WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

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For Sunday July 28, 2019

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JESUS TEACHES ABOUT SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

(True Disciples of CHRIST do not condemn others)

(Matthew 7:1-6 and 15-23)

   In Matthew chapter 7, verses 1-6, JESUS nears the conclusion of HIS famous “Sermon on the Mount” by giving us a wise lesson on how we should apply judgment to our selves, and, to each other. HE begins by warning against using one kind of “judgment”, “krino” judgment, in the biblical Greek, which is a judgment of “condemnation” of others.

    Then, JESUS actually encourages us to apply two other kinds of judgment, “anakrino” judgment, which is self-judgment, and “diakrino” judgment, which concerns using “spiritual discernment” regarding how we should look at all people, places, and things of this world.

    Here JESUS is perhaps, more so expressing HIS personal hope for mankind, than HE is admonishing them. Here in verses 1-2 JESUS states that if we, “Stop judging others, we will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged” (NLT).

    Then and now people tend to look for flaws in others, that they consider to be “a worst sin habit” than the ones that they themselves have. However, GOD doesn’t have “a favorite sin”, as all sin, no matter how small or great we consider it to be, is viewed by GOD as rebellion against HIM. All sin as for as GOD is concerned, equally breaks the “Whole Law of GOD”. And so, in that sense, “favoritism” is just as detestable to GOD as “adultery” or “murder”.

    “Krino judgment” (v.1) is the kind of judgment that only GOD is qualified to do, and it concerns judgment that goes even beyond physical death. It a judgment of “condemnation” (a separation, that for us, can only be inspired by hatred), and because we are all sinners, we are each incapable of condemning each other to Hell, or “eternal punishment” after physical death. Only a “perfect” GOD is qualified to do that.

    An “imperfect person” cannot hate (condemn) another “imperfect person” for their sins, simply because of their own “imperfection”. It is hypocritical for man to try and “krino judge” other men, because, to be a krino judge, one cannot themselves, be guilty of any sin. Here JESUS is saying in effect that, if we determine to hate someone (krino judge them), because of their sin against us, GOD, against WHOM we sin every day (and HE still loves us), will judge us in the same way (v.2).

    Anyway, even if we wanted to krino judge, it is impossible for us to do so, because GOD has not given us the power over life and death, (except through our acceptance of CHRIST), and that only gives us power over our own personal lives and death (the power to choose for ourselves), not over others. Only GOD has the power to judge us, or “condemn us, after our physical death”. That’s the way it is, and, that’s the way that it will remain forever. In fact, JESUS is the only man who has ever earned the right to “krino judge”.

    In verses 3-5, JESUS turns HIS focus to “anakrino judgment”, which is the type of judgment that a person must learn how to apply “first” and foremost. It is a “self-judgment” that should be used “to keep ourselves in line, or, in tuned, with GOD”. Here JESUS says, “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, “Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye”, when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye, then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye” (NLT).

    Anakrino judgment has to be done using “the Word of GOD” as our guideline. We must judge ourselves according to the righteousness that can only be found there. JESUS is our only “human example”, or personification, of that righteousness, and so, HE has to be our only human “role model”. Our role models can’t be found in any other so-called religious man or woman, or, in any pagan person, who has each become famous, only because they have been validated by the people of this world, whose minds are being controlled by satan.

    And finally in verse 6, JESUS teaches us about “diakrino judgment” where HE warns that we “Don’t give what is holy to unholy people. Don’t give pearls to swine! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you” (NLT).

    This bit of advice requires us to, first, acquire “spiritual discernment” before we can make this kind of judgment. In order to apply this type of judgment we have to learn, through our study of the Word of GOD, how to see things the way our great human example, JESUS, did, which is the way GOD wants us to. In order to discern the “holy” from the “profane” one must first learn what holiness is.

