The testing of your faith

Lord, I thank You for Your promise that the testing of our faith produces perseverance and steadfastness, which in time will bring forth the beautiful Christlike character that You so desire in all of us. - But which all too often I seek to avoid.. or regard as a time of bitter struggle. Help us Lord to embrace any trials that You see fit to enter our life. Give me strength to look at the difficulties that invade our comfort zones, and cause our eyes to be clouded with the unsureness of Your help.

Lord, give me an eternal perspective on all the problems I may be called upon to face, so that I may count it all joy when I'm confronted with various trials, knowing that the testing of my faith produces the godly fruit of patience - and help me Lord, to use those times of testing as an opportunity to grow in grace and as a springboard to develop a deeper and more secure relationship with You.

Lord, it is not alway easy to align our minds with the mind of Christ - it is often very hard to see trials in a positive light, and to embrace the various testings we have to go through, as a thing to be highly prized, and yet Your Word tells us that life's difficulties sharpen our faith, while developing our trust in the Lord, which is more precious to You than much fine gold. Give us a heart that understands and chooses to look at trials and tests from Your perspective, so that the testing of our faith may bring forth the good fruit or patience and grace, and I ask this in the name of Jesus. James Cruse

Lord heal...

Lord, we live in a fallen world and are surrounded by so many men and women, boys, and girls, that are going through and have suffered some type of emotional damage or are going through emotional abuse. I just want to take a moment to lift up all those that are experiencing including myself for any of this type of trauma - and pray for Your healing touch on their lives.

 

Lord, You know everyone that is in need of emotional healing and the hurt and pain that they are going through.. and I ask Your touch of comfort and release to meet each one at their own point of need... and I pray that they would find their strength, support, comfort and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, and until then in Your Will send a comforter.

 

Refresh those that are weary, strengthen those that are weak, help the afflicted, deliver the needy, comfort the sorrowing, heal those that are hurting and draw very close to all who are in need of emotional healing. This I pray in Jesus name, Amen. James Cruse

Praying for Men.

Lord, I praise and thank You that I have boldness to enter into the throne-room of God, to plead and pray to our heavenly Father. Raise up men, I ask and pray an army of faithful men to become prayer warriors – intercessors for their families and for the whole body of Christ in these dark days that we are currently facing. May they be men that pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and may they stand as watchmen with all perseverance and supplication for all Your children.

Lord, I know that the prayers of righteous men are powerful and effective and I pray that the men of this nation will build up a wall of prayer and praise that will surround and uphold their Christian brothers and sisters, who are weaker or younger in the faith than they. May our prayers form a hedge of protection, from the fiery darts of the wicked one, around the body of Christ Jesus.

Raise up I pray men of faith; men of the Word – men of prayer. Baptise us in the spirit of prayer and immerse our hearts in pure; persistent prayers-soaked intercessions for all the saints of God, in Jesus, name I pray, Amen. James Cruse

Bless us Lord.

Dear God, I praise and thank You for Your never-failing love towards me and many of my family, friends and connections of good people through social networks. When I was lost in sin and without hope in the world You looked down and gently called me to be Your child – even though I was young rebellious and restless.

Lord You know that partly due to not caring for myself and partly for no other reason that we live in a fallen world I am suffer from a chronic debilitating sickness and ask that You would graciously look down on me and those who are in the same condition-pick us up again and heal our body as well as our spirit, as You did once before.

Thank You for dying for us to pay the price for our sins and thank You that You were wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquities – and that by Your stripes we are healed. Lord, I know that this body of mine is only going to deteriorate more and more as I get older, but I do pray that in Your grace and mercy You would set me free from the unpleasant sickness and pain that I am going through at the moment, and give me relief and healing.

Lord, I do pray for others in a unselfish act of love that You would set those free from this their debilitating sickness that they are going through – nevertheless I also thank You that in all things Your grace is sufficient for You have proved this to be the case time and time again in the past. Thank You that You are a faithful God in all things and I ask that my life, in sickness and in health - be a life that glorifies You.

