We should evaluate (use discernment, rightly judge) according to facts instead of according to presumption, personal preferences, or feelings. We don’t have all the facts. Let's learn to discern right from wrong, and truth from half truths and from full error. The future is here.
Why have a puffed up judgmental spirit? Why live bitter, or always negative with a bad attitude? Don’t be like the arrogant Pharisees or Sadducees in the way they judged. Live humbly and righteously.
Share the Good News in love. Hate the sin and error, but love the sinner. Let’s listen well, and judge (evaluate) according to words and actions and not motives. We can’t see the heart or thoughts of the mind. Only God can see hearts and thoughts. Test what the false teachers and false prophets say and do according to the Scriptures. Does it square with the Bible.
How do you watch out for spiritual wolves, aka false teachers unless you know the word.. know what to listen for, or sentences (message) to judge?
Do they go against the Essentials of the Bible? If so we prayerfully appeal to them to repent, but if not then we wisely break fellowship with them.
Do they disagree with you about disputable matters, namely non-essentials of the Christian faith? Show love to all people, and don’t break fellowship with these people.
To answer before listening—that is folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13 (KJV)
He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
Proverbs 18:13 nlt
Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. Proverbs 18:13 nkjv
He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him. Proverbs 18:13 ncv
Anyone who answers without listening is foolish and confused.
Hey, I too like that Matthew 7:1 verse. See Bible the whole context as well.
We are to evaluate, we are to judge with righteously.
Are you Mr. or Ms. Plankeye? So many seem so unable to see their own ginormous plank. Is it a two by four, or a four by eight?
Let’s each start with us removing the huge log in our own eyes before addressing their splinter. God help this saved sinner (me) look at my heart and judge myself. I am so unlike Jesus but want to be more like him in his character.
“Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:9 esv
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”John 7:24
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” Leviticus 19:15
How was the flood in the time of Noah just? It was a judgement of God. God is judging our nation the USA today.. yes we are seeing part of it. But there is hope for you today in Christ.
I'm not trying to make you feel bad or afraid, believer. If I was lost today, I would do well to fear and quickly come to Christ on His terms. Do you have the holy fear of God inside?
“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?” Romans 2:1-3Read more..
Jesus said...
“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? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Matthew 7:1-6
The more strictly we judge others, the more strict God will judge us. God will hold us to that standard. We all fail from time to time, but we are not God. Our judgements are temporal and God’s are eternal because he sees everything. He has a wider and longer view.
“Why is all this happening?” People today are filled with different fears, but so many lack the one healthy fear they really need to have.
Perhaps you’ve heard them voice those questions like I have?
People ask, “What's happened to our nation?” and, “What’s happened with the many churches in our Land ..that have gone cold and dead?” and, “What's happened with some of the Christians I know.. and what’s happened with many church leaders even.. that have stumbled, or fallen, or totally gone spiritually lame?” and, “What has happened to the sound doctrine with some of them, the good teachings that have gone away?”
“Why have so many governments, world leaders, news networks, big tech folk, elections, social media platforms with their leaders and other people gone sideways?”
Answer: Well, we've lost our fear of God!.. I mean our sense of respect and reverence of Him. For many people this lack is due to unforgiveness inside, to church-hurts, to besetting sins like unbelief and prayerlessness.
Lord, please pour out all You want to pour out of your Spirit. Have mercy on us, do it again!
Let's earnestly pray for an authentic (biblical) revival in the Church that really impacts lives via the Gospel, and a fifth Great awakening that.. far and wide spawns the Holy fear of God in hearts!
You know even smart politics, or new ingenuity with our minds put together.. can come close to fixing all that is broken here.
The Bible instructs us to fear the Lord because of who He is, because of what He has said (it’s all true), because of what he has done, and is currently doing.
Do you fear God today? The Bible says..
For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:30-31
"In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!” John 2:14-16
Remember, the second cleansing was three years later after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It was the last week before he hung on the cross (as is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke but not in John).
Isaiah 19:16 - In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble with fear beneath the uplifted hand of the LORD of Hosts, when He brandishes it against them.
Matthew 10:28 - Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 16:16 - Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Luke 12:5 - But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!
Acts 13:11 - Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
2 Corinthians 5:11 - Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well.
Hebrews 3:12 - See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.
Are there people in your life that you still need to forgive? That’s doesn’t mean you always need to approach them and tell them that you forgive them (many believe and insist that they never did anyone any wrong?). You can choose to forgive them inside your heart.
Forgiving the wicked, the wrong-doer, the mean hypocritical blind religious “guide”, the one who has ripped off your family.. doesn’t mean that you need to stay best friends with them, or that the consequences for lawlessness, ongoing hate-speech, or their evil deeds.. need to go away. It doesn’t mean that we free them from accountability, but a freely forgiven people needs to be a freely forgiving people really. We each can choose to get bitter or better in the Lord.
You know there is a fear that is far from helpful for your relationship with God, and a fear that is very helpful in your relationship with God!
I’m talking about a positive fear -- that proper inner awe, respect, reverence and holy fear that’s so needed in our world today. Think vertical first with Him -- live on-fire for Jesus! When we properly fear God we can then grow spiritually healthy in the Word and there’s a new found candor and intimacy of blessing as we walk closely with Christ. When we don’t have this fear, it even ill effects our horizontal relationships here on earth. Why grow lukewarm, carnal, worldly, religious and cold spiritually? The Bible says..
