"Don't Judge Lest Ye Be Judged!"

Has anyone ever shouted these words at you, "Don't judge lest ye be judged!"?

That verse is probably one of the most quoted verses in the entire Bible....and is even used by atheists and the unsaved.

Why?

Because everyone wants to do whatever they want and whatever feels good and they don't want anyone to tell them that ANYTHING THEY FEEL LIKE DOING IS NOT OK.

So if you want to engage in gay sex, obviously out of wedlock.....DON'T JUDGE!

If you want to have sex outside of wedlock....DON'T JUDGE!

If you want to gorge 15,000 calories per day and be consumed by gluttony....DON'T JUDGE!

IF you want to divorce your wife because you are no longer happy.....DON'T JUDGE!

If you want to surf porn and let your mind play with naked women.....DON'T JUDGE!

If you enjoy Friday and Saturday drunkenness.....DON'T JUDGE!

I was at the grocery store the other day when I was unexpectedly confronted with an adult-oriented magazine located right next to the vitamin section. I immediately had to look away from the front cover, which featured a scantily clad, seductively posed, sex symbol. Yet it was only a few weeks ago that I read an article about how this same sex symbol loves to speak in tongues and has to restrain herself from outbursts in tongues while attending church services. What?

This is actually a perfect illustration of American charismatic Christianity, where you can say you love Jesus (like the rapper “The Game” claims to do) and still frequent strip clubs (as “The Game” still does), or where you can flow in the gifts of the Spirit and become a made-for-TV preaching sensation, only to announce that God told you that you married the wrong woman, leading to a quick divorce and remarriage.

Yes, this is the “gospel” of the 21st century, “Spirit-filled” church of America, where the cross is bypassed, denial of the flesh is scorned, purity is called legalism, and anything goes if it feels good.

It is the “gospel” of self, in which Jesus dies to make you into a bigger and better you, a “gospel” in which God is here to serve you and help you fulfill your dreams, and where the measure of all things is not how God feels about it but how you feel about it (or how it makes you feel).

Today, in some charismatic circles, you can be a Christian gangster—or, at least, a tongue-talking, seductive starlet, or a Christian lingerie model, or a strip-club-attending, Jesus-speaking rapper, just to mention a few. After all, as we are reminded day and night, “Who are you to judge?”

Actually, what Jesus taught was that we should not judge hypocritically or superficially or unjustly and that we should not condemn. But Jesus also said, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). The Lord commands us to judge, as long as we do it rightly.

Paul taught the very same thing, writing to the Corinthians, “not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?” (1 Cor. 5:11-12)

Here;  http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/38090-sex-symbols-who-speak-in-tongues?

What did you say Paul??  You mean we ARE SUPPOSED TO JUDGE THOSE IN THE CHURCH??

Yes, of course we are!

If you pastor is having an affair....you judge him.
If your elder is embezzling money....you judge him.
If your deacon is drunk all over town....you judge him.
If your worship leader leaves her husband for a woman....you judge her.
If your Moderator has a food-gluttony problem....you judge her.

Of course, people have a real problem with the word "judge".  They think of someone banging a gavel and saying, "Guilty!  Now leave here and go to hell!"

No.  It is possible to judge someone because you love them...and even more importantly, you love the church and don't want her dragged through the mud.

"Dennis....I have known you for 15 years and what you are doing is not right in the eyes of your family, in the eyes of your friends and most importantly...in the eyes of God.  Unless you quit immediately and publicly repent of this very public sin....you can no longer be a deacon at this church.  In fact you can no longer be a part of this church and we would ask that you would resign your membership and leave....unless you repent right now."

How many churches have all of you been a part of where they actually exercise CHURCH DISCIPLINE?  Not many, I would bet.

No wonder the Bride of Christ has been held up for such public mockery.  We are ignoring the difficult parts of scripture because we want to believe that UNITY trumps everything...including repentance and the clear words of the Gospel.