Keep me I pray from grumbling when I have received such an overabundance of Your mercies, which are new every morning - knowing that our life here is but for a fleeting moment, in the economy of eternity… knowing that You have given me eternal life, for which I praise and thank You in Jesus name, Amen. James Cruse

Interceding in prayer for you

Father,I pray that You would be very close to all my brothers and sisters in Christ in these troublesome times, which are causing so many hearts to fear and fail within, for fear of what is coming on the world.

Thank You that no matter how far apart we may be, we are all part of Your family and all have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and made eternally secure in Him. I ask that Your perfect peace would flood into each troubled heart and that they may be prompted to turn to Jesus as their ever-present help in time of trouble, so that they may not to be overwhelmed by the trials and tribulations that they are facing.

Turn the trials and difficulties of each one of my family and friends into a time when they discover a deeper intimacy with You so that each heart may be flooded with Your perfect peace, which is beyond our comprehension, but which is promised to all, who by prayer and supplication look to Jesus, and make their requests known to Him - May each one confidently cast all their cares upon Him, knowing that He cares for each one of his own.

Encourage and strengthen all Your blood-bought children and may they find a deep assurance in Your precious promises, no matter what fiery trial they may be facing today and embrace their trial knowing that the extent to which they are called to partake of Christ’s sufferings is a measure of the exceeding great joy that is set before them - in heavenly places - in Jesus name we pray, Amen James Cruse

Praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ

Thank You Father that Your grace is sufficient for all Your children, including those that are facing severe persecutions and dangers in so many parts of this country struggling to survive. But Lord we are all our brothers and sisters in Christ and I am praying right now for each one of them that the pain that individual believers are suffering becomes a corporate distress for the Body of Christ. And so Lord we lift up all those that are having to contend with so many dangers and difficulties in our city, country and other continents of this world.

Comfort and strengthen each precious person who is suffering for righteousness sake and I ask that You would draw very close to each and every one so that in Your strength they may persevere in these troublesome times - and in so doing bring glory to Yourself and serve as a faithful witness. To those that are lost in their sins, of Your grace and goodness. Support all those that are grieving for righteousness sake I pray, perhaps due to the loss of a loved one or severe deprivation, and comfort and succour each hurting hear and keep each one firm in the faith they have in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank You Lord that there is not one of Your children who is lost to Your eyes of pity and we lift each and every one up to You in Jesus name, Amen. James Cruse

The love of God

I praise and thank You Father for Your steadfast love towards us. Thank You Lord for Your never-failing faithfulness, comfort and grace which is new every morning and refreshed every day. Thank You that You are a God Who cares for each and every one of Your children and graciously carries and tends for all who trust in You.

Though some are poor and needy, I am rich and you meet all my needs, thank You Father, that You hear and answer our cries – You send help in time of trouble; provision in time of need; strength when we are weary and comfort when we are in distress. Thank You that You carry us in Your everlasting arms of mercy and grace and I praise Your holy name that Your grace is sufficient for all our needs - and made perfect in our weakness.

Heavenly Father Your steadfast love towards me is very precious and I love You - and yet my love compared to You is very weak, I pray that You would help me to love You more and more with every passing day, in Jesus name I pray,

Amen James Cruse

To my family and friends, this message is for you and all glory to God.

 I thank God for each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart, for your prayers words of encouragement, and expressed love nothing can separate me from the love of Christ and I feel the same toward each of you.

This road we travel brings ups and downs, when I am down God puts people in your life to help bring you up. I continue to thank God for you all. As long as I can each day I will continue to inspire, encourage and educate those and myself on the promises of God.
This time three years ago for three weeks I was hospitalized, went thru a very challenging time. Since that time I have received many prayers and love, my update today is progress and improvement and thanking God thru this until I have victory, by your prayers and By His stripes I will be healed, “Either Way I Win”. I also pray for each of you that God will show you the same love, comfort and compassion, He is true to all His Promises. Continue to count your blessings from God. Victory is mine and yours.

