Why I Don't Judge You

Although my natural self often desires to point out the flaws in others, I trust God is changing me. I do have a critical mind. I tend to think things through, sometimes over-think things. I will often come to different conclusions and will naturally believe I have found a better way.

But I choose not to Judge you.  Here are a few reasons why:

I would have to judge myself

I currently believe different things than I did say 10 or 20 years ago.  I do some things now that I didn't do before, and I did things before that I don't do today.   I don't really want to judge my former self for being wrong, and I hope my former self doesn't judge my current self - although he probably would.

I am not a very good judge

Although I think I'm pretty smart, I am smart enough to know I do not have it all figured out.  At times I think the more I learn about God, the less I know with 100% certainty. If I were to judge others, I am not sure if I would be correct 80% of the time, 50% of the time, or less.

Jesus seemed to judge those who judged others

The Pharisees and experts of religious law were the rule keepers and enforcers of that day.  They frequently judged others by the rules and standards they held to.  The harshest words Jesus spoke were against these men. There may be a lesson for us here.

The Bible says do not judge

Matt 7:1-5, Rom 14:1-8, Luke 6:37-38, 1 Cor 4:4-5

Blasphemy against Holy Spirit

The way I read Mark 3:22-30, Matt 12:25-30  and Luke 11:17, it can be risky if we mistakenly judge someone who God is working through.  Click here for more on these blasphemy verses.

Jesus will Judge

I trust Jesus will do a good enough job judging. (James 5:9, Acts 10:42, 2 Corinthians 5:10, John 5:22)

What Judging can I do?

1 Corinthians 5 gives some room for some judging of others. This was an unusual situation where a believer was doing something shameful in the eyes of both the gentile world and the community, and the community of believers seemed to be proud of it.   I'm not sure if this passage should be applied when we disagree over doctrines, and I'm not sure if it should be applied whenever someone does something wrong. There may be situations where believers are in close fellowship with someone they shouldn't be with, and this may apply. But I think we need to be careful not to take this approach of judging others whenever we disagree with someone's beliefs or practices (see reasons given above).

I believe there is also a sense where we are to judge things for ourselves.  I will naturally judge a practice to be harmful or beneficial, or a belief to be right or wrong.  I may even speak (or blog) about what I believe.  I may try to teach others with the hopes that they see things the way I see them.

Is there a fine line here? 

Is it possible to believe something, and speak what you believe without judging others?

I think the fine line is humility. Recognizing along the way that we are each given the freedom to think and live as individuals, all equal under a sovereign Lord and judge above.

Playdough Scripture 1 John 4

I haven't done one of these for awhile.  I hope you find this playdough version as offensive as I do.  It does sound wrong when put together this way.   Yes God is described as both loving and as the judge.  We are commanded to do one and commanded not to do the other. Unfortunately we sometimes get confused about which one we are supposed to do.

1 John 4 (Playdough Version)

7 Dear friends, let us love judge one another, because love judging is from God, and everyone who loves judges has been fathered by God and knows God. 8 The person who does not love judge does not know God, because God is love judgemental. 9 By this the love judgements of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. 10 This is love judging: not that we have loved judged God, but that he loved judged us and sent his Son to be the mercy seat offering for our sins.

11 Dear friends, if God so loved judged us, then we also ought to love judge one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love judge one another, God resides in us, and his love judging is perfected in us.

...

16 And we have come to know and to believe the love judgemental nature that God has in us. God is love judgmental, and the one who resides in love judging others resides in God, and God resides in him. 17 By this love judging is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love judging, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love judging. 19 We love judge because he loved judged us first.

20 If anyone says “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And the commandment we have from him is this: that the one who loves God should love judge his fellow Christian too.

Two Types of Legalism

From http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scales_of_Justice_(PSF).png

"Legalism, in Christian theology, is a usually pejorative term referring to an over-emphasis on discipline of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of misguided rigour, pride, superficiality, the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God or emphasizing the letter of law at the expense of the spirit."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legalism_(theology)

I think it is worth thinking through different types of legalism that exists in various degrees in different Christian circles.

Common Conditions 

For a legalistic system to exist there needs to be a leader, or group of leaders who define the rules or laws, and enforce compliance in some way.  When people break the rules or laws of the system, some form of shame, guilt, or exclusion from the group is applied.

