Judge not?

 Luke 6:37

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Again and again, this and the parallel passage (not the same sermon though) in Mat 7 had been subject to much misuse and abuse. And here perhaps more so as it appears as a "standalone". But in truth, the micro context is all the way up to V.42 (which was also covered in Mat 7).

The problem is not in the judging, the condemning. 

The problem is the attitude and intent behind it.

Do I want to be judged? Oh yes! If I am sinning against the Lord, I would want  "judging" and "condemning" brethren to tell me so! 

Even forgiveness. Some times we want to feel "magnanimous" but do realise that forgiveness can only be extended where there is repentance (cf. Luk 17:3-4). 

Let us not be on the 2 ends of the spectrum. Let us genuinely seek the welfare of fellow brethren and be true "judges" just as we become humble and contrite as the accused. And when we seek forgiveness, make sure it is with genuine repentance, and we extend forgiveness, without doubt and limit to those who have earned forgiveness.

Eating with Sinners

5:30 — Luk 5:32

But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician: but they that are sick

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

And so it's ok for us to visit bars, discos, KTV lounges and even brothels to "preach the gospel"?

We note that this was a feast at home, organised by Levi (the apostle Matthew, writer of Matthew cf. Mat 9:9). The publicans and others were invited guests, and apparently according to the account in Matthew 9, had gathered because of Jesus. They had probably heard of Jesus and were eager to hear of this phenomenal individual who performed miracles and spoke with authority.

So the point that Jesus was trying to make here is the fact that no one should be denied the Gospel. He was trying to hit home the point to his detractors that the Gospel is for all and not just for the Jews. The account is not trying to show where we should go to preach the gospel, which in any case, would have been more appropriately compared to, say a friend's Christmas party!

Anyone and everyone, regardless of background, and especially those who are seeking after the truth, deserves the Word to be preached to them. 

And yes, while we need to go out into the world to reach the lost and be flexible in our approach (not message!) (Cf. 1co 5:10; 9:20-23), it remains much more expedient for us to avoid unsavory and unconducive places.

Sin and Sinner

Psa 5:5 — Psa 5:6

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

One of the most often heard expressions among the "churched" is - God hates sin but loves the sinner.

For sure, God has the welfare of man's soul as a priority. He gave His only begotten for us! (Jhn 3:16) God wants all to be saved (1Ti 2:4; 2Pe 3:9)!

YET...He will only save those that will render their obedience. God loves souls, but the unrepentant sinner will perish. 

We need to understand that the "sinner" is not defined by his person but by his actions. A sinner is hated and rejected by God not because he had sinned but because he chose to REMAIN in sin. 

Is God harsh? Not in the least. God is just. And therefore He will not allow sin to go unpunished.

But thanks be to God, the sinner need not remain so! Again and again, God loves souls! He has provided the only solution, the only way out - through Jesus Christ. And that applies to all sinners! That is true love! Telling exactly what is wrong and what needs to be done.

Let us speak where God speaks and not second guess God and think we know better - God hates sin and the soul that remains in sin. But God loves righteousness and souls. Any repentant soul will not be denied salvation. That is what God guarantees, and what we need to know and teach.

Lesson Objectives

Pro 1:2 — Pro 1:4

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

Pro 1:6

To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

And there you have it! In modern day presentation/lesson jargon - the scope, the objectives of the proverbs!

Mostly self- explanatory, we note in particular the practical aspects of the proverbs. They are not mere musings or laments or outbursts of emotion as we see sometimes in the Psalms. Many of the proverbs give practical tips. This first one, for example, put a lot of emphasis on avoiding bad company and advice.

Two words here seem to be a bit of a confounder. "Subtlety" seems to be associated with deceit like we saw in the serpent (Gen 3:1)! But as some of the modern versions put it more accurately - prudence. Yes, as mentioned, the book of proverbs includes a collection of practical tips. Prudence is wisdom in practice.

And later we come across "dark sayings", which can be better understood as riddle or even a parable. Just as Jesus explained when asked for the reason He taught in parables (Mat 13:10-17). Through the various literary device, the proverbs is often able to be understood by examining other parts of the same verse of verses surrounding it.

