I could label you
an alcoholic regardless if you confessed to me you rarely drank, were a
"social drinker", put a fifth of Scotch away everyday or never had a
drink in your life (save Passover). A human judge is a judge and
can judge any way he wishes and often will.
Humility, like most all elements of the Salvation Process are things
between the member and God. God is the judge of these elements.
It is interesting that in one scripture reference God speaks to both the
humble person and the self-appointed human judge against him...
The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a
prating fool shall fall. He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but
he that perverteth his ways shall be known. He that winketh with the eye
causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall. The mouth of a righteous
man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. In the lips of
him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back
of him that is void of understanding. Wise men lay up knowledge: but the
mouth of the foolish is near destruction. –Proverbs 10:8-14
Note: These verses show a huge contrast between the truly
humble person and the one who seeks to judge others and thereby cause
division in the church. Judging another unrighteously is a sin.
Why? Because we do not have the power to do it. We do not
have the power to look upon another person's heart and mind. We
cannot assign motives to people just because we don't happen to like
them.
Before a member self-destructs from the Salvation Process, he gets
haughty [arrogant, snooty, puffed up]. With humility comes honor.
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,
and before honour is humility. –Proverbs 18:12
A human judge is full of pride. However, honor will uphold those
humble in Spirit.
A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour
shall uphold the humble in spirit. –Proverbs 29:23
When I consider the member who goes
about acting as a self-appointed judge, these words come to mind:
Nouns: arrogance, condescension,
cruelty, cynic, detachment, impudence, malevolence, snob.
Adjectives: abrupt, abusive,
accusatorial, aggressive, arrogant, bleak, boastful, calculating,
cold-blooded, contrary, cynical, detached, ill-tempered, impatient,
impudent, insensitive, malevolent, resentful, snobbish, tepid.
When I consider the member who is truly humble, these contrasting words
come to mind:
Nouns: amiability,
benevolence, confidence, consideration, gallantry, gravity, modesty
Adjectives: affectionate, amiable,
approachable, benevolent, broad, companionable, confident, confidential,
friendly, gallant , gracious, grave, humanitarian, humble, outgoing,
social
What advice do I have for the member who currently finds himself being a
judge?
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any
man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do
ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness. –Colossians 3:12-14
How can anyone read these verses and still want to judge his brother in
any way?
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