08.25.2013 Colossians 2 - JUDGE NOT! or Judge RIGHTLY!?

As we prepare for this week and our lives to worship, may we remember You. There are so many things in our lives - and You are involved - so we look to You - to say we recognize Your involvement and want to see how You are leading. As we look at Your word, may our eyes be fixed on You.

We are going to continue on through Colossians.
Colossians 2:17 – Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink…
I am going to quote probably the most quoted verse in the Bible, after John 3:16 – do not judge, lest you be judged!
I’d like to bring clarity to this verse – because it is often misunderstood.
The five things we hope to accomplish –
1) What does the phrase mean?
2) When and how are we to apply it? What areas and issues does it relate to?
3) Are there times to judge? In what ways and when?
4) We are commanded to judge ourselves!
5) God is the ultimate judge of everything
Back to Colossians 2:
16 Therefore no one is to [n]act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath [o]day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the [p]substance [q]belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one keep [r]defrauding you of your prize by delighting in [s]self-abasement and the worship of the angels, [t]taking his stand on visions he has seen, [u]inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and [v]ligaments, grows with a growth [w]which is from God.

20 If you have died with Christ [x]to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish [y]with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the [z]appearance of wisdom in [aa]self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
We aren’t to judge, and we aren’t to let people judge us.
People FEEL judged all of the time. You may feel judged – it just seems to be human nature to judge and to feel judged. This is addressed in a number of situations, both by Paul and by Jesus.
With respect to food and drink – Sabbath days, festivals, false abasement – worship of angels. And we look at these things and say, I’m okay with not judging when it comes to these things. What these things are – in this context and ours – religious regulations, laws, and restrictions. Things that are clean and unclean – things that mattered as a vital aspect of their faith. Each of these things was significant to their faith – spiritual and unspiritual activities and practices that may seem to make us look spiritual or someone else not look superior.
Judging is when people believe they are superior in faith morals, and character looking down on others as inferior.
The reality is this – we are unaware that we are doing this most of the time – We are oblivious to the fact that we judge people – and that is where the danger lies.
In Romans 1, Paul talks about how the pagan world is getting worse and worse.
Romans 2: 1 Therefore you have no excuse, [a]everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God [b]rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, O man, [c]when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?
The goal was to determine who was ‘in’ and who was out – who was acceptable and who was unacceptable. But the reality is - , if we are honest – there are acceptable and unacceptable sins – the problem is, the acceptable sins are the ones I commit – and the unacceptable ones are the ones someone else commits! John Piper.
Romans 14: 1 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. 2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.
Food and eating – the weak in faith – are not unspiritual or problem people – but sensitive consciences – people who may have a little less knowledge and understanding about what the Bible teaches – it is personal conviction and conscience – do not judge or hold in contempt based on those things. Everyone’s conscience is different. You might see something and say, HOW could THEY do THAT?! I’d be guilty if I do that, but others seem to be able to go right ahead. The weak in faith are not second class citizens. Both sides judge. We see it with the rich and the poor -
4 Who are you to judge the [a]servant of another? To his own [b]master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.5 One person [c]regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, [d]does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God
When we judge someone based on personal conviction and issues of conscience – we are judging Jesus. Our attack is on God because He is the master – He has accepted this person and his sensitivities – and you are rejecting him or her.
Judging happens. We judge – we are judged.
What does it really look like? I’d like to open up how it might work in our situation.
From a theological perspective, judging takes place when extra-Biblical restrictions are brought in. They took some principles and went beyond that and placed regulations the Bible never placed. Do not touch/taste/handle.
This doesn’t happen anymore. In a lot of ways, we may have too few restrictions – we’ll look at proper judging in a bit – there should be some kinds of restriction!
We are people of human nature –and we will always try to do this –so we need to guard against it.
Years and years ago, if you went to a movie – you were judged! Dancing or a concert?! You were judged! I don’t see that a lot today – but we would be blind and foolish to think that people don’t judge anymore and that people don’t set up rules and restrictions that go beyond Scripture.
Sometimes people would take a passage they didn’t understand and would place rules and regulations based on their misunderstanding.
1 Cor. 7:1 – it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
Some make a restriction that people couldn’t hug when they enter church – or couldn’t hold hands until they were married.
That may be fine – but that is not what the passage says. The passage is saying a man should not have sexual relations with a woman outside of marriage.
We judge with the motive of excluding and separating – determining inferior and superior. We all do it and need to recognize it. We don’t see how we do it. That is why there is so much emphasis on this in the Bible.
Some practicals – I encourage you to think through your own life – how do I do this? As Cindy and I talk about this – driving to Columbus for the 900th time this month since having a grandchild… This kind of thing – I judge. It is a good exercise – do it with your spouse – fun exercise – eye-opening.
First – appearance. We do it all the time. Physical appearance. Do they conform to what we believe culture should tell them to conform to? What they wear/how they do their hair – tattoos – or the “Christian appearance judging” – the Christian smile – avoiding the wrong words – do they come with their church behavior – for all of us it probably has different meanings. You see someone and you are immediately calculating – especially if there is something different. Or if they are like you – there is a judgment made. We judge our safety.
Second – economic status – we judge based on money – we make so many opinions and statements based on money and the job they have.
Another way we do this – how people spend money – we judge people on that all the time – or the way they DON’T spend money!
Third – we judge based on political opinions and affiliations. We REALLY judge on this one!
This ties into the next one – we judge based on race – the color of their skin.
Dave and Rayfield – up at The Rock – their church is unique – really unique in our association – 50% white/40% black/ 10% other – Leadership is 50/50.
And the reality for us is, this will never happen, based on our neighborhood. Anyone who wants to be engaged in reconciliation or multi racial ministry – should read Divided by Faith.
We have been reading it – what it does – it is a book that reveals to white evangelical Christians where they have racist attitudes that they don’t know about.
It is a hard read! There is nothing encouraging in it at all.
A story that goes with that:
There was a mixed church – blacks and whites in the leadership discussing some issues. One of the white leaders said these words, talking about our nation: We need to take back our culture!
The African American leader said, you scare me – what do you want to take it back to? Segregation? Slave owners? When do you want to take it back to?
When I heard it – it opened my eyes. Oh! I never thought of that! It never entered my mind.
Have you seen 42? The story of Jackie Robinson? It is raw. I recommend you watch it. It is hard to imagine what this nation did in the 40s and 50s to African Americans. It is hard to believe.
Fifth – We tend to judge, especially in the church – family – how people choose to do family – how people choose to discipline children – how people look at roles and choose to live those roles.

