WEBVTT
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Well, here we go with episode two of Unchained Table.
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We will look into the Word of God to bring to the table topics that to some may seem controversial in order to raise the awareness of truth.
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Truth that sometimes divides, but it shouldn't be ignored either.
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Because facing our differences in the light of truth will bring true biblical growth.
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My name is Jim Bell, and I am the host of Unchained Table.
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So you might be saying to yourself, who is this guy?
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So I'm going to tell you a little bit about myself.
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I was I am an ordained minister.
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I've been ordained since 1981.
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I'm ordained with the Association of International Gospel Assemblies.
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I'm 73 years old.
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I live in Greenfield, Indiana with my wife of 48 years.
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I'm currently pastoring a group of senior adults at the Caring Place Indianapolis, where Dr.
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John Susa, who happens to be my son-in-law, is the pastor.
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And my daughter Rebecca serves alongside of him, supporting all areas of the church.
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I have a son whose name is Jamie Bell, and he is the pastor of Hope Chapel downtown in Kansas City, Missouri.
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I've walked with Jesus for almost 49 years, and I do my best to listen to the Holy Spirit teach me all things, like it says in John 14, 26, but the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance whatsoever I've said unto you.
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So basically, I'm just an ordinary guy who spent a lot of time with Jesus over the last forty-nine years, who has a simple burden.
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Now you might say, What is that burden?
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Well in Second Corinthians chapter eleven, verses two and three, it says this, for I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste version to Christ.
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But I fear, least somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
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That's what the Apostle Paul said to the church at Corinth, and that's what motivates me.
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There are so many voices today that have made the gospel of Jesus Christ and his church so complicated.
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The enemy is using it to corrupt the minds of people from the simplicity that is in Christ.
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Let me ask you a question.
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How many times have you been sincerely trying to help someone and the first thing that you hear from them is Don't you judge me?
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Don't you judge me?
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Seems like everyone, sinner and a saint alike, have this scripture memorized.
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Matthew seven one, judge not that you be not judged.
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Or they probably only have part of it memorized and they don't even know where it's come from.
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They just know it says somewhere in the Bible, judge not.
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And so they tell you, don't you judge me.
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Well, in this portion of scripture we want to look at today and both sides of this thing concerning judging, Jesus wasn't issuing a blanket rule that people are never to judge others.
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My goodness, if I if I walk through this life and never formulated any kind of judgment about someone, how do I begin to know them?
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How do I ask questions about them?
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How can I protect myself from someone who's evil?
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How can I minister to someone who needs Christ?
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So a closer look at the rest of this passage brings to light the real issue Christ wanted to address.
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So in that chapter seven of Matthew, let's look at verses two through five.
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He says this, for the judgment you pronounce, for with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged.
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And with the measure you use it, it will be measured back to you.
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Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that's in your own eye?
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Or how can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your own out of your eye when there's a log in your own eye?
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He was speaking this to the Pharisees, and he saw much hypocrisy in the ways that they minister to the people.
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And he says to them, You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will clearly see how to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
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Do you do you see the instruction in that?
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You see, in verse five he says this.
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So he says this first take the log out of your own eye.
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These are instructions in how to judge.
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First, examine your life and make sure that you're good in that area, that you've got victory in Christ in that area.
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Then you'll see clearly how to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
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He was teaching that the standard with which you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
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Remember the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8, verses 1 through eleven?
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I will paraphrase, if you don't remember the story.
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The Pharisees, these hypocrites Jesus is speaking to, were always trying to entrap him.
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And so there was a woman who was caught in adultery, and they brought her out into public, and they they threw her at Jesus' feet.
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And they said, What are you going to do with this woman who's caught in adultery?
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The law demands that we judge this woman, that we execute her, that we cause her to be stoned to death.
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What are you going to do with her, Jesus?
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Jesus begins to write in the dirt.
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And he said, Let him who's without sin cast the first stone.
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And one by one, they begin to drop their stones and leave until there was no one left.
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And he says to the woman, Well, where are your accusers?
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She says, There are none.
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He says, Well, neither do I accuse you.
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But go and sin no more.
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That's the hang up right there.
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Go and sin no more.
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You see, there's a constant thread throughout all of the gospel that Jesus was trying to teach.
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There's a con constant thread throughout all the epistles that the apostles were trying to teach.
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And it's this no one is good.
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Not one.
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None of us can measure up.
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Without Jesus and the sacrifice that He made for us, we will all die in our sins.
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It's impossible for us to walk free from sin without Christ.
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But with Christ, He purges us from all of our sin.
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He clothes us in righteousness.
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He fills us with His Spirit and enables us to walk free in Him.
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Wow, what a deal.
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In 1 Corinthians 2 15, concerning this subject of judgment, it says this But he who is spiritual judges all things.
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Yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
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So again, we are called to make judgments.
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We're called to discern.
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So we want to explore this word judge.
