Judgement
The Lord recently challenged me to stop passing so many judgments on people. I thought he meant I should stop judging political leaders who lie and deceive. I discovered it went beyond politics.
I was playing Chess with Friends against opponents on Facebook when “Christopher” asked me in the chat box if I wanted to make easy money selling Bitcoin. I told him I wasn’t interested because I have something more valuable than money. He wondered what that was, so I told him about Jesus.
We went back and forth between his sales pitch and my testimony about the Lord. Since my approach was kindness rather than judgment, he ended up opening his heart and telling me that he was a scammer from Nigeria. He supports his family by swindling people who hope to make easy money. He is a white collar criminal who builds trust through deception and then swindles his victims.
Christopher said corruption and poverty in Nigeria make it difficult to make money legitimately. He was struggling about whether he could support himself if he didn’t swindle. I thanked him for his honesty and assured him I wasn’t going to judge him. I don’t know how God will work in his situation, but I assured him the Lord would provide for him if he trusted God with his life.
Several years ago, I went with my friend Hylan to visit his parents in Los Angeles. They lived on the third floor of an apartment building. Their apartment had bars on the windows and a metal security door. They told me there were a lot of burglaries in their neighborhood. They were afraid to go outside at night because the streets were not safe. It was sad for me to see this precious couple living behind security bars like they were in jail.
Some say we need to pray for God’s mercy so judgment will not come on America. I think judgment is already here when righteous people live in fear.
For those who smoke, judgment is the poison in their lungs and diminished smell and taste. The drug users’ judgment is a diminished brain capacity, addiction and depravity.
Some think judgment will come upon us all because of the rampant immorality in our nation. I think judgment has already come to people who live in immorality. They have a difficult time enjoying healthy marriages because immorality destroys respect and love in relationships.
The Lord tells us to wait until marriage for sexual relationships. People ignore this to their own hurt. The pressures that accompany sexual purity can help couples learn to talk, pray, and play together before their marriage. These practices help develop a foundation for a healthy marriage.
Many people fear God is going to judge America because we have millions of abortions each year. I think that judgment has already come. Many people live with guilt when they take the life of their unborn child. Some will never know the joy of raising a child because the only child they will conceive was aborted. They will never hear those children sing, see their photos, or watch them perform at school or in sports. The world is deprived of their inventions and their inspiration.
The gospel says Jesus took the judgment we deserve on the cross. Instead of judgment, through Christ’s sacrifice we can have the blessing of God. We don’t deserve the joy God gives us, the love he has for us, or the rewards of heaven. Yet everyone who calls on the name of the Lord can escape judgment and be blessed with grace and forgiveness.
Jesus said, “As for the person who hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world but to save it” (John 12:47). It is easy to get worked up about the sins of others. However, if Jesus didn’t judge those who rejected his life-giving words, why should we? Jesus’ mission was to save the world, not judge it. Declaring salvation should be our mission as well.
Those who judge get locked up in hatred and contempt. This puts bars on their souls that are stronger than bars on windows and doors. Passing judgment may make you feel superior, but it does to your soul what junk food does to your body. In time, a deadly flab of deception darkens the souls of those who pass judgment.
Jesus said, “If you continue in my word… you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32). His words command us to love and forgive. This frees us to enjoy the fullness of life.