The book of proverbs, is a treasure trove of godly instructions and tips! And even though they are not binding today, as with all other Old Testament scripture, they are still very much relevant and valuable for our learning and admonishment (Rom 15:4; 1Co 10:11).

Will We Be Devils?

 Luke 4:41

And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.

It ceases not to amaze us the fact that of all creation, the devils (angels who have sinned and are ministers of Satan, cf. 2Pe 2:4; 2Co 11:14,15) are the ones that so readily recognise and acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, as the Christ, the Messiah!

Truly, as echoed by James in James 2:19 -

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

Where then does that put people who do not even believe in Jesus, or in God for that matter?

And perhaps even more sobering is, where does that put us, should we deny God through our disobedience and backsliding (cf. 2Pe 2:20-22)?

Yet, the devils were not permitted to speak. Perhaps it was the case of timing like even we read of in Matthew 9:30 of the 2 blind men.

We should also consider the potential for the abuse of that information. As it were, the Pharisees had accused Jesus of being in cahoots with the Devil (Mat 12:24)! What further evidence is needed when the devils themselves give testimony to Jesus?

Taking our thoughts a little further - if we have been reluctant to speak of God and His Word to others, it is because of our less than exemplary life? That even Jesus would suffer us not to speak, lest His name be blasphemed?

A very sobering prospect indeed even as we examine our own lives. We who confess and profess Jesus as the Son of God, who had been buried with Him in baptism and raised in newness of life (Rom 6:4), whose lives had been committed to Christ, should indeed live in Christ (Gal 2:20; Phi 1:21), should indeed not be ashamed to proclaim His Name and His Word!

Let us be not be as devils, far-fetched and horrifying  as that may sound, but yet all too common, when we profess in word but deny in deed. And instead live rightly and reasonably so, as godly creatures, that we be useful vessels, allowed and fit for His Service, that we may lay hold ultimately, onto the crown of life.

Heart Condemns Me Not

1Jo 3:20 — 1Jo 3:21 (KJV)
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

So here, John is basically referring to putting our love for brethren in action (v,. 17,18). James echoes the same sentiments in James 2:15, 16 (KJV)
"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?"
Truly, even as we profess the name of Christ, as much shall we love our fellow brethren even as Christ laid down his life for us!

So the "heart" here is really about our conscience. Why is our conscience pricked (heart condemns) when we do not do what we are supposed to? Even if no one knows what's going on? Because God knows! Well did Jeremiah say in Jeremiah 23:24 (KJV)
"Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord."
But if we put our full confidence in God and His Word, we will truly and fully obey Him and that's when our conscience is truly clear.

The key then is to keep our hearts tender and sensitive to God's admonishments, and far be it for our conscience to be seared and be calloused and unfeeling (1Ti 4:2).

Reserved unto Judgment

2 Peter 2:4 (KJV)
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

With one of the most dramatic expression, this verse is almost like a passage ripped out of a dark fantasy novel!
Yet the message is as true as our salvation.
Not much is said of angels in the bible though it seems they served as special servants to God (c.f. Heb 1:14). One thing for sure is their existence and there are many of them (Heb 12:22)! We even know of 3 by name - Gabriel (Luk 1:19) , Michael (Jud 1:9) and Abaddon or Apollyon (Rev 9:11). (btw, Satan is the English transliteration for the Hebrew word, adversary)

And here, we are told that they too are beings which have free will and indeed can sin and face judgment just like man.
The word "hell" here is actually tataroo in Greek. It is the only place found in the bible. The fact that it is a place where the angels who have sinned are "reserved" for judgment, tells us that it is differentiated from geena (the place of eternal torment Rev 20:13,14).
This is likely the same place that the rich man found himself in as we read the account in Luk 16:19-31.
The rest of the chapter gives us sobering warnings against false teachers and we realise to such belongs the same fate as the sinning angels, if they do not repent. And as we see in the account in Luk 16, it is a fixed state once we pass on. There is no "second chance" once we die. All the chances we have to be right, make right and remain right with God are given in this life. Yes, we have a life time of chances. The catch is, no one knows how long he will live!
Even as the world grapples with COVID-19, it is again a sobering reminder of the frality of life.

Thus it remains once again for us to put our focus on the things above, while we have the opportunity, and not procrastinate like Felix, waiting for a "convenient season" (Act 24:25), because that may never come...