A TIME FOR JUDGEMENT

For the past 28 years I have preached and taught the GOODNESS OF GOD, and I thoroughly believe in that GOODNESS! However, I am truly convinced that we preachers have been unfair with people in that there is another side to the GOODNESS of God. It is called the JUDGMENT OF GOD! I am not talking about religious legalism! As a matter of fact, the more I study the Word of God, the more I see the goodness of God, even in judgment.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-2 from the Amplified Bible, “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.” He also said in John 7:24 from the Amplified Bible, “Be honest in your judgment and do not decide at a glance (superficially and by appearances); but judge fairly and righteously.” Notice the Goodness and Love of God in this verse. He is simply telling us not to be judgmental because the way we judge others is the way we will be judged.

Let us look at the other side of Goodness. In 1 Corinthians 11:31-32, the Holy Spirit is saying through the Apostle Paul, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” Then in 1 Peter 4:17 in the Amplified, the Spirit is saying through the Apostle Peter, “For the time [has arrived] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will [be] the end of those who do not respect or believe or obey the good news (the Gospel) of God?”

We can’t expect the people of God to Judge themselves if we, the Ministers, won’t judge ourselves.

What makes leaders Leaders is to walk in the truth because people are following us. When I first started in ministry I heard a minister say, “I don’t practice what I preach, but I preach what I practice.” This is what I have tried to do with my life and ministry – preach and minister what I am living!

What I see in the Body of Christ today is an attitude that it is ok to do anything we want and God will forgive us. Now I believe in the forgiveness of God, but if I study the Bible correctly, I see that there can only be forgiveness when there is true repentance. Look in 1 John 1:6-7 from the Amplified, “[So] if we say we are partakers together and enjoy fellowship with Him when we live and move and are walking about in darkness, we are [both] speaking falsely and do not live and practice the Truth [which the Gospel presents]. But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].”

Anytime we see the word WALK it is talking about a decision!

To walk in Darkness is to walk in known sin. To walk in the Light is to walk in the knowledge of the Word of God that has been given and revealed unto us. Look at the last part of verse 7, “But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].” What would be the opposite of this? If we walk (made a decision) in darkness (sin), WE make the blood of Jesus of none affect.

One thing that troubles me is the number of divorces that are taking place in the Body of Christ. I recently heard a Pastor quoting from a national magazine that the rate of divorce among Christians is higher than that among non-Christians. What a slap in the face to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Recently, I had a young pastor ask me why we see so many divorces among Christians. After thinking about it and before I realized what I was saying, I said, “It starts at the top!” In the church today when a leader divorces, we simply ignore it and go on like nothing has happened. Now I realize that there are different circumstances with each couple. However, we need to go to the Word of God and see what it says. When you fully examine the Word of God, there is no place in the New Testament that gives Christians the choice of divorce. Immediately you Bible scholars jump on Matthew 19:9 where Jesus said, “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” This was written to the Jew and not the church. Look at verse 11 in NKJV, “But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given”

- Pastor Larry