Loyalty sometimes comes at the steepest of prices! For some, the cost may seem minimal, but for others it has cost them deeply, dearly, and sometimes completely. Throughout history, the people of God have endured mocking, persecution, and even martyrdom. God offers us the record of many who chose to suffer rather than recant their proclaimed faith in the Creator. Many things have changed since ancient times, but those choosing to walk with the Lord today will likewise see an escalation in all forms of persecution. This tribulation from the world will become increasingly worse as man continues to be influenced by ungodliness. Believers should willingly endure whatever cost loyalty may require by keeping in mind the ultimate price paid when Christ gave Himself for mankind. Though the list in Hebrews chapter 11 has been closed, the Lord continues to track the actions of those loyal to Him.
Sometimes the Bible conveys some disheartening truths including man’s inability to love the Lord during difficult times. Regrettably, believers are easily offended and sometimes even scattered from the Lord because of a lack of resolve. The Lord prophesied in Zechariah 13:7 concerning His followers’ reaction to His rejection. Though the Lord knows the future, consider how this rejection must have grieved Him when it actually transpired. At a time when any faithful disciple should have been loyal to his Master, those closest to the Lord were instead scattered. The One that fed them when they were hungry (Mark 6:35-44), healed family members when ill (Mark 1:29-31), calmed the troubled waters during the storms (Mark 4:37-41), and taught them many wonderful truths was now the cause of their offence.
True loyalty never wavers without sound justification. The book of Revelation reveals that believers in Smyrna were going to face various difficulties such as imprisonment, trials, and perhaps even martyrdom. In the midst of these calamities, the Lord admonished them to be “faithful unto death.” God’s people have always had their loyalty to the Lord tested. If loyalty occurred naturally, everyone would exhibit loyalty. True loyalty is not something a believer possesses in the absence of adversity. Rather, adversity provides the means for loyalty to excel. In fact, it was in the face of the adversity of crucifixion that the Lord Jesus Christ exemplified His loyalty to both mankind and the Father. In doing so, He set forth an example that every believer ought to willingly follow and exemplify.
God expects loyalty from man. He is not interested in “worship” that involves Him being one of man’s many gods. In fact, He adamantly opposed this position within the Ten Commandments. There the Lord admonished His people to “have no other gods before” Him (Exodus 20:3). He then warned them not to make nor bow in worship to idols (Exodus 20:4-5). The Lord earned Israel’s loyalty in many ways, but the Bible specifically points to His delivering them from Egypt. It is important to note that God does not expect blind loyalty from man, but He certainly deserves this type of loyalty. He earned man’s loyalty by being his Creator. Yet His ultimate claim to loyalty stems from His offering to redeem fallen man though man is completely unworthy.
God offered man the greatest statement of loyalty when Christ promised never to leave the believer. The Lord did not promise some type of reciprocating loyalty conditioned upon man’s loyalty toward Him. Rather, the Lord promised He will “never leave . . . nor forsake.” Man’s frailty offers God numerous reasons and opportunities to justify leaving and forsaking, but God’s character overrides man’s frailty. If the Lord promises loyalty, He fulfils that promise without requiring reciprocity. According to 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise.” Once a man is born again, he becomes a child of God and immediately becomes the beneficiary of promised loyalty given to him by the Son of God.
The scriptural form of church judgment was fashioned according to the practice that will take place in the future. However, the role of judgment in the early church seems to be much more involved than generally practiced in churches today. The spiritual believers took their disputes with other believers to be judged by the church. Those believers who failed to follow this guideline were considered to be the carnal believers at Corinth. They were unwisely taking their disputes before unsaved judges. Paul rebuked these believers and explained in context their future role of judgment: believers would take part in judging the world (1 Corinthians 6:2). Additionally, believers will have a lofty responsibility of judging angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).
Far too many Christians fear being judged by others more than they fear being judged by Almighty God. Christians should have a healthy respect and fear concerning the coming judgment seat of Christ. Yet, very few actually understand the biblical admonition concerning how to reduce this judgment. In today’s passage, we learn that “if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” Christians should devote their time and strength to comparing themselves against the precepts of God’s word to help correct their shortcomings. In doing so, the time of judgment at Christ’s judgment seat would lose much of its dread. In like manner, Christians should learn to become their own honest critic making it harder for others to find legitimate fault with us. The importance of this self-evaluation of judging ourselves would equate in a better testimony to the world.
The last few studies have sought to dispel the notion that the Bible condemns judging. Today’s verse is no exception. Notice that the verse begins with a coordinating conjunction. The word but indicates that our verse serves a continuation of the thought that preceded it. The previous verse refers to the natural man which is someone who does not know the Lord as Saviour. Because he is not saved, he cannot discern the things of God. Today’s passage states that the “spiritual [man] judgeth all things.” A spiritual man is not only a saved man but one who enjoys the peace of God and daily fellowship with God. The other scriptural designation for man (in addition to the natural man [unsaved], and spiritual man [saved and in good fellowship]) is the carnal man [saved, but not in good fellowship]. Since the carnal man lacks the proper fellowship with the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:1), he may discern but fails in the proper execution of that discernment. Those claiming that believers should not judge are simply foolish. In fact, a spiritual man will judge all things but do so only based upon righteous judgment (John 7:24).
Carnal Christians and those who do not know the Lord consider judging others as the greatest of sins. The opposite actually holds true. Believers fail when they refuse to judge “righteous judgment.” So often, men judge people and situations simply by what is seen or through an emotional response. Yet, this is completely contrary to the scriptural admonition to judge. Instead, we are to “judge righteous judgment.” How can this be consistently done? First and foremost, we need a righteous standard by which to compare all things. In John 12:48, we learn of that righteous standard when the Lord Jesus said that His words would judge men. The Bible is a perfect Book containing perfect laws and offers a perfect standard for making judgments. Therefore, all judgment should be based upon the infallible standards provided by God within His glorious word. We will never go wrong with judging according to God’s perfect standard.
This verse, apart from John 3:16, may be the most recognized and certainly the most quoted verse by those who have little concern for God or the things of God. Matthew 7:1 also happens to be one of the most misinterpreted and misapplied verses in all of scripture. This verse is abused by non-Christians as well as those living a carnal lifestyle. Non-Christians do not want to be held to any biblical standard while carnal Christians attempt to use the verse to avoid having judgment passed upon them and their questionable actions. The spiritual Christian knows that the context of the verse simply discourages judging hypocritically. God never intended for His children to not judge. This passage, along with many others, simply points out the inexcusability of passing judgment upon matters where those judging are likewise guilty of the same actions. The point is not to avoid judgment altogether but to avoid hypocrisy while judging. This truth was taught during the Lord's ministry but also reiterated by the apostle Paul in Romans 2:1.