John 3:17 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him..
Jesus says this several times. Who will judge the world? Jesus. There is a day coming – but that day is not now. This is the day not to judge the world, but to save it – to bring the message of GRACE to the world, like Ed did.
For Jesus – it was a time to bring salvation. Judgment will come. The time is not now.
Jesus welcomed sinners – ate with them – gave dignity and place. But He also transformed sinners and expected change. It is cliché – but He accepts us as we are but He does not leave us that way. It is always the case – where ever you are – whatever point you were saved – both – he is always transforming us.

Righteous Judgment. There is a proper place to judge – it does not come with condemnation.
Judge with righteous judgment – the discernment of right and wrong and be able to point it out.
1) In order to judge righteously, the area must be clearly taught to be wrong in scripture – and something that has been agreed upon throughout the ages. There are a lot of things in churches – denominations – but there are things that are clear and agreed upon throughout the history of the church – but when we see people not conforming to Scripture, we have a responsibility to discern the truth and to correct and train if necessary – 2 Tim. 3:16 – we need to address people who teach things that do not match up – correct – make judgment and discern.
2) Matthew 18 – personal offenses – where people are sinning against one another – that needs to be judged.
3) When people try to divide Christ’s family – Galatians – Paul corrected Peter when he changed his ways based on who he was with.
Matt. 7: 1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and [a]by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how [b]can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give what is holy
When we judge and condemn, we place ourselves in the position of being judged and condemned, because we too are sinners. We have different standards for others. When we look at others’ sins we inflate them. When we look at our sins, we deflate them. Jesus says you need to have the same standard. You better make sure you have the same standard when you do judge –
Galatians 6:1
There is nothing here about condemning. When someone is caught – or in sin – or doing the wrong thing – restore them in gentleness. This speaks of sympathy – empathy – understanding that we have a log in our own eye. We also should be judged – then we can go with the right attitude toward those who need correcting.
Carry one another’s burdens and fulfill the law of Christ. You don’t condemn and reject, but carry them through – walk with them – alongside of them – holding them up –
Let’s close in prayer.
Lord, help us in our understanding of these things – they are not easy at times to understand – and may be convicting and disturbing to us. I know we don’t want to be disturbed on Sunday mornings, but at times we need to be so we can examine ourselves and to respond properly