Legalism of Actions

Many religious systems will have a written or unwritten list of actions you must do, and others you must avoid.  Some actions increase your inclusion with the group, other actions will bring on you some level of shame, guilt, and exclusion.

Examples of external action rules can be around

• what food, beverages, or other substances to consume
• what words should be spoken, and what words should not be spoken
• where to be on certain days and where not to be on other days
• where, how, and frequency of prayer
• what to read, and what not to read
• where to give and how much money to give
• sexuality
• what clothing to wear
• music
• entertainment

Legalism of Thought

Religious systems will also have a set way of thinking. The leaders of the system will promote certain schools of thought. There will be some common beliefs that hold the group together.  Questioning these beliefs publicly will bring some level of accusations, conflict, and exclusion.

I won't try to create a list of examples for this.  The list would be too long. Different religions and their leaders have compiled enormous  lists of things they believe. Beliefs around who God is, what He has done, what our response should be, authority of certain books, authority of certain people, and what the future will hold for different sets of people.  Included in this list would also be questioning any of the action rules listed above. Publicly re-thinking any of external rules in some cases may be considered worse than simply breaking the rules.

Degrees of Legalism

I think the degrees of legalism can be measured by the severity of response by those ruling the religious system.  Throughout history there have been different responses by those in power.

When we study church history we note when religious leaders have also held enough political power, many people who publicly broke the rules of acceptable thought were publicly executed.  In other cases breaking the rules resulted in public shunning. In other cases more grace and compassion may be applied when the rules of action or though are broken.

I find it interesting to note that some of the harshest religious suppressions in history were around legalism of though more than around legalism of actions.  I think religious leaders have killed more people for differences in beliefs than they have for differences in behaviors.

Some Scripture to Consider

In Jesus' day the Pharasees, Sadducees, and other teachers of the law played a role in the legalism that Jesus frequently opposed.  The religious leaders succeeded in having Jesus killed, thinking this would be the best way to preserve their legalistic system. However we believe Jesus came out victorious.

In Mark 7:1-16 we see that some of Jesus' disciples broke the rules regarding how to wash your hands before eating.  The Pharasees and teachers of the law question Jesus about this, and Jesus goes on a lengthy rant related to their legalism.

In Mark 2:23-27 we see Jesus' disciples  picking and eating some grain on the Sabbath. This story again highlights the difference between the way of legalism and the way of Jesus.

Romans 7:6  (NET)

"But now we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code."

Galatians 4:5 (NET)

to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights.

1 Corinthians 15:56-57 (NET)

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

2 Corinthians 3:6 (NET)

who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:17 (NET)

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom.

Luke 6:37-38 (NET)

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”

(Similar in Matthew 7:1-5)

1 Corinthians 4:4-5 (NET)

For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges me is the Lord. So then, do not judge anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God.

I wanted to highlight that there are different types of legalism.  If we look at church history we see both types at play.  The degree of legalistic suppression can be viewed by the degree of authority a group of leaders has had over others, and the degree they feel responsible to be the judge and jury over those under them.

I am not suggesting that having rules is all bad. Jesus said he didn't come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Having rules in society is good. It is also good to work towards correct thinking. There is just something we see in the example of the Pharisees we want to avoid.  I think it is clear we need to be careful when we assume the role of judge or jury.  I recognize this is as much of a challenge for myself as it is for others.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Related Posts:

• Judgemental Christians
• What Creed Must I believe - Part 6
• End Of Religion

Prayer for Unity

This week is the week of prayer for Christian Unity, so here is my prayer:

Dear Father, Son and Holy Spirit in heaven, I believe in your oneness. I pray that the world will see you through your children.  May your reign and rule exist here on earth in the same way as it exists in heaven.  May your will be done.  I understand that your will is that others will know you when they see you in us.

I pray against the lies of the spirit of division.  If two of your children, who have incomplete knowledge, disagree about something, they are still brothers.  It is not up to the children to decide who belongs to your family.  You do not required perfect understanding when you adopted us into your family. I pray we can accept others with the same grace you extend to us.

