The 80s are
Calling, they're Saying......
It's Time,
Time after Time
It's Time after Time It's Time
after
Time It's Time after Time
It's TIME
God IS going to Move:)
....MOVE
YOU--- MOVE!
That Means
MOVE
YOUR DAMN
BODY
MOOooooooooooove
Cindy Laper says it's TIME,
ITS TIME
TO THE EAST
TO
THE WEST.. MOTHER EFFER
ITS TIME:)
Last Trumpet:)
CINDY says
ITS TIME,
Harry Mack says
MOVE
YOUR BODY
We are going to DO Things
We aren't going to just SAY things,
We are going to DO what we SAY,
because
We
KNOW and TRUST
God,
And WE will be
BLESSED!:)
We are going to set aside the
overly
inappropriate language
to appreciate
the
extremely creative artistry
on the
account of the youth that
WATCHES
our
responses and actions,
and not words
We are going to follow the
Truth,
and gently allow our
loved ONE
to
Follow the Truth as
WELL
The Truth
is always best,
Honesty is the best Policy
PERFECT....
FOOTNOTE
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the
flow of surface water or underground streams.
Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water,
built across a river outlet to hold back water,
An Outlet blockage
A Reservoir is an enlarged body of water
created using a dam or lock.
Ancient dams were built in Mesopotamia and the
Middle East for water control.
The earliest known dam is the Jawa Dam in Jordan,
dating to 3,000 BC.
The development of arch dams throughout history
began with the Romans in the 1st century BC
and after several designs and techniques were developed,
relative uniformity was achieved in the 20th century.
Damn in Christian belief to be condemned by God
to suffer eternal punishment in hell.
"be forever damned with Lucifer" condemn,
especially by the public expression of disapproval.
"intellectuals whom he damns as rigid doctrinaire idealists"
In the epistle to the Romans,
we see the
universal need for righteousness
(Romans 1:1—3:20),
God’s provision of righteousness (Romans 3:21—4:25), the practical implications of righteousness for a person’s life (Romans 5—8), an illustration of how God is working with Israel for their righteousness (Romans 9—11), and God’s expectation for those who are righteous (Romans 12—16). As he begins to develop his argument that all humanity needs God’s righteousness, Paul says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18, NKJV).
Paul asserts the centrality and value of the gospel, the good news about how God can make people righteous and save them through belief in Him (Romans 1:16–17). In the verses that follow, Paul shows that all people need this gospel and God’s righteousness, because all are unrighteous. He explains that God’s wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. One of the expressions of that universal guilt is that there are those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).
There are three aspects about God evident to everyone through what God has made: His invisible attributes, His eternal power, and His divine nature (Romans 1:19–20). Because He has allowed Himself to be known in those ways, no one has an excuse for their unrighteousness. All are accountable to Him as their Creator.
Even though everyone has an awareness of God, those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness refuse to acknowledge God or give Him thanks. They know the truth about God, but they actively suppress it. These are the ones described in John 3:20: “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” They engage in futile speculations, and their hearts are darkened (Romans 1:21). They become fools who worship the creation rather than the Creator (Romans 1:22), they dishonor their bodies (Romans 1:23–27), their minds are depraved (Romans 1:28), and they engage in all kinds of evil behavior (Romans 1:29–32).
This progression for those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness shows that God is justified in judging the unrighteous. He has the right to judge. All have fallen short of His holy standard (Romans 3:23), and the wages that all have earned is death (Romans 6:23). Whether or not all suppress the truth in unrighteousness to the same extent, all are guilty. As James explains elsewhere, if a person is guilty of breaking one of God’s commands, he is guilty of all and deserving of judgment (James 2:10).
Thankfully, Paul doesn’t stop at affirming the guilt of those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. When Paul explains the extent of sin and unrighteousness as universal, he adds some hopeful and critical information.
