No One Can Judge

[kuntrygurl_26]

I read this the other day on the internet. It is by one of my favorite christian writers M.S. Lowndes. I found it very enlightening. I hope you like it!
anna


No One Can Judge


Read: John 8: 1-11

“…Let him who is without sin among you be the first
to throw a stone at her…” (V: 7)

This is a powerful story, and it’s all summed up in
this one verse. What a different world it would
be if we all lived by this concept.

None of us are in a position where we can sit in
judgement of anyone. We may not have all committed
the same sins, but never the less, we are all guilty.
We all have fallen short of the glory of God.

Even if we have just broken one of the commandments,
the bible says we are just as guilty, in God’s eyes,
as the one that has broken them all. As James 2: 10
says “For whosoever keeps the Law [as a] whole but
stumbles and offends in one [single instance] has
become guilty of [breaking] all of it.” So no one
is better or worse than any one else. We all need
to come to Jesus for forgiveness. His blood can
wash any sin away. Like the woman in the story,
Jesus does not condemn us. He loves us and will
forgive and cleanse us when we come to Him and
ask for His forgiveness.

Each of these men in this story could not throw a
stone at her. It says in V: 9, “They listened to
Him, and then they began going out, conscience
stricken, one by one, from the oldest down to
the last one of them…” They knew they too had
sinned – and maybe some of them may have
committed the same sin.

We too must remember that we have sinned as well –
so we can’t judge or condemn others.

-M.S.Lowndes





Do not judge and criticize and condemn others,
so that you may not be judged and criticized
and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge
and criticize and condemn others, you will be
judged and criticized and condemned, and in
accordance with the measure you [use to] deal
out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

Matthew 7: 1-2 (Amp)





Lord I know that I have sinned
Therefore I must not judge
Help me Lord to remember this
And respond with ‘Agape’ love.

-M.S.Lowndes

 

[desi]

If we all lived by that concept Charles Manson and every other incarcerated person would be walking free. What a comforting thought.

 

[jay1_z]

Great post. I agree...the world would be much better if we didn't judge. But we must make sure that we know the difference between judgment and discernment.

Coming from NASB Life Application Study Bible:

In chapter 7 of Matthew Jesus's statement, "Do not judge," is against the kind of hypocritical, judgmental attitude that tears down in order to build oneself up. It is not a blanket statement against all critical thinking, but a call to be discerning rather than negative. Jesus said to expose false teachers (7:15-23), and Paul taught that we should exercise church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:1-2) and trust God to be the final Judge (1 Corinthians 4:3-5).

 

[Singing Bush]

If we all lived by that concept Charles Manson and every other incarcerated person would be walking free. What a comforting thought.

I don't think that's a necessary implication. There's a difference between pronouncing moral judgment on another person and society enforcing its laws. The purpose of the story wasn't to convey Christ's advocation of a lawless, anarchic society, but to counter the hypocrisy that led the men to rush and grab their torches and pitch forks in true vigilante style. Perhaps you were making a joke though. Wouldn't be the first time I missed a joke on-line. Or the second. Or the third...

 

[Endure2]

amen!
paul said he didnt really care that men judged him, but he knew the one who really judged him was God alone.

theres a time when God elects people and authorities to protect people, from people like charles manson.

and thens theres the devil who elects people and authorities to go and do something about something that really doesnt accomplish nothing, and is none of anybody elses business, that God will take care of all by himself in due time, when God would rather cover and forgive than pronounce judgement, because he still loves them.
like the woman caught in adultery.
but the devil, and some men, dont love anyone but themselves and forget that grace is the only reason God doesnt expose the things theyve done, and the force of grace is the only thing keeping them from going and commiting atrocities even now.

we have to judge people, the way we judge our own children and loved ones when they sin.
we have to always remember, that however you treat people, your doing that to someone God loves and died for. so regardless of what they did, would God like you doing that to them or talking that way about them? those are his kids.

its easy to forget your own lowliness, and fall into the ways of noahs boy who got cursed becuase he thought something needed to be done about his fathers sin, and he was the one to doit.
when noahs other 2 boys didnt want to see their dads sin and didnt want anyone else knowing about it becuase they loved their dad, continued to be blessed.

Gods been telling me, that if we insist on being in the place worthy of pronouncing judgement, that hell start treating us like we are, and we really dont want that to happen.

 

[jay1_z]

Great post Endure2!

 

[kuntrygurl_26]

I always try my hardest not to judge other people and I think I mostly suceed. My friends range in a variety of kinda of people. I have gothic friends, redneck friends, christian friends, all sorts. My favorite bible verse is ST. John 3:17 which says " For God hath not sent his son unto the world to condemn; yet that the world through him might be saved" It is so entirely true.