I've never heard of a family where the unity is based on accepting a common creed or belief system.  I pray your family would recognize that our unity is based on your loving relationship with us.  Thank you for loving us unconditionally.

You only have one church, and it meets in many different places. Many of your children have believed the lie that there are divisions in your church.  That somehow your church is a kingdom divided against itself. From Mark 3:22-30 we see that suggesting your kingdom is divided against itself is the context of the unforgivable blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.  I trust and pray that it will be that lie that falls, and not your kingdom.

I pray that your church would recognize that it exists whenever believers gather together.  I pray that the walls and divisions that have grown over the years would not influence how we define your church.  When believers meet to build each other up to become more like you, that is your church. Your church meets at work. Your church meets in homes. Your church meets in public or private buildings, and outdoors.  Your church meets every day of the week in many different locations.  I pray that your church could open it's eyes to see itself whenever and wherever it is.

I pray that your followers would recognize that unity is essential.  Scripture seems pretty clear that your followers are to love one another and not judge one another. I pray that your followers will not ignore your desire for unity.

I pray these things for the sake of others, that the world would see your characteristics of grace, love, mercy and forgiveness through your children.  May it be in line with your will. Amen.

Some verses to consider:

Jesus' Prayer for us in John 17:20 - 26 (NIV)

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

John 13:33-35 NIV

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." 

Colossians 3:13-15 (NIV)

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Ephesians 4:2-6 (NIV)

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Romans 15:5-7 (NIV)

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

1 Cor 12:12-13 (NIV)

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

1 Cor 1:10-13 (NIV)

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?

 Luke 6:37-38 NIV

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

 1 Cor 4:4-5 NIV

“It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”

Matt 7:1-5 NIV

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. "

1 John 4:19-21

"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." 

Dogmatic Pontification

I haven't read the above book. I just stumbled upon it while considering a graphic for this post. However I'm absolutely certain it accurately addresses this topic.  I know without a shadow of a doubt Judy J. Johnson is onto something.  I know that being dogmatic about anything is absolutely wrong and very dangerous. :)

??

Unfortunately being dogmatic comes fairly natural for many of us.  (My previous paragraph included.)

according to Webster:

dogmatic: expressing personal opinions or beliefs as if they are certainly correct and cannot be doubted

I have been thinking lately about our tendency towards being dogmatic around things we believe.

I have realized something recently. I respect people that study a topic.  If you are going to voice your opinion on something it is good to study it first. My respect grows when I discover they have studied different viewpoints on the topic.  It is good to acknowledge that not everyone who has studied the topic is in agreement.

The challenging part comes next. I admire when someone is able to communicate that they see value in different perspectives on a topic, that the choice isn't necessarily crystal clear, even though they have come to rest favoring a particular position.  I am recognizing the value of approaching debatable topics with a good dose of humility.

In most situations after studying a topic, people will weigh the positions as they see them and pick a side.  This should be expected.  However when we become dogmatic about the answers we discovered, we do all we can to invalidate the fact that there were different positions to consider in the first place.  When we are dogmatic we do not allow others to study the topic freely and openly on their own.  When we acknowledge that we had to sort through some competing positions to arrive at where we currently rest, we give others permission to follow the same process we took to study the topic from different angles, in their own quest for meaningful answers.  When we avoid being dogmatic, we may even encourage them to consider our position as well.

So I have recently recognized this when listening to others. Will I be able to change and move forward applying this to how I communicate with others?  This is my challenge.  I don't know if I need to start by editing all my old blog posts, that would be a challenging activity.

Here is another angle. Since being dogmatic comes naturally for most of us, I wonder if we can consider being dogmatic about different things than we have in the past:

• What if we were dogmatic about placing the interests of others above our own?
• What if we were dogmatic about humbly counting others more significant than ourselves?
• What if we were dogmatic about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?
• What if we were dogmatic about praying for unity and recognizing it when it stands before us?

But that is just my humble thoughts for today. There may be value in being dogmatic about other things as well. :)  

Divided Kingdom Blasphemy

I am continuing my series on the secrets of the kingdom, taking a look today at Mark 3:22-30 (NIV)

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.  In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.  I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.  But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”

He said this because they were saying, “He has an evil spirit.”

(Parallel passages in d Matt 12:25 - 30  and Luke 11:17.)