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and all can be justified (or declared righteous) by God by believing in Jesus (Romans 3:23–24). All have earned the wages of sin, which is death, but all can also receive the free gift of God, which is eternal life (Romans 6:23). The death Paul is talking about is more than just physical death—it is also separation from God. When Adam first sinned, he was separated from God and was afraid (Genesis 3:10). God had told Adam that if he sinned he would die (Genesis 2:17). After Adam sinned and was already dealing with that consequence, God further explained that Adam would have another consequence that would include gradual yet certain physical death (Genesis 3:19).
Because all of us are born from Adam, we are all sinful in our natures (Romans 5:12, 15) and we often are those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. But Jesus died to pay the price we could never finish paying. When we believe in Him, we are given the righteousness of Christ and redeemed from judgment and death (Romans 3:24–28). Paul explains elsewhere that we are saved by God’s grace through belief (Ephesians 2:8). This salvation is a gift of God and not something we can earn ourselves. Instead of being those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness and descending into darkness, we are given new life. We are His workmanship now in Christ Jesus. We proclaim the truth and are designed to do good rather than evil things (Ephesians 2:10). By God’s grace and through our faith in Him, God fixed our unrighteousness problem.
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin (John 16:8). To help us understand what the conviction of sin is, we can look at what it is not. First, it is not simply a guilty conscience or even shame over sin. Such feelings are naturally experienced by almost everyone. But this is not true conviction of sin.
Second, conviction of sin is not a sense of trepidation or a foreboding of divine punishment. These feelings, too, are commonly experienced in the hearts and minds of sinners. But, again, true conviction of sin is something different.
Third, conviction of sin is not merely knowledge of right and wrong; it is not an assent to Scripture’s teaching about sin. Many people read the Bible and are fully aware that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). They may know that “no immoral, impure or greedy person . . . has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5). They may even agree that “the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). Yet, for all their knowledge, they continue to live in sin. They understand the consequences, but they’re far from being convicted of their sins.
The truth is, if we experience nothing more than a pang of conscience, anxiety at the thought of judgment, or an academic awareness of hell, then we have never truly known the conviction of sin. So, what is real conviction, the kind the Bible speaks of?
The word convict is a translation of the Greek word elencho, which means “to convince someone of the truth; to reprove; to accuse, refute, or cross-examine a witness.” The Holy Spirit acts as a prosecuting attorney who exposes evil, reproves evildoers, and convinces people that they need a Savior.
To be convicted is to feel the sheer loathsomeness of sin. This happens when we’ve seen God’s beauty, His purity and holiness, and when we recognize that sin cannot dwell with Him (Psalm 5:4). When Isaiah stood in the presence of God, he was immediately overwhelmed by his own sinfulness: “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips . . . and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5).
To be convicted is to experience an utter dreadfulness of sin. Our attitude toward sin becomes that of Joseph who fled temptation, crying out, “How could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).
We are convicted when we become mindful of how much our sin dishonors God. When David was convicted by the Holy Spirit, he cried out, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). David saw his sin primarily as an affront to a holy God.
We are convicted when we become intensely aware of the wrath it exposes to our souls (Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5). When the Philippian jailer fell at the apostles’ feet and cried, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” he was under conviction (Acts 16:30). He was certain that, without a Savior, he would die.
When the Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin, He represents the righteous judgment of God (Hebrews 4:12). There is no appeal of this verdict. The Holy Spirit not only convicts people of sin, but He also brings them to repentance (Acts 17:30; Luke 13:5). The Holy Spirit brings to light our relationship to God. The convicting power of the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to our sin and opens our hearts to receive His grace (Ephesians 2:8).
We praise the Lord for the conviction of sin. Without it, there could be no salvation. No one is saved apart from the Spirit’s convicting and regenerating work in the heart. The Bible teaches that all people are by nature rebels against God and hostile to Jesus Christ. They are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). Part of that “draw” to Jesus is the conviction of sin.
Paul made it abundantly clear that sin has consequences: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). Paul then describes the end of those who indulge in sinful behavior: “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction” (Galatians 6:8). The phrase “sinful nature” refers to one’s unregenerate, shameless self. Though the sin nature may promise fulfillment, it can result in nothing but “destruction.”
