Can We Judge A Believer's Faith or Salvation?
Many people will disagree with me, but Christian believers and pastors/church leaders should not and must not judge another Christian believer's faith or salvation. Christian believers and pastors/church leaders should not and must not condemn another Christian believer's faith or salvation.
SOME PEOPLE and MANY PASTORS/CHURCH LEADERS believe that if you are REALLY SAVED, your life will show it...and these people (including pastors/church leaders) are excessively JUDGMENTAL and CRITICAL of people's faith and/or salvation.
Judging another Christian believer's faith and/or salvation frequently gives us an excuse not to love them or pray for them. Once we pass judgment on another believer's faith and/or salvation, we comfort ourselves by telling ourselves that we are no longer obligated to love them or pray for them. But the truth is that God alone qualifies to judge humanity. Therefore, if we have set ourselves up as the Judge of another believer's faith and/or salvation, we must repent.
Pharisees were notoriously legalistic. And legalistic people are very judgmental because they have certain standards they live by - the standards of their legalism. When they perceive someone violating their standards, they will immediately judge them as less worthy or less acceptable.
False Teachers in the Christian Church
Anyone can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’, but if their Jesus is not the Jesus of scripture, this statement means nothing. False teachers in the church ask us to go after other gods. They may call an idol the true God, but it is still ‘other gods’ if it is not the God who has revealed Himself in scripture. False teachers in the church may call the spirit who guides them the Holy Spirit, but if it does not confirm scripture and point to Christ, it is nothing but a spirit of deception.
We will be accused of attacking God’s anointed when we obey scripture and test their doctrine, but in reality, we are defending, not attacking. If a teacher presents his doctrine to me and I compare it to scripture, is that an attack? Of course not.
When You Are Judged and Condemned By Other People
When you are accused by others, Jesus will readily rise to your defense. As long as you faithfully forgive those who judge you, God will vindicate you and execute His righteous judgments towards your accusers. As the prophet says:
“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17)
Many people will disagree with me, but Christian believers and pastors/church leaders should not and must not judge another Christian believer's faith or salvation. Christian believers and pastors/church leaders should not and must not condemn another Christian believer's faith or salvation.
SOME PEOPLE and MANY PASTORS/CHURCH LEADERS believe that if you are REALLY SAVED, your life will show it...and these people (including pastors/church leaders) are excessively JUDGMENTAL and CRITICAL of people's faith and/or salvation.
Judging another Christian believer's faith and/or salvation frequently gives us an excuse not to love them or pray for them. Once we pass judgment on another believer's faith and/or salvation, we comfort ourselves by telling ourselves that we are no longer obligated to love them or pray for them. But the truth is that God alone qualifies to judge humanity. Therefore, if we have set ourselves up as the Judge of another believer's faith and/or salvation, we must repent.
Pharisees were notoriously legalistic. And legalistic people are very judgmental because they have certain standards they live by - the standards of their legalism. When they perceive someone violating their standards, they will immediately judge them as less worthy or less acceptable.
False Teachers in the Christian Church
Anyone can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’, but if their Jesus is not the Jesus of scripture, this statement means nothing. False teachers in the church ask us to go after other gods. They may call an idol the true God, but it is still ‘other gods’ if it is not the God who has revealed Himself in scripture. False teachers in the church may call the spirit who guides them the Holy Spirit, but if it does not confirm scripture and point to Christ, it is nothing but a spirit of deception.
We will be accused of attacking God’s anointed when we obey scripture and test their doctrine, but in reality, we are defending, not attacking. If a teacher presents his doctrine to me and I compare it to scripture, is that an attack? Of course not.
When You Are Judged and Condemned By Other People
When you are accused by others, Jesus will readily rise to your defense. As long as you faithfully forgive those who judge you, God will vindicate you and execute His righteous judgments towards your accusers. As the prophet says:
“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17)
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