In
my various writings and public speaking, I have urged the born-again
church to resist the trends of self-righteous anger and bitter cynicism
that exist in our world. Instead, let us seek to possess the "higher . .
. thoughts" of Christ (Isa. 55:9).
In
truth, our calling is to serve God as ambassadors of Christ (Eph.
6:20). A true ambassador is not only pledged to represent his or her
leader; the ambassador is one who knows what that ruler actually thinks
and what he would say. He receives regular communication with that
leader and is current on his leader's short-term and long-term goals.
Should the ambassador be ignorant of the ruler's view, he is trained to
not offer his own opinions; he is to wait until he hears from the one he
represents. The world doesn't want to know what we think. There are
some seven billion opinions in the world today; what the nations need is
not to hear our opinion, but to hear the One we represent: our King,
Jesus Christ.
I
have also endeavored to put a roadblock in front of false discernment.
We must avoid the self-righteous, religious approach of the Pharisees.
When I urge people to not be judgmental, I am not saying don't discern.
Spiritual discernment is an art form, while judging by outer appearance
is an instinct of the flesh. I am saying we must learn how to wait,
listen and, in meekness, discern the higher way of Christ.
Judgment That Is Righteous
Yet inevitably there are still questions. What about the Lord's admonition calling us to "not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24)? What is righteous judgment?
Yet inevitably there are still questions. What about the Lord's admonition calling us to "not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24)? What is righteous judgment?
In discussing this with others, I've noticed that the words righteous and judgment
seem to be all that some see in the verse. However, the first part of
the verse explains, at least partially, the second half: righteous
judgment is that which is "not . . . according to appearance." Righteous
judgment comes from another source, that which is higher than the
instincts of the flesh.
You
see, there is a difference between discerning a need that you are
determined to pray for and, in contrast, simply finding fault which
often degrades into gossip and slander. God does not call a person into a
"ministry of judging others" just because one has always been fearless
to "tell it as it is." Faultfinding is not a gift of the Spirit.
If
your judgment is truly from God, it will not be an isolated gift. You
will also have humility from God, love, and lowliness of mind as well.
Righteous judgment proves itself genuine by the virtues that support and present it.
All
the virtues of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, gentleness, etc. --
should be functionally evident in your character. If so, you will have
been known to be gentle, loving, lowly of mind and wise. When you bring a
righteous judgment, your character affirms that your judgment is not an
emotional reaction, but you come as one sent from God - like Christ,
you are typically full of grace and truth. You speak as an individual
who is seriously concerned with bettering the life of others.
As John wrote,
"By
this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the
day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world" (1 John
4:17).
Yes,
the day of judgment is coming. Our goal should be that "love is
perfected with us." In the seasons of judgment, we are called to a life
of perfect love, for "as He is, so also are we in this world."
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The preceding excerpt is adapted from the book Spiritual Discernment and the Mind of Christ by Pastor Frangipane. This book and other resources available at www.arrowbookstore.com.
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