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We want to know what it what it means and understand it so that we can know when to judge and how to judge.
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Because we're called to make judgments.
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This word clearly tells us that.
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He who is spiritual judges all things.
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The word judges here in the Greek is anakrino.
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It's made up of two words, anna and krino.
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Anna means upward, amidst, among, between.
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It denotes motion from a lower place to a higher one.
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Boy, I like that part of the word.
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The wisdom of God has brought me from a lower place to a higher one.
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And as I minister to people, that's the same thing I want for them.
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I want to help them go from a lower place to a higher one.
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So my judgments are to help people go from a lower place to a higher one.
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And as I do that, crino means to separate, to come to a choice by decision or judgment.
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Making a judgment either positive, which is a verdict in favor of what they're doing, or negative, which rejects or condemns.
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So I am to make judgments, to help people go from a lower place to a higher one, to help them make the right decision, to help them make a decision for Christ, to make them help them make a positive decision, as I discerned that maybe they're making a negative choice in their life.
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So Jesus' statement to judge not lest you be judged zeroed in on the problems of spiritual hypocrisy and self-centered pride that he saw in the Pharisees.
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Teaching us the Word of God wants us to discern sin in others so we can help them get rid of it.
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The purpose of judging someone else's weakness is to help him or her walk in freedom.
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So you see, basically, there's two kinds of judgment.
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One is eternal judgment.
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We're not qualified to make eternal judgments.
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That's God's job.
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He stands in judgment over all mankind.
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He's the one who sits on the throne.
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He's the one who judges us, he's the one who writes our names in the Lamb's book of life.
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He's the one who sees who rejects him and who accepts him.
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He's the one who makes those eternal judgments.
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I can't make those.
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The other kind of judgment is temporal.
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And we all make those judgments all the time.
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It's as simple as that.
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There's a choice to be made.
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Am I going to do the right thing or am I going to do the wrong thing?
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Am I going to listen or am I going to am I going to reject wisdom that's being given to me?
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Am I going to accept Christ?
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Am I going to reject Christ?
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So we want to explore how to make these temporal judgments properly.
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We see the divide again in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 12 and 13.
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In verse 12, it says, It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders.
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So what is my responsibility then?
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But it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.
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So verse 12 says, It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders.
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That's God's job.
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But it certainly is my responsibility to judge those inside the church who are in sin.
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Verse 13 says this.
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But as the scriptures say, you must remove the evil person from among you.
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That's a quote from Deuteronomy chapter 17, verse 7.
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How do we use the law properly?
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We don't want to use the law in legalism to condemn people.
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We want to speak the law and see the law and use the law because the law defines sin.
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And it by itself will judge those on the outside and inside the church.
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We want to see it as a standard of the fruit that we should bear, and walk in it as the Holy Spirit leads us.
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So in John chapter 16, verses 8 through 11, it says this, verse 8, and when he comes, speaking of the Holy Spirit, he will convict the world of sin and of God righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
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You see, the Holy Spirit is the one who comes and judges the world of sin, all of the outsiders, all of the unbelievers, all of the world and its sin.
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He judges them in righteousness and unrighteousness.
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He judges them concerning the coming events when he comes again.
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Verse 9 says, The world's sin, this defines sin in its simplest form.
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The world's sin is that it refuses to believe in me.
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See, we can list a whole bunch of sins.
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What does the law say is it defines sin?
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But Jesus satisfied sin and fulfilled all of the law for us.
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And so now sin is simply this refusing to believe in Jesus.
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Righteousness is available, Jesus said, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.
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Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
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So what is it that we're supposed to do?
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God's job to judge the outsiders, God's job to judge the unbelievers.
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What is our job?
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How do we handle ourselves toward outsiders?
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Well, in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17 through 21, it gives us a clear outline of what our job is.
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This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
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The old life is gone, a new life has begun.
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And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ.
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And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
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For God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, no longer counting people's sins against them.
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That's what the work of the cross did.
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And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
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So we are Christ's ambassadors.
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God is making his appeal through us.
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We speak for Christ.
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When we plead, come back to God.
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For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we might be right with God through Christ.
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That's our message.
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That's what we're to do.
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That's how we are to handle outsiders.
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Simple enough.
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Take the gospel to them and let them know what Jesus did, that they might receive Christ and be gloriously saved and be part of the kingdom.
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This is our ministry to the world.
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Those who are unbelievers outside of the kingdom.
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So what about the other part of 1 Corinthians 5, verses 12 and 13 concerning judgments inside the church?
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Remind you again, verse 12 it says, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.
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So if somebody inside the church, when I'm trying to help them, tells me, Don't you judge me.
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This word tells me to judge them that are inside the church, make proper judgments, and help people walk in the freedom that Christ has given them.
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But there is an incorrect way to make judgments.
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As we do what it says in verse 13, and remove the evil person from among us.
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It's clear that we are to make correct judgments inside the church.
