A topic that seems to crop up in many discussions is judging your neighbor. On several occasions, the wrong ideas are construed that we should not make judgement calls on actions and that we should question the authority of our leaders. Just what does the Bible teach on these issues? How do we handle these situations in conversation?
The most famous verse (sometimes taken out of context) is Matt. 7:1 which states, "Judge not that ye be not judged." While everyone agrees that we should take care of our own problems first, we have to learn to discern between good and evil and sometimes that means judging the actions of ourselves and even taking a look at the actions of others. In John 7:24, Jesus makes this clear when He says, "Judge not by appearance, but judge righteous judgements." He pointed out that we should look at man not by outward appearance, but by the nature of his actions. That is an important part of judging. We need to heed the Word and understand our spiritual heritage in Christ. If you want to further understand this, read I Corinthians 6:1-7. What is the main subject? Whom shall the saints judge?
On the subject of questioning authority, we should look at Acts 17:6-11. Notice that the Bereans received the Word. They did not question it. Then, when they went home, they searched the scriptures daily to see if everything they learned was correct. This is a great example of how we need to handle our questions. Don't question it before you research it. You may just stir up unnecessary and unfounded doubt. Another way to handle questions is to wait until the study is over and ask the teacher privately. This shows that you have respect for his/her authority.
Brother Tim and Sister Elaine
For information on the district youth group and upcoming events, you can visit our website at the address below.
www.angelfire.com/home/etimorg/LighthouseYouth.html
In order to make sure that everyone can attend our next event, I will be contacting everyone to make sure that you can make it. We want to make it possible for everyone to be there that would like to take part in our youth functions.
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Tim & Elaine
859-734-0669