A friend recently engaged me in an online discussion about
what it means to judge others, and specifically how we as Christians should
respond to the controversy surrounding same-sex marriage. He especially wanted
to know how we could possibly evangelize people if we don’t point out their sin
first.
Here’s my response to my friend, with a few additional thoughts
thrown in for good measure.
**
What do you think Jesus means by saying we should love
others and not judge them? Do you think it's possible to condemn people with
the truth rather than love them and point them to the Truth?
I try to think of how I came to know Jesus. Your experience
might be different, but I know that as a 9 year old boy I was mainly
overwhelmed with my need for God. I couldn't have told you the first thing
about sin or repentance or any of that. I just knew I needed Jesus desperately.
A friend of mine once told me that before he came to Jesus
he already knew he was a sinner. No one needed to point that out to him. He got
that. What he didn't know was what to do about it.
So, that's why I think our evangelism should be more about
loving people first (and that can only be done in relationship), sharing our
own testimony (we're sinners who are desperate for Jesus and actively learning
to know and to love the God who created the Universe - again, relationship),
and pointing them to Jesus so they can know Him.
I think God will convict people of their sins just fine
without us - because that's what He said He would do – and He specifically told
us that it is not our place to convict people of their sins.
If we love people we make room for the grace of God to touch
their hearts. (The kindness of God leads to repentance). But if we judge
people, our condemnation becomes a barrier to those people and they cannot see
the love of Jesus in us...and where else are they supposed to see it?
As I already said, I don't think we need to point out
people's sins. I think the Holy Spirit will do that if we will introduce them
to Jesus. Another example I can share is a couple we met at the motel about 5
years ago. We continued to serve them and love them in practical ways as they
had need. They eventually started joining us in our house church, and then we
started reading through the Gospel of John with them. Suddenly they both
realized that they were sinners and that they needed to make some changes in
their life. That was the Holy Spirit, not us, and they are continuing to read
the Word of God and to allow Him to change their hearts. We never once had to
say anything to them about their sin.
If we want to talk about sinfulness we have to start with
our own. We must freely admit that we are sinners in need of Christ. Our message can't be, "You're a filthy
sinner and you need Jesus" it should be, "I'm a filthy sinner and I
need Jesus" and our invitation should be to follow Jesus daily, not to
escape hell. If the emphasis is placed where Jesus put it - on following Him
daily and surrendering our will to His - then the rest will follow (i.e.
repentance, sanctification, justification, salvation, etc.).
We don't know who is or isn't saved, and acting as a judge
isn't our job.
I'm not sure I see a correlation between voting and judging
others really. But, I will address the question of how we speak to same-sex
marriage.
In Luke, chapter 6, Jesus contrasts Love and Judgment as two
opposite actions. We can't do one if we're busy doing the other. If our job -
our mandate - from Jesus is to love like God does, then we can’t waste our time
judging the hearts of others. Simply put, we can't love and judge at the same
time.
In Romans 2:1, Paul says that when we judge others we're
actually passing judgment on ourselves. James chapter 4 tells us that when we
judge others we're putting ourselves in God’s place.
Paul even draws a distinction between correcting sinful
behavior of those within the Church (1 Cor 5:12) with the right to judge those
outside the church.
So, according to the New Testament, followers of Jesus have
no business trying to condemn the morality of the culture at large. Paul never
did it. Peter never did it. Jesus never did it.
Why do we feel the responsibility to change our culture to
behave the way we want them to? It doesn't make any sense – especially if our
primary way of affecting change is supposed to be preaching the Gospel and
making disciples of all nations. We can only teach people to obey all that
Jesus commanded if they are willing disciples. But if they're not disciples of
Jesus, why do we think that we can change their hearts or influence their
behavior with a law or a policy? It's foolish, and it's not the Kingdom.
We should be more concerned that Kingdom people actually
live out the Gospel in their daily lives. That’s actually what Paul’s main
point about judging those within the Body is all about in 1 Corinthians 5. We’re
expected to keep our own people on the straight and narrow, not those outside
the Church. God will judge them without our help.
