Judgment part 4
God's judgment was handed down 2000 years ago AFTER Jesus died on the cross, when, three days later, God raised Jesus from the dead. The book of Hebrews tells us it is appointed unto man once to die, THEN the judgment. So death can't BE the judgment, right? God's judgment was not a death sentence. It was, in fact and in truth, an eternal life sentence! God judged the WORLD, and cast out the prince of the world. So that we wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, which means we don't have to deal with them anymore. And now we know that is the honor of His saints to execute the judgment that was written. To let people know the good news of the gospel. Look at what Jesus said in John 5:30 (NLT), "I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will." Kind of the same idea as John 7:24, "Judge not acording to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."And I like it even better in the NLT, "Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly." It's not that we are to NOT judge, but that we are to judge righteously, or correctly. We are to execute the judgment that God handed down. We are to look IN people instead of AT people. See what's really inside. Stop telling people what's wrong with them and start telling people what's right with them. That's how edification works. That's what it means to train up a child the in way he SHOULD go. If we put people on the right path, and put them in a position to succeed, they are much more likely to manifest their God-given destiny. If we're always telling people how bad they are--judging by appearance--they will eventually believe it. And what you believe about yourself is what manifests in your life. You are not what people call you, but you are what you answer to. You need to know that you have already been judged by your heavenly Father, and you have been found perfect in His eyes. Look at Ephesians 5:25-27 (NLT), "For husbands, this means love yoru wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church wihout a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead she will be holy and without fault." Jesus washed us with His Word (which is Jesus, which is love) in order to present us to Himself... clean. His judgment was not, "You're bad and need to be punished." His judgment was, "I love you, and that washes everything else away." A "sinner" who is saved by grace is not a sinner anymore. It is a saint. So what we need to do is start seeing ourselves, and each other, the way God sees us. We need to know His judgment (I love you, here is my Son... believe in Him and have everlasting life) and we need to execute that judgment. Both in our own lives and in each other's lives. Look beneath the surface and start to figure out WHY people are doing what they are doing. Look past WHAT it is and begin to understand WHY it is. Let people be who they are, and love them anyway. Love them BECAUSE of who they are. Embrace them FOR who they are. And watch them flourish and grow. Watch them be holy and without fault. If you're always telling someone how bad they are (judging them according to appearance) you aren't giving them a chance to be anything else. If you love someone no matter what, you are equipping and empowering them to be who they REALLY are. Which is who they are in Christ, which is who Christ is in them!