During this time of illness while laying in the hospital, God laid a lot on my heart and planted a lot in my spirit, some I embraced and some was hard to realize. I was forced to make some difficult decisions that would affect me for the rest of my life; I would not want and would not tell anyone to go thru that time without Gods guidance.
God is not a man; He does not simply resist ignoble tendencies. He lacks them altogether, going to God with all your challenges will result in nothing less than victory. Your believing in His Word will result in the best decision that you can make, whatever you need, try God first, why waste time and energy on man. God is God and His Word is His promise.

God’s love is like a vast ocean. He sends wave after wave of blessings to flow over you. God’s blessings are constant. Scripture is full of the blessings God promises to those who love Him, including His presence, power, and peace. He also promises you His Holy Spirit, who opens your eyes to the blessings that surround you every day. Trust in Jesus and His promises and He will never forsake you. I am a witness.

Well everyone has a story, and we must try to live like Christ, hard as it is even when we don’t, or agree. There is victory if you believe. Continue to pray for me and the vision and mission God has for me and I always will pray for you and send me an inbox for special needed intercession, it’s always in order. Amen. . © JC

Going through

When you’re going through you never really notice the effect it has on you until the end. You don’t realize how strong you are! The power you really have. You keep saying to yourself “the Lord is my strength”, but do we really understand what we are saying?

There is life and death in the tongue. At every moment you have to chose to speak life into your situation.

As I look over everything I have and still am going through I thank the Lord, because He has chosen to cover me. A person who was once tangled and twisted in sin, yes me! I too have my faults, l'm Still Covered. You must remember that God has a covenant with you and it is Your own fault as to why the covenant is broken. But God’s GRACE and MERCY…

1 – I have realized that I am the one who has left the covenant! Can you say that about your relationship with God? Can you take the responsibility for the action you have caused in the relationship? God is calling for His people to be more in-tuned with Him. God wants the first! Everything we do we must acknowledge the true and living God. Can you say your actions are honorable? God has called you and me! You are a Beautiful person. Take it, own it, and allow God to move for you.
During this time of re-defining or I should say re-discovering my relationship with God. I had to seek Him, just as I would any other relationship in the world. It’s no different! Look we know that the Lord thy God is our Friend, but can you say the same thing in return? Honestly!!!!!!

If you are seeking to build a relationship with God then, here is help; James 4:7-10 says "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.
You might be thinking why these scriptures. It’s simple, James tells us how to become a true friends and with that we need to have a personal relationship with Him, without it we won't know Him and will not understand anything we can do and what He (Jesus) will do. His power encompasses everything we are involved in.

“What a friend we have in Jesus" I pray we all get to know Him and that is through a relationship that based on seeking His face every day. Be Blessed.
May God's face forever shine upon you. Just want you to stay encouraged and know the Promises of God so you will make it through this Life, with Hope to know their is a God who will protect, provide and prevent the enemy from taking you out. And Love you unconditionally. James Cruse

What is the definition of forgiving?

A definition for forgiveness could be -- giving up my right to hurt you, for hurting me. It is impossible to live on this fallen planet without getting hurt, offended, misunderstood, lied to, and rejected. Learning how to respond properly is one of the basics of the Christian life. 

The word “forgive” means to wipe the slate clean, to pardon, to cancel a debt. When we wrong someone, we seek his or her forgiveness in order for the relationship to be restored. It is important to remember that forgiveness is not granted because a person deserves to be forgiven. Instead, it is an act of love, mercy, and grace. 

How we act toward that person may change. It doesn't mean we will put ourselves back into a harmful situation or that we suddenly accept or approve of the person's continued wrong behavior. It simply means we release them from the wrong they committed against us. We forgive them because God forgave us (Ephesians 4:31-32 and Romans 5:8). 

