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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 is God’s will for each of us?
He wants us to be His children.
We are born into His family when we believe
in Jesus (Acts 16:30), repent
of our sins (Acts 17:31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).
It is also God’s desire that His children be
faithful to Him for the rest of their lives (1 John
1:7), seeking to please Him in everything that we
think, say and do (2 Corinthians 5:9).
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
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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