Oftentimes we will hear and see people say "Only God Can Judge Me" in the forms of memes, tweets, Facebook statuses, and straight from the mouth! I've also seen many well known ministry leaders invalidate this statement and tell people that they're using it as an excuse to keep sinning. Today I want to look at this statement from a different point of view that I think will be helpful in understanding why this phrase is so popular.
First, I'd like to say that I agree with most ministry leaders who debunk the myth that ONLY God can judge people. We as Christians actually ARE called to make judgments about people and really we have to make judgments about people all of the time. For example, you're at a mutual friend's house when you meet someone that is interested in "hanging out" with you. You exchange numbers with this person, but they never text you first, refuse to stay on the phone for more than a few minutes, and are yet to ask you on a date after a couple of months of talking. However, this person will text you late a night and ask you to come over to their house. What would you determine about this person's character from their actions? I'll leave that to you to ponder, but I think you catch my drift. Let's take it directly to our handbook (the Bible) and see what God says about judgment in Matthew 7:4-5
"Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. "
From this scripture we learn that we are first to judge and reflect upon our own character, heart, and mind before we can approach someone else about theirs. Even then, we must approach them as God leads us and in His love. So WHY in the world is it that people get so offended when ministry leaders such as Heather Lindsey tell them that they shouldn't be having sex outside of marriage? Or that women should not be giving or accepting Valentine's day gifts from men who they're not married to (or at least seriously courting in my opinion)? We know what Heather Lindsey herself has been through with men and we know that she doesn't sugarcoat the truth that God has called her to preach to women across the world, yet many women still get offended by her words ( she's just one example but this happens all of the time). The simple answer is that many people who read her words are feeling condemned. They feel condemned because as the Holy Spirit tries to lead them to the truth, satan comes right behind Him and tries to drive a wedge between them and that truth. And why wouldn't he? The Bible says that you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you FREE (John 8:32)! Satan doesn't want you to be free from him! It's extremely important to know that condemnation is not of God or from God as He has clearly stated in His word that "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Those people who are believers are FREE from condemnation, but it doesn't mean that satan won't try to still attack them with it. Condemnation is a tool often used be satan to separate you from the love of God and to keep you from repenting. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you have unlimited access to God's love, but satan does his best to keep you from knowing that. Check out the definition of condemnation below:
satan is the one who gets into your mind and tells you to feel guilty, or tells you that you're going to hell for sleeping with your boyfriend last night, or that you're not good enough. God calls us by our names and He knows WHO we are and WHAT our purpose is. Do you really think He wants to use someone for His glory while simultaneously calling them a slut, murderer, a good for nothing, etc.? Absolutely not! Those are the lies of the enemy. When Christ died for our sins on the cross and we decided to accept Him as our Lord and Savior, our identity changed; it is now in Him and God loves us with the same love that He has for His Son. The Holy Spirit comforts us and satan does his best to throw us into misery and confusion. Whenever you experience condemnation you must remember who you are: A child of God, made new in Christ, the righteousness of Christ, part of a Royal priesthood, etc. Fight those attacks with scripture that tells you who you are in Christ. So people who feel condemned often times become hostile because they feel attacked. The truth is, they are under attack but their adversary is not who they think it is. A person who does not know God or maybe is in a season of distraction may not be aware or remember that it is satan who condemns and not God. So if Satan condemns then where is God in all of this?
God uses the Holy Spirit to convict us. Check out the definition of conviction below:
When the Holy Spirit CONVICTS you, that means you have experienced a change of heart and mind. You recognize that the sin you're committing is truly not good for you and others that it may be affecting. Conviction pushes you towards God, towards repentance, and AWAY from that particular sin. I believe the conviction comes with a sense of peace and freedom rather than the guilt that condemnation brings. Please keep in mind that if you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, then the Holy Spirit is not able to convict you of your sins. Even if you do know God, satan will still try to overwhelm you with condemnation if you do not know who you are. This is what a lot of people experience when God is trying to give them the TRUTH because satan does not want them to know the truth and truly change because of it.
Have empathy with people who feel as though they're being judged and let your words be kind, gentle, and few. Pray for them and cover them because they're under attack by the enemy. God will lead you on how to help them, even if it's simply just keeping them in your prayers. God is gentle, but He does not sugarcoat things. These ministry leaders out here who are preaching the truth sometimes can come off as harsh, but they're human too and have our best interest in mind. Keep them in your prayers as well! I'm including a link about discerning condemnation from conviction that I hope will you going forward!
http://marriagemissions.com/discerning-the-difference-between-the-conviction-of-the-holy-spirit-and-condemnation-of-the-enemy/
True Love
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