What does God say about forgiveness?

• The Bible gives us much instruction when it comes to forgiveness.
• We forgive because we have been forgiven by God (Ephesians 4:32).
• We forgive in obedience to God (Matthew 6:14-15; Romans 12:18).
• We forgive others to gain control of our lives from hurt emotions (Genesis 4:1-8).
• We forgive so we won’t become bitter and defile those around us (Hebrews 12:14-15).

What if I don’t feel like forgiving others?
There are times we don’t feel like forgiving those who have wronged us. It is easier to act our way into feeling than to feel our way into acting. Having a nature of not forgiving others brings about bitterness, and bitterness has been linked to stress-related illnesses by some medical researchers. By forgiving others, we free ourselves spiritually and emotionally. Forgiveness is an act of our own personal will in obedience and submission to God’s will, trusting God to bring emotional healing. 

How can I help those struggling with forgiveness?
People who have experienced abuse, trauma, or loss need time to sort things out and let God bring them to the place of forgiveness in His time. God’s timing is always the right time for each individual. The act of forgiving others is between us and God. The only time we need to forgive a person face-to-face is at the moment we are asked by that person to forgive them for the hurt they have caused. 

There are things we can do to help those struggling with the forgiveness of others. We can support them with encouraging words and by listening to them. Taking our time and being gentle with them will allow them to progress through the steps of forgiveness the way God wants them to proceed. 

A prayer of forgiveness
Dear God, I choose as an act of my will, regardless of my feelings, to forgive the person who has wronged me. I release them, and I set myself free to Your healing. With Your help, I will no longer dwell on the situation or continue to talk about it. I thank You for forgiving me as I have forgiven them. I thank You for releasing me. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen. 

Merry Christmas

The true meaning of Christmas is love. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love.

The real Christmas story is the story of God's becoming a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing? Because He loves us! Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself (1 John 4:8). Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us, we remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshiping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate.

The true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Blessings on you this season from me to you. James Cruse

Happy Thanksgivimg

This is the day that is celebrated because of the discovery of America, but it's always a season of giving thanks to God for giving. The food for our survival, family for our support and a Father who gave us His Son.

Remember there are some who have met their threshold of suffering and their struggle might indicate to them that suicide would be the easy way out. The enemy knows that and will test your faith. Remember to look to the Son for your salvation not the sickness of your situation. We have heard this before, but I think it works now, each one reach one, reach out this time of the season and extend the love of Jesus and help encourage someone that there's still hope and He, Jesus can turn anything around.

May God grant His grace to each one who is facing trials today (Psalm 67:1). And may each of us take hope in the promise, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

So I leave this with you.
God is the giver of life. He gives, and He takes away (Job 1:21). Suicide, the taking of one’s own life, is ungodly because it rejects God’s gift of life. No man or woman should presume to take God’s authority upon themselves to end his or her own life.

God is the only one who is to decide when and how a person should die. We should say with the psalmist, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15).

Remember whether God heals you here on earth or calls you home to be with Him, say this to yourself, Either Way I Win. EWIW. In your preparation this holiday season, reach out to your family, friends and those who may not have either, we are all family in Gods eyes. Have a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. James Cruse

I agree.

“I think the strangest thing that exists, is how there are seven billion people on the planet and yet, so many people can spend their whole lives looking for somebody to love and never, ever find that. There are so many things that we can find in other people— friendship, learning processes, enrichment— so many things, nevertheless, the most elusive and fragile of all the things we can possibly find in another human being, is love. To be the one that someone loves and for that person to be the one that you love. Why is this difficult to find? My answer is that, because out of the seven billion, there really is only one. You don’t find something and make it work; you find the one and when you do, you work until it works. The problem is finding the one. Many, many people are born and die never finding that.” C J

You are a gorgeous woman.

