God as Teacher & Guide

“This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Isreal: ‘I AM the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.’” – Isaiah 48:17 NLT

            What can we learn from this statement? God is like a Father to us. He wishes to teach and guide us each day. When we listen to Him and obey His words, peace & hope will come to us. It’s God’s wish to bless His children and not hurt us.  If we refuse to listen to the instruction(s) of Almighty God, we invite disruption, and chaos into our lives. It may not be immediate, but it will come because we have decided that we know better than God how to run our own lives. In all honesty, we are incapable of doing ANYTHING of any eternal value without Him.

            What do you think you could learn from someone who knows all that can be known? I’d say a bunch, but you have to pay close attention in order to correctly decipher the information that is being disseminated.

            We all should know that there are any number of tools we can use to find out how to get from one place to another; MapQuest & Google Maps are just two. But those tools will never clue you in regarding where God wishes you to go. Using spiritual discernment will. 

To achieve that level of understanding it helps to remain quiet before the Lord; having your mind focused on Him. The definition of discernment is “to have keen perception & judgment”. ^[1] While it is possible for a person to have discerning abilities, to grasp the deeper meaning of God’s Word we definitely need the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual discernment needs spiritual representation; namely God’s involvement.

Always remember Jeremiah 29:11; "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." If God didn’t love and care for you, then why would He say that His plans for us are “to prosper us and not harm us”. This isn’t a promise to prosper us in a monetary way, but rather to have us prosper in a spiritual way. Money tends to disappear faster than an ice cube in the hot sun, but prospering spiritually will be with you for all eternity. Weigh your options carefully so you make wise choices.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] The Common English Dictionary.

Trusting God

When you don’t understand something, you don’t suddenly stop believing in it, or at least you shouldn’t. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t automatically make it untrue. People are lazy when it comes to researching something. I know because I can at times be a little lazy in that regard as well. Just because something doesn’t seem correct or fair doesn’t mean it’s not so. It would seem to me that we all have underestimated just who God is and what He is able to do. Just because He heals some and not all doesn’t discount His existence, and it doesn’t make Him mean. Like the owner of a company can run it the way He’d like, so God, the creator of the universe and man’s first breath, can do as He so pleases as well and that is simply the way it is. If you think that’s unfair, then you don’t understand the basic concept of ownership.

If I own something, anything really, I can do with it whatever I want. God is essentially the same way though that is admittedly a gross oversimplification. Something we need to understand about God is that He is more powerful than anything in His created world. He also is able to be everywhere at the same time by His spirit. And finally, there is absolutely NOTHING that can be known that He does not know. On top of all that He loves His creation, flaws and all. He will never stop loving any of us. Some folks blow that off as a myth or fairytale. They refuse to exercise their mind and think thru the immense spiritual and as a result, eternal ramifications. It’s as if they don’t want to think about anything regarding God, Jesus, the devil, heaven, hell, sin, eternity ... none of it. It’s as if they can make it all become surreal in their own mind, so they don’t feel bad or wrong casting it aside. 

Face it. Some folks simply do not want to know Jesus. You can’t force it down their throats. And you don’t want to have them agree with you just to make you go away. If they are hell bent on side stepping the whole issue, then we must let them, for Christ seeks willing followers, not those who feel pressured into converting to something they have no desire for. 

In closing, if you are seeking to find the truth, then ask God to reveal both Himself and the truth from His Word to you. Then have your eyes and ears open, for we will never learn anything new if we are doing the talking. Pray in Jesus name for clarity and understanding. God wants you to know the truth more than you do. 

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Christianity & the Remedy for Sin 

 

Christianity is often described as the only religion that teaches salvation solely by grace, which is seen as the remedy for sin. According to some Christian perspectives, this unique teaching sets Christianity apart from other religions, which are generally said to teach salvation by works. The Bible emphasizes that the only remedy for sin is the atonement of Jesus Christ, who is viewed as the only way to God and eternal life. This is supported by passages such as Acts 4, which states, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Additionally, the concept of original sin, which is central to Christian theology, suggests that humans are inherently separated from God due to the sin of Adam and Eve, and that only through the grace of God, made possible by Jesus Christ, can this separation be overcome.

However, it is important to note that not all Christian denominations hold to the doctrine of original sin, and the idea of original sin is not unique to Christianity. Some sources indicate that the concept originates with Augustine of Hippo, and that not all Christian traditions accept this doctrine. Furthermore, while some Christian teachings emphasize the uniqueness of Christianity in offering a remedy for sin, other religious traditions also offer their own solutions to the problem of sin, though they may differ in their understanding of the nature of sin and the means of redemption. 