This passage is not directly talking about the kingdom of God. It it talking about the other kingdom - the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom where Satan rules.

Jesus was being accused of working for Satan's kingdom.

But Jesus points out it wouldn't make sense for a member of Satan's kingdom to be at work fighting against the kingdom of darkness. Jesus was at work here casting out demons.

It is in the absurdity of this scenario that Jesus uses the strong language of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. How could someone dare attribute God's work to the work of the devil?  Who would do such a thing?

Have you ever heard a Christian judge other Christians to the degree that they are questioning which kingdom they are working for? I think this may be similar to what Jesus was talking about here. If someone is doing work for the kingdom of God, active in battle against the kingdom of darkness, it would be a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit to judge otherwise.

Do you think God's kingdom is divided?

If you find yourself opposing God's working in others... that's a dangerous place to be.

I agree it is often difficult to tell who is a member of one kingdom or the other. But in most cases it is not up to us to judge.  I suspect many of us have been guilty of judging other members of God's kingdom - of this we should repent.

God's Grace

I want to share a few thoughts on God's grace today.

I am thankful God doesn't deal fairly with me.  He gives me much more grace than I deserve.

Throughout the years I have done a lot of wrong.  My self centered actions have hurt others and myself.  Sometimes I've done selfish things on purpose, other times it just comes naturally to me. I'm sure there are even some selfish things I do that cause harm to others that I am not even aware of.

But God continues to be good to me.  He doesn't expect me to be perfect.  He simply wants me to love Him and learn to follow Him.

This understanding of God's grace gives me reason to be gracious and loving towards others.  Even others who are selfish and often wrong.

In terms of my Christian beliefs, I am recognizing God also doesn't expect us to have it all figured out.  He is gracious to believers with bad theology and un-Biblical traditions too.  As I look at church history, God has been very gracious to many believers with bad theology and practice.  I'm not sure if any group of believers has ever had it all figured out, even those in the early church.

I believe most bad theology and traditions are not intentional.  Most believers want to believe the truth and desire to follow biblical traditions.  The problem is we often start off looking to other people and follow less than perfect examples.

But God is gracious to each of us.

We need to also learn to be gracious and loving to others who are less than perfect.

I have no clue how God will sort it out. I don't know who is 'in' and who is 'out'.  But I know God has been gracious to me, and I am learning to be gracious to others.


May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

Kingdom Mercy Pay It Forward

In Matt 18:21 - 35 Jesus tells a parable of an unforgiving slave. I'm taking a look at it now as I go through verses related to the secrets of the kingdom.



Matt 18:21-23 sets the stage:

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
“I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus said to him, “but 70 times seven. For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves...

Jesus goes on to talk of a slave who owed his master a huge debt. But the master had compassion on him and forgave his debt.

The slave then goes and finds another slave who owes him a small debt, but has no compassion on him, and sends him to jail until he can pay.

Matt 18:32 - 35 give the implications of this story for us:

“Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And his master got angry and handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart.” (HCSB)

I won't claim to understand the reference to torture here. It may fit into a purgatory type framework, or maybe that is beyond the point of this parable.

But what is clear to me is that I must show mercy and forgiveness to others. If God's love and mercy is real to me, it will flow out of me to others.

Pay it forward.

Benjamin Franklin described well the pay it forward concept in 1784.

I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.

I think Jesus was saying the kingdom of heaven is like pay it forward with forgiveness and mercy.

God shows more love, mercy and forgiveness to us than we can image. In His kingdom he expects us to follow His lead and continue to pay it forward to others. We can't get away with simply loving God back, and being grateful for what He has done for us. We can't just love those who have been good to us, and forgive those who have forgiven us.

We must love those that are not easy to love, and those who have done us wrong. We must 'pay forward' by loving those who don't seem to deserve our love.

Holidays and Holy Days

"One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind." Rom 14:5 (HCSB)

The word holiday has it's roots with the words Holy Days. It's the idea that certain days are set aside because of some special religious significance.

I think the above verse is fitting for our Christian culture of today. There is a lot of religious focus around the date Dec 25th. I think most Christian's know that this date is not likely the actual date of Jesus' birth, but they want to have a special day set aside to celebrate the significance of our Lord's coming.

