God Spoke to Me Directly about Judging!
Excerpt from my booklet, But Lord, I don't Believe in Prophets!
Revised and changed for the purpose of this subject.
I would not be writing about the subject of judging if God had not spoken directly to me about it. It is something that men don't really understand. Especially with respect to God's word and the knowledge of the positions God sets in the church. The five-fold offices are functions in the church. God had to make me understand that what He showed me was His judgement and not mine in order for me to function in the office of a prophet. If you read about the prophets you will see that God's true prophets were not blind nor ignorant of their situations. They were fully aware of them because of God's counseling.
Jeremiah 23:18
For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word and heard it?
God is talking about standing in His counsel, which is the key element required to make sound judgements and be successful. It's the best way to get understanding. The more you stand in God's counsel the more you learn of God's ways and thoughts. You are then more able to make judgements based on God's will, not man's. I stood in God's counsel when He took me to heaven and the Lord's counsel on judging is what I'm sharing here. Yes, as Christians we are to make judgements, but we should be aware of how, and on what, we base our judgement.
Jesus said,
John 7:24
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement.
Jesus also said,
Matthew 7: 1,2
Judge not that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Put these two together and you can see that Jesus is saying to judge a righteous judgement but do not judge from the appearance because the way you judge is the way you will be judged. We should be careful in our judgements. The truth is we make judgements all the time, not really realizing it. We should be aware of this:
Jeremiah 9:23,24
Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he that understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
God is saying anyone who really understands and knows, realizes this fact, "That it is God who exercises loving kindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth." We as Christians are supposed to do the same, but we must remember it is God and only God who is able to do this perfectly. It is God who reveals true loving kindness for a situation. It is God who reveals the truth and is the perfect and true judge in a situation. Actually, without His input we just don't know the pure truth. God says we are not to glory in our own wisdom. Boy, does man do that! So here I share what The Lord said to me about judging. It should broaden your understanding.
The event started in a committee meeting whose purpose was to choose or recommend a new pastor to the congregation. There were a few of us in the meeting who wanted to make sure we were getting a Bible-believing pastor. I don't remember the exact words, but there was something said that triggered me to suggest that maybe there were some people in our congregation who were not saved. After all, the Lord had shown me that my wife wasn't. Immediately I was accused of judging! I sort of slid down in my seat, thinking they were right, and asked the Lord to forgive me for judging. As you might guess I was quiet the rest of the meeting.
The next morning I was doing my chores and talking to the Lord. I was genuinely concerned about the outcome of the meeting and whether we were getting the right pastor. I had already accepted the fact that I had judged other people. But there was something stirring me about the meeting that wouldn't let go.
Suddenly I stopped, stood still, and asked the Lord about the meeting. I asked if there was something said that shouldn't have been said, or was there something not said that should have been said. Here is the Lord's answer.
If a man receives by the spirit of God, a word of knowledge and a word of wisdom, and it is revealed that there is a problem with another person, is that the judgement of the man or the judgement of God?
God had been dealing with me about Ezekiel and so my thoughts were this,"When Ezekiel spoke judgements to the people it wasn't his judgement but God's judgement through him." I understood this fact. The Lord knew my thoughts, He went on.
If this same man starts to see the same problem in those around him, is that the judgement of the man or the judgement of God?
The answer was obvious and a little later I asked the Lord, "Then, what is judging?"
His answer,
If a judge sitting on a bench does not have all the evidence and makes a judgement, he has "judged." If a judge sitting on a bench has all of the evidence and makes a judgement, he has made a sound decision and not a judgement.
What the Lord had told me made perfect sense and was simple. If you have all of the evidence you are not judging but making sound decisions. To have all the evidence we need God's input. This is a truth! When we have God's evidence we are not judging but making sound decisions based on His judgement. When God shows something to a prophet it is not the prophet's judgement, it's God's.
God is the "Supreme Judge." He knows everything, even the thoughts and intents of the heart. He reveals of the truth. So if we glory, let us glory in Him and in the fact of what He said ...I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23,24
Returning to my situation at the church meeting, I came to understand that I wasn't judging the people, but the situation. God had previously given me His evidence, and therefore His judgement of the situation. I was not judging when I suggested that others might be in the same position as my wife, because the evidence was already there. Actually, those who accused me were judging according to appearance, not according to any legal evidence. They didn't have all the facts because they didn't have God's input on the matter, nor did they know all the scripture on the subject.
This experience has broadened my understanding of judging. It also made me aware of the fact that one must gather all the evidence and all the scriptures on a subject to begin to see the true picture. After the Lord showed me the mechanics of salvation I understood how any scripture pertaining to salvation fit into the true picture, without contradictions. To make a righteous judgement one must have and use all the evidence or get the answer directly from God. Not having all of the evidence produces a judgement. What God reveals in the judgement is always a righteous judgement, whether we understand it or not. That is why the church needs the functions of an apostle and a prophet. These two offices, or functions, produce the understanding of God's judgement. Mercy comes after a judgement, not before.
The Secret Place