John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Introductory Thoughts
One of the most misunderstood, misquoted, and abused truths of scripture revolves around whether or not a person should judge. Contrary to popular teaching, all believers are instructed to judge all things (1 Corinthians 2:15). Yet, how a person judges makes the judgment scriptural or unscriptural. Judging with equity involves incorporating an unwavering standard by which to judge. When emotion, modern thought, and one’s educational attainments form the foundational basis for how someone judges, the standards are ever changing and never consistently applied. They rarely yield an equitable outcome. Therefore, it is important to consult an unwavering standard concerning every decision and matter. This standard must be something perfect without possibility of corruption. Only one standard consistently fits this mold and of course it is the Bible. The word of God remains the standard by which the saints will be judged and the only viable source by which all things should and must be judged while on earth (John 12:48).
Devotional Thoughts
· (For children): The Bible always has been and always will be pure and true (Psalm 119:140, 160). For this reason, we can always trust the Bible to judge our decisions revealing whether they are right or wrong.
· (For everyone): What is your primary standard for making correct judgments? Does your standard for judgment frequently waver? Would you say that it is a safe standard that generally leads to godly judgment?
· How often do you make decisions only to later question them? Why does that happen to you? What is your ultimate authority for making judgments?
PRAYER NEEDS
· Ask the Lord to give you a desire to judge based upon His word rather than your emotions or any other wavering foundation.
· Pray that God gives you a boldness to judge on the truth alone.
SONG: Holy Bible, Book Divine