Men’s Fellowship Night is THIS Thursday, April 12th at 6:15PM — Come Hungry!

“Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” — Matthew 7:1-2 (NASB)

There is something going on in today’s world that has gotten outta hand. It is spreading like a cancer and is leaving everyone in its wake. It’s the popular pastime known as “Tolerance.” This activity is so ingrained and widespread that it is being done as reflex instead of what it was intended for. “What was it intended for?” you may ask, but I’m not really too sure that I have an answer for that simply because ‘tolerance’ gets redefined as fast as what is to be tolerated changes.

Basically, tolerance today means that we allow others to believe and live in ways that we don’t agree with AND support their right to do so. We don’t judge their viewpoint or their actions as being either right or wrong, just tolerated. To think otherwise means you are ignorant or arrogant and you just might be…deplorable. This is a far cry from what the original idea of tolerance meant. What was once meant to grant others the freedom to be wrong, that didn’t prevent critique or criticism and allowed for evaluation with grace has now become an affirming that EVERYONE is right, no matter what the believe or do. This takes “itching ears” to a different level, doesn’t it?

In Secularland, when a Christian gets themselves involved in a conversation where, at some point, something gets called a “sin” someone, who just maybe a resident of Secularland, will come out and accuse us of judging. They may even say to us “Really? Is that what you think?” and then follow it up with, “Didn’t Jesus tell you not to judge?” It’s like at that moment they, all of sudden, know the Word of God and follow it with the comment “judge not lest you be judged!” The actual irony of this is the person who just spoke up about it has no idea where in Scripture you’d find this and that its being taken outta context. This is the part where I think to myself, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”

And if I’m gonna think that to myself, my next course of action should be taking the time to walk them through what Jesus has actually said in full context, because He didn’t stop with “lest you be judged.” On the contrary, Jesus went on to talk about the standard of measure in which you use. This is the opportunity to explain that when we God’s standards to judge, and not our own, we can then give credence to where we failed in perhaps a similar way and go on to explain what Biblical action was taken to correct our thinking and behaving.

This would be a great way to illustrate why Jesus would need to remind us about the 2X4 in our eye against the speck in theirs. But as with all things that Jesus said to us there comes a warning, so know your audience. In Matthew 7:6, we are told “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” Now this is where the new definition of tolerance can turn on us and leave us decimated.

18^th century theologian John Gill would reference Proverbs 9:7 as something to keep in mind when thinking of judging the actions of others. “He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, and he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.” This a great reminder that the Word of God is to be treated as precious as a bead of pearls. When we try to impart wisdom to what Gill calls “impudent blasphemers” (how’s that for a judgement call?) we stand a good chance of getting our “Holy Spirit wings” clipped and being trampled underfoot by the new tolerance revolution.

In closing today, I would encourage us to not think that it’s too far gone to critique or criticize what I call the New Tolerance Revolution. It is understandable that, though the Word of God hasn’t changed, Secularland has and with that there has to come a change of methodology. As long as we also keep this in mind, “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another” (Titus 3:3,  we should maintain a good footing because, “when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:4-6) Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married (Kathy) with two grown children (Kevin and Karen) and has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 9-12| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “We must judge ourselves, and judge of our own acts, but not make our word a law to everybody. We must not judge rashly, nor pass judgment upon our brother without any ground. We must not make the worst of people.” — Matthew Henry

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; Psalm 78:7