"I just believe that women— should not criticize nor pull down other women. Why? Because your all just trying your best to be beautiful! Your desire is to just be loved, you want to be beautiful, and you’re all trying to leave our own legacy! The good news is that the universe is unending and that means there is enough space for every lady woman on earth to leave her own mark and to be her own legacy. You have to be your own kind of beautiful; God made you individually special. So why spend even a second on trying to take away from another woman? Trying to steal, trying to criticize, trying to oppress? There is enough space for every lady and every kind of beautiful, in this vast world! When you waste any amount of time trying to take what is another’s— you are wasting your huge elaborate of gorgeousness that was already given to you!" James Cruse

"What are the seven things God hates?"

 The seven things God hates are a catalog of sins summed up in Proverbs 6:16–19. While these aren’t the only sins that should be avoided, they do sum up most of the wicked things condemned by God. The seven things God hates are the sins that deal with the deep heart motives of the individual. The writer of Proverbs points the finger straight at our hearts and our sinful thought processes.

This is in line with our Lord Jesus Christ’s elaboration of the Ten Commandments during His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21–48). Sin is committed the moment it is conceived in the heart, even before it is actually committed. Avoiding the seven things God hates will help us expose our hidden intentions and motives.

The following is Proverbs’ list of seven things God hates:

Arrogant (haughty) eyes: This describes a feeling of pride and looking down upon others (Philippians 2:3, 5–11). When we begin to think of ourselves more highly and with unparalleled importance, we are forgetting the fact that anything good in us is the result of Christ living in us and that the old self is now dead (Galatians 2:20). Often, believers feel superior to other believers when they receive godly wisdom and display amazing tenacity against sin. We fail to realize these gifts were given by God through Christ and fanned into flame by the Holy Spirit and are not due to our own goodness. This sin of pride is so detested by the LORD that Paul was kept from committing this sin by being provided with “a thorn in the flesh” to humble him (2 Corinthians 12:7).

Lying tongue: A lying tongue is one that speaks falsehood, knowingly and willingly, with an intention to deceive others. Lying can be used to impugn the character of a brother or to flatter a friend. It is a most detestable evil to God, who is a God of truth. Nothing we do causes us to more closely resemble the devil, who is the father of lies (John 8:44).

Hands that shed innocent blood: This refers to cold-blooded murder. We may never have orchestrated killing someone or never have touched a gun or knife, but in Matthew 5:21–24, Jesus says that anyone hating someone else unreasonably without offering room for forgiveness commits a sin equivalent to murder. John reiterates this concept in 1 John3:15.

A heart that devises wicked schemes: This encompasses thinking or conceiving evil against any individual or group for personal benefit or other misguided objectives, like modern-day terrorists indulge in. Any sin is basically a wicked scheme. David’s sin against Uriah the Hittite and Bathsheba comes to mind (2 Samuel 11). The heart of an evil man continually contrives schemes to bring others to ruin, whether physically or spiritually.

Feet that are quick to rush into evil: Those whose feet are quick to rush into evil display no resistance whatsoever to sin. Having many examples in the Bible, and having the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30; Galatians 5:16), we are expected to be wise in this regard (Romans 6:11–14; Ephesians 5:5, 11). In the Garden of Eden, Eve had the first experience of temptation. She displayed no resistance to the serpent’s temptation. Instead, as soon as the devil attracted her to the fruit, she “saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6). Eve had sinned at that moment itself. Contrast this with the attitude of Jesus: when tired and hungry after forty days and forty nights of fasting, He refused to yield to the devil’s tempting and killed the temptation in His mind without allowing it to grow into sin (Matthew 4:1–11). “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

False witness who pours out lies: This is similar to the sin of the lying tongue mentioned earlier, but this form of lying is given special mention as it could send an innocent person to jail or even lead to him being stoned to death as happened to Naboth, thanks to false witnesses instigated by the wicked Jezebel (1 Kings 21:8–14). The prohibition against bearing false witness is the ninth of the Ten Commandments, and the New Testament is equally condemning of it. Colossians 3:9–10 explains the reason for the continued prohibition against lying. Christians are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and, as such, we reflect His nature. We have been released from our “old self” with its evil practices such as lying and bearing false witness.