However there are other Christians who are concerned that a lot of what happens around Christmas comes from pagan roots, and that a lot also comes from current commercial greed.

Then I consider other Holy Days.

Much of Easter can be traced back to pagan origins.

Sunday as the day the church gathers has links to Sun worship of the pagans.

Paul in Romans 14 was talking about a debate over eating certain types of food. I think what he says has some valuable advice for us regarding holidays or Holy Days. If you struggle with this issue, please read the whole chapter. Here are two more bits:

Rom 14:10-11 (HCSB)

"But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God. Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord..."

Rom 14:22-23 (HCSB)

"Do you have a conviction? Keep it to yourself before God. The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed. But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from a conviction, and everything that is not from a conviction is sin."

I take from this chapter:

• I may not view certain days as Holy and others as not. To me every day is equally Holy.
• Other brothers and sisters see things differently, and it is not my job to judge.
• I see value in each person studying the topics, seeking God, and deciding for themselves what is right.
• But what is right for you, may not be right for me, so let's keep cool about it either way.

Related Posts:

• Sabbath vs Day of the Sun
• Why a Christmas Tree?
• How Would Jesus Celebrate Christmas
• Original Meaning of Christmas
• I'm not that kind of Christian
• Unity is Essential
• Judgemental Christians

Alan Knox's post Replay: Jesus is the Reason… for our lack of unity? got me on this topic this morning.

I'm not that kind of Christian

Alan Knox got me thinking this morning with a recent post called What Kind of Christian Are You?

Well I agree with Alan on this one. But my goal isn't to become like Alan. Sorry Alan :)

I'm not that kind of Christian.

I grew up a preacher's kid. Baptist and interdenominational.

If you have any preconceived ideas about what kind of person that creates... you may be right in some areas and wrong in others.

But please don't assume I'm that kind of Christian.

I attended Providence Bible College for 2 years before going to University. I wanted to have a firm foundation in my faith before going out into the 'secular' work force.

If you have any preconceived ideas about what kind of person that makes me ... you may be right in some areas and wrong in others.

But please don't assume I'm that kind of Christian.

Most Sunday's you will find me attending a Christian and Missionary Alliance Sunday morning service. My closest friends are part of this community of believers.

But please don't assume I'm that kind of Christian.

I have had open dialog with Christians from various denominations. I have made an effort to attend a number of different Sunday morning services: Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, United, Baptist, Mennonite, Pentecostal. I have respect and love for what I've seen in believers of all types.

But please don't assume I'm that kind of Christian.

I have been influenced recently by books by N. T. Wright, Wayne Jacobsen, Tony and Felicity Dale, Frank Viola. I have been influenced by blog writers like Alan Knox, Miguel Labrador, Jeremy Meyers, Eric Carpenter, Rachel Evans, ... (danger with starting a list like this is I will miss some - sorry).

But please don't assume I'm like all the other Emergent, Organic, Simple, liberal Christians you've heard bad things about.

My goal is not to become like these other Christians.

We often have people into our home. We pray these times are an encouragement to others in their walk to become more like Christ. I see people teaching each other stuff about their faith in God. Usually more of an informal type of teaching. Does that mean we have an house church, or a small group bible study? No.

I'm not that kind of Christian.

My theology doesn't line up well with Reformed theology. But if you conclude that I don't like to fellowship with those with Reformed theology, you are wrong. I just happen to enjoy dialoging and working through some of these topics. I don't judge people based on their theology.

I'm not that kind of Christian.

Every denomination has some traditions that to me seem to over complicate or divide Christ's church. But that doesn't mean I don't love my brothers and sisters who love their traditions.

I'm not that kind of Christian.

If you have a foul mouth, dirty mind, and like to enjoy more pleasures this world offers than I do. Please feel comfortable being yourself around me. Don't assume I am judging you.

I'm not that kind of Christian.

Please don't try to label me and judge me by my background, my theology, who influences me, or what traditions I hold or discard.

I will try not to judge you by your background, your theology, who influences you, or what traditions you hold or discard. I know I am not the judge. I see little benefit in attempting to be the judge on these matters.

I guess if you want to know who I am, you'll have to get to know me.