"For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the divine beings is like the Lord, a God greatly feared and reverently worshiped in the council of the holy [angelic] ones, and awesome above all those who are around Him?" Psalm 89:6-7
"If You, Lord, should keep an account of our sins and treat us accordingly, O Lord, who could stand [before you in judgment and claim innocence]? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared and worshiped with submissive wonder." Psalm 130:3-4
"The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread." Isa. 8:13
Ditch all your negative fears and choose to fear God. You'll never regret walking with Jesus.
Was there even one universe out there before God put it out there? Nope.
Let’s fear Him, praise Him, dance in the Spirit, and worship the Lord.
You were made to fear and worship the Lord. He who is to be feared spoke and the whole world came into existence. From nothing to something. The Scriptures use two interesting words for create Bara and Asa. It teaches us that man (a.k.a. people here) can act creatively and “make” (man assembles from already created things), but God creates something from zip.. by simply speaking it into existence.. yep, out of nothing. He’s way creative.
Do your own study on it. See and understand Genesis 1 in the Bible.
Hebrew: Create (Bara) and Make (Asah). Did God Create (Bara) or Make (Asah) in Genesis 1? Bara -- this word is in the masculine singular form, so that "he" is implied; a peculiarity of this verb is that it used only with God.
Sometimes people “try to defend the acceptance of millions of years by saying that bara refers to supernatural creation ex nihilo (Latin for “out of nothing”) but that asah means to make out of pre-existing material and therefore allows for creation over a long period of time.
Such people say that the only supernatural creation events were in relation to the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1), sea creatures and birds (1:21), and Adam and Eve (1:27). Since asah is used for all other creative acts in Genesis 1, those acts could have been creative processes over the course of millions of years. But this argument will not stand when we look carefully at the use of these words in Genesis 1 and in other biblical passages related to creation.” Compare these two lists below:
Also.. as you study this God we are to fear, prayerfully check out all the great Bible promises that go along with fearing the Lord. Exciting stuff to see. Here are a small handful for ya..
In Proverbs 10:27 we see prolonged and productive days connected to fearing God. He blesses those who fear Him.
In Psalm 34:9-10 we see that there’s no want for those who fear the Lord. Need God’s blessing of provision in your life?
"..as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him." Psalm 103:12-13 esv
"As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our wrongdoings from us." (nasb) Yes, there are promises for sanctification and purity.
"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Cor. 7:1
Go through proverbs, in a generals sense there are verses clearly dealing with wise labor, holy fear, and prosperity. Now lots of people like this one below -- God actually promises prosperity from smart work to those who fear Him.
There is perpetuity with the fear of God, the continuation of the blessing of life for the righteous. Will all believers live real long? No. And this side of the rapture so many of them have lived long.
Those of the world keep looking to add years to their lives, but Christ adds life to my years! He has abundant life ..even eternal life for you too!
"The Lord bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Yes, may you see your children's children." Ps. 128:5-6 nkjv
When young in So Cal, I learned to fear God, and also taught my three boys to fear Him. Am I the best teacher? No, but Liney and I did our best. Yes, kids can if they choose.. learn to fear God. I mean in their our attitude towards Him. Parents can live as good examples with Christ's loving attitude, and they might win their kids, relatives, friends to Christ.
Parents are responsible to glorify God at home and elsewhere, to nurture their children up with grace and truth, to raise them right according to the word, to teach them to worship and fear God. They are not responsible for the outcome.
"But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children," Ps. 103:17
"..you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’" Deut. 4:10 nkjv
"‘Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" Deut. 5:29
How can we bring all God is into all we as a people need, have messed up.. into all our brokenness? We can with holy fear expressed in humble, candid believing prayer!
"Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name." Ps. 86:11 nkjv
You recall how King Solomon tried out lots of stuff in his search for fulfillment, but check out his final words...
"The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13-16 amp
Final words tend to be important words. Check out King David's final words too.
"The God of Israel, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘He who rules over men righteously, Who rules in the fear of God.'" 2 Sam. 23:3 amp
And see the words of Joshua who also wisely chose to fear the Lord.
"To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave the hill country of Mount Seir to possess; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt." Joshua 24:4 amp
What's the wise application? Choose now to know, to worship, to hold this awesome God in reverence 24/7/365. We have a fearful God that really loves us!
Perfect love casts out the bad kind of fear. So live without that fear every day.. yet in the fear of God daily. Do real love and fear can go together, Kurt? Yup, and by fearing God daily we can learned to love him.
What does it even mean to “Fear God”?
“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.”(v. 13)
The Bible tells us “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10).
To “fear God” does not mean that you cower in terror before Him. It has been properly defined as “a wholesome dread of displeasing Him.” If I have sinned, it is not the fear of what He will do to me, but rather what I have done to Him.
The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear Him, you fear nothing else in this life—whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else. Have you known some people like that?
King David once said, “The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
Only the person who can say, “The Lord is the strength of my life,” can then say, “Of whom shall I be afraid?”
