Why We Must Stop Judging People - Part 7
Jesus commanded us not to judge people, but we are also commanded to deal with sin and also to deal with error in doctrine or teaching when it becomes evident.
I’ve heard people say, “We are commanded not to judge people, but we can be fruit inspectors!”
That comes from Jesus’ warning to us in the Sermon on the Mount:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves. You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit. A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits.”—Matthew 7:15-20 (AMPC)
We are never to allow error in doctrine or teaching to go unchallenged in the Church. As the Apostle Paul instructed us:
“Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.”—1 Corinthians 14:29 (NIV)
If we carelessly allow minor errors in doctrine or teaching to be spoken without being challenged, those minor errors will spread and infect the Church like a virus, or like leaven (yeast) that spreads throughout an entire loaf of bread, corrupting it and changing its composition into something that deviates from the pure Truth of the Word of God.
Sin and error both affect the Church in the same ways. When small compromises are tolerated, those small compromises eventually lead to large-scale corruption.
Paul warned the Corinthian church about this after they had neglected to deal with a specific sin:
“Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”—1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NIV)
Paul used the same metaphor to describe the effects of doctrinal error to the churches in Galatia:
“You were running [the race] well; who has interfered and prevented you from obeying the truth? This [deceptive] persuasion is not from Him who called you [to freedom in Christ]. A little leaven [a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers] leavens the whole batch [it perverts the concept of faith and misleads the church]. I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view [contrary to mine on the matter]; but the one who is disturbing you, whoever he is, will have to bear the penalty.”—Galatians 5:7-10 (AMP)
Jesus also used the same symbolism to warn the disciples of error in His fourth parable of the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 13:
“He told them another parable, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and worked into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’”— Matthew 13:33 (AMP)
This woman who corrupts the Church is not named in Jesus’ parable, but this 4th parable of the Kingdom corresponds to the 4th church in Revelation chapter 2. In Jesus’ message to that church, we find out who this woman is:
“But I have this against you: you put up with that woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. You allow her to teach and to mislead my servants into committing sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols.”—Revelation 2:20 (CEB)
Jesus is adamant that error in the Church must not be tolerated. Error in doctrine or teaching must be addressed. When errors in doctrine or teaching become evident, then measures must be taken to correct the errors and to bring the church back to the pure Truth of the Bible.
Jesus had to address error again in His message to the church in Pergamum:
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of **Balaam, **who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.”— Revelation 2:14-16 (NKJV)
Paul exhorted the Church to have zero tolerance for error in any form.
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”—Galatians 1:6-9 (ESV)
We deal with error the same way that we deal with sin, by following the steps that Jesus gave us in Matthew 18:
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens and pays attention to you, you have won back your brother. But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector.”—Matthew 18:15-17 (AMP)
This is how Aquila and Priscilla dealt with Apollos. Apollos was not teaching error, but his teaching was incomplete. Aquila and Priscilla took him aside privately and clearly explained what was lacking in his teaching.
“Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent and cultured man, and well versed in the [Hebrew] Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being spiritually impassioned, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John; and he began to speak boldly and fearlessly in the synagogue.
“But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained more accurately to him the way of God [and the full story of the life of Christ].
“And when Apollos wanted to go across to Achaia (southern Greece), the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples, [urging them] to welcome him gladly. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who, through grace, had believed and had followed Jesus as Lord and Savior, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public discussions, proving by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).”—Acts 18:24-28 (AMP)
Apollos humbly received the correction from Aquila and Priscilla, and because of this, he was able to be used even more powerfully in the Lord’s work.
In the Ephesian church, some deceivers had tried to exalt themselves to high positions of honor and authority, even falsely claiming to be apostles, as many do today as well. Jesus praised the Ephesian church for confronting these people when their sin and error became evident and removing the sin and error from their midst; not tolerating these false teachers.
“I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars.”—Revelation 2:2 (AMPC)
Why is it so important to only allow Truth to be spoken?