(But I don't expect everyone on the planet will feel the need or urge to get to know me - and that is OK.)

If you claim Christ as Lord, and our paths cross... Our task is not to judge, build walls, and divide. Our task is to build each other up to become more like Christ.

Related Posts:

• My Role with Church
• Love is Essential
• Unity is Essential
• Judgemental Christians

Kingdom like a Net

The Parable of the Net (Matt 13:47 - 50 HCSB)

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind [of fish], and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good [fish] into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous, and throw them into the blazing furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Continuing my series on the secrets of the kingdom. The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given to us (Matthew 13:11). Jesus came to share this kingdom message (Luke 4:43). So I'm examining different passages related to this kingdom message.

So here we have a large net that represents the kingdom of God.

It seems there may be good fish and bad fish in this net during the present era of the kingdom of God.

There are likely some people that appear to be part of the reign of God now, but are really citizens of another kingdom. Who or what is truly ruling other people's hearts? It is hard for us to judge.

They may be sick or diseased fish, or even dead rotten fish, but they are still in the net.

It is not the job of the good fish to get rid of the bad fish.

At the end of the ages, the angels will collect the good fish, and dispose of the bad fish. There is no value in keeping rotten fish around forever.

This parable seems parallel to the Kingdom and Weeds parable in Matt 13:24-29.

What does this parable mean to you?

Related Posts

• Kingdom of God
• Secrets of the Kingdom Summary
• Does Scripture say Hell is Eternal Punishment?
• Judgemental Christians

Kingdom and Weeds

Continuing my series on the secrets of the kingdom. The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given to us (Matthew 13:11). Jesus came to share this kingdom message (Luke 4:43). So I'm examining different passages related to this kingdom message.

The Parable of the Weeds (Matt 13:24 - 29 NIV)

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

“‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

The term for weeds here is thought to be a plant that looks very similar to wheat in its early stages. Roman Law prohibited sowing darnel among the wheat of an enemy. This is likely the imaginary Jesus was getting the crowd to visualize.

The Parable of the Weeds Explained (Matt 13:36-43 NIV)

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Some thoughts:

• This passage supports the idea that the kingdom of heaven is also a present reality. The good seed represents people in the kingdom of God, living side by side with people living in the kingdom of darkness.
• At the end of the age those who are under the reign of God will go on to live with their Father.
• At the end of the age those who are living under the reign of darkness will have an end similar to weeds burning in a furnace. Note this passage does not give support to an eternal conscious torment in Hell. Weeds burn in a fire and are destroyed forever, but they don`t burn forever. This passage sometimes gets used to support the traditional view of Hell, but it does not speak about the length of the torment. This passage on it`s own does not say how long the weeping and gnashing of teeth will last. It may be that the end result for these evil doers is death, perishing, or destruction. But yes, I am off topic. The weeds will get what they deserve... what that will exactly look like is a separate hot topic.
  
• The servants in this parable are not able to safely separate the weeds from the wheat. I think this means we are not capable of judging all who are children of God`s kingdom and those who are not. It`s likely not our task to determine who is in and who is out. If you come across Christians who try to make such conclusions beware of the danger that they will likely be wrong in many of their conclusions and much harm can be done to the kingdom.

Related Posts

• Kingdom of God
• Does Scripture say Hell is Eternal Punishment?
• Judgemental Christians

I shall never be a heritic

"I shall never be a heretic; I may err in dispute, but I do not wish to decide anything finally; on the other hand, I am not bound by the opinions of men." - Martin Luther

ditto

Related Post:

• Am I a heretic?

Burn those weeds

Oh no... there are some weeds in the church. We can't have that. We must get rid of them quickly. Those of us who are righteous can't be seen worshiping with those who are doing wrong or thinking wrong.

Isn't there a verse about weeds mixed with wheat?

Matthew 13:24-30 (NIV)

The Parable of the Weeds
Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

" 'An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

" 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

Oh... wait...

So it's not our job to get rid of the weeds? Jesus wants us to leave that task for Him?

Is it possible that some wheat is harmed when we try to get rid of the weeds ourselves? I think that is what the parable suggests.

(Thanks Al for this reminder.)

