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An
Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at
Creekwood |
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"Three
Judgments" In the following passage, the Apostle Paul mentions three judgments that each and every one of us must face. “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts; and then each one’s praise will come from God” (1 Corinthians 4:3-5). First,
there is the
judgment of others.
Paul said that to him it was “a very small
thing” to be judged by other people.
When it comes to the way that you and I live
our lives, sometimes it DOES matter what other people
think. For
example, none of us should want to do anything that
could cause someone else to stumble (see Romans
14:13). On
the other hand, if we allow the opinions of others to
be the SOLE guide for the
way we live our lives, we cannot please God (see John
5:44) nor can anyone please everyone at the same time!
The opinions of others may also be based
upon faulty standards
or incomplete information. Second,
there is the
judgment of self.
Paul didn’t use this standard of judgment for
himself; he said, “I do not even judge myself”
(1Corinthians 4:3).
As with the judgment of others, our own
standards of judgment may be flawed.
So often, the judgments we make about ourselves
are made in comparison with the lives of others,
especially with those that live below the standards we
have set for ourselves.
But comparing
ourselves among ourselves is not wise (see 2
Corinthians 10:12).
We may be too harsh or too lenient when judging
ourselves. It is even quite possible for us to deceive
ourselves (see James 1:22). Finally,
there is the
judgment of God.
To Paul, this was THE most important judgment
in his life. “He
who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:4).
ONLY the Lord is perfectly qualified to be our
judge. He
"will both bring to light the hidden things of
darkness and reveal the counsels
of the hearts” (1 Corinthians 4:5).
“And there is no creature hidden from His
sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes
of Him to whom we must give account” Hebrews 4:13 It
was the "praise of
God" that Paul stated was most important
in evaluating our lives (1 Corinthians 4:5). What matters most, therefore, in your life and mine is what God says. His is the judgment that counts AND…it is FINAL ! God bless you!
David A. Sargent,
Minister To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:
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