A man who stirs up dissension among brothers: Brothers are created by God to live in unity (Psalm 133:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:9). Believers are brothers and sisters since they have one Father God and one Brother, Jesus Christ. The Church is also the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25–27). In many situations strife among brothers and even within the church seems unavoidable, but anyone who purposely causes disruption to peace in the body of Christ will displease God above all, since that person gives room for others to sin and for himself to sin further (1 John 2:9–11;4:19–21). Moreover, Jesus pronounced a great blessing on peacemakers, the privilege to be called “sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Got questions. 

The Lord He is all that and more.

There is right and wrong, light and dark-day and night, there is hot and cold, there is white and black and if the person you’re with is not lifting you up, they are putting you down. James Cruse

I’m where I’m at today not just because someone prayed for me but God heard their prayers and loved me enough to grant their petitions. James Cruse

In your struggles, and your race to glory with all your challenges, you are promised victory because of your biggest supporter, coach and fan. Your Savior Christ and your Father. James Cruse

Even sheep know how to impress with the dress of a wolf.

“You're going to meet many people with domineering personalities: the loud, the obnoxious, those that noisily stake their claims in your territory and everywhere else they set foot on. This is the blueprint of a predator. Predators prey on gentleness, peace, calmness, sweetness and any positivity that they sniff out as weakness. Anything that is happy and at peace they mistake for weakness. Their passion is to add you to their belt of accomplishments and don’t care who they hurt. They break up homes, marriages, relationships without any remorse. They will use and abuse you. Married or not they brag about their accomplishments and feed off of disrespect. Their characteristics are being egotistical, narcissist and even cocky.

 They will go to great lengths to befriend even if it is using someone, if you fit the description of what they think is weak; predators want to have friends that they can dominate over because that makes them feel strong and important, they always want people to like them, fear rejection and never want to be alone. The truth is that predators have no strength and no courage. It is you who are strong, and it is you who has courage. Be strong, be made of silk and keep the Lord who will save you from those stalkers. Stay encouraged in the Lord and He will open up your eyes and show you everything you need to know. James Cruse

Dare to dream.

 “Most of us are not raised to actively encounter our destiny. As children, we may not know that we have one. We are seldom told we have a place in life that is uniquely ours alone. As we get older, we are encouraged to believe that our life should somehow fulfill the expectations of others, that we will (or should) find our satisfactions as they have found theirs. Rather than being taught to ask ourselves who we are, we are schooled to ask others. We are, in effect, trained to listen to others' versions of ourselves, and we act upon those ideas, yes the idea of how we are supposed to look like, act and even treat others. We are brought up in our life as told to us by someone else! When we finally try survey our lives, seeking to fulfill our creativity, we often see we had a dream that went glimmering because we believed, and those around us believed that the dream was beyond our reach. Many of us would have been, or at least might have been, done, tried something, if...If we had known who we really were.” Dare to dream. JC

Are we judging when we tell people about their sins?

Jesus’ command not to judge others could be the most widely quoted of His sayings, even though it is almost invariably quoted in complete disregard of its context. Here is Jesus’ statement: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Many people use this verse in an attempt to silence their critics, interpreting Jesus’ meaning as “You don’t have the right to tell me I’m wrong.” Taken in isolation, Jesus’ command “Do not judge” does indeed seem to preclude all negative assessments. However, there is much more to the passage than those three words.

The Bible’s command that we not judge others does not mean we cannot show discernment. Immediately after Jesus says, “Do not judge,” He says, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs” (Matthew 7:6). A little later in the same sermon, He says, “Watch out for false prophets. . . . By their fruit you will recognize them” (verses 15–16). How are we to discern who are the “dogs” and “pigs” and “false prophets” unless we have the ability to make a judgment call on doctrines and deeds? Jesus is giving us permission to tell right from wrong.

