The first group commonly quotes Matthew 7 saying, “Thou shalt not judge”. The other extreme is the critical judgmental people who can never see anything right in a person or ministry. In between the two is a right balance that needs to be established.
This balance is much needed as we approach the coming days as everything will reach its fullness. Also we need to have a biblical understanding and God’s heart on what truly ‘false’ is. This will help us not to judge immature ministries prematurely but also to identify the false from the true and sound the alarm.
1. STRIKING A PROPER BALANCE:
a) Our God is love; at the same time He is righteous and holy.
This is first and foremost. Unless we have a proper revelation of these simple truths (that He is loving but at the same time righteous and holy) we will tend to be in one extreme, which is ignoring or minimizing falsehood or the other, which is criticizing everything and judging people as false who aren’t.
b) Remove the beam from your eye first.
Whenever we see something wrong in others the first person to look into should be ourselves. The question that needs to be asked is “Is it because i am wrong that my discernment about somebody else is negative or extreme”? This searching with the help of the Spirit would clear away a lot of hindrances and produce in us a proper balance as we exercise discernment.
c) Do we have God’s Love for the people we judge?
A person said it best “Jesus could rebuke the Pharisees because He died for them”.
Although we might never be able to walk in such a measure all the time. The simple question do I have love (Agape) for those who seem to be wrong? , will greatly help.
If we can turn our discernment into a time of prayer and intercession it would help bring an even greater balance.
d)The scriptures are the final authority.
Whenever you discern something ask the Spirit to help you interpret it through scripture. Discernment without scripture to refine and fine-tune will in the end always lead to error.
e) Always have the garment of humility.
f) Practical aspects to judging
1) Do not be quick to judge.
2)Research unbiased
3) Know that everybody is in the journey of life and they can change if they repent sometime later. The reason this is important is if we don’t see this we would judge a person based on past mistakes and not where they are right now. If some Christians today had seen Peter deny Jesus they would have never received from his ministry afterward, ever?
4) Know that mercy triumphs over justice.
2.UNDERSTANDING GOD’S HEART FOR THE HOUR
Moses and Aaron were supposed to represent God as holy at the waters of Meribath. They failed to do that and therefore they didn’t enter the Promised Land.
If we take the Old Testament sometimes God was angry, other times He was sad and a few times He was happy. The same relates to Jesus. One of the most significant expressions of His Holiness is found in John’s address to the churches. His eyes were like flames of Fire and His feet like brass speaking of His Holiness and judgment.
Today many have circled around God as Love and do not want the other expressions of God. Many have used that to justify their sins and sinful lifestyles. This has produced lawlessness. We need a revelation of a Holy God in the church again. Steering away; my main point was if we are not in line with God’s heart for the hour or for that particular individual or ministry, we will judge unrighteously.
3.BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF FALSE PROPHETS AND MINISTRIES
1) Matthew 7:15 to 28
In this we see Jesus definition of false prophets. They didn’t produce the right kind of fruit. Some relate signs, wonders and miracles to the fruit. That is not so. If we see verses 22,23 of the same chapter, these people performed all of that in Jesus name and yet Jesus says I do not know you. So what is the fruit in the context of that passage? Obedience and Holiness. (Verse 21 and verse 23).
In verse 23 notes that Jesus says, “I do not know you”, meaning they might have gotten to know Jesus –evidence miracles etc…but that He did not know them. The Greek word know there is used to describe a husband intimately knowing his wife. At that place of intimacy the wife gives herself totally to her husband. From that we can interpret what Jesus was basically saying; ” you did not give yourself totally to me” or surrender your life, allowing me to search you.
(verse 21 confirms this). Those who teach against sanctification by faith or do not believe in it are in danger of falling into this category, for sanctification is an absolute necessity to stay Holy before God.
2) II Corinthians 11 (esp. verse 13)
Paul comments on false apostles here. From verse 4 we can interpret that they were preaching another gospel. It had to do with taking away the simplicity (purity) in Christ.
These men loved to boast of their achievements, mostly exaggerations (verse 12) for gaining status. They used the Corinthian congregation for their own gain (verse 19, 20).
They were devoid of suffering for Christ that is why in the last passage of the same chapter; Paul brings a difference between them and him by talking on his sufferings.
3) I Timothy 6:3 to 11
Although Paul doesn’t call these men who taught such doctrines false, he is pretty hard on them. These people taught that financial gain is a means of godliness (see verse 5 to 8). Paul advises Timothy to withdraw from such people.
4) II Peter 2 and Jude
There are many characteristics of false prophets and teachers that Peter and Jude mention here, lets just highlight a few.
In 2 Peter 2:20 we see Peter saying that these men have been entangled again by the defilements of the world, which again speaks on Holiness.
Jude quotes almost everything from this passage of Peter. Added to it in verse 4. he talks on people who have turned the Grace of God into a license for sin. These are men who by their preaching of God’s grace take it to an extreme thereby lowering the standards of Holiness which encourages people to sin.
In conclusion I want to add that if we see any ministry or minister that has some or all these characteristics, let us not be quick to judge. Wisdom for these times would be, let’s judge and expose the deeds of darkness by speaking the truth. Let us not come to a final judgment on a person or a ministry for God is the ultimate searcher and discerner of the thoughts, motives and intents of the heart.