If we major on following Jesus ourselves, and teaching
others within the Church to do the same, then we can offer the culture an
alternative lifestyle that is direct contrast to the sinful ways of men.
Yes, I understand that Jesus told the woman caught in
adultery to "go and sin no more" but then again, Jesus was the only
person left standing who didn't have any sins to confess. The whole point of
that passage is that those men who brought the woman to Jesus were in no
position to judge her. That's why they dropped their stones and walked away.
They understood that they were also sinners. Just like you and me.
At least, that's how I see it.
-kg
as for the woman in john 8 whom jesus told to go and sin no more did she ever sin again or maybee what he was getting at was for her to stop with the sex trip.
ReplyDeleteFaulty premise. We are not judging others, we are judging sinful endeavors. If tomorrow, the "culture" embraced denial of Christ as a requisite for public office, would Christians vote for approval of this election? If, in one's heart, they believe the practice of homosexuality is a sin, then accepting and voting for same-sex marriage goes against the conscience and code of those individuals. Loving someone and judging their behavior are two different things. A Christian mother loves her child but might not allow him or her to engage in sinful activities regardless of the current cultural mindset. Most of the current day values have been foist upon us during the last 50 years by those who have been judging Christians (not actions) to be wrong in their value systems and damning us for it. Yes, God will judge all of us, including our willingness to remain strong to His code of love and keeping His commandments; and take a stand.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be superhuman not to judge one way or the other, the question is perhaps how we proceed. LEtting God convict them of their own sin is certainly one way.
ReplyDeleteBut what if people don't get judged by God about their sins or choose not to listen? Will their continuing to exhibit their sin not lead to it somehow becoming 'acceptable' over time? Could such an 'accepted sin' cause problems with a fellowship such as a house church?
I think the reduction of the gospel to "Jesus died for your sins" is the reason for thinking that pointing out sin is the first step in evangelism. One problem I have with this gospel is it doesn't exactly offer something good, just a taking away of something bad. Unfortunately, I think Christians with this perspective assume the good while those they are talking to often aren't so sure. By contrast, loving people demonstrates the goodness of God. Once you believe that God is good, then you have reason to not want sin to separate you from God.
ReplyDeleteAlso related to this discussion is the fact that many Christians think the point of Christianity is simply not to sin. Along with this, they think we're suppose to point out the world's sin. I suppose the hope is that they'll sin less too, though I'm not sure that's typically the case. It's an old testament mindset in any case. It's a mindset of being under law and needing to try and live up to it by our own will power.
Anonymous: You can’t just say “Faulty premise” and not back it up with scripture. My entire article is full of scripture backing up my assertions. Where are your scriptures to back up the idea of judging non-believers as you suggest?
ReplyDeleteYour hypothetical scenario wherein the “culture” might embrace denial of Christ as requisite for public office is straight from early Church history. The early church solved this problem by simply not entering public office. How easy is that? Our calling as followers of Christ is to love people, not to rule them.
Your example of a Christian mother is also fascinating because it assumes that the Church should presume the role of parenting the culture. This isn’t our place. The Church is not anyone’s parent. We are children of God and brothers and sisters of one another. We are not put in the place of ruling over the culture like a parent.
Jesus’ words still stand: We cannot judge and love at the same time. We are commanded to love, not to judge.
If we as Christians were more loving of the sinner we might have a place to speak to the culture (the people) we love and they might know that we warn them to avoid sin because we genuinely care about them – not because we’re obsessed with being “right”.
I don't have a definitive answer on these issues, still trying to formulate one, probably not possible.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Luke 10
13 “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.
Sounds pretty judgmental too me and judgmental of the larger culture of the towns mentioned.
Maybe we need to work on what it Jesus meant by judge some more. To state a truth, sex acts between people of the same sex is wrong, is not a judging.