Hello dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus! Before we start today, I would like to acknowledge my imperfections. I am born of flesh and am tempted as we all are. In times past I have lived in darkness as we are all programmed by nature to desire darkness and lust after the pleasures of the flesh. I am a sinner and I know my salvation relies upon the grace of God through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice alone. We are all equal in this ungodly nature and only through the love of Christ can one prevail against evil. With this in mind, know that what I am discussing with you today is not a message of “condemnation”, but unfortunately comes more as some “reprobation” (Divine rejection). I state this because I love the body of Christ and it is in my very soul that I feel the need to discuss this with you all today. It is a subject about which I feel we all need to ponder and seek enlightenment. Let me begin with this question:

“Why can we, as Christians, not grasp on to our common goal to be more like Him (Jesus Christ) who sacrificed His “ALL” for us and unite our efforts to overcome Satan and his angels rather than criticize and attack each other on insignificant and/or unclear doctrinal differences?”

I am not suggesting that we should abandon our beliefs or truths on which our “Denominational Groups” are based upon. I am not asking that we even agree on all tenets, descriptions, or rituals. I am only suggesting that we set aside these variations in an effort to defeat the evil with which we are increasingly pummeled. In time, all truth will be revealed by the power of God and all mysteries will be solved. Until that time, we must focus on the basic purpose of our existence and that is to model ourselves after and become as much like Christ as we can. We must focus on studying the scriptures, internalizing His lessons, seeking answers through prayer, and disciplining our ungodly tendencies. We must fully embrace the principles of charity, meekness, obedience, patience, service, etc. which Jesus Christ has shown us from the beginning of creation. As Luke wrote in Act 6:4,

Make no mistake, we are at war, and there are only two sides—“God (good) and Satan (evil)”. There are only two directions this world can go—elevated toward a heavenly standard or degenerated to wallow in selfishness, pride, and submission to wickedness and temptation that our sinful flesh lusts after and desires. (We were born into sinful lusts, “condemned already” at birth through the blood of Adam) In fact, Paul taught us in Ephesians 6 that we are at war with the very essence of “Evil in high places” and we should arm ourselves with the power of God Himself!

Can we fight evil if we continue to quarrel with one another over the little discrepancies we find? The Lord said in Matthew that we cannot.

In fact, He not only said that it will not stand, but it will be laid desolate or completely be destroyed. I cannot help but picture the Jewish Temple, after the crucifixion of my Lord, and how He said that “not one stone will be left upon another”.

If congregations cannot put the Lord Jesus Christ and His great teachings first, we have built our “church houses” on the sand. It will eventually sink and the walls shall fall. At that point, we become as the Sadducees and Pharisees who quibbled among themselves over points of law and completely missed the purpose of their faith. In fact, they became so obsessed over their minutiae and differences; they completely lost the Spirit and, in many ways, were worse than the proclaimed “heathen”. They knew better. Remember, it was not Pilate, the Roman governor who made the decision to crucify Jesus Christ. It was those who professed to be followers of God! Pilate found no guilt in Him and washed his hands of Christ’s execution, leaving the decision to crucify with the Jews.

In John 17, the Lord Jesus prayed that the Father would unite His followers with “Them”. Christ wanted there to be no divisions between them and pleaded with the Father to mold them together into one body. He prayed that they would be able to stand before all opposition and hold their faith in the truth of Jesus. Let’s look at this section for a minute and see what we can decipher out of it.

The truth of the Gospel teachings are universal, yet there are many who will not even listen to what others have to say because they do not meet at their gathering house. We allow too many small issues we each have in our own insignificant lives to hold us back from the peace of Christ. We too often seek to divide when we should be seeking for common ground. In this we are raising ourselves to be judges of others hearts.

We find false comfort in our personal standards and feel that if we do not see eye to eye in all things, there is nothing to gain. Why else would we feel the need to criticize and alienate others who hold to the name of Jesus Christ? Are they an embarrassment to be around? Do we feel as if we deserve a higher class of believers? We hold to the standards that we apply to ourselves which is a great thing to do. It is important to honor the truths which we embrace, but that gives us no right to judge others. When we judge others, we condemn ourselves. No matter how righteous our judgment is, we do not hold that authority. Only God has the authority to judge our fellow man’s heart.

We find that the Apostle Paul said that we were baptized in “One Spirit and we should have One Mind”,

We can see that there were many even in Paul’s day that divided into small groups and contended with each other. This has been a continuing problem dating back as far as the fall of Adam… It all starts with “Pride” (Self-righteousness), leading into a false sense of self-proclaimed royalty or lordship and advances into the expectation of being exalted into a higher seat of respect or kingdom. Exaltation becomes a competition where there can be only one winner. God wants us all to win the eternal crown He has prepared for us, and there is enough for the whole world (Holos Kosmos) through His sacrifice. Yet, unfortunately not all will accept and receive His gift of sacrifice. I ask you today just as Paul asked in his day… Was “John Calvin” crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of “John the Baptist”? “I (J. Charles Roberts) AM OF JESUS CHRIST ALONE”. Paul made this point then and I will make it now. I am a Christian, first and foremost. Nothing will change that ever! Paul said that knowledge in itself puffs us up. Unless we are filled with the Spirit, the knowledge is incomplete and ineffectual.