Christianity stands out among the rest for it deals with a heaven and a hell. It deals with judgment. That is what makes it controversial and more than likely why it is despised. A heaven-like existence can take place in the here and now in your own mind, soul, and spirit, by submitting to God’s will for you. You can experience peace now, by adhering to what scripture teaches. You don’t have to, but you can. That, in and of itself, is a wonderful blessing, because YOU make that choice. Nothing is forced on the Christian. Nothing. Choose to follow God and experience all that He affords a child of His or go your own way. That is any individual’s choice. Understand the choices you have and the ramifications of said choice ... choose wisely. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Modern Jesus vs Biblical Jesus 3

            Teachings regarding the Modern Jesus tell us that Jesus serves our will, not God’s will; plus, He hates to offend anyone. Frankly, that sounds preposterous. Jesus Himself sought His father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane, after first asking the cup that He was about to drink be taken away. He knew what must be one; however, He was able to know what was about to take place and in His humanity, wished to avoid it. What a horrible vision to have; to see in your mind’s eye that which was going to be happening to you in graphic detail. To me, it is perfectly understandable to be hesitant, though only for a moment.

            There’s nowhere in the New Testament that even insinuates that Jesus was concerned about offending anyone. While He never went out of His way to be critical, if the situation warranted it, as with the religious leaders, He was bound to tell the truth in spite of anyone’s feelings. Anyone who was offended was more than likely guilty of doing the very thing Jesus was speaking about.

            In reality, the Biblical Jesus regularly exalted His Father’s will. He does not live to serve us. To believe that Jesus serves us is to believe a false teaching. He also doesn’t go out with the purpose of being offensive, but by its very nature, the truth ends up being highly offensive to those who are resistant to it.

            This whole Modern Jesus kick is, as I see it, an effort to marginalize and humanize Jesus at the expense of His deity and God’s perfect and perpetual will. To not accept the Bible for what it proclaims itself to be, along with not portraying Jesus as He is in scripture, smacks of deconstruction, which is a “thing” that is happening among Christians. That “movement”, though not officially declared as such, leads me to believe that while any Christian is susceptible to it, those who have more questions than answers, and more doubts than acceptance, have gotten sucked into this delusion. Rather than taking the time to seek out proper answers, they use their doubts to catapult themselves into a realm of confusion and continued misunderstanding. I know and understand all too well that some things in God’s economy simply aren’t understandable and answers, at times, simply aren’t there. To take that as a sign that either God isn’t real, or His Word is compromised is weak. Some folks are not willing to put their belief in something they cannot prove out. Was their conversion real? That is not for me to say. God is the judge; we are His conduits ... ambassadors of the gospel message. Modern Jesus isn’t real. It is a perversion of the truth.

            There is no such thing as “old-fashioned” within the realm of Christianity. And there’s nothing wrong with being traditional, as long as the traditions are biblical in nature. There is no need to modernize the beliefs of Christianity because some folks say they seem antiquated. The truth is the truth and there is only one truth. The truth of God. You can choose not to believe that, not realizing that God Himself gives you the free will right now to not believe. Whenever you choose to either believe or not believe, know why you’re making that decision. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Modern Jesus vs. Biblical Jesus 2

            Two other teachings regarding the Modern Jesus are, 1) that Jesus never said anything negative, and 2) He was loved and accepted by the world, both back then and now. 

            While it’s true that Jesus wasn’t a negative person, He did speak of negative consequences for rejecting Him and God the Father. Saying Jesus was never what would be classified as negative is actually not true. He referred to the religious leaders of His day as “hypocrites” and “blind guides”. Not very positive. “Jesus expressed anger and frustration in specific instances, such as cursing a fig tree for not bearing fruit, even though it was not the season for figs, which led to the tree withering immediately.” Jesus told a man to “let the dead bury the dead” * when the man said he had to bury his father before he could follow Him. Jesus spent much time warning His listeners regarding sin, judgment and hell. While Jesus wasn’t a “negative” person, per se, He did make negative statements to make His point as evidenced in the examples above. 

            To say Jesus was “loved and accepted by the world” is a misnomer. While Jesus' love for the world was and is profound and sacrificial, the world's love for Him was not universal, and His earthly ministry was met with significant opposition. It is no different today. If it were not so then why are Christians slaughtered for their beliefs around the world?  He loves His children, but has distain for the world and all its ungodly practices. So NO, Jesus was loved by His followers both then and now, but to the world He is a person who is either hated, misrepresented, or treated with ambivalence.