“Lord, who shall dwell [temporarily] in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell [permanently] on Your holy hill?
“He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart”—Psalm 15:1-2 (AMPC)
What we believe affects every aspect of our lives. It affects our relationships with God and others. It affects our character and morality. It affects our mental, emotional, physical, and financial health. It affects our work and our future.
What we believe affects our potential in every area of life, not only here in this life, but for all eternity. When we believe error, it robs us of our potential here in this life, and it robs us of God’s rewards and blessings for all eternity.
That is why James has a solemn warning for anyone who would be a teacher:
“Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].”—James 3:1 (AMP)
One day, we will all be judged. Many people will be condemned to an eternity without God because they were taught lies and based their lives on those lies.
Many Christians will lose out on eternal rewards because they were never taught about those rewards and their requirements. Many Christians will realize too late that they wasted their lives in pursuit of things that didn’t matter in the long term. Many Christians have been deceived and believed the errors they were taught.
It is vital for the Church to remove error from all teaching and doctrine because each person in the Church will ultimately be judged based on the Truth of the God’s Word.
“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”—1 Peter 4:17 (ESV)
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”—2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV)
“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”—Romans 2:16 (KJV)
“Rather, we have been examined and approved by God to be trusted with the good news, and that’s exactly how we speak. We aren’t trying to please people, but we are trying to please God, who continues to examine our hearts.”—1 Thessalonians 2:4 (CEB)
Truth Bears Good Fruit
As Jesus taught us, messengers and their messages bear fruit. False messages bear corrupt fruit. Truth bears good fruit.
“You have this faith and love because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You previously heard about this hope through the true message, the good news, which has come to you. This message has been bearing fruit and growing among you since the day you heard and truly understood God’s grace, in the same way that it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world.”—Colossians 1:4-6 (CEB)
We can recognize the truth of a message by observing the fruit that it produces in the lives of those who speak it and in the lives of those who receive it.
Truth Has Life-Changing Power
Real Truth has God’s power to change lives.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”—Romans 1:16 (NKJV)
“[Even as my preaching has been accompanied] with the power of signs and wonders, [and all of it] by the power of the Holy Spirit. [The result is] that starting from Jerusalem and as far round as Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospel [faithfully executing, accomplishing, carrying out to the full the good news] of Christ (the Messiah) in its entirety.”—Romans 15:19 (AMPC)
“And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”—1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (NKJV)
“for the gospel we brought did not come to you in words only, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. Indeed, you know what kind of people we proved to be while we were with you, acting on your behalf.”—1 Thessalonians 1:5 (ISV)
“It was revealed to them that in their search they were not serving themselves but you. These things, which even angels long to examine, have now been proclaimed to you by those who brought you the good news. They did this in the power of the Holy Spirit, who was sent from heaven.”—1 Peter 1:12 (CEB)
Any doctrine or teaching that denies the power of God is error.
“They will look like they are religious but deny God’s power. Avoid people like this.”—2 Timothy 3:5 (CEB)
Truth Brings Freedom
Real Truth brings freedom.
“So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, ‘If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.’”—John 8:31-32 (AMPC)
Doctrines and teachings that require submission to religious laws, rules, and other requirements in order to gain approval or salvation are in error.
“My concern was because of the false brothers [those people masquerading as Christians] who had been secretly smuggled in [to the community of believers]. They had slipped in to spy on the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us back into bondage [under the Law of Moses]. But we did not yield to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would continue to remain with you [in its purity].”—Galatians 2:4-5 (AMP)
Truth Acknowledges the Lordship of Jesus Christ
We are to test the spirits of the teachers, prophets, and other leaders among us, along with their messages, as John says. Any spirit that contradicts the Truth of Jesus Christ is in error.
“Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.”—1 John 4:1-3 (NLT)
“And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these three witnesses—the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.”—1 John 5:6-10 (NLT)
