March 21, 2015 AVOIDING JUDGEMENT
1 Corinthians 11:31-32: “But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
Some believe that Christians will not be judged, but that is a contradiction of scripture. It is true that Christ bore our sins on the cross and because of that, the sin issue was dealt with and we no longer have to live under the domain of sin as we did before our salvation. However, we are accountable for how we live our life; we are called to live in such a way that the life we live is pleasing to the Lord. Even for the believer, God never looks the other way when we sin; one of the works of the Holy Spirit is to convict us when we sin. Even though it is grievous, the conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit is a blessing and proof that God loves us and desires the best for us. The convicting of sin and the chastening of the Lord go hand in hand and serve the purpose that we may share in His holiness. “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, (Hebrews 11: 5-6). “For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 11:10-11). Even though the discipline of the Lord serves a good purpose, as it says in the verse above, it “seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful.” I want the Lord to discipline me when I need it, but I had rather live in a way that does not call for the discipline of the Lord! In the opening verse above, Paul tells us that we can avoid the discipline of the Lord by judging ourselves. Without being overly introspective, we do need to take the time to examine our lives and judge whether or not our life pleases the Lord, and if we find areas that are not pleasing to Him, we need to adjust that area of our life. As we examine our lives, we should ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in the process and be attentive to what He says. A key point to be aware of is that some may automatically feel that surely they do not measure up-surely there are areas of their life that do not please the Lord. That automatic response indicates that they are living by self-effort and it reflects a misunderstanding of the gospel. It is possible, and even normal for us to live in such a way that the Lord is pleased with us and is pleased with the life we are living. This is all possible because God has made us new and has given each of us a new nature, a new mind, and a new heart which enables us to walk with in fellowship with Him. Let us live in such a way that we are listening to the Holy Spirit within us, and we are maturing and making adjustments in our life as He directs-and may we enjoy Him.
John 8:12: “Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life’.”
Blessings,
Buddy
1 Corinthians 11:31-32: “But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
Some believe that Christians will not be judged, but that is a contradiction of scripture. It is true that Christ bore our sins on the cross and because of that, the sin issue was dealt with and we no longer have to live under the domain of sin as we did before our salvation. However, we are accountable for how we live our life; we are called to live in such a way that the life we live is pleasing to the Lord. Even for the believer, God never looks the other way when we sin; one of the works of the Holy Spirit is to convict us when we sin. Even though it is grievous, the conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit is a blessing and proof that God loves us and desires the best for us. The convicting of sin and the chastening of the Lord go hand in hand and serve the purpose that we may share in His holiness. “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, (Hebrews 11: 5-6). “For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 11:10-11). Even though the discipline of the Lord serves a good purpose, as it says in the verse above, it “seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful.” I want the Lord to discipline me when I need it, but I had rather live in a way that does not call for the discipline of the Lord! In the opening verse above, Paul tells us that we can avoid the discipline of the Lord by judging ourselves. Without being overly introspective, we do need to take the time to examine our lives and judge whether or not our life pleases the Lord, and if we find areas that are not pleasing to Him, we need to adjust that area of our life. As we examine our lives, we should ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in the process and be attentive to what He says. A key point to be aware of is that some may automatically feel that surely they do not measure up-surely there are areas of their life that do not please the Lord. That automatic response indicates that they are living by self-effort and it reflects a misunderstanding of the gospel. It is possible, and even normal for us to live in such a way that the Lord is pleased with us and is pleased with the life we are living. This is all possible because God has made us new and has given each of us a new nature, a new mind, and a new heart which enables us to walk with in fellowship with Him. Let us live in such a way that we are listening to the Holy Spirit within us, and we are maturing and making adjustments in our life as He directs-and may we enjoy Him.
John 8:12: “Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life’.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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