Galatians 6:12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation 

At the core of every persecution is a judgment. The Jews of that time pleaded with Pilate to crucify Christ. Having seen the resurrection they believed, so what is the problem here? Why do they fear being persecuted? Why do they seek to escape being judged?

A simple answer is that they have not forgiven themselves for what they did. The same sort of behavior exists today. We desire God’s forgiveness for the sins we have committed knowing full well there is nothing we can do to earn it and yet we still try.

Isaiah 65:5-7 (KJV) Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.

Those who invent penance to assuage their own guilt have not embraced the Cross of Christ in forgiveness. He paid our debt and we owe Him our lives. Our lives are His to use as He wills, but He does not desire to use a soul in bondage to the past. He has set you free from this guilt, so embrace it.

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

I ended yesterday’s blog with a very dangerous question. “Can you see this in our world today?” It is an offer to judge. We do judge and we should judge, however there is a way to judge that is right. Have you ever been taught how to judge a righteous judgment?

Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Righteousness is a declared state for those who live by faith in Jesus Christ. Righteous judgment cannot be separated from that relationship and this righteous judgment must come by faith. It is not that we know a truth about anything that is to be judged but rather that He who is Truth reveals any truth in any matter.

It is the enactment of our warning to leave judgment in the hands of He who has earned the right to judge because He died for all man’s sin. Having taken upon Himself every sin, He is uniquely qualified to know the truth in every matter.

To demonstrate how this righteous judgment looks for us, we must take John 7:24 in context.

John 7:23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

Only God can perform miracles. Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath which was against Jewish law. The question must arise from the act, was God at work here? Conversely if judgment is at hand, by faith, can you see God at work in that moment? Is He who is True, revealing truth in that moment?

If not, judge not.