Paul told the believers in Galatia that “the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other . . .” (Galatians 5:17). Then he lists the sordid works of the sin nature and specifies the ultimate consequence of such behavior: “Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (see Galatians 5:19-21). Those who live in debauchery and sin sow the seeds of destruction in their present-day life and forfeit any hope of eternal life.
The Bible describes those who choose to indulge in sin as being “darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more” (Ephesians 4:18-19). One of the consequences of sin, therefore, is more sin. There’s an insatiable “lust for more,” attended by a dulling of the conscience and a blindness to spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14).
The consequence of suppressing the truth is that God gives the sinner over to “the sinful desires of their hearts,” “shameful lusts” and “a depraved mind” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). This means that God may allow the sinner to serve as his own god and to reap the destruction of his body and soul. It is a fearful thing to be “given over” to our own destructive ways.
God has made it clear that “the soul who sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:4, NASB). Those who habitually live their lives outside of Christ, yet whose hearts have been convicted by the gospel of Christ, should follow the example of the first converts of the church: “They were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” The answer was simple yet profound: “Repent!” (Acts 2:37-38).
Jesus’ first words when He began His ministry were, “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). What is the good news? “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
The consequence of sin is death, but “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
What does Galatians 4:16 mean?
In this chapter, Paul uses three new methods to teach his Galatian readers an important lesson. It is futile to follow the law of Moses in order to be made right before God, since justification comes only by faith in Christ. First, Paul shows that the arrival of Christ made it possible for all people to become God's children through faith in Him. Next, Paul makes a more personal appeal, asking what has changed to cause the Galatians to turn on Paul's teaching of the gospel. Finally, Paul builds an allegory from Scripture, illustrating the difference between being born into slavery and being born into the promise by faith in Christ.
Paul has been reminding the Galatians about how enthusiastically they received him and his message. Not only did they treat him with kindness and honor even during an illness (Galatians 4:13–14), they believed his message about salvation through faith in Jesus, and faith alone (Galatians 1:6).
Paul has asked why that has changed. He knows the answer. The false teachers known as the Judaizers have moved in among the Galatians and have begun to convince them that Paul and his teachings are not trustworthy. These former friends have lost their respect for Paul and his message. They lack confidence that faith alone in Christ alone could ever be enough reason for God to accept them as dearly loved children (Galatians 2:4). Surely, they think, Paul was wrong and they must follow the law in order to be truly included in God's family.
Paul now asks them pointedly, "Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?" Though the Galatians may not describe Paul as their enemy, it is possible they feel angry with him. Perhaps they feel duped. After all, isn't it too good to be true that God will forgive our sins in response to our simple faith? Most likely, they don't feel angst towards Paul, but their rejection of his gospel is deeply hurtful to him.
If Paul was lying or even just wrong, anger on the part of the Galatians would be understandable. But Paul was not lying, and he challenges them now not to be misled by the Judaizers who wish to steal away their freedom and joy. He urges them to go back to the moment they believed and to be convinced again.
Galatians 4:8–20 reveals that the Galatian Christians have already begun legalistically following the law of Moses, by observing special days. Why would they want to go back to slavery by following the law to be justified by God, Paul asks? Why have they gone from blessing him and trusting in Christ to rejecting him for telling the truth? The false teachers are only using them to bring glory to themselves, Paul insists. Paul is in anguish for them as a mother in childbirth. He longs to see Christ formed in them.
Is the Rock a Stumbling Block or Your Cornerstone? The stone which the
builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.
Psalm 118:22 NASB
Go Build! Jesus taught there is power in prayer, power in God’s Word, and power in a community of believers who build their lives on the Rock.
But the LORD has been my stronghold, And my God the rock of my refuge.
Psalm 94:22 NASBSo what? What does life even look like when I build my life on the Rock? Some people see the Rock as a stumbling block, while some people see the Rock as the chief cornerstone. When Jesus becomes the cornerstone of your life, everything changes. A cornerstone is the MOST essential stone in the foundation of a building. Jesus changes everything.
Jesus changes everything because Jesus is love. When your eyes are opened to the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, the Spirit becomes alive in you and you become a NEW creation!
