You're Looking Great Today!

Living life on God’s terms often seems impossible.  I have to remind myself constantly that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  In my arrogance I often find myself moving God off the throne.  “Step aside, Lord.  I’ve got this!”  Ha!  After Satan rips me to shreds and bulldozes me into the ground the Lord lovingly reaches down, picks me up, dusts me off, and reminds me that He is on the throne for a reason.  You probably never struggle with that, but I do.

Part of the struggle is learning to accept His judgment, and His alone.  My life is a constant battle to allow God to reign.  I know in my mind that He is sovereign.  In practice that is not always true.  So I have to go back to the basics.  God told us how he wants us to come to Him, setting the terms clearly for us.  Jesus shared them in the Sermon on the Mount.

I must come to Him poor in spirit, with nothing to offer.  Too often I think I’ve got something God could use.  Ha!  What arrogance!  Second, and equally important, I have to come to Him broken hearted over my sinfulness.  God blesses those who mourn.  Until I’ve seen just how destructive my sin is to me and those around me I will never receive the wonderful comfort He has to offer.  Third, I have to come to Him in humility, accepting His sovereignty and lordship, willing to accept the consequences of my actions and His rule in my life.  And last, and perhaps most important of all, I must long for a right relationship with Him so much that it is akin to starvation!  Hungering and thirsting for righteousness, seeking Him with my whole heart will bring satisfaction.

With that proper approach to God, coming to Him on His terms, things change.  He fills me with mercy.  Because our relationship is in the right place my heart is purified through His renewing Spirit and with clarity and insight I see Him as I should.  When I’m in that proper place my heart is burdened for the lost and I want to help others make their peace with God.  I have to!  Then there’s that whole being persecuted for doing what is right.  That part isn’t so much fun, but it does tell me that I’m where God wants me to be.

When my eyes are on my Savior I’m okay.  Too often they wander, and when they do I start to think that I’m in charge, that I reign.  In my sovereignty all of you don’t measure up.  Perhaps in your sovereignty I don’t measure up, although I can’t imagine how anyone could think that way.

Of course that is why God reminds us in Matthew 7:1-6 that we lack the ability to judge.  Don’t!  Do not judge lest you be judged!  Like me, there are those who struggle with the whole idea that we are incapable of judging.  Surely that word doesn’t mean what I think it does!

Fortunately for all of us it does.  The word judge in this instance is the Greek word KRINÕ (krinw).  When interpreting Scripture I follow three rules very carefully.  First, I give each word its normal natural meaning.  Second, I let Scripture say what it says.  Third, my interpretation must agree with all the rest of Scripture!  (Of course, if I haven’t read all the rest of Scripture I’m in trouble right from the start!)  So I looked up verses that use this word to get a sense of its normal natural meaning.

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.

John 3:17 NASB

Do not judge lest you be judged.

Matthew 7:1 NASB

Who are you to judge the servant of another?  To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Romans 14:4 NASB

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this–not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.

Romans 14:13 NASB

Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

I Corinthians 4:5 NASB

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?

James 4:12 NASB

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

Revelation 20:12 NASB

KIRNÕ (krinw) primarily means to separate, select, choose; hence, to determine, and so to judge, pronounce judgment.  If we really want to be accurate we can analyze the use of this verb in these verses as follows:

a.     To assume the office of a judge

b.     To give sentence

c.     To execute judgment upon

d.     To form an opinion (Romans 14:5)

These are all things we like to do when our eyes are focused on others instead of the Lord Jesus.  Perhaps that’s why Jesus used such a strong word picture in Matthew 7:2-6 to help us understand why we are completely unable to judge.  Here we are, worried about the little splinter in our brother’s eye when we have an entire tree in our eye!  Is it possible for us to remove it?  No!  Only God can remove it and give us clear sight.  When that happens our eyes are fixed on Him, not on each other!

Furthermore the Scripture is very clear on my condition.  I’m just never in a place where I could possibly judge another.  According to Psalm 41 and Romans 3:10-18 apart from the Lord Jesus there is within me no righteousness, no understanding, no turning toward God and His ways, and no good.  Verses 13-18 talk about the condition of my heart apart from Jesus, along with Jeremiah 17:9-10.  My heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?  The Lord is the only one who can search my heart and test my mind!  No wonder He warns me not to try to judge another!

I get it!  I’m so busy fighting this battle to keep Him on the throne of my life that I have neither the time, nor the ability to look upon another and determine anything beyond what Scripture reveals.  God’s laws are written for me so that I can know what is evil and what is good, and I’m going to be so busy applying those things to my life I can’t worry about what you are doing!

In fact, if I’m judging you, and finding you wanting, it’s a sure sign that His mercy is not evident in my life, and I’ve pushed Him off the throne again.  Therefore, for today, as long as I can remember this lesson and apply it, when I look at you I want to see all the potential of what Jesus can do through you today.  I want to encourage you to walk in His ways, live life on His terms, and accomplish wonderful things for Him.  In fact, you look pretty good right now!  May your life bless many today!