Related Posts:

• Judgmental Christians
• Playdough Scripture Matt 7:1
• Don't be judgmental Jon

Am I a Heretic?

"Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion. The founder or leader of a heretical movement is called a heresiarch, while individuals who espouse heresy are known as heretics. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heresy

If this is how we define heresy, I suppose Jesus was a heretic. He brought controversial change to the religious system of beliefs of his day.

All the reformers like Martin Luther, and William Tyndale were considered heretics in their days.

And for everyone who believes they hold to true orthodoxy there will be others who hold to a different system of beliefs calling them heretics.

So I guess we are all heretics according to someone.

However, I pray I can avoid being burned at the stake (both figuratively in terms of ruined relationships and harm done to Christ's Church - and literally of course). But I can't help think being a heretic may not be such a bad thing. If you think of history, we've all benefited from the efforts of other great heretics.

So go ahead and call me a heretic if you want, but ...

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. "(Matt 7:1-5 NIV)

"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."(Rom 14:1-8)

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:37-38 NIV)

“It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” (1 Cor 4:4-5 NIV)

80% Muslim

I just thought I'd do some research to explore what common ground I share with Muslims, so the next time I chat with a Muslim I have a better idea of what they believe.

Literally, the word Muslim means "one who submits (to God)".

Check - I have the same desire. In this sense I could call myself Muslim.

They believe God has sent many prophets all over the world. These are their top 5 prophets:

1. Nuh (Noah)
2. Ibrahim (Abraham)
3. Musa (Moses)
4. Isa (Jesus)
5. Muhammad

I'll score myself a 3.5/5 on this one

Most Muslims believe that Jesus ascended into heaven, but not the death and resurrection part.

I'll score myself a 1/3 on this one

Muslim 6 articles of faith:

• One God
• Angels - messengers of God
• Prophets (already mentioned above)
  
• Scriptures - They are the Suhuf Ibrahim (commonly the Scrolls of Abraham), the Taurat (Torah), the Zabur (commonly the Psalms), the Injil (commonly the Gospel), and the Qur'an.
  
• The Day of Judgment and the Akhirah or afterlife
• Predestination- "Allah has knowledge of everything in his creation. Nothing occurs except by his will. Human beings are given free will, and it must be made clear that destiny does not have a cause-and-effect influence of the choices humans make. The choices that humans make are all within Allah's knowledge."

I have a slightly different Scriptures and Prophets list. I'm not Calvinist, but I'm good with this description of Predestination. I'd give myself a 5/6 on this one.

Virgin Birth of Jesus

Check

"Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."

Check

Once they reach puberty, his/her account of deeds is opened in Paradise. To attain paradise, at death, their good deeds (helping others, testifying to the truth of God, leading a virtuous life)... must outweigh their evil deeds.

Nope

"There is no other god beside God." (Qur'an 47:19)

Check

"My Lord, make this a peaceful land, and protect me and my children from worshiping idols." (Qur'an 14:35)

Check

"And make not Allah's (name) an excuse in your oaths against doing good, or acting rightly, or making peace between persons; for Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth all things." (Qur'an 2:224)
Check

"O you who believe, when the Congregational Prayer (Salat Al-Jumu`ah) is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of GOD, and drop all business." (Qur'an 62:9)

(most of us don't keep the Saturday Sabbath either - I'll ask for an exemption on this point)

"....and your parents shall be honoured. As long as one or both of them live, you shall never (even) say to them, "Uff" (the slightest gesture of annoyance), nor shall you shout at them; you shall treat them amicably." (Qur'an 17:23)
Check

"....anyone who murders any person who had not committed murder or horrendous crimes, it shall be as if he murdered all the people." (Qur'an 5:32)

Check

"You shall not commit adultery; it is a gross sin, and an evil behaviour." (Qur'an 17:32)

Check

"They shall not steal." (Al-Mumtahanah 60: 12)

Check

"Do not withhold any testimony by concealing what you had witnessed. Anyone who withholds a testimony is sinful at heart." (Qur'an 2:283)
Check

"And do not covet what we bestowed upon any other people. Such are temporary ornaments of this life, whereby we put them to the test. What your Lord provides for you is far better, and everlasting."

