One Lawgiver & Judge

Introduction

May wisdom be the apple of our eye. May we watch daily at its gates. Because if we hate wisdom, we love death. And we will injure ourselves. Wisdom utters truth. There is nothing crooked or perverted in wisdom. Wisdom is better than jewels. That’s from our reading of last week, this week, and the coming week. Hopefully, you’re doing reading from the Proverbs. And as we do this, may we grow in wisdom, and may we apply our hearts to wisdom for a few minutes this morning. I have one goal in this lesson. Sometimes I like to string you along for a while before I tell you what that is. Not today. Today I want you to do something for me. I want you to think just about your view of yourself.

1. Judge With Righteous Judgment

How do you see yourself? And then how do you see others? How do you assess others? We’re going to start with a passage that perhaps is somewhat neglected. Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. That’s what wisdom is speaking to us from the words from the mouth of Jesus Himself. How do we judge things? How do we assess things? Obviously, all judgment is not forbidden. That is a misunderstanding of a passage in Matthew chapter 7 and verse 1 that says, Judge not that you be not judged. We actually talked about that in the high school class this morning and reconciled the statements of Matthew 7, which go on to talk about some judging that must be done. First, you must deal with the log in your own eye, but then you should give some consideration to the speck or the moat that you see in your brother’s eye.

And you must not give what is holy to the dogs or cast your pearls before swine. So Jesus is not talking about an absence of judgment altogether. What he is suggesting is that you need to be very careful when you judge.

And make sure that you’re not overlooking something greater in yourself as you perceive the actions of others, because know this whatever standard that you use in the judgment of another, that standard will be applied to you.

In John 7, that Jesus is the one being judged when he makes this statement. In John 7 and verse 20, the multitude answered, You have a demon. Jesus, the perfect Son of God. You have a demon who seeks to kill you. Well, we’re about to find out, as they will put him to death. And it’s in this context that Jesus says, you need to be careful how you’re judging. Interestingly enough, when Nicodemus is talking to the rulers of the Jews who will consent to Jesus’ death and spearhead it. Nicodemus would say in verse 51, our law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing. Does it? Nicodemus touted righteous judgment. Our law does not condemn a man until we get to the bottom of it and get the facts and know what someone is doing.

And he’s suggesting they needed to do the same thing with Jesus, but they would not.

I mean, it’s only five minutes. I mean, something has gone haywire with you. You didn’t get sleep that night. Or you’re not, you’re not interested. I think that’s probably the common thought. Well, this person is not interested. Well, he pulled me aside not long after that and said, I’m taking medication for a back problem that it makes me sleepy. And so he explained why it is that so early on in our assembly or Bible class that he was struggling with sleep. I could have concluded this guy’s just not interested. What’s your excuse? No, I have pretty good attention this morning. Nobody’s on heavy medication causing them to slumber. But I understand sometimes people show up and they want to worship God, but they had a really rough night.

2. There Is Only One Lawgiver and Judge

They could have been up all night long. And so it could be a challenge on a particular Sunday. I must not just assume that it is a certain way. So I want to offer this observation. That some facts may even be beyond our scope of knowing. I am very limited in what I can know about others. I can observe things. I don’t have infinite knowledge as God does. So my observations are somewhat constrained. Let’s look at another passage that talks about judging. In James chapter 4, some serious words are given here. Do not speak against one another, brethren. The ESV here says, speak evil. The NIV says slander in this place. Do not speak against, do not speak evil, do not slander one another. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against the law.

Okay, so we need to be careful in our assessments of others to make sure that it coincides with truth because some serious things result. There is only one lawgiver and judge, and that’s not me. There is only one lawgiver and judge, the one, the one who is able to save and destroy. And that’s why I always say, you need to be more concerned about him than you are about me. And whatever judgments that I might have, but who are you to judge? I think the idea is made clear to inaccurately or with the wrong standard of measurement, judge your brother. But what I want you to notice about this statement is the context from which it flows. This statement flows out of a context of personal purity and humility.

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God is the concept of the previous verses. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and he will exalt you. The passage is saying. More than once humility is encouraged. And so, what is the backdrop for these statements about judging? A proper regard for ourselves. First, rivet your focus upon your own behavior. One more text. 1 Corinthians chapter 4, 1 Corinthians chapter 4. I marvel at these verses for a couple of reasons. One of the things that causes me to marvel about what Paul says here is that they’re going to fail in precisely what he’s talking about by the time 2 Corinthians is written.

3. Wait Until the Lord Comes

They are going to be judging him improperly. But Paul says here, let a man regard us in this manner. Now, Paul isn’t saying, now this is just sort of the image I would like to have, and I would like for people to look at me this way. You know, where we manufacture the kind of image that we want people to perceive us as having.

That is so positive and good. May that actually be who we are: servants and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. If you’re going to be entrusted with the care of God’s things, then you must be a trustworthy receptacle to so manage them. But then this is interesting. But to me, it is a very small thing that I should be examined by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even examine myself. Now, he’s going to tell them in the next epistle to examine themselves to see whether or not they be in the faith, right? 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 5. But his point about not even examining himself is clarified in the next verse.