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
2nd Corinthians 5:17 NASBJesus changes your identity -> called, chosen, redeemed, forgiven, restored, renewed, beloved
We love, because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19 NASBJesus changes your life -> family, friends, relationships, trust, attitude, social media, sports, school, church
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling…
Ephesians 4:4 NASBJesus unites Jews and Gentiles as the body of Christ -> you are united with all believers by the power of the Holy Spirit
When Jesus becomes the cornerstone, Jesus changes your identity, which affects every aspect of your life, and brings you together as One in the body of Christ.”
In the Old Testament, Naomi’s husband and two sons passed away. So Naomi sent her daughters-in-law back to their own families and land.
And they lifted up their voices and wept again; Orpah kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth clung to her.
Ruth 1:14 NASB Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye.
Ruth clung. Ruth clung to the new life she found in the faith of her mother-in-law.
Ruth did not come from a “believing” home, yet she chose to become a believer.
Every single one of us has a choice.
Will you kiss the cross goodbye, or will you cling to it? When you cling to Christ, He makes you a new creation and you are grafted-in with all believing Jews and Gentiles to the olive tree. We are one in Christ! And the sap that comes from our belief gives us a brand new Spiritual DNA! You are a new creation!
When you are a new creation in Christ, you intentionally build your life on Christ, and He changes the trajectory of your life forever! And for that we can all be grateful!
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 NASBHeavenly Father, I pray for every person who is hearing a message today about building his or her life on Christ. May each person understand how the choice to cling to the cross will change his or her life for eternity and give her/him the gift of the Holy Spirit, so he/she may never walk alone again. I praise You for Your presence and Your everlasting love that we may all build our lives upon. Thank You for bringing us together as One body who will one day be reunited with You. In the Precious Name of Jesus I Pray, Amen
In the natural world, fruit is the result of a healthy plant producing what it was designed to produce (Genesis 1:11–12). In the Bible, the word fruit is often used to describe a person’s outward actions that result from the condition of the heart.
Good fruit is that which is produced by the Holy Spirit
works will be tested by fire. Using a different metaphor than fruit, 1 Corinthians 3:12–14 says, “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”
God is the judge of even our thoughts and motivations. All will be brought to the light when we stand before Him (Hebrews 4:12–13). A poor widow in a one-room hut can bear as much fruit as a televangelist leading giant crusades if she is surrendered to God in everything and using all He has given her for His glory. As fruit is unique to each tree, our fruit is unique to us. God knows what He has entrusted to each of us and what He expects us to do with it (Luke 12:48). Our responsibility before God is to be “faithful with little” so that He can trust us with much (Matthew 25:21).
Why did Jesus curse the fig tree?
The account of Jesus cursing the barren fig tree is found in two different gospel accounts. First, it is seen in Matthew 21:18-22, and then also in Mark 11:12-14. While there are slight differences between the two accounts, they are easily reconciled by studying the passages. Like all Scripture, the key to understanding this passage comes from understanding the context in which it happened. In order to properly understand this passage, we must first look at the chronological and geographical setting. For example, when did this occur, what was the setting, and where did it happen? Also, in order to fully understand this passage, we need to have an understanding of the importance of the fig tree as it relates to the nation of Israel and understand how the fig tree is often used in the Scriptures to symbolically represent Israel. Finally, we must have a basic understanding of the fig tree itself, its growing seasons, etc.
First, in looking at the general chronological setting of the passage, we see that it happened during the week before His crucifixion. Jesus had entered Jerusalem a day earlier amid the praise and worship of the Jewish people who were looking to Him as the King/Messiah who was going to deliver them from Roman occupation (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11). Now, the next day, Jesus is again on His way to Jerusalem from where He was staying in Bethany. On His way, both Matthew and Mark record that He was hungry and saw a fig tree in the distance that had leaves on it (Mark 11:13). Upon coming to the tree expecting to find something to eat, Jesus instead discovered that the fig tree had no fruit on it and cursed the tree saying, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” (Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:14). Matthew records the cursing and the withering of the fig tree all in one account and includes it after the account of Jesus cleansing the Temple of the moneychangers. Mark explains that it actually took place over two days, with Jesus cursing the fig tree the first day on the way to cleanse the Temple, and the disciples seeing the tree withered on the second day when they were again going to Jerusalem from Bethany (Mark 11:12-14 and Mark 11:19-20). Of course, upon seeing the tree “withered from the roots up,” the disciples were amazed, as that would have normally taken several weeks.
