Grace to you & peace from God our Father & the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Judge Not” is July 14th’s evening entry from Dr. David Jeremiah’s ‘Walking with God: 365 Daily Devotions’.
"Let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way." Romans 14:13
There is a fine line that separates an opinion from a judgment, and it’s a line we must not cross. We can have opinions about the styles of music we listen to or our favorite foods to eat, but when we begin to judge others about their tastes, we can wound another brother or sister in Christ.
The early church in Rome had fallen prey to passing judgment on members with regard to food–a nonessential matter in the Christian faith. And Paul told them to stop. As Paul writes in Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”.
Christians are free to form different views about matters of faith and practice that are not fundamental to Christian orthodoxy–such as diet, as in the case of the church in Rome. When we judge one another, our unity in Christ is disrupted. Yes, there will be judgment–but it will be by the Word of Christ, not the word of man. In Romans 14:10, it is written, “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;”
If you have been judged by others, wait patiently for Christ to put things right. If you have judged others, seek to be forgiven.
To end, a quote from Augustine, “In essentials, unity; in non-essent liberty; in all things, charity.”
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