I am conscious of nothing against myself. You know, as I look at myself, I don’t find grounds for accusation from a spiritual point of view. Yet, while I don’t see anything, I am not acquitted by this. Okay, pass. I get a pass. I don’t see anything in me. I get a pass. What if there’s something I’m not seeing properly? I’m not acquitted by this. And then he says, the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore, and then notice the conclusion of this: do not go on passing judgment before the time. But wait until the Lord comes. Remember the one lawgiver and judge. Wait until the Lord comes. Who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness. Things that I can’t know and you can’t know that are beyond our scope of knowing.

He’s going to throw it all open. Everything. He will bring to light the things hidden in the darkness. Go back to some passages in Ezekiel, which indicate that so. And disclose the motives of men’s hearts. Not only is he going to reveal what was done in the darkness, he knows everything about your mind and your heart. Every last one of us. And it’s all going to be thrown open. But here’s where we need to be, brethren and friends. Then each man’s praise will come to him from God. May we seek his praise in the end. My assessments of others. I must do them carefully. But I must pursue with all of my being the praise that comes from God in the end. When I have been genuine walking in the light of God.

4. The Highest Knowledge: The Mind of Christ

Not hiding things in the darkness. With a heart that’s his, completely his. Because if it is not, he will reveal otherwise. So let me talk to you for a minute this morning about knowledge. See, judging people involves being in the know, and God is completely in the know. Let me talk to you about your knowledge. I want to suggest something to you. And if I don’t, this sermon doesn’t go everywhere I want it to go, and I’m rapidly going through it actually. Would you get this? What is good knowledge? The highest knowledge you will ever develop is an understanding and a possession of the mind of Christ. That is that your affections, the things that you desire, your values, that they match his. You’re like him.

That you submit and surrender as he did to his Father, as he modeled for us. And that you, like Jesus, who was and is truth. I am the way, the truth, and the life, he said, that you might have a high regard for his truth, for holiness, and for his people. Now that’s that’s as short as I could get it. What it means to possess the mind of Christ. And you know that’s what Paul is saying. Colossians 1. We’ve not stopped praying for you. Boy, there’s something to be learned there. Let’s not stop praying for one another. We have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.

It issues from heaven itself. So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience and giving joyful things to the Father. What’s interesting about this graphic is the things that they decided to bold and make big. Continually, Spirit, every I think I would put all power in big words. The knowledge of God being strengthened with all power.

Evident in my life, in my transformation, so that I may live a life of the Lord. That’s what we’re pursuing here. That’s what we’re studying to accomplish. That you and me can live a life worth of what the Lord has done. And that comes from the wisdom we talked about at the very beginning. Notice that appears twice. Knowledge of his will. Knowledge of God. Being strengthened with all power that we may please him in every wait. No, I do like bolding that word. Because I find myself wanting to please him in the easiest of ways. In the ways that aren’t too hard for me, that don’t require me to really work to submit and surrender. May we please him in every way. Let us judge humbly, carefully, righteously, and with knowledge.

5. Knowledge Makes Arrogance, but Love Edifies

And one of the things that we see in Colossians chapter 1 and in passages like 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 18, that the accumulation of knowledge is an ongoing pursuit. You know, you don’t arise to walk in Christ, and all of a sudden you’ve got all the answers. It’s an ongoing pursuit. And the thing about knowledge is that there are tremendous benefits. We’ve already been touting knowledge and wisdom from the Proverbs this morning. Tremendous benefits to knowledge. Grow in the grace of knowledge. We saw knowledge in Colossians chapter one. But there are some dangers as well. As we regard ourselves and regard others, focus right here.

We know. Now, concerning things sacrificed to idols, you know, we understand idols aren’t real. We know that we have all knowledge. Nothing to idolatry. There’s only one God. But knowledge makes arrogance. But love edifies.

Okay, you know, you know idolatry, that there’s nothing to it. But if you use that knowledge to drive someone away from God, if you use that knowledge to elevate yourself above others, no, it’s not too helpful, is it? The goal of knowledge is not for you to exalt yourself and say, My, I’m so wonderful because of what I know. You only know because of God, who revealed his hidden wisdom. Anything that I might know and learn, it is only because of him. And what is knowledge really sending you to do? It is to care for people in the highest possible way. In our families, in our fellowship, in our communities, on our jobs. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, you know something, what do you know?

He has not yet known as he ought to know. You would think, after 35 years of preaching, that I would have all knowledge. But even if I had all knowledge and did not practice love, it’s worthless. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 to verse 2, and you know what’s amazing is? I still learn all the time. I find myself learning about the will of God. Even now. He is not yet known as he ought to know, but if anyone loves God, he is known by him. Loves God, possesses the mind of Christ, submits, surrenders, tries to please him in every respect. Let me make a few observations as we conclude about how we need to view ourselves, and then as we view others who may be practicing things of which our knowledge cannot approve.