Having reviewed the general chronological setting of the story, we can begin to answer some of many questions that are often asked of it. First of all is the question, Why did Jesus curse the fig tree if it was not the right season for figs? The answer to this question can be determined by studying the characteristics of fig trees. The fruit of the fig tree generally appears before the leaves, and, because the fruit is green it blends in with the leaves right up until it is almost ripe. Therefore, when Jesus and His disciples saw from a distance that the tree had leaves, they would have expected it to also have fruit on it even though it was earlier in the season than what would be normal for a fig tree to be bearing fruit. Also, each tree would often produce two to three crops of figs each season. There would be an early crop in the spring followed by one or two later crops. In some parts of Israel, depending on climate and conditions, it was also possible that a tree might produce fruit ten out of twelve months. This also explains why Jesus and His disciples would be looking for fruit on the fig tree even if it was not in the main growing season. The fact that the tree already had leaves on it even though it was at a higher elevation around Jerusalem, and therefore would have been outside the normal season for figs, would have seemed to be a good indication that there would also be fruit on it.
As to the significance of this passage and what it means, the answer to that is again found in the chronological setting and in understanding how a fig tree is often used symbolically to represent Israel in the Scriptures. First of all, chronologically, Jesus had just arrived at Jerusalem amid great fanfare and great expectations, but then proceeds to cleanse the Temple and curse the barren fig tree. Both had significance as to the spiritual condition of Israel. With His cleansing of the Temple and His criticism of the worship that was going on there (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17), Jesus was effectively denouncing Israel’s worship of God. With the cursing of the fig tree, He was symbolically denouncing Israel as a nation and, in a sense, even denouncing unfruitful “Christians” (that is, people who profess to be Christian but have no evidence of a relationship with Christ).
The presence of a fruitful fig tree was considered to be a symbol of blessing and prosperity for the nation of Israel. Likewise, the absence or death of a fig tree would symbolize judgment and rejection. Symbolically, the fig tree represented the spiritual deadness of Israel, who while very religious outwardly with all the sacrifices and ceremonies, were spiritually barren because of their sins. By cleansing the Temple and cursing the fig tree, causing it to wither and die, Jesus was pronouncing His coming judgment of Israel and demonstrating His power to carry it out. It also teaches the principle that religious profession and observance are not enough to guarantee salvation, unless there is the fruit of genuine salvation evidenced in the life of the person. James would later echo this truth when he wrote that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). The lesson of the fig tree is that we should bear spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), not just give an appearance of religiosity. God judges fruitlessness, and expects that those who have a relationship with Him will “bear much fruit” (John 15:5-8)
The Parable of the Sower concerns a sower who scatters seed, which falls on four different types of ground. The hard ground “by the way side” prevents the seed from sprouting at all, and the seed becomes nothing more than bird food. The stony ground provides enough soil for the seeds to germinate and begin to grow, but because there is “no deepness of earth,” the plants do not take root and are soon withered in the sun. The thorny ground allows the seed to grow, but the competing thorns choke the life out of the beneficial plants. The good ground receives the seed and produces much fruit.
Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower highlights four different responses to the gospel. The seed is “the word of the kingdom.” The hard ground represents someone who is hardened by sin; he hears but does not understand the Word, and Satan plucks the message away, keeping the heart dull and preventing the Word from making an impression. The stony ground pictures a man who professes delight with the Word; however, his heart is not changed, and when trouble arises, his so-called faith quickly disappears. The thorny ground depicts one who seems to receive the Word, but whose heart is full of riches, pleasures, and lusts; the things of this world take his time and attention away from the Word, and he ends up having no time for it. The good ground portrays the one who hears, understands, and receives the Word—and then allows the Word to accomplish its result in his life. The man represented by the “good ground” is the only one of the four who is truly saved, because salvation’s proof is fruit (Matthew 3:7-8; 7:15-20).