Also, the Bible’s comma nd that we not judge others does not mean all actions are equally moral or that truth is relative. The Bible clearly teaches that truth is objective, eternal, and inseparable from God’s character. Anything that contradicts the truth is a lie—but, of course, to call something a “lie” is to pass judgment. To call adultery or murder a sin is likewise to pass judgment—but it’s also to agree with God. When Jesus said not to judge others, He did not mean that no one can identify sin for what it is, based on God’s definition of sin.

And the Bible’s command that we not judge others does not mean there should be no mechanism for dealing with sin. The Bible has a whole book entitled Judges. The judges in the Old Testament were raised up by God Himself (Judges 2:18). The modern judicial system, including its judges, is a necessary part of society. In saying, “Do not judge,” Jesus was not saying, “Anything goes.”

Elsewhere, Jesus gives a direct command to judge: “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly” (John 7:24). Here we have a clue as to the right type of judgment versus the wrong type. Taking this verse and some others, we can put together a description of the sinful type of judgment:

Superficial judgment is wrong. Passing judgment on someone based solely on appearances is sinful (John 7:24). It is foolish to jump to conclusions before investigating the facts (Proverbs 18:13). Simon the Pharisee passed judgment on a woman based on her appearance and reputation, but he could not see that the woman had been forgiven; Simon thus drew Jesus’ rebuke for his unrighteous judgment (Luke 7:36–50).

Hypocritical judgment is wrong. Jesus’ command not to judge others in Matthew 7:1 is preceded by comparisons to hypocrites (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16) and followed by a warning against hypocrisy (Matthew 7:3–5). When we point out the sin of others while we ourselves commit the same sin, we condemn ourselves (Romans 2:1).

Harsh, unforgiving judgment is wrong. We are “always to be gentle toward everyone” (Titus 3:2). It is the merciful who will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7), and, as Jesus warned, “In the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2).

Self-righteous judgment is wrong. We are called to humility, and “God opposes the proud” (James 4:6). The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector was confident in his own righteousness and from that proud position judged the publican; however, God sees the heart and refused to forgive the Pharisee’s sin (Luke 18:9–14).

Untrue judgment is wrong. The Bible clearly forbids bearing false witness (Proverbs 19:5). “Slander no one” (Titus 3:2).

Christians are often accused of “judging” or intolerance when they speak out against sin. But opposing sin is not wrong. Holding aloft the standard of righteousness naturally defines unrighteousness and draws the slings and arrows of those who choose sin over godliness.John the Baptist incurred the ire of Herodias when he spoke out against her adultery with Herod (Mark 6:18–19). She eventually silenced John, but she could not silence the truth (Isaiah 40:8).

Believers are warned against judging others unfairly or unrighteously, but Jesus commends “right judgment” (John 7:24, ESV). We are to be discerning (Colossians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). We are to preach the whole counsel of God, including the Bible’s teaching on sin (Acts 20:27; 2 Timothy 4:2). We are to gently confront erring brothers or sisters in Christ (Galatians 6:1). We are to practice church discipline (Matthew 18:15–17). We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Think about it

“Growing up means learning what life is. When you're little, you have a set of ideals, standards, criteria, plans, outlooks, and you think that you have to sit around and wait for them to happen to you and then life will work. But life isn't like that, for anybody; you can't fall in love with a standard, you have to fall in love with a person. You can't live in a criteria, you have to live your life. You can't wait for your plans to materialize, because they may never materialize the way you think they will. You can't wait to watch your ideals and standards walk up to you, because you can't know what's yours until you have it. I always say, always take the first chance in case you never get a second one, but growing up takes that even one step further, growing up means that you have to hold on to what you have, when you have it, because what you have- that's yours- and all the ideals and criteria you have set in your head, those aren't yours, because those haven't happened to you.” Joy.