As our knowledge grows, we are tempted to think we are smart. We feel proud of our intellect and achievements. We enjoy the accolades of others praising our accomplishments. We want to feel good about ourselves and take the opportunity to exhibit what we feel is good. “Look at me, look what I have done!” We forget that whatever talents or intellect we have is a gift from God, which can be taken back at any moment. Some are tempted to propel themselves into a position of “expert” in their faith. Unfortunately, this takes the position of God Himself, who is the very author of all that is good, including our “living faith”. We only have the knowledge that God allows us to have. This knowledge comes through and from the love of the Father. The more we love God and seek to learn of Him, the more we grow in true knowledge.

(I want to point out an important detail… The word “known” here in (1Corinthians 8:3) means more than just common knowledge, it means an intimate, spiritual bond, between a person and God Himself, becoming One in Spirit, mind and body.)

We love labels, and we often refer to these labels with pride. People make claims that they are “somebody” special (Deacons, Elders, Pastors, Bishops, Ministers, Etc…). Those that do not hold this sanction in ministry are considered nothing more than administrative tokens, seat warmers, etc… It is disturbing to think that nobody wants to just be a “Layman”, just a member of or part of Christ’s body doing what he can with what he has been given. In reality, regardless of the label by which we are called or the mission we have an opportunity to fill, we are all just laymen in the shadows of His great and mighty glory. We are supposed to be doing all for the Glory of God, not for ourselves. The idea of being “content in all things” brings a new light to this doesn’t it? We all hold at least one special gift to add to the fullness of the body of Jesus Christ’s true “Church”. No matter the amount, we should be thankful for the abilities that have been granted unto us and seek to use those gifts where the Lord desires us to use them. Only then, will we truly grow in Christ and His purpose. In order to fully serve the Lord, we really do not have time to waste placing “condemning judgment” upon other servants and causing divisions among “His body”. Do we?

The Lord Jesus Christ has laid out some very important guidelines for every human being that ever walked this earth. He said that the “Greatest Commandment” is to love the Lord thy God with all, and second greatest is like unto it, that we are to love each other more than ourselves. A servant of Christ is a servant to the body of God’s children and to ALL here on earth. If we are truly servants of Christ we are commanded to love “all” unconditionally.

When we are placed in a position to become a “judge”, we should always pray for guidance. There are two types of judgment that we can apply to our daily lives and errors occur through misapplication.

1) Self-righteous judgment: Judging others by measuring them against our own “self-built values”. This kind of judgment is inconsiderate, ignorant, and arrogant. When we decide what the judgment of God should be we are assuming that we, not only know God’s mind, but that we know better. (John 3:18) = He came to save them that are “condemned already”.

2) Righteous judgment: Through the Love of God we build up our brothers and sisters in the truth of God through His great and Holy Word and His example living through us. Love builds up- remember, “Charity Edifieth”. < Different Lesson > (There is a time and place for these kind of reprimands done in private, with the Elders, and/or within the congregation, but only for “loving correction”, by God’s goodness and loving kindness which brings us “all” to true repentance)

So many people want to use this as if it claims the right to cast someone out because it says the person should be looked upon as like a “heathen man or a publican”, but the Lord came in the Love of God unto the heathens. Remember, the sinners and the publicans flocked unto him… He did not “excommunicate” (We take “Communion” after some “self-examination and repentance” 1Cor.11). Who is condemned by your decision to partake unworthily? You are, not me! Therefore I have no right to judge your decision to partake of communion. Just as He did then, Jesus does now, calling us all to repentance. He corrected all of us, saying, “Go and sin no more”!

Out of the LOVE of GOD we build up the strength of the weaker vessels in the body of Christ. “Where two or three are gathered in my name” (Two or more United in one accord and one mind of/in CHRIST JESUS)… How can we not see the need to combine our knowledge and forces? Can we not see that our little variances make us special to the body of Christ? We, as Christians are all claiming that we seek God’s desires to be accomplished; each and every part of the body has this as their heart’s goal. His desire is that “NONE SHOULD PERISH! (Matthew 18:14)”. Fact: God’s power accomplishes much more and is greater in us when we are numbered together in unison. He sent us out in pairs! (Please forgive me for this but I must move on, I promise that “Righteous Judgment” will become a whole lesson on itself later)

Many people use the scripture that quotes Christ’s words to justify their judgment upon another, “You shall know them by their fruits” but that is taken completely out of context! Let us look at this section of scripture and you be the judge… < NO “PUN” INTENDED!! > (Please use God’s Discernment)

Christ starts out with His great point…

This is the point that the Lord is stressing, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Condemn not and ye be not condemned.” We condemn ourselves as we “judge” others…

Next part of the point, we have too much to worry about in our own lives to waste time accusing, criticizing, and/or reproaching others. Which one of us can say we have perfected our walk? Nobody in this world can say this, therefore, there is no one that can justify themselves being a judge except the Lord Jesus Christ.

Having established that we need to be looking within ourselves and discovering our own shortcoming, we are instructed to ask sincerely to the Father in Christ’s name for help in correcting ourselves, and it shall be added unto us. He gives us this example here and next…

The Lord has promised that if we need help with something that we have found within ourselves that needs to be changed, God’s love surpasses our understanding and His love is completely selfless. He will help us when we judge in ourselves, finding something that needs to be changed.

Remember, Christ is still referring to judging and righteous judgment of ourselves, not others. “Few be that find it”, the