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Again, the standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
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Why worry about the speck in your friend's eye or your brother's eye, your sister's eye, when you have a log in your own?
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A faithful servant of God will see himself as accurately as he sees others.
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He will recognize his own sinfulness and need for God's mercy, a need he shares with his brothers and sisters in Christ.
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We will have no reason to consider ourselves better than others if we just allow Paul's teaching in Philippians 2.3 to happen in our lives.
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He said this do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
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Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.
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So listen, I come to someone who I see, I've discerned that they're walking in sin.
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And I come to them valuing them above myself, knowing that I need God's mercy.
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I needed God's grace.
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And that's the only way I can walk is by grace through faith, in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
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And I see their great need for that grace and mercy.
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I want to help them come before the throne of grace and obtain mercy and find grace to help in this time of need that they have.
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They're struggling.
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So I value them above myself as I come to them to speak truth.
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You see, it's our pride that makes us criticize and judge others so that we feel better about ourselves.
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If we're struggling about something, but but we're we think we're doing pretty good and they're doing worse, well, let me let me point out their sins so I'll feel better about myself because I'm doing better than they are.
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That's pride.
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We're not supposed to criticize and judge each other.
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James in chapter 4, verse 11 and 12 said this.
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James warned believers, don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.
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If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law.
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But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.
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You see, that's poor judgment if you think you're above the law.
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God alone, who gave the law, is the judge.
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In other words, we can't execute the law.
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That's God's job.
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We're just supposed to present it so that people can make correct judgments of what sin is and what sin isn't.
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It defines that sin.
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God alone has the power to save us or destroy us.
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So what right do we have to judge our neighbor?
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So we look at that and say, well, I'm not supposed to judge, but then scripture tells me to judge.
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Oh man, I'm confused.
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I don't know what to do.
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Am I not supposed to judge or am I not supposed to judge?
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Listen, we're supposed to judge in righteousness, we're supposed to judge in grace, we're supposed to judge in freedom, we're supposed to judge in such a way that we present the truth to someone and help them make a decision.
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If it's outsiders, they see the gospel of Jesus Christ and they receive Christ as their Savior.
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If it's inside the church, then they see the truth and they repent of their sin and they walk in the freedom that is in Christ, that they have through the blood of Jesus by grace through faith.
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You see, the kind of judgment that speaks evil of someone else is not what we're talking about.
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But we have to present the word, we have to present the law to help them clearly see what sin is, how it's defined in their life.
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In Romans chapter 7, verse 7, it was the law, Paul said, that showed me my sin.
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I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said you must not covet.
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So the law is not evil, but we don't use the law as a battering ram.
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We don't use the law to condemn people.
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We don't use the law to walk around and tell everybody they're going to hell if they don't repent.
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The Apostle Paul cautioned us in Romans chapter 2, verse 1.
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You may think you can condemn such people, but you're just as bad.
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And you have no excuse when you say they are wicked and they should be punished, you're condemning yourself.
00:22:05.149 --> 00:22:08.669
For you who judge others do the very same things.
00:22:09.069 --> 00:22:11.789
You see, that's The root of legalism.
00:22:12.750 --> 00:22:17.549
When I condemn using the law, I make myself the judge.
00:22:17.869 --> 00:22:32.029
But when I allow the law to speak for itself towards sin, it is my responsibility to help someone find the way out through grace and faith in the sacrifice that Christ has made for us.
00:22:34.109 --> 00:22:38.750
In Romans 14, 13 it says, So let's stop condemning each other.
00:22:38.990 --> 00:22:44.829
Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble or fall.
00:22:45.709 --> 00:22:57.469
That's my desire to just live the gospel and to speak in grace, to speak in love, to walk in faith, to believe that Christ has made me free.
00:22:59.069 --> 00:23:11.149
So whenever I come to a place where I see that a judgment has to be made, the first thing I need to say is, how does this apply to me?
00:23:12.509 --> 00:23:25.309
Again, and following the Lord's command in Matthew 7, verse 1, to judge not that I not be judged, how do I appropriate this truth in my life?
00:23:25.789 --> 00:23:32.669
First, we avoid drawing conclusions that are superficial, proud, hypocritical, or self-righteous.
00:23:33.789 --> 00:23:35.629
But we don't pull back.
00:23:37.309 --> 00:23:41.869
We don't pull back and not make a judgment at all for fear of these things.
00:23:42.909 --> 00:23:53.389
We ask the Holy Spirit to give us guidance in that moment and make proper judgments first to ourselves and then toward our brothers and sisters.
00:23:53.629 --> 00:23:57.789
Else Noah benefits and the sin continues.
00:23:59.709 --> 00:24:02.669
Galatians chapter 5, verse 13 through 15.
00:24:02.909 --> 00:24:09.309
Paul said this to the Galatians for you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.
00:24:10.189 --> 00:24:13.229
But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.
00:24:13.389 --> 00:24:16.589
Instead, use your freedom to serve one another.
00:24:17.309 --> 00:24:20.429
For the whole law can be summed up in one command.
00:24:21.389 --> 00:24:24.829
And he's quoting Jesus here Love your neighbor as yourself.
00:24:26.269 --> 00:24:30.189
But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out.
00:24:31.149 --> 00:24:33.469
Beware of destroying one another.
00:24:35.069 --> 00:24:37.949
So as I close, I call you again.
00:24:38.349 --> 00:24:45.709
As you walk in freedom, like the scripture says, to Galatians 5 1 that we looked at last time.
00:24:46.909 --> 00:24:48.829
It's hard, brothers and sisters.
00:24:48.909 --> 00:24:50.029
It's hard.
00:24:50.349 --> 00:24:54.990
We don't want to condemn others, and we don't want to walk in condemn condemnation towards ourselves.
00:24:55.149 --> 00:25:00.269
Romans 8.1 says, There is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.
00:25:00.990 --> 00:25:08.990
So Galatians 5.1 says to us, stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free.
00:25:09.549 --> 00:25:12.589
Do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
00:25:13.229 --> 00:25:19.709
That word entangled means to be held, to be entangled or to be held to be held and ensnared.
00:25:20.589 --> 00:25:26.909
But it's not talking about us, it's talking about the object being the thing that holds us captive.
00:25:27.869 --> 00:25:31.789
Does the law and fear of the law hold you captive?
00:25:32.349 --> 00:25:38.029
You're doubting yourself all the time because you keep seeing your sin instead of focusing on Christ.
00:25:38.269 --> 00:25:40.750
What is the thing that holds you captive?
00:25:41.469 --> 00:25:47.549
This word entangled depicts an internal clutch that dictates an external behavior.
00:25:47.709 --> 00:25:52.990
It exposes a spiritual danger surrounding the liberty in Christ.
00:25:53.309 --> 00:25:59.629
Two it exposes us being entangled and surrendering to a system that re-enslaves.
00:26:00.429 --> 00:26:07.629
Together this passage reveals that what the heart holds eventually controls the life.
00:26:08.189 --> 00:26:10.429
So we may say that we're free in Christ.
00:26:10.509 --> 00:26:13.229
We may sing songs about being free in Christ.
00:26:13.549 --> 00:26:16.990
We may sing about the blood that has washed us whiter than snow.
00:26:17.229 --> 00:26:23.389
We may sing about our life and the righteousness we walk in is never earned, but it's all by the blood.
00:26:23.949 --> 00:26:26.669
But then the enemy comes along and he accuses us.
00:26:26.829 --> 00:26:27.789
That's what he does.
00:26:27.949 --> 00:26:29.389
The accuser of the brethren.
00:26:29.549 --> 00:26:31.309
He accuses someone else.
00:26:31.549 --> 00:26:36.189
He wants us to backbite each other and show us where that so-and-so, you know what he said about you?
00:26:36.349 --> 00:26:36.909
Do you know?
00:26:37.069 --> 00:26:40.189
And so he wants to stir things up or bring chaos.
00:26:40.509 --> 00:26:42.990
I must first of all maintain my freedom.
00:26:43.149 --> 00:26:47.709
I must examine my life and make sure I am walking in the freedom in Christ.
00:26:48.029 --> 00:27:06.990
And if I see something the Holy Spirit is convicting me of that I need to repent of, that I do so, that I grow in the victory that I have in Christ, so that I might be ready to give a word for the hope that lies within me and be ready to help another brother who needs victory in that area of life.
00:27:07.789 --> 00:27:20.029
But I won't allow myself to be ensnared again, to walk in fear and doubt that what Jesus has done in my life is false or somehow has to be earned.
00:27:20.349 --> 00:27:26.509
No, I will walk in freedom because from that place of freedom, I'll be able to help my brother and sister.
00:27:26.669 --> 00:27:30.589
From that place of freedom, I'll be able to testify with boldness.
00:27:30.750 --> 00:27:38.029
From that place of freedom, I'll be able to declare to the world that the blood of Jesus Christ can set you free too.
00:27:38.349 --> 00:27:50.509
Wise I walk in that freedom, I'll be able to help my brother and sister who's ensnared of sin to also walk in the freedoms that they have in Christ through his blood by grace through faith.
00:27:51.789 --> 00:27:58.829
So until next time, I'm Jim Bell, and I say walk in his freedom.
00:27:59.389 --> 00:28:05.949
Let the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth and stay unchained.
00:00:10.509 --> 00:00:14.989
Well, here we go with episode two of Unchained Table.
00:00:15.869 --> 00:00:26.349
We will look into the Word of God to bring to the table topics that to some may seem controversial in order to raise the awareness of truth.
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Truth that sometimes divides, but it shouldn't be ignored either.
00:00:32.670 --> 00:00:39.789
Because facing our differences in the light of truth will bring true biblical growth.
00:00:40.030 --> 00:00:44.509
My name is Jim Bell, and I am the host of Unchained Table.
00:00:45.149 --> 00:00:49.070
So you might be saying to yourself, who is this guy?
00:00:49.390 --> 00:00:52.030
So I'm going to tell you a little bit about myself.
00:00:52.269 --> 00:00:54.670
I was I am an ordained minister.
00:00:54.909 --> 00:00:57.229
I've been ordained since 1981.
00:00:57.469 --> 00:01:01.549
I'm ordained with the Association of International Gospel Assemblies.
00:01:01.950 --> 00:01:03.390
I'm 73 years old.
00:01:03.549 --> 00:01:07.629
I live in Greenfield, Indiana with my wife of 48 years.
00:01:08.030 --> 00:01:14.510
I'm currently pastoring a group of senior adults at the Caring Place Indianapolis, where Dr.
00:01:14.670 --> 00:01:18.909
John Susa, who happens to be my son-in-law, is the pastor.
00:01:19.150 --> 00:01:24.670
And my daughter Rebecca serves alongside of him, supporting all areas of the church.
00:01:25.230 --> 00:01:34.030
I have a son whose name is Jamie Bell, and he is the pastor of Hope Chapel downtown in Kansas City, Missouri.
00:01:35.629 --> 00:01:55.790
I've walked with Jesus for almost 49 years, and I do my best to listen to the Holy Spirit teach me all things, like it says in John 14, 26, but the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance whatsoever I've said unto you.
00:01:56.109 --> 00:02:06.750
So basically, I'm just an ordinary guy who spent a lot of time with Jesus over the last forty-nine years, who has a simple burden.
00:02:07.310 --> 00:02:10.030
Now you might say, What is that burden?
00:02:10.349 --> 00:02:28.990
Well in Second Corinthians chapter eleven, verses two and three, it says this, for I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste version to Christ.
00:02:29.310 --> 00:02:42.029
But I fear, least somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
00:02:44.430 --> 00:02:50.189
That's what the Apostle Paul said to the church at Corinth, and that's what motivates me.
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There are so many voices today that have made the gospel of Jesus Christ and his church so complicated.
00:03:03.470 --> 00:03:10.910
The enemy is using it to corrupt the minds of people from the simplicity that is in Christ.
00:03:11.310 --> 00:03:12.990
Let me ask you a question.
00:03:13.310 --> 00:03:23.389
How many times have you been sincerely trying to help someone and the first thing that you hear from them is Don't you judge me?
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Don't you judge me?
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Seems like everyone, sinner and a saint alike, have this scripture memorized.
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Matthew seven one, judge not that you be not judged.
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Or they probably only have part of it memorized and they don't even know where it's come from.
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They just know it says somewhere in the Bible, judge not.
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And so they tell you, don't you judge me.
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Well, in this portion of scripture we want to look at today and both sides of this thing concerning judging, Jesus wasn't issuing a blanket rule that people are never to judge others.
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My goodness, if I if I walk through this life and never formulated any kind of judgment about someone, how do I begin to know them?
00:04:15.470 --> 00:04:16.910
How do I ask questions about them?
00:04:17.069 --> 00:04:19.709
How can I protect myself from someone who's evil?
00:04:19.870 --> 00:04:22.990
How can I minister to someone who needs Christ?
00:04:23.870 --> 00:04:30.110
So a closer look at the rest of this passage brings to light the real issue Christ wanted to address.
00:04:32.030 --> 00:04:37.470
So in that chapter seven of Matthew, let's look at verses two through five.
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He says this, for the judgment you pronounce, for with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged.
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And with the measure you use it, it will be measured back to you.
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Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that's in your own eye?
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Or how can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your own out of your eye when there's a log in your own eye?
00:05:07.310 --> 00:05:14.670
He was speaking this to the Pharisees, and he saw much hypocrisy in the ways that they minister to the people.
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And he says to them, You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will clearly see how to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
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Do you do you see the instruction in that?
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You see, in verse five he says this.
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So he says this first take the log out of your own eye.
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These are instructions in how to judge.
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First, examine your life and make sure that you're good in that area, that you've got victory in Christ in that area.
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Then you'll see clearly how to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
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He was teaching that the standard with which you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
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Remember the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8, verses 1 through eleven?
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I will paraphrase, if you don't remember the story.
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The Pharisees, these hypocrites Jesus is speaking to, were always trying to entrap him.
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And so there was a woman who was caught in adultery, and they brought her out into public, and they they threw her at Jesus' feet.
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And they said, What are you going to do with this woman who's caught in adultery?
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The law demands that we judge this woman, that we execute her, that we cause her to be stoned to death.
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What are you going to do with her, Jesus?
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Jesus begins to write in the dirt.
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And he said, Let him who's without sin cast the first stone.
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And one by one, they begin to drop their stones and leave until there was no one left.
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And he says to the woman, Well, where are your accusers?
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She says, There are none.
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He says, Well, neither do I accuse you.