6. How We View Others of a Different Mind

Talking to some of our members about our regard for others and other faiths. Some of you have come from other faiths to be with us. Why were you there? Why were you there? Understand that a lot of people are where they are because of strong cultural influences. They believe what they’re a part of is respectable, that it’s good. They’re good people here. And relatively compared to the vast majority of humanity, better than most. Strong cultural influences. A lot of those folks, and we talk about this all the time, are extremely sincere in what they believe. Are they a frauds? Do they just they don’t really believe? They don’t really believe Jesus is real. Sure they do. A lot of people practice what they practice sincerely. They think it’s think it’s right.

And of course, there are varying degrees of knowledge. Everybody that comes to the Lord, a lot of people, we’ve baptized some people recently with only a scant knowledge of what the Bible is telling about how to live. Grow in the grace of knowledge? I mean, there’s a progression that needs happening. And as people begin to pursue God in whatever place they might start pursuing him.

It’s a process of heart cultivation and growth. I would ask you this. Do you believe in the providence of God? Do you believe God has the power to lead honest hearts from where they are to a better, more faithful, more submissive expression of the righteousness of God? And hey, if I do perhaps know more than they do, perhaps I can be one of his conduits that he uses to teach them that they might have a better understanding. So what do I do about where other people are?

Don’t get carried away with yourself. We are what we are by the grace of God. Let us look at every person who is of a different mind, who is of a different practice? And let us examine. Do I love them as God does? What does God want for them? How should I regard them? Maintain love for souls. If I have more knowledge, then let me impart it where I have opportunity. Let me teach and encourage where I can. We’ve all talked about this before. Sometimes you plant the seeds and you don’t get a result right away. It may be years down the road before it finally starts to stick. And some of you could testify that’s been true in your life. How about this? Before getting on our high horse and just judging, maybe we should ask first, have we stopped to pray for ourselves and for them.

Again, do we believe in the power of God to rescue people or to lead them better? The paths of wisdom and righteousness. We must not, we must not compromise the life to which Jesus calls us in his word. We must maintain the holiness unto him, separating ourselves unto his purposes, and aligning ourselves with his truth always. For the one who comes to God must believe that he is, and he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek. Let us be those people. Let us encourage others to be those people. Because those are the people that come to God. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Let us be tenacious in our pursuit of that holiness and truth, a holiness without which no one, no one will see the Lord.

Conclusion

I want to say this as we come to a conclusion. I think about this a lot. As God looks down from heaven, and he will make determinations about what’s in men’s hearts. And the judgment day comes, is it is it possible that God’s mercy could cover a larger group of people than my knowledge can approve? If that’s the case, I think it’s wonderful.

Come to a knowledge of the truth.

In every nation. In every nation, he who fears God and does what is right, does what is right, is accepted us. That’s all we need to encourage people to do. What’s the text saying? What is Jesus? What is Paul instructing? What are we supposed to gain from what the New Testament is telling us about truth and salvation and how faith is supposed to operate in every nation? He who fears God and does what is right is welcome to him. How is God going to judge when everything is ended in a moment? Where are people? Where would they have been? How long have they been Christians? What do they know?

This is beyond me. There is one lawgiver and judge. I tell you what. Okay, what can I control? Why? I just better make sure I’m in that group that’s covered by the mercy of God. And I just got to tell you. 1 Corinthians 8 says, I don’t have all the answers yet. What I love about we’ve looked at Psalm 139 recently. See if there be any hurtful way in me. I mean, David, we’re talking about David here later in his life. See if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me. Lead me in the everlasting way. Search me and know my heart. That’s a prayer we need to be praying. The answers I think I have, I’m sharing. But I’m still learning. I’m still growing.

I’m excited about the fact that more people are studying for themselves. Coming from a different cultural background than me. Coming to the conclusion, hey, you know what? I think the New Testament is saying baptism is necessary for salvation. Wait a minute. They’re not members of churches of Christ. That’s not what’s on the sign outside the door. But they’re believing. I’ve got to be baptized in order to become a Christian. To have their sins forgiven. And they do that. What do you think happens? Think the Lord adds them to the number of the saved? Then what? I don’t know. I hope they’ll keep pursuing their desire for truth. Every respect. I’m happy that people are searching. Searching for answers. But I know this. The Bible warns explicitly about false teachers.

The blind following the blind and both falling into the ditch. And souls who would believe their error and be lost. Truth. Truth matters. The Lord is a righteous judge. Well, it takes a lot of pressure off me. Because on the last day, you know what the Lord’s going to do? He’s going to do what is right by every.

You know, whatever the whatever the eternal fate of my grandparents is. All four of my grandparents have gone on. Whatever their fate has been, I know that the Lord is righteous. And then I conclude with this. I love this. At all times we ought to pray and not lose heart. Jesus tells a story about the woman who wore out the judge. And he says, Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? And the conclusion of that, all authority the Son wields and has.

Faith that embraces the will of God as our Savior’s faith. Demonstration. Do you have such a faith? If the Lord were to return today, will he find faith? Can we help you to discover that saving faith? You need to respond. Let’s stand.