            Modern Jesus is an inaccurate portrayal of who He really is. To pick out scripture to support your particular ideology is the wrong approach to researching the Bible. Taking scripture as it is written IN ITS FULL CONTEXT should give you a true picture of our Lord and Savior. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*A dead person cannot bury another person who has died, so what is Jesus talking about? It’s quite simple really. He is speaking of those who are spiritually dead. Those people are alive, but only in a physical sense. Spiritually they are dead. So that is what that statement means. Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead.

Modern Jesus vs. Biblical Jesus

            I found this information online and thought it was definitely worth sharing. The Jesus that many churches are embracing is very much different than the Jesus scripture reveals to us. With Modern Jesus only love is preaches from the pulpit, while the Biblical Jesus preaches God’s righteousness. 

            Love is the backbone of Christianity. God loves all of His creation. Out of that type of love Jesus willingly went to the cross to die in our place, but our beliefs are more than just love. Once saved we are declared righteous in God’s sight because of the blood Christ shed on the cross. This means that we are seen by God as morally upright & without any guilt or sin. Being righteous means we stand before God as people without guilt, because we have no sin recorded against us any longer.

            Modern Jesus tells that you will be given both health and wealth*, while the Biblical Jesus gives salvation, hope, peace, and joy. The problem with the Modern version of Jesus is that what we’re given (health & wealth) are temporal in nature. Why do I say that? Regarding health, all of us will die someday, so though we may be healthy now, we will eventually die. Temporal.  Wealth is a transient thing; here today, gone tomorrow. Not to mention the fact that you cannot take it with you when you die. 

            Biblical Jesus presents us with salvation, hope, peace, and joy, if we ask for them. These are not tangible things, but rather emotions that we can receive from God, and they are eternal in nature. Salvation is forgiveness from all sins for all who seek it. Hope, peace and joy can be realized from reading God’s Word, hearing it preached, and so on. We can ask for these things and receive them in various ways and they do not disappear; as in that they are not temporary.

            Next time, we will continue our comparison of Modern Jesus v Biblical Jesus. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*This is a main teaching in the Prosperity Gospel, which is unbiblical at its core.

Christian Atheism

An ‘atheist’ is someone who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods. This definition is consistent across various sources, which describes atheism as the lack of belief in deities. Some atheists may also assert that gods do not exist, while others simply lack belief without making a definitive claim about the non-existence of gods. It is important to note that atheism is not defined by what an atheist believes, but rather by what they do not believe.

A ‘theist’ is someone who believes in a conscious (usually unseen) force or something that guides the universe. They call this “force” Almighty God. (This is not to be confused with a ‘deist’, which is similar but believes God does not interfere with the world.)

A ‘Christian atheist’ is an individual who embraces the teachings, narratives, symbols, practices, or communities associated with Christianity without accepting the literal existence of God. Christian atheists may reject the traditional concept of God as a supernatural being, while still valuing the moral and ethical teachings of Jesus Christ. Who do they say Jesus is? Not the Son of God as scripture states, but rather an influential rabbi; not a deity.

In reality, there is really no such thing as a Christian Atheist. The mere title is a massive contradiction. You are either a Christian or an Atheist. You cannot pick and choose what to believe. On second thought, you CAN do that, but according to the Bible itself, you would be wrong.

The reality of it is that there is no tangible proof that God exists; however, there is no tangible evidence that He does NOT exist. Faith requires no proof, and no proof is forthcoming. We don’t need to understand God or His scriptures, per se, though we do tend to understand a good deal of things regarding the Lord. It’s when we are confronted with a situation that you feel requires an explanation and one doesn’t come. That is when we need a strong dose of trust.  Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.britannica.com

JUSTIFICATION 2

            There is another type of justification that exists. It’s when someone tries to justify his or her actions with a statement or statements as if they are seeking another’s approval of what they are either saying or doing.  Here’s an example: Joe says to Bill, “I’m thinking of cheating on my wife.” Bill replies, “Why would you want to do that?” To which Joe answers, “Bill, EVERYONE is doing it.” 

            Commentary: This situation can arise at any time for any person, male or female, Christian or non-Christian. In this case Joe is probably already planning to cheat, and may even have someone in mind and is just sending out a feeler to his friend Bill to see his reaction. When Bill’s reaction is less than supportive Joe resorts to justifying his actions with a general societal thought which is an exaggeration. There is no way Joe can know if EVERY single person cheats. To say people are prone to cheating to various degrees is more than likely a more correct statement.