 

[Endure2]

amen again!


im learning that Christians are called to do one thing beyond all other things, and there some if ands and buts, but the bottom line is christians are called to walk in complete, deep, overflowing love. and if you are truely walking in love the way Jesus walked in love and died for the people that sinned and asked for them to be forgiven, then we really wont have worry so much about this.

 

[kuntrygurl_26]

Amen!

Sometimes I think some christians get an idea that they are better than the unsaved people becuase they know the truth and the others don't. The bible tells us that we are all equal people. No one better than another. Just like no sin is greater than another.

 

[Endure2]

thats so true.
sorry, dont have much more to say...
Godbless.

 

[kuntrygurl_26]

There really isnt much more to day becauset he fact stands alone ya know? If we would just get it in our minds that we are all equal in the eyes of God then I think that we would all be alot better off. But we always try so hard to out do each other in so many things that our own egos and pride are getting in the way of us getting a blessing from God. If we would just focus on working for God and living for him instead of outdoing our neighbors then we would get alot more results and blessings out of the things we do.

 

[2Timothy2]

I'm curious. Are you saying that we are not to rebuke a brother in Christ when he sins and doesn't repent? Are we not to reprove? Are you saying Paul did not rebuke? That Jesus did not rebuke? What do we do when someone teaches something in direct contrast to Scripture? I ask this for clarification only.

 

[Endure2]

well i think, shes saying theres a time and place and appropriatness for those things, and it doesnt need to be used wrongly as it has been before.
just becuase a person is wrong doesnt mean you rebuke them, Jesus and paul did not rebuke everyone who messed up or was wrong. there are many people who it isnt my and other peoples place to rebuke or reprove. you have to hear what the spirit of God is saying at the time, not just skim across the surface and see a problem and try to fix it, you have to look deeper and deal with the real issue, and rebuke or reprove is not always the way.
and i think it is most often just patience and prayer. becuase only God can change the heart.
the right words with prayer can change lives, without prayer it doesnt matter what you say, it wont come to anything. so the most important thing is prayer, not rebuke. becuase one will change lives regardless and one can destroy men is if its used unwisely.

 

[Endure2]

i just think shes saying the truth is not enough to set people free, it can, but not by itself.
in jude the bible says compassion, makes the diffrence.
and in proverbs the bible says knowledge is not as good and wisdom, and the diffrence is wisdom is like a tree that produces good fruit, but truth by itself out of context and timing and love can tear and rend a mans soul.
thats thats why Jesus said he had many things yet to tell his disciples but he did not, lest they be offended... and later when the holyspirit came and showed them, and when they were ready, they learned those truths.
their relationship with God was more important than their perfection.
and God would not sacrifice the relationship and lose them, on the altar of trying to make men perfect too quickly.

 

[2Timothy2]

It seems to me that what has been said so far is looking at only one side of things. Jude says:

Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

but don't overlook the next verse:

Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

There are times for both. We must use discrection in this. All too often we want to point out the errors of others as some way to elevate ourselves. This is clearly wrong. But rebuke and reproof, done properly, is done from love.

And, incedently, this whole thread is a form of reproof. Saying no one can judge another is judging others. Is it not? It's kind of similar to the statement "There is absolutely no absolute truth". The statement contradicts itself. This is not to condemn the OP. Just saying not to overlook the other side of this subject.

 

[thecrucifiedlife]

I'm not trying to cause any trouble but What about this scripture:
1 Corinthians 2:15
The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:

 

[2Timothy2]

I'm not trying to cause any trouble but What about this scripture:
1 Corinthians 2:15
The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:

This is my point. Here Paul says something that, if we take separately from the rest of Scripture, some can take to say don't ever point out error. But in the very next chapter, just 2 verses later, Paul calls the Corinthians carnal, and further on he rebukes them for envying, strife and divisions. He didn't do this out of arrogance or because he thought he was so much better than them. Rather, he considered himself their fellow servant. He rebuked in love. This is how we should engage in it. I am concerned about this because I've heard the notion that we as Christians should never engage in correcting sinful behavior or errors in doctrine. This simply is not the case. I only wanted to point this out in this thread. We should not, however, be engaged in judging others as less than ourselves. Nor should we rebuke from pride. Love should guide all that we do.

