Better Judgment

via TJC

And stop judging in a censorious manner, and you shall positively not be the object of censorious judgment. And stop condemning, and you shall positively not be condemned. Be setting free, and you shall be set free. - Luke 6:37“Now, if your brother sins, go and show him his fault privately; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. - Matthew 18:15

Jesus’s words in Luke 6 seem to conflict with Matthew 18, but they do not! I love reading Scriptures in the original Greek. He said, ‘Stop judging in a censorious manner.’ To censor is to examine then suppress, or delete. And censorious is hypercritical; inclined to look for and point out faults.I was helping a young lady install an air conditioner. I was in mid-lift when she mentioned seeing a common acquaintance. While straining, I said, “He’s an idiot.” A few days later, she asked to speak with me privately. She told me plainly that my expression of idiocy regarding this man was inappropriate; a curse and not a blessing. At first blush. It seems that to fulfill the kindness of Matthew 18, we have to jettison the words of Luke 6. We don’t! We can fulfill both by eliminating censorious cancelations and loving enough to confront with the goal of improvement. I was lovingly corrected and not judged in a censorious manner. I immediately repented. She quickly forgave. The requirement in Luke 6 is NOT to stop judging. It is to stop doing so in a woke, cancellation manner. Do we really want bad mechanics or sloppy dentists? We all need good uncensored evaluations. If we stop judging, we fail to help each other out of error. I am reminded of Paul’s words to the Corinthians regarding one of our Endtime jobs: that of judging the angels. If we cannot judge matters of this earthly life, how do we intend to judge spiritual matters?

Daily Battle Order:

Many men have endured censorious, judgmental parents, teachers, and bosses whose goal was simply to get us to STOP or START something. If that is how you were trained, that may also be how you come across. Do a self-critique. Ask your wife and children how your ‘advice’ comes across to them. Then start asking the Holy Spirit to help guide your words. Practice with the goal in mind of building up with good judgment rather than censoriousness! 

–

You’re invited!

Please join The Joshua Commission leadership over Zoom this coming Saturday for a lesson on victory. This lesson will be a virtual version of a lesson you might receive with us at a battlefield event. Please join us Saturday, November 5th at 9:00 am Eastern: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89652926018?pwd=dmN3RlErOGJsR3JlN0l0TnZzZHAydz09