To summarize the point of the Parable of the Sower: “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” A secondary lesson would be “Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel. Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.” May our faith and our lives exemplify the "good soil" in the Parable of the Sower.
I do beg you to follow me here, my brothers.
I AM a man like yourselves,
and I have
nothing against you personally.
You know how handicapped I was by illness when I
first preached the Gospel to you.
You didn’t shrink from me or let yourselves be revolted at
the disease which was such a trial to me.
No, you welcomed me as though I were
an
angel of God,
or even as though I were
Jesus Christ himself!
What has happened to
that
fine spirit of yours?
I guarantee that in those days you would,
if you could,
have plucked out your eyes
and given them to me.
Have I now become your enemy because
I continue to tell you the same
truth?
And if thy right eye offend thee,
pluck it out,
and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for.
thee that one of
thy members should perish, and.
not that
thy whole body should be
cast into hell.
So faith comes from hearing, and
hearing through the word of Christ.
Hebrews 11:6 -
And without faith it is impossible to please him,
for whoever would draw near to God must believe
that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
The Bible’s command
that we not judge others
does not mean
all actions are equally
moral
or that truth is relative.
The Bible clearly teaches that truth is objective, eternal, and inseparable from God’s character. Anything that contradicts the truth is a lie—but, of course, to call something a “lie” is to pass judgment. To call adultery or murder a sin is likewise to pass judgment—but it’s also to agree with God. When Jesus said not to judge others, He did not mean that no one can identify sin for what it is, based on God’s definition of sin.
And the Bible’s command that we not judge others does not mean there should be no mechanism for dealing with sin. The Bible has a whole book entitled Judges.
The judges
in the Old Testament were
raised up
by God Himself
(Judges 2:18).
The modern judicial system, including its
judges, is a necessary part of society.
In saying, “Do not judge,” Jesus was
not saying, “Anything goes.”
Elsewhere, Jesus gives a direct command to judge: “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly” (John 7:24). Here we have a clue as to the right type of judgment versus the wrong type. Taking this verse and some others, we can put together a description of the sinful type of judgment:
Superficial judgment is wrong.
Genesis 19 tells the story of the
destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah
Lot, Abraham’s nephew, lived in Sodom with his family. His daughters were engaged to local men. Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom, the area where financial and judicial transactions took place, when two angels came into town. Lot invited them to stay with his family. After a rather exciting evening, the angels made sure Lot, his wife, and his two daughters left before God destroyed the city (Genesis 19:13). As they fled, the angels warned them, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away” (Genesis 19:17).
Lot ran, his daughters close behind. “But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26). She lagged behind. She turned and watched the flaming sulfur fall from the sky, consuming everything she valued. Then it consumed her. The Hebrew for “looked back” means more than to glance over one’s shoulder. It means “to regard, to consider, to pay attention to.” The Scriptures don’t say whether her death was a punishment for valuing her old life so much that she hesitated in obeying, or if it was a simple consequence of her reluctance to leave her life quickly. Either she identified too much with the city—and joined it—or she neglected to fully obey God’s warning, and she died.
We’re fortunate to receive similar warnings. Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us to take off the old self that is ruled by sin and be renewed, putting on the new self that is in the likeness of God. Similarly, 1 John 5:16 says that willful, deliberate sin can lead to death. Lot’s wife wasn’t able to accept that. What she chose to value in her heart led her to sin, which led to her death.
The Bible isn’t clear whether Lot’s wife was covered in the salt that rained down with the brimstone or if her remains were dusted with a coating of salt later. But it is interesting that she is described as a “pillar.” The Hebrew for “pillar” refers to a garrison or a deputy, that is, something set to watch over something else. The image of Lot’s wife standing watch over the Dead Sea area—where to this day no life can exist—is a poignant reminder to us not to look back or turn back from the profession of faith we have made, but to follow Christ without hesitation and abide in His love (Luke 17:32).
(Luke 7:36–50).
GO!