Who’s the Judge?
Not me. Not you.
There is a Judge who is qualified to pass judgment on all of us. We are not that Judge–though we often try to do His job. Who is this Judge? You know, of course, that the Judge of whom I speak is none other than God.
- The Judge does not allow hearsay in His court. (Neither should we.)
- The Judge knows all the facts before rendering judgment. (We seldom bother.)
- The Judge knows the outcome before the proceeding begins. (We cannot.)
- The Judge always judges fairly. (We are incapable.)
- The Judge knows the motives behind the actions. (Not possible for us.)
These things being true (and they are), why then do we put ourselves in a position that only God is qualified to fill? Why do we listen to hearsay and make rash judgments based on little to nothing more than gossip or condemn someone before we know the truth?
Though we make excuses for such behavior, the result is always the same: When we pass judgment on someone, we BRING judgment on ourselves. This consequence is unavoidable. Why? Because God made it to be so.
Today’s Scripture passage is an excerpt from Paul’s defense before Felix, a Roman governor in Caesarea. I am teaching from it because it expresses something we must do if we wish to avoid God’s judgment: If you want to know the truth, investigate it for yourself. Do not take someone else’s word.
The latter is called hearsay. When we take up someone’s offense or make a determination based on hearsay (gossip), we are making a judgment–a flawed one. Relationships, careers, and ministries have been ruined this way.
While a serious problem in its own right, even more serious is that when we do this, we step into God’s role. This is what ultimately brings judgment on us. Allow me to offer a few points of advice:
- If something is worth an opinion, it is worth knowing the truth.
- If someone speaks without accountability, refuse to accept what they say.
- Whatever you do, do not repeat it!
- Without true facts, resist even forming an opinion!
If you choose not to investigate for yourself, let the matter go before you get into trouble.
The bullet points at the beginning of this message are true: God ALWAYS knows the full truth before He renders a judgment. This is one reason why His judgments are always correct and always reliable. We are incapable of these things, and therefore, incapable of rendering right judgment.
When we render flawed judgment, we MAY hurt someone else and will ALWAYS hurt ourselves. It is simply not worth it. Trust God to judge correctly. This is His responsibility and He is the only One qualified.
Today’s Seed™ Scripture and Prayer for Mar. 2, 2023:
By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.” (Acts 24:8 NIV)
Prayer: LORD, when I hear an accusation against someone, help me to be disciplined to learn the truth before I make a judgment based on hearsay. I must reject what is spoken without accountability and examine the matter myself. Above all, I must know that Yours is the final answer for any question and I should seek it first and above all else. Enable me to do these things–always in Your wisdom and discernment. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
(c) 2023 Randall Vaughn • All Rights Reserved • http://www.e-min.org
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“Today’s Seed” from E-MIN • Mar. 2, 2023
About Randall Vaughn:
With 40+ years as pastor, author, teacher, worship leader, and songwriter, Randall pioneered E-MIN in 1997–one of the earliest online ministries and today the longest operating. His passion is leading people to deeper, genuine relationship with God. He lives in Alabama with his lovely wife, Karen, and their dogs, Hadi and Casi. He enjoys hiking, exploring new tech, and “prayer walks”.
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