Hi all,
It is obvious that this was NOT written by Vic, therefore it must be another of his plagiarisms. Except for several grammatical/spelling errors -- this is too well written to be an example of Vic's typical posts.
That said, let's examine the thought behind this post:
Matthew 7:1-2, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you."
What is the lesson being taught by Jesus Christ in this passage from the Sermon on the Mount?
The footnote in my NASB Study Bible tells us:
This verse cannot be construed as teaching that believers are never to exercise judgment relative to the doctrine or the actions of others. It does teach that those who do judge, will themselves be judged by the same standards they use in their judgment of others. Therefore one should be careful to employ standards of judgment by which he himself would be happy to be judged in his own conduct and convictions.
That makes sense. If I tell someone that, in this mortal life, he/she MUST make a choice between following Jesus or denying Jesus, between heaven and hell -- I must be willing to make that same decision myself. I have. I have chosen to follow Jesus Christ and He has promised me that I will be with Him eternally in the presence of God.
If I tell someone he/she should not be worshiping statues, idols, other mortal human beings -- for that is against the commandments of God; I should be willing to live by the same standards. I do. I do not pray to or worship statues or man-made idols. I do not pray to or worship any other human being; knowing that all worship and prayer is to be to God only.
I do not ask any mortal human being, i.e., man-determined Saint, to mediate between myself and God. The ONLY Mediator between man, i.e., me, and God -- is Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). I will ask other believers to pray for me, i.e., intercessory prayer. But, that is only because they are still alive and can pray to God for me. They cannot be a mediator between me and God -- especially after they are dead.
Let's look at a pastoral commentary on this Scripture passage:
David Guzik: Study Guide for Matthew 7
http://www.blbclassic.org/comm...31&topic=Matthew
b. Judge not, that you be not judged: With this command Jesus warned against passing judgment upon others, because when we do so we will be judged in a similar manner.
i. Among those who seem to know nothing of the Bible, this is the verse that seems to be most popular. Yet most people who quote this verse don't understand what Jesus said. They seem to think (or hope) that Jesus commanded a universal acceptance of any lifestyle or teaching.
ii. Just a little later in this same sermon (Matthew 7:15-16), Jesus commanded us to know ourselves and others by the fruit of their life, and some sort of assessment is necessary for that. The Christian is called to show unconditional love. But the Christian is not called to unconditional approval. We really can love people who do things that should not be approved of.
c. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged: Jesus did not prohibit the judgment of others. He only requires that our judgment be completely fair, and that we only judge others by a standard we would also like to be judged by.
So, as we see from what I have shared, there is a need to warn people when they are on the wrong path, on the path to eternal destruction. And, there is a need when a person is following erroneous doctrines and traditions such as Mariology, i.e., the deification, worship, and elevation of Mary to the level of deity or God. Satan, an archangel tried that -- and lost. All who try to elevate themselves or others to the level of God -- will also fail. So, better to warn that person first before they get in too deep to get out.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
