5. Judgment of Self

The lists of Judgments we find in the Bible are not there for man to justify himself, because we are justified in Jesus Christ plus nothing.

This list of judgments is for personal reflection and to help in the regeneration process. These are tools for introspection and meditation with the Holy Spirit.

As mentioned earlier we will look at these judgments in more detail now.

2.1 A Personal Judgment
2.2 A Judgment of our Relationships
2.3 A Judgment of our Conversation
2.4 A Judgment of our Faithfulness
2.5 A Judgment of our Inner Motives
2.6 A Judgment of our Spiritual Condition
2.7 A Judgment of our Works
2.8 A Judgment of the Shepherds

We believe in Jesus and we are going to heaven, but as we see from the list above judgments will still fall upon a believer. The outcome could be reward or possibly regrets. Some are looking for approval or acclamation to feel accepted. Therefore by seeking such notice they hand over to someone else their walk with Christ for assessment.

Have you ever asked questions such as?

1. Is a pastor the best Judge of me?
2. Is my youth leader the best Judge of me?
3. Is a policeman the best Judge of me?
4. Is the judge in the court the best judge of me?
5. Is my boyfriend the best Judge of me?
6. Is my girlfriend the best Judge of me?
7. Is my mother the best Judge of me?
8. Is the lady in the church the best Judge of me?
9. Is my enemy the best judge of me?

• We could have more but that’s not the point.

1. Is God the best Judge of me?
2. Am I the best judge of me?

When you look at this list there are a lot of people who can get in the way of you and God. They may have an opinion or a different perspective, but really that counts for nothing.
Some may want to help, and with all the right intentions, but the problems don’t go away.
Those between you and God need to be careful when entering into your problem area.

They need to ask themselves and you need to know if their advice is based on the word of God.

A. Some come with philosophy and that is not the word of God.
B. Some come with their formula and that is not the word of God.
C. Some come with their rules and that is not the word of God.
D. Some come with their problem and that is not the word of God.
E. Some come with other religious teachings and that is not the word of God.
F. Some come with fortune telling and that is not the word of God.

Hosea 4:12 My people seek advice from their wooden idols, and their rod declares to them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to go astray, and they have gone lusting away from under their God. (MKJV)

The advice of the world leads to death.

Proverbs 5:11 and you moan when your end comes, when your flesh and muscle are eaten away, 12 and say, How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised correction; 13 and I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor bowed down my ears to those who taught me! 14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. 15 Drink waters out of your own cistern, and running waters out of your own well. 16 Should your overflowing spring be scattered abroad as rivers of waters in the streets. (MKJV)

This is a warning for all believers to consider but we needn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. It is important to seek good Godly advice and that doesn’t mean going to anyone in the church, but seeking someone who is more mature in the Lord.

Before you make the decision to ask someone for advice look at the fruit in the person’s life because a good tree will have good fruit.

Proverbs 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4 To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (KJVA)

Once you have sought Godly advice you will find it comes down to you and God alone in your room to find the answer. It must just be you with God and His Word because you are the one who must live with the outcome of any decision.

Warning of putting yourself in God’s hands

If a believer asks the question: “Should I place myself in the hands of God for a judgment or assessment of my life?” The answer is NO, if you do this you are embarking upon a journey of loss, because the judgments are already settled and therefore God cannot change.

If a non-believer asks the question: “If I put my life in God’s hands for judgment of my life will I end up in hell?” The answer is YES, that’s true, if you have not taken responsibility for your sins and repented.

It was settled before the incident in the Garden and it is settled in eternity. What is required is for man to take steps towards responsibility for his or her sins. Then once this has been done repentance is necessary to finalize the transaction with God.

We need to take responsibility now for our Christian walk. We need to let the word of God, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, wash and refresh us.

A good place to start is to become the judge of our own life so that we don’t hand over the responsibility to anyone. Therefore we don’t have to wait for God to make a decision, knowing that God has already done that. The word of God is the mirror for us to look into.

2.1 Personal Judgment

Romans 14:12 So then each one of us will give account concerning himself to God. (MKJV)

We are only responsible to give a report about ourselves and not for others. We will not be required to give a report on other people so we don’t need to do that now either. Therefore we don’t need to talk about others unless we are exhorting, comforting and edifying them.

Discernment is a gift from God and therefore we should treasure the things we discern, taking these concerns to God in prayer and not the world. People only take things to others to build their own support network for self-justification.

We must judge ourselves.

2.2 A Judgment of our Relationships

The Bible is all about relationship from cover to cover it shows us how to get along with our fellow man.

Romans 14:10 But why do you judge your brother? Or also why do you despise your brother? For all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (MKJV)

If you have un-forgiveness and wrong attitudes towards your wife, husband, children, your earthly family, your Christian family or your enemy you will be judged.

Romans 14:13 Then let us not judge one another any more, but rather judge this, not to put a stumbling-block or an offense toward his brother. (MKJV)

An excessive religious fever may cause some to stumble. We need to seek God to help us to be real to people.

Romans 14:15 But if your brother is grieved with your food, you no longer walk according to love. Do not with your food destroy him for whom Christ died. (MKJV)

Attitudes that give the impression we think we are better than others needs to be brought into line.

When people say we need to love the unlovely we should remember we were once the unlovely. This attitude has a smattering of pride.

James 1:26 If anyone thinks to be religious among you, yet does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is vain. (MKJV)

Vain means a waste of time or a characteristic of false pride or unproductive effort, a fruitless life, which is a vain attempt towards faith. You can be religious by going to church and doing all the things others do but you are wasting your time if your tongue is saying bad things about others.

We must judge ourselves.

2.3 A Judgment of our Conversation

The words we use are important. Do they bring life or are they unwholesome words which are laced with filth and lead to death?

Matthew 12:36 But I say to you that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned. (MKJV)

We need to control the tongue and not use words of blasphemy such as using the Lord’s name as a swear word, and not to use swear words in general.

Ephesians 4:29 Let not any filthy word go out of your mouth, but if any is good to building up in respect of need, that it may give grace to the ones hearing. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and tumult and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. (MKJV)

A person being a whisperer, full of envy, malicious, quarrelsome and deceitful, the Bible states they are worthy of death.

Romans 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; being full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, evil habits, becoming whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud, braggarts, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, perfidious, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous order of God, that those practicing such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but have pleasure in those practicing them. (MKJV)

The language we use will reflect upon us. If it brings life to all around us, it will also bring life to us. Inversely, if it is not good it will bring death.

We must judge ourselves.

2.4 A Judgment of our Faithfulness.

As a servant of the Lord and others we need to maintain a life pattern which will be helpful to others. Matthew 25:19 to 45 gives an excellent outline of the faithful steward.

1. Punctuality… keeping to arranged time
2. Reliability… dependability to do what is expected
3. Perseverance… determined continuation with something
4. Responsibility… provide an answer to all
5. Accountability… responsible to give an account to superiors

Our faithfulness is right throughout our whole life. Are we spiritually faithful to loved ones? Are we physical faithful?

We must judge ourselves.

2.5 A Judgment of our Inner Motives

All we need to do to please God is believe in Him who sent His Son calling on the name of the Son for our salvation and nothing more.

He loved us first, we respond to His action with a desire to help others find the way. This is heart-felt unction to function.

2Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to that which he has done, whether good or bad. (MKJV)

We are not to judge others. That is up to God and we need to be careful here. It is God who will look upon our hearts to see what our motivation to do things was. Are we doing things to help others or are we doing things to get man’s approval.

Hebrews 4:12 For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (MKJV)

We will all appear before Him and everything will be revealed for what it is. Some will hear, “enter good and faithful servant” and others will hear, “away from Me; I know you not.”

We must judge ourselves.

2.6 A Judgment of our Spiritual Condition.

Some have come to the cross of Jesus and repented and then turned and walked away. After some time they have fallen into sin again, losing their eternal salvation. It was paid for once and for all but if the dynamics of salvation are not followed loss will be incurred.

Hebrews 4:11Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief. 12 For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (MKJV)

Repeated sin can cause the heart to harden and it makes it more difficult for one to repent and then a fall has taken place.

We are called to read the word of God, talk with God and go to church as a good starting position to work out our faith.

a. Reading the Bible helps us to know what we can do.
b. Learning by listening to good teaching will secure us in our walk with Christ.
c. Talking with God will help to develop God awareness and therefore we will be led by His Spirit.

We need to keep an eye on what we allow into our life because if we allow temptation to be entertained it can become sin and the final outcome can be disastrous.

We must judge ourselves.

2.7 A Judgment of our Works.

We don’t need to do work’s to get to heaven, but we do them because we want to do them. God may stimulate us to do something but it is still our choice.

Are the works we do because we see others doing them and we think that is what God wants us to do?

Some may see programs which were God-inspired for another person or church and some think it’s OK just to copy it.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to that which he has done, whether good or bad. (MKJV)

The work we do should be based on the example of Jesus Christ and by the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is clear from the scripture below that some works will be burnt up and destroyed.

1Corinthians 3:11 For any other foundation can no one lay than the one being laid, who is Jesus Christ. 12 And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, 13 each one’s work shall be revealed. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try each one’s work as to what kind it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he built remains, he shall receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work shall be burned up, he shall suffer loss. But he shall be saved, yet so as by fire. (MKJV)

The most important thing for us to do when looking at a program, which is working in another location, we think that might be suitable for us, is to go to God in prayer.

Our life should be a God-driven life and we should endeavour to follow His leading so our works will not be worthless.
(1 Corinthians. 3:11-15)

We must judge ourselves.

2.8 A Judgment of the Shepherds.

The shepherd or the leader of a group will be judged twice, once for their own Christian walk and secondly for the teaching and the leading of others.

This is a personal judgment for the Shepherd but more importantly the follower too. The follower needs to take responsibility for their own walk with God, because we can’t say as Adam and Eve did, “it’s his fault I’m in trouble”. We need to read the Bible and the Shepherd needs to point us in that direction too.

James 3:1 Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive greater judgment. (Darby)

The leader will receive a crown when Jesus returns if his or her heart has been true to the calling of God and not self-promoting.

1Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory. (MKJV)

It is not only the words spoken by a leader that are important but their actions. Most people in general only hear what they see.

Hebrews 13:7 Remember those leading you, who have spoken to you the Word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conduct: (MKJV)

It is how you respond or react under pressure that will have an impact upon your sheep, so all the areas of judgment we have mentioned in this lesson are of double importance to the leader because of the judgment they will receive.

If the leader is leading in accordance with the word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit no one has the right to speak against their leading.

We must judge ourselves.

Final word on Judgment

We must judge ourselves and not leave it to another, for others don’t have to live with the outcome. Taking responsibility for our Christian walk rests with us.

God has already set in place His judgments and these cannot be changed. The only thing that can be changed is our standing, whether we want to stay in sin or not. Whether we want to adjust our thinking to bring it into line with God’s word, knowing God’s judgments are final. Our judgments with Godly leading can avert a final destruction or lose under

God’s judgments.

God does not want to judge any of us. He wants us to assess our own condition. Of course He has given us His guidelines to follow.

He wants us to build a life that will not be burnt up in the fire but come out as pure gold. A life built with reflection on the judgments of God, is the life that will receive the crowns mentioned in the Bible and explained in the next post.

We must judge ourselves.

From

7. Augustine’s Photocopied Error by Dr Ian Traill