Check

OK, my belief system is different than most Muslim's on some key points, but very similar on other key points. A quick tally says I'm in agreement with 80% of these beliefs. I know this is a brief overview, but this percentage may be close. I imagine most conservative Christians share more ethical positions with Muslims than they do with our secular culture.

I've also recently discovered I am not 100% Protestant or Catholic either... I wonder what percent of shared beliefs is required to qualify.

Oh well... I found this quick study informative... if anyone is reading I hope you find some value in recognizing some shared beliefs as well. And may we encourage those we meet to seek God to direct us all to understand whatever percent of truth He wants us to understand.


Sources:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/comp_isl_chr.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam

Story of Compassion

"God's message is very simple, he has created us and put us in different places of the world, with different thoughts. Not so we can judge each other, but so we recognize those differences and learn to love."

I Don't Mind If You Think I'm Nuts

Just for the record... I'm OK if you think I'm nuts. If you don't agree with what I blog about, that's OK with me. A year ago I would have disagreed with half of my blog. Five years ago I would have disagreed with all of it.

But I don't judge the Jon of 5 years ago. He was basically the same person that I am today. I know I was seeking to love and follow Jesus. He was just at a different point on the journey.

So I don't judge you when your interpretations of Scripture are different than how I'm reading things these days. I may blog about those issues, to sort it out in my mind, and highlight beliefs that seem to be off track. But I'm not judging the matters of the heart - that task is God's. I may be recording my observations, but I'm not writing any final evaluation.

If I'm purposefully ignoring things clear in Scripture, please gently enlighten me with Scripture that I've misread or overlooked.

I'll try to extend the same grace to those who hold to beliefs I don't see in Scripture.

But yeah, go a head and think I'm nuts... I totally understand. The Jon of 5 years ago would be right there with you.

Slow down Jon

Slow down Jon, what's the rush... do you need to figure everything out right now? Do you need to question everything?

No.

So I may slow down on this blog for awhile. I thank God for giving me some peace on some matters recently... and it would likely be best if some of them were applied to my life before I go much further.

During recent months I've discovered that I question a number of things:

• Do Christians 'go to' church... isn't that how we show we are Christians?
• Do protestant evangelicals have the best doctrine/thinking - and is having the best doctrine/thinking of utmost importance?
• Is it OK to judge others who are obviously wrong because they disagree with me on a few things?
• Calvinism?
• Does the good news message emphasize God punishing people in Hell for ever and ever?
• Does the good news message emphasize God punishing Jesus instead of me, Penal Substitutionary Atonement?
  
• Does the Bible give clear answers on all issues, should it be use it like a magic 8 ball?
• Does 'Romans Road' best describe the gospel message?
  

Ok, so there's a few questions I've grappled with. But what positive things have I learned:

• God loves everyone and desires a restored relationship with all of us
• To follow Christ means to live in His love, and be His love to everyone
• I need to love and respect everyone, including those who don't agree with me (which is actually a relief - otherwise I'd be a lone duck)
• I see the good news message going something like this... Jesus came and died so I can live under His authority instead of being in bondage to sin. In some mysterious way Jesus took my sin to the cross. My sin is dead. His love is alive in me.
• The Holy Spirit is trustworthy, and can be relied upon to lead and guide us.
  

So now I need to practice living this way. There are people and situations out there that I need to learn to respond to in Christ's love. I can't learn it all in blogger-land. More learning needs to happen in real life.

So my passion for blogger-land is fading for now... I may not have any new thoughts to share for awhile...

...But who knows... I have no idea what lies around the next curve of this journey I'm on...

Playdough Scripture Rom 14:1-8

"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on ancient disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant on such ancient disputable matters? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

But feel free to judge on current disputable matters like:

• praying to the saints
• too much emphasis on works
• too much emphasis on faith
  
• the role of women in ministry
• drinking
• dancing
• reading books like 'The Shack'
• stay at home dads
• which denomination is best
• infant baptism
• salvation
• or on anything you think is an essential truth

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

But feel free to make a huge list of doctrines that you feel are essential to the faith. And if anyone questions any of those, feel free to judge and exclude them."

Rom 14:1-8 (Playdough Version)

Playdough Scripture is great! You can squish and reshape it to fit into any box! Try it yourself! Fun for the whole family of God. :)