            If you’re bound and determined to sin, please don’t bother to make lame excuses that you see as justification to people. It makes you look bad and insults the recipients who hear it.

            Now that’s a pretty severe example, so how about this: Person A is highly judgmental towards Person B. Person B says, “Why are you so judgmental towards me?” Person A justifies their actions by saying, “If you wouldn’t do those type of things I wouldn’t need to be so judgmental.” 

            Commentary: Person A is blaming Person B’s behavior for their being judgmental as if they have no control over their own actions.  As believers in Christ we truly have NO good reason to judge others. God judges, we represent God with Christ-like behavior. Frankly, we shouldn’t have to justify anything we say or do. We either are thoughtless with our comments or actions, or we aren’t. There is no valid justification for ugly talk and if you think there is then you may want to rethink that. 

We are ambassadors for Christ, in that we represent the Lord wherever we go. Don’t think people aren’t watching, because they most certainly are. And when they find out you’re a Christian, they are ready to point out anything you say or do that they feel is out of order (as if they would know). Focus on Christ and His words and actions and do your best to replicate it with your own behavior. Let others see Jesus in you. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing. 

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Justification

 

Theologically speaking, justification means “to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation”.

 

“God justifies with his forgiveness and grace the man who comes to him.” - Will Herberg *

 

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:1 ^ESV

 

“...so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” – Titus 3:7 ^ESV

 

“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” – Romans 5:9 ^ESV

 

            A phrase that has been used to simplify what justification, is “Just as if I’d never sinned.” Thru Christ’s blood, combined with God’s grace (undeserved favor), we have been absolved of all sins. Just as a stain on a garment is removed when cleaned, our soul is cleansed as if it had never been stained.

            Do you honestly understand what took place when you gave your heart to Christ? It’s like having a new engine installed into a car.  You are brand new on the inside. You have been cleansed completely, just like a car that’s been detailed. We must never take God’s grace for granted. A supreme price was paid to expunge our sin. A man, albeit a Godman, willingly gave His life’s blood for millions of people throughout time to permanently remove ALL sin. 

Keep your main focus on Christ and the Father and be ever mindful of the Holy Spirit, who resides within you. It is of paramount importance for you to grasp the significance of who you are in Christ and the fact that you are a child of God. 

You are never considered worthless to your Heavenly Father, but rather of incredible value. You are uniquely made in His image and are loved by God very deeply. And NOTHING will ever change that. No matter what you ever do.

Remain focused on the life giver, and share His love and kindness to all you encounter each day. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Definition came from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

*William Herberg (June 30, 1901 – March 26, 1977) was an American writer, intellectual, and scholar. He was also a social philosopher and sociologist of religion, as well as a Jewish theologian. He was a conservative thinker during the 1950s.

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

 

            With these couple verses Jesus exposes those folks try to be good and say all the right things, thinking that is good enough and will actually matter in the end. On ‘Judgment Day’ it will only be our relationship with Christ; as in, our acceptance of Him as our Savior and Lord, and living in obedience to His standards that will matter. 

            Jesus didn’t suffer a gruesome death on a criminals cross so we could play some sort of game with salvation. This is very serious business. Our eternal destination hangs in the balance and is based on decisions we’ve made in this life.

            It’s interesting that the “believer” told Jesus that they prophesied in His name, drove out demons, and performed many miracles, yet Jesus stated in reply that He did not know them. Perhaps He knew something about them that made them unworthy. Something Matthew didn’t reveal. Perhaps the things they did in Jesus name was for personal notoriety. The crux of Christianity though is not JUST believing in Jesus, because scripture tells us in Matthew 2:19 NLT, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” 

            What is true faith? “True faith, which leads to salvation, is not merely an intellectual assent but a transformative trust that results in a changed life and actions that reflect God's character.” ^[1] A person’s salvation should exhibit evidence of a life that has been changed in a significant way. 

            By the way, when someone ‘tries to be good’, what criteria do they follow? Jesus said NO ONE IS GOOD, except the Father ^{(Mark 10:18)}. Are they following biblical principles or personally interpreted thoughts. Trying to get to heaven on your own is a fools errand. There is no profit in that at all. It’s like travelling a bridge to nowhere. If we could achieve eternal life on our own, then why on earth would Jesus have had to die? We need Christ. Without Him, we are very lost with no way to find redemption. 

            Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] www.gotquestions.org

Deductive/Inductive Reasoning

 

A “deductive” method of studying the Bible involves picking a certain topic and then going through the Bible and finding passages that support the topic. This is related to the “topical approach” to Bible study. Another form of Bible study, in contrast to the deductive method, is the “inductive” method. Using an inductive method, students take a verse or a passage, break it down, and examine its details to draw out the meaning. Deductive reasoning moves from the general to the specifics. Inductive reasoning moves the other way, from the specific to the general.

Deductive reasoning starts with a general or universal statement and then goes looking for details to support it in order to make a specific application. So, someone might say, “All men are mortal. Bob is a man. Therefore, Bob is mortal.” The general statement “All men are mortal” is the starting point, and deductive reasoning leads him to conclude, specifically, that Bob is mortal. If the general starting statement and the second statement are true, then the specific application is also true. If either is false, then the specific application is invalid.

Inductive reasoning starts with the details and moves to a general conclusion. To illustrate, suppose a man has a bag full of objects and he pulls out one red stone from the bag. The next thing he pulls out is also a red stone, and so on. After four or five times of extracting a red stone, the man concludes that the bag is full of red stones. He has used induction, taking the specific detail of “a red stone” and applying it to the general case: “All stones in the bag are red.”

Deductive Bible study, then, is simply taking a general statement and then going to Scripture to find details that support (or disprove) it. Inductive Bible study does the opposite. It starts with the details of Scripture and then builds a general or universal statement based on those details.

An example of deductive Bible study might be to start with the general statement, “Sin leads to death.” The student of the Bible must then go to Scripture to find passages that support that statement. He might cite Romans 5:12, Romans 6:23, Ezekiel 18:20, and Jeremiah 31:30. If he finds that Scripture does indeed support his premise that sin leads to death, he can then make a more specific application: we are all in danger of death, because we are all sinners (Romans 3:23).

A weakness of the deductive method of Bible study has already been mentioned: if we start with a false premise, then we will not arrive at a proper conclusion. For example, we might start with the general statement, “All angels have wings.” We might even find a passage or two in Scripture that mentions angels’ wings, such as Isaiah 6:2. But if our conclusion is “Michael has wings, because Michael is an angel,” then we are on shaky ground. The Bible mentions Michael the archangel (Jude 1:9), but it never mentions Michael’s wings. In fact, the Bible never says that all angelic beings have wings; some angels do, but perhaps not all of them. Deductive Bible study, to be beneficial, must begin with a universal truth rooted in Scripture. If we begin with conjecture or our own ideas, then we end up with a possible falsehood.

When misused, deductive Bible study takes on aspects of deductive reasoning and biblical eisegesis. In other words, deductive Bible study can facilitate a person’s drawing a conclusion before studying the biblical text or reading into it (eisegesis) his own meaning. Obviously, such a practice is dangerous and irresponsible because the conclusions that one might draw are often premature, subjective, and false.

When used properly, deductive Bible study is the same as a topical Bible study. We take a general topic, such as the love of God, and find all that the Bible (or a book of the Bible) says on that subject. From those gathered details, we can draw a conclusion. In this way, deductive Bible study is a useful tool in studying broad topics of Scripture.

                  Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source:  www.gotquestions.org

Christianity and Sin

 

Christianity is not the only “religion” that deals with sin. The concept of sin is present in various religious traditions, including Judaism and Islam, among others. In Judaism, sin is understood as a violation of divine commandments, and there are different categories of sins, such as deliberate sin, accidental sin, and sins committed by those raised in non-Jewish environments. In Islam, sin is viewed as opposition to Allah, rooted in human pride. Additionally, other religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism address similar concepts through ideas like karma and moral transgressions. Each religion has its own framework for understanding, addressing, and atoning for sin.

Christianity IS the only “religion” where the remedy for sin is linked directly to Jesus of Nazareth, or more importantly, to His gruesome death on a cross. Saying you know Jesus needs to be that you truly know Him by all means possible. It means you are “all in” on the relationship. Christ needs to be your source for everything. If we allow God to mold you into all He knows you can be, then that is what this Christian thing is all about.

Sin needn’t be a hindering factor in your life. The deeper your relationship goes with the Lord, the easier it begins to become as you walk thru life. Persecution may be ramped up a bit, but that only means you are on the devils radar, and he’d like to snuff you out. Don’t let him. As the pressure goes up, the closer you should be to God. This world has no solutions for the issues Christians encounter. Society tends to be anti-Christ to a certain extent, with exceptions, of course. That all depends on what region of the U.S. you live or what country you hail from. Stand strong in the face of opposition, setting your face like a flint. 

“Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” [Isaiah 50:7 ^NIV] “Setting your face like a flint means to follow in Christ’s footsteps, separate from worldly influences. It also means to be disciplined, being loyal to God and His truth above all else. We’re not oblivious to all that is going on around us, but we make a choice.” ^[1]

                  Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

[1]  www.biblestudytools.com

Judging Others 3

            What does the Bible have to say about judging others? It frequently warns its readers against hypocritical & harsh judgment of others. Scripture teaches that we should do some self-examination first. 

            Matthew 7:1-2 says: “Do not judge, or you will be judged. For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Jesus more specifically calls out the sin of judging by appearance alone. John 7:24^{Amplified Bible} ... “Do not judge by appearance [superficially and arrogantly], but judge fairly and righteously.”

            The Lord illustrates His point regarding judging others with the parable of the speck and the plank when He asks the question, "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?".  In other words, we need to spend more of our time making sure our spiritual ship is in order rather than critiquing another.

            The Apostle Paul echoed this, stating, "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things".

            All this begs the question, is it ever okay to judge another person? There is a fine line between judging and “fruit inspecting”. If you see someone sinning, through kindness, presenting the truth, you could show them where they are erring. If they reject you then don’t lose your cool, just politely excuse yourself from the conversation and make it a point to pray for them to see the error of their ways. 

            Many years ago when I was first saved (1979), there was a man in church who referred to using discernment as “being a fruit inspector”. The way situations of that nature should be handled is with gentle kindness. It’s all in the approach and delivery. This is just another reason I always say we should imitate Christ in our thoughts, words, & deeds.

            So judge not, but be a “fruit inspector” instead. When you judge others you are sinning. Even though as a child of God His grace is enough to remove any sin, we should still seek to purge bad habits that amount to sin.

            Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Judging Others 2

 

Thoughts on how to stop

 

“To stop judging others, practice empathy, cultivate compassion, and challenge your own assumptions. Shift your focus from perceived flaws to positive qualities, and remember that everyone is on their own journey. By understanding others and practicing self-compassion, you can reduce judgmental thoughts and build more positive connections.” 

 

1. Practice Empathy: 

 

a.  Put Yourself in Their Shoes: “Try to understand their perspective, background, and experiences. Imagine the circumstances that might have led them to act or look the way they do.” 

 

b.  Consider the other person’s feelings: “Think about how your words or actions might make them feel. Would you want to be judged in the same way?” 

 

2. Cultivate Compassion:

 

a.     Recognize that everyone is flawed: “Just as you have your own imperfections, so does everyone else. Instead of focusing on flaws, try to find their strengths.” 

 

b.     Show kindness and understanding: “Treat others with the same respect and compassion you would want for yourself.”

 

c.     Remember, their actions aren't always about you: “Their behavior is often a reflection of their own struggles or experiences, not necessarily a judgment of you.” 

 

3. Challenge Your Assumptions:

a.    Examine your own biases: “Beware of your own preconceived notions and how they might     

       influence your perceptions.” 

 

b.   Ask yourself what leads you to judge rather than understand a situation or person. 

 

c.      Seek to Understand, not judge.

 

Next we will look at what the Bible has to say about judging others. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.psychologytoday.com

Judging Others

 

What is the root cause of judging others?

                  I thought I would take a deeper dive into the “why’s” of being judgmental to see what the secular world has to say about it. 

 

·       “We judge others as a natural cognitive process, influenced by social norms, personal experiences, and psychological biases.” This seems pretty logical. I tend to agree with this based on my own specific situation.

 

^o     A bias is a “preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.” ^[1]

 

What causes a person to be very judgmental?

“Judgmental attitudes often stem from an individual's own insecurities and low self-esteem. People may find it easier to criticize others as a way to deflect attention from their flaws. This behavior can serve as a coping mechanism, providing a false sense of superiority or control over their insecurities.”  

 

What is the purpose of judging others?

                “People judge others to avoid reckoning with potential feelings of inferiority and shame. Since judging others can never give a person what they really need, they feel like they have to keep doing it. One can choose not to perpetuate the cycle of judgment.”  

 

                  While I don’t feel that being insecure, inferior, or having low self-esteem applies to my judgmental attitude, but it may apply to you. Think about it or better still, pray about it. Ask the Lord to show you how to overcome being judgmental with others. 

I’m going to keep digging to see what else I can find. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] American Heritage Dictionary.

Note: Information on being judgmental is sourced from Psychology Today online.