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But go and sin no more.
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That's the hang up right there.
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Go and sin no more.
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You see, there's a constant thread throughout all of the gospel that Jesus was trying to teach.
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There's a con constant thread throughout all the epistles that the apostles were trying to teach.
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And it's this no one is good.
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Not one.
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None of us can measure up.
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Without Jesus and the sacrifice that He made for us, we will all die in our sins.
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It's impossible for us to walk free from sin without Christ.
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But with Christ, He purges us from all of our sin.
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He clothes us in righteousness.
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He fills us with His Spirit and enables us to walk free in Him.
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Wow, what a deal.
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In 1 Corinthians 2 15, concerning this subject of judgment, it says this But he who is spiritual judges all things.
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Yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
00:08:21.310 --> 00:08:24.830
So again, we are called to make judgments.
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We're called to discern.
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So we want to explore this word judge.
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We want to know what it what it means and understand it so that we can know when to judge and how to judge.
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Because we're called to make judgments.
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This word clearly tells us that.
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He who is spiritual judges all things.
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The word judges here in the Greek is anakrino.
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It's made up of two words, anna and krino.
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Anna means upward, amidst, among, between.
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It denotes motion from a lower place to a higher one.
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Boy, I like that part of the word.
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The wisdom of God has brought me from a lower place to a higher one.
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And as I minister to people, that's the same thing I want for them.
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I want to help them go from a lower place to a higher one.
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So my judgments are to help people go from a lower place to a higher one.
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And as I do that, crino means to separate, to come to a choice by decision or judgment.
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Making a judgment either positive, which is a verdict in favor of what they're doing, or negative, which rejects or condemns.
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So I am to make judgments, to help people go from a lower place to a higher one, to help them make the right decision, to help them make a decision for Christ, to make them help them make a positive decision, as I discerned that maybe they're making a negative choice in their life.
00:10:09.470 --> 00:10:22.350
So Jesus' statement to judge not lest you be judged zeroed in on the problems of spiritual hypocrisy and self-centered pride that he saw in the Pharisees.
00:10:23.870 --> 00:10:32.269
Teaching us the Word of God wants us to discern sin in others so we can help them get rid of it.
00:10:32.909 --> 00:10:40.909
The purpose of judging someone else's weakness is to help him or her walk in freedom.
00:10:42.029 --> 00:10:45.310
So you see, basically, there's two kinds of judgment.
00:10:46.029 --> 00:10:48.669
One is eternal judgment.
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We're not qualified to make eternal judgments.
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That's God's job.
00:10:53.070 --> 00:10:55.710
He stands in judgment over all mankind.
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He's the one who sits on the throne.
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He's the one who judges us, he's the one who writes our names in the Lamb's book of life.
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He's the one who sees who rejects him and who accepts him.
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He's the one who makes those eternal judgments.
00:11:08.509 --> 00:11:10.110
I can't make those.
00:11:11.310 --> 00:11:13.870
The other kind of judgment is temporal.
00:11:14.830 --> 00:11:17.629
And we all make those judgments all the time.
00:11:18.590 --> 00:11:20.350
It's as simple as that.
00:11:20.750 --> 00:11:22.750
There's a choice to be made.
00:11:23.070 --> 00:11:26.590
Am I going to do the right thing or am I going to do the wrong thing?
00:11:26.750 --> 00:11:32.110
Am I going to listen or am I going to am I going to reject wisdom that's being given to me?
00:11:32.269 --> 00:11:34.110
Am I going to accept Christ?
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Am I going to reject Christ?
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So we want to explore how to make these temporal judgments properly.
00:11:46.269 --> 00:11:53.470
We see the divide again in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 12 and 13.
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In verse 12, it says, It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders.
00:12:03.789 --> 00:12:06.110
So what is my responsibility then?
00:12:06.830 --> 00:12:12.990
But it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.
00:12:13.550 --> 00:12:18.029
So verse 12 says, It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders.
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That's God's job.
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But it certainly is my responsibility to judge those inside the church who are in sin.
00:12:28.110 --> 00:12:30.190
Verse 13 says this.
00:12:36.669 --> 00:12:42.430
But as the scriptures say, you must remove the evil person from among you.
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That's a quote from Deuteronomy chapter 17, verse 7.
00:12:49.149 --> 00:12:51.870
How do we use the law properly?
00:12:52.269 --> 00:12:56.430
We don't want to use the law in legalism to condemn people.
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We want to speak the law and see the law and use the law because the law defines sin.
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And it by itself will judge those on the outside and inside the church.
00:13:12.590 --> 00:13:22.029
We want to see it as a standard of the fruit that we should bear, and walk in it as the Holy Spirit leads us.
00:13:22.590 --> 00:13:37.389
So in John chapter 16, verses 8 through 11, it says this, verse 8, and when he comes, speaking of the Holy Spirit, he will convict the world of sin and of God righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
00:13:37.550 --> 00:13:46.669
You see, the Holy Spirit is the one who comes and judges the world of sin, all of the outsiders, all of the unbelievers, all of the world and its sin.