 

[Endure2]

Love should guide all that we do...

i completely agree, and if you truely walk in that, then i dont disagree with you.

i agree theres a time for reproof and even for rebuke.

but knowing that it is not enough,
when Jesus, and paul rebuked people, it was in absolute humility.
Paul rebuked people, but he also considered himself the least of all the apostles, the least of all men, the chief of sinners, and that GREATLY EFFECTED HOW HE DID IT, WHEN HE DID IT, AND IF HE DID IT!
people who rebuke, often say they know this, but regardless of what they say... i often feel like the truth is that no they dont.

but also, knowing what the book says isnt even enough, you have to be led by the spirit of God at the time. becuase the letter brings death, but the spirit brings life. yes the book says to rebuke, the book says the word of God was given to edify to exort and to rebuke...
but the spirit of God could still tell you not to rebuke him, but love him and pray for him instead. but if you cant hear from the spirit, and just do what you think the book tells you to do, youll be off. becuase just becuase the word of God is for rebuking, doesnt mean everyone whos wrong needs to be rebuked, and you wont have the slightest wisdom on what to do unless your led by the one who wrote the book and knows every heart and soul.

 

[Adammi]

I read this the other day on the internet. It is by one of my favorite christian writers M.S. Lowndes. I found it very enlightening. I hope you like it!
anna


No One Can Judge


Read: John 8: 1-11

“…Let him who is without sin among you be the first
to throw a stone at her…” (V: 7)

This is a powerful story, and it’s all summed up in
this one verse. What a different world it would
be if we all lived by this concept.

None of us are in a position where we can sit in
judgement of anyone. We may not have all committed
the same sins, but never the less, we are all guilty.
We all have fallen short of the glory of God.

Even if we have just broken one of the commandments,
the bible says we are just as guilty, in God’s eyes,
as the one that has broken them all. As James 2: 10
says “For whosoever keeps the Law [as a] whole but
stumbles and offends in one [single instance] has
become guilty of [breaking] all of it.” So no one
is better or worse than any one else. We all need
to come to Jesus for forgiveness. His blood can
wash any sin away. Like the woman in the story,
Jesus does not condemn us. He loves us and will
forgive and cleanse us when we come to Him and
ask for His forgiveness.

Each of these men in this story could not throw a
stone at her. It says in V: 9, “They listened to
Him, and then they began going out, conscience
stricken, one by one, from the oldest down to
the last one of them…” They knew they too had
sinned – and maybe some of them may have
committed the same sin.

We too must remember that we have sinned as well –
so we can’t judge or condemn others.

-M.S.Lowndes





Do not judge and criticize and condemn others,
so that you may not be judged and criticized
and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge
and criticize and condemn others, you will be
judged and criticized and condemned, and in
accordance with the measure you [use to] deal
out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

Matthew 7: 1-2 (Amp)





Lord I know that I have sinned
Therefore I must not judge
Help me Lord to remember this
And respond with ‘Agape’ love.

-M.S.Lowndes

Amen, to the fullest extent!!
Every word is great!!

 

[2Timothy2]

Love should guide all that we do...

i completely agree, and if you truely walk in that, then i dont disagree with you.

I don't know how you meant that, but I will assume that you are not intimating that I am not walking in love.

i agree theres a time for reproof and even for rebuke.

but knowing that it is not enough,
when Jesus, and paul rebuked people, it was in absolute humility.
Paul rebuked people, but he also considered himself the least of all the apostles, the least of all men, the chief of sinners, and that GREATLY EFFECTED HOW HE DID IT, WHEN HE DID IT, AND IF HE DID IT!

I agree with this 100%

people who rebuke, often say they know this, but regardless of what they say... i often feel like the truth is that no they dont.

Are you, perhaps judging them?

but also, knowing what the book says isnt even enough, you have to be led by the spirit of God at the time. becuase the letter brings death, but the spirit brings life. yes the book says to rebuke, the book says the word of God was given to edify to exort and to rebuke...
but the spirit of God could still tell you not to rebuke him, but love him and pray for him instead. but if you cant hear from the spirit, and just do what you think the book tells you to do, youll be off. becuase just becuase the word of God is for rebuking, doesnt mean everyone whos wrong needs to be rebuked, and you wont have the slightest wisdom on what to do unless your led by the one who wrote the book and knows every heart and soul.

First of all, I would call 'the book' the Bible or the Scriptures, out of respect for their origins

Second, rebuking or loving is a false distinction. Rebuking is something we will do, when it is required, as lead by the Holy Spirit, if we love the one in need of rebuke.

Third, I wonder what you mean by "if you can't hear from the spirit"?

I'll close with this, from the Bible:

[bible]Proverbs 24:24-25[/bible]