    Contrary to popular belief of “professed Christians”, holiness cannot necessarily be found in the church today, and in fact, it never could, at least not for any significant period of time. And so we must put our focus on the ways of CHRIST JESUS, and, over time, learn to share HIS mind and HIS way of thinking by filling ourselves up with the saving knowledge of the Word of GOD, before we enter a church.

    Through “our desire” to know GOD, we prompt the attention of the HOLY SPIRIT, and then the HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM JESUS says, will teach us all things about HIM (John 14:26), begins to give us complete detailed understanding of the Word and ways of GOD. Then, as we apply that knowledge and discernment into our decision-making, the roads of our lives become much smoother, and we are able to navigate through this world victoriously, and with joy, just as JESUS, our great example and role model did.

    We should remember too, that, one can have “a moral compass” and still not have “spiritual discernment”, the story of Jacob and Esau taught us that. A moral compass is given to us at birth, because as human beings, we all share GOD’s Nature. However, spiritual discernment has to be sewn into our existence through the knowledge and practice of the Word of GOD, which can only be taught to us by the HOLY SPIRIT.

    Esau had absolutely no desire for spiritual things (i.e. his birthright). His thoughts were fixed solely on physical things, which is why he so easily gave up his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for only a bowl of soup (Genesis 25:27-34). Sure! Esau had a moral compass, and he proves this by his forgiveness of Jacob when they met later on (Genesis 33:4). However, he never exhibited to us that he ever had even a spigeon of spiritual discernment.

     Jacob, on the other hand, at times exhibited both, spiritual discernment, and, a moral compass. However, he did allow his mother, Rebekah, to convince him to abandon his moral compass momentarily, and deceive his father, Isaac, with an elaborate scheme in order to steal Esau’s spiritual inheritance and blessing from him (Genesis 27:1-40). And so in the end an “unholy” Esau was prevented by GOD from receiving the “holy assignment” of becoming “the direct father of the nation of Israel”.

    In Matthew 7, verses 15-20, JESUS teaches us further about how to properly use “diakrino judgment”. Here HE uses the example of “a tree and its fruit” to show us how to discern false prophets, who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are, in reality, ravenous wolves who are intent on tearing “true Christians” apart.

    These false prophets are not so much to be judged according to what they say (they all talk a good game), even though that is a great indicator. Here JESUS says that “You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit” (v.16). In other words, what they actually do (the way they really live), actually determines what kind of person they really are. Sadly, sinful people, “who have no biblical knowledge or guidance”, are more often than not, drawn to these sinful leaders. On the other hand, GODly people, who have gained “spiritual discernment” through “biblical knowledge, practice, and guidance”, are drawn only to a GODly leader.

    Not all people who sound religious are really GODly (v.21a). JESUS says that they may even refer to HIM as “LORD”. However, because GOD knows that they are not “True Christians”, they won’t enter into the kingdom of Heaven at all. The deciding factor is always going to be, “are they making an earnest effort to obey GOD”, and GOD WHO is “kardionostas” (kardio-nos-tace), “a heart knower”, will always know for sure.

    JESUS says in verses 22-23 that, “On judgment Day many will tell ME, LORD, LORD, we prophesied in YOUR name and cast out demons in YOUR name and performed many miracles in YOUR name. But I will reply, “I never knew you, Go away; the things you did were unauthorized” (NLT).  

    This passage serves as a clear warning to all “uncalled pastors and so-called Christian church leaders, and their “man-made Christian denominations”, and this means all, be they Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, etc., all man-made versions of Christianity. Only those who are truly called, and we all know who we are, and those churches who go strictly by the Word of GOD, not using their own human ingenuity to conjure up self-made doctrines, that tend to do “an end around” GOD’s Word, are going to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

    True followers of CHRIST will be able to discern who these leaders are. If their church has the fruit of various denominational doctrines that falsely operate in the name of JESUS, and puts their own doctrine ahead of the bible, or even adds or incorporates their doctrine into their teachings of the Holy Bible, JESUS says here that, “they are not authorized to represent HIM” (v.23).

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander