TO CONDEMN OR TO JUDGE – PART 3
Author: Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans
Translator: Robin Barker
In my two previous writings from the Word in this series where I was asked the following question: “The section that says: ‘Do not judge, because to the extent that you judge, you yourself will be judged’ – What does that exactly entail?” I referred several times to Jesus’s words in MATTHEW 7:1-6.
In this, the last writing in this short series, I now want to concentrate on MATTHEW 7:6.
In a previous writing I mentioned this topic that if you truly do not hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, you will not see the fine line between judgement [a] and condemnation in your Christianity.
I then also mentioned that the fine line has more than one facet.
Well, now I want to share with you about another facet of that fine line of condemning and judging and it is: To know when to stop wasting time proclaiming the Gospel to people who do not want to accept it – in any case not through my effort.
Jesus told it this way:
MAT 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
Jesus begins MAT 7:6 with the following words:
MAT 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; …”
What do you and I have that is “sacred” (holy) that we can give to someone else?
Naturally Jesus’s holy Gospel!
So if I continually share the Gospel of Jesus with someone that continually makes fun ‘take the micky’ out of it, our Lord showed me, after I have shared the Gospel with that person continually and he/she continues with sarcastic remarks about what I share, I must stop giving him/her the opportunity to mock with what I received from our Lord and what is holy to me.
MAT 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Mock, offend or humiliate your preaching of the Gospel)
Then, in the same verse where Jesus says that what He has given us which is Holy – to put it this way – we must not continue expose it to people who are not going to respect it and where we maybe spiritually in the process be torn to pieces, Jesus also says what we must also not share with these people:
MAT 7:6 “… do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
Jesus, so it seems to me personally, says here that I must not even share my witness, truths and life experiences that I have gathered through my life as a Christian with these people, because they will break down my precious testimony to something worthless.
MAT 7:6 “… do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet,…”
To summarize up to this point:
I must not condemn and sentence people, because I myself am also a fallible (imperfect) person.
1 JOHN 1:8-10
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
No, I must have compassion for the people and with my judgement of the wrong I see in their lives I must handle people with love and compassion when I share with him/her about the wrong in their lives, because I must remember:
JAMES 2:13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Now the question comes about:
According to MATTHEW 7:6 – Does it mean that in order to do so at least those people who do not want to listen to me and always are negative and even sometimes hostile towards me if I want to share with them the Gospel or my testimony, that I now may judge and condemn them and leave them for satan?
No, of course not.
So, how must I then continually show them the Gospel of Jesus?
Jesus also shows and teaches us here, through His example, how we must consider such people.
I read – and it is Jesus Himself who is speaking here:
JOHN 10:36-38
36 “What about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?
37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.
38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
As for this example given by Jesus, I read the following from the Word concerning you and me:
1 PETER 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you (regarding us on this world), as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires (In this instance, not to condemn these people to hell), which wage war against your soul.
1 PETER 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
So my friends –
If a person continues to mock you about your proclamation of the Gospel of Christ, there comes a time when you must put an end to talking but you must not leave them for satan because that is exactly what satan wants.
Just live your life.
In other words:
Proclaim the Gospel of Christ to them through your lifestyle.
Live continually with Him, because if you do not do this, you could very easily confuse your voice and desires with His voice and desires and how terrible, you can so easily live your life so far apart from Him without you even realizing it, that you could mistake satan’s voice with His.
Besides, why would I not try my best to live my life as close as possible to our Lord as it is naturally possible for me in my humanity after everything that I know through my Christianity and also remembering the great truth how Peter answered Jesus on occasion?
JOHN 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
I then conclude this short series To condemn or to judge, with the following very important advice from the Word, especially in relation to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus through our lives:
ROM 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
PHI 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Greetings,
Sakkie