00:13:47.230 --> 00:13:49.870
He judges them in righteousness and unrighteousness.
00:13:50.029 --> 00:13:55.230
He judges them concerning the coming events when he comes again.
00:13:55.950 --> 00:14:01.710
Verse 9 says, The world's sin, this defines sin in its simplest form.
00:14:02.350 --> 00:14:06.190
The world's sin is that it refuses to believe in me.
00:14:08.029 --> 00:14:10.029
See, we can list a whole bunch of sins.
00:14:10.190 --> 00:14:13.070
What does the law say is it defines sin?
00:14:13.629 --> 00:14:19.710
But Jesus satisfied sin and fulfilled all of the law for us.
00:14:19.950 --> 00:14:25.629
And so now sin is simply this refusing to believe in Jesus.
00:14:27.230 --> 00:14:33.870
Righteousness is available, Jesus said, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.
00:14:34.750 --> 00:14:39.950
Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
00:14:43.230 --> 00:14:45.629
So what is it that we're supposed to do?
00:14:45.950 --> 00:14:52.269
God's job to judge the outsiders, God's job to judge the unbelievers.
00:14:53.230 --> 00:14:54.750
What is our job?
00:14:55.470 --> 00:14:59.070
How do we handle ourselves toward outsiders?
00:14:59.710 --> 00:15:07.310
Well, in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17 through 21, it gives us a clear outline of what our job is.
00:15:08.430 --> 00:15:12.830
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
00:15:13.470 --> 00:15:17.149
The old life is gone, a new life has begun.
00:15:17.550 --> 00:15:23.389
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ.
00:15:23.629 --> 00:15:27.950
And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
00:15:28.830 --> 00:15:38.509
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, no longer counting people's sins against them.
00:15:39.230 --> 00:15:41.550
That's what the work of the cross did.
00:15:43.629 --> 00:15:48.350
And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
00:15:49.550 --> 00:15:52.350
So we are Christ's ambassadors.
00:15:53.149 --> 00:15:56.909
God is making his appeal through us.
00:15:58.190 --> 00:15:59.789
We speak for Christ.
00:16:00.029 --> 00:16:04.029
When we plead, come back to God.
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For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we might be right with God through Christ.
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That's our message.
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That's what we're to do.
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That's how we are to handle outsiders.
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Simple enough.
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Take the gospel to them and let them know what Jesus did, that they might receive Christ and be gloriously saved and be part of the kingdom.
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This is our ministry to the world.
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Those who are unbelievers outside of the kingdom.
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So what about the other part of 1 Corinthians 5, verses 12 and 13 concerning judgments inside the church?
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Remind you again, verse 12 it says, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.
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So if somebody inside the church, when I'm trying to help them, tells me, Don't you judge me.
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This word tells me to judge them that are inside the church, make proper judgments, and help people walk in the freedom that Christ has given them.
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But there is an incorrect way to make judgments.
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As we do what it says in verse 13, and remove the evil person from among us.
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It's clear that we are to make correct judgments inside the church.
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Again, the standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
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Why worry about the speck in your friend's eye or your brother's eye, your sister's eye, when you have a log in your own?
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A faithful servant of God will see himself as accurately as he sees others.
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He will recognize his own sinfulness and need for God's mercy, a need he shares with his brothers and sisters in Christ.
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We will have no reason to consider ourselves better than others if we just allow Paul's teaching in Philippians 2.3 to happen in our lives.
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He said this do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
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Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.
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So listen, I come to someone who I see, I've discerned that they're walking in sin.
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And I come to them valuing them above myself, knowing that I need God's mercy.
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I needed God's grace.
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And that's the only way I can walk is by grace through faith, in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
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And I see their great need for that grace and mercy.
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I want to help them come before the throne of grace and obtain mercy and find grace to help in this time of need that they have.
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They're struggling.
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So I value them above myself as I come to them to speak truth.
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You see, it's our pride that makes us criticize and judge others so that we feel better about ourselves.
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If we're struggling about something, but but we're we think we're doing pretty good and they're doing worse, well, let me let me point out their sins so I'll feel better about myself because I'm doing better than they are.
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That's pride.
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We're not supposed to criticize and judge each other.
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James in chapter 4, verse 11 and 12 said this.
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James warned believers, don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.
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If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law.
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But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.
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You see, that's poor judgment if you think you're above the law.
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God alone, who gave the law, is the judge.
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In other words, we can't execute the law.
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That's God's job.
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We're just supposed to present it so that people can make correct judgments of what sin is and what sin isn't.
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It defines that sin.
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God alone has the power to save us or destroy us.
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So what right do we have to judge our neighbor?
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So we look at that and say, well, I'm not supposed to judge, but then scripture tells me to judge.
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Oh man, I'm confused.
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I don't know what to do.
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Am I not supposed to judge or am I not supposed to judge?
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Listen, we're supposed to judge in righteousness, we're supposed to judge in grace, we're supposed to judge in freedom, we're supposed to judge in such a way that we present the truth to someone and help them make a decision.
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If it's outsiders, they see the gospel of Jesus Christ and they receive Christ as their Savior.
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If it's inside the church, then they see the truth and they repent of their sin and they walk in the freedom that is in Christ, that they have through the blood of Jesus by grace through faith.
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You see, the kind of judgment that speaks evil of someone else is not what we're talking about.
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But we have to present the word, we have to present the law to help them clearly see what sin is, how it's defined in their life.
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In Romans chapter 7, verse 7, it was the law, Paul said, that showed me my sin.
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I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said you must not covet.
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So the law is not evil, but we don't use the law as a battering ram.
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We don't use the law to condemn people.
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We don't use the law to walk around and tell everybody they're going to hell if they don't repent.
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The Apostle Paul cautioned us in Romans chapter 2, verse 1.
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You may think you can condemn such people, but you're just as bad.
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And you have no excuse when you say they are wicked and they should be punished, you're condemning yourself.
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For you who judge others do the very same things.
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You see, that's The root of legalism.
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When I condemn using the law, I make myself the judge.
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But when I allow the law to speak for itself towards sin, it is my responsibility to help someone find the way out through grace and faith in the sacrifice that Christ has made for us.
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In Romans 14, 13 it says, So let's stop condemning each other.
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Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble or fall.
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That's my desire to just live the gospel and to speak in grace, to speak in love, to walk in faith, to believe that Christ has made me free.
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So whenever I come to a place where I see that a judgment has to be made, the first thing I need to say is, how does this apply to me?
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Again, and following the Lord's command in Matthew 7, verse 1, to judge not that I not be judged, how do I appropriate this truth in my life?
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First, we avoid drawing conclusions that are superficial, proud, hypocritical, or self-righteous.
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But we don't pull back.
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We don't pull back and not make a judgment at all for fear of these things.
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We ask the Holy Spirit to give us guidance in that moment and make proper judgments first to ourselves and then toward our brothers and sisters.
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Else Noah benefits and the sin continues.
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Galatians chapter 5, verse 13 through 15.
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Paul said this to the Galatians for you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.
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But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.
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Instead, use your freedom to serve one another.
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For the whole law can be summed up in one command.
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And he's quoting Jesus here Love your neighbor as yourself.
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But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out.
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Beware of destroying one another.
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So as I close, I call you again.
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As you walk in freedom, like the scripture says, to Galatians 5 1 that we looked at last time.
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It's hard, brothers and sisters.
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It's hard.
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We don't want to condemn others, and we don't want to walk in condemn condemnation towards ourselves.
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Romans 8.1 says, There is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.
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So Galatians 5.1 says to us, stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free.
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Do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
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That word entangled means to be held, to be entangled or to be held to be held and ensnared.
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But it's not talking about us, it's talking about the object being the thing that holds us captive.
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Does the law and fear of the law hold you captive?
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You're doubting yourself all the time because you keep seeing your sin instead of focusing on Christ.
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What is the thing that holds you captive?
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This word entangled depicts an internal clutch that dictates an external behavior.
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It exposes a spiritual danger surrounding the liberty in Christ.
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Two it exposes us being entangled and surrendering to a system that re-enslaves.
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Together this passage reveals that what the heart holds eventually controls the life.
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So we may say that we're free in Christ.
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We may sing songs about being free in Christ.
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We may sing about the blood that has washed us whiter than snow.
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We may sing about our life and the righteousness we walk in is never earned, but it's all by the blood.
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But then the enemy comes along and he accuses us.
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That's what he does.
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The accuser of the brethren.
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He accuses someone else.
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He wants us to backbite each other and show us where that so-and-so, you know what he said about you?
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Do you know?
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And so he wants to stir things up or bring chaos.
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I must first of all maintain my freedom.
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I must examine my life and make sure I am walking in the freedom in Christ.
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And if I see something the Holy Spirit is convicting me of that I need to repent of, that I do so, that I grow in the victory that I have in Christ, so that I might be ready to give a word for the hope that lies within me and be ready to help another brother who needs victory in that area of life.
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But I won't allow myself to be ensnared again, to walk in fear and doubt that what Jesus has done in my life is false or somehow has to be earned.
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No, I will walk in freedom because from that place of freedom, I'll be able to help my brother and sister.
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From that place of freedom, I'll be able to testify with boldness.
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From that place of freedom, I'll be able to declare to the world that the blood of Jesus Christ can set you free too.
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Wise I walk in that freedom, I'll be able to help my brother and sister who's ensnared of sin to also walk in the freedoms that they have in Christ through his blood by grace through faith.
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So until next time, I'm Jim Bell, and I say walk in his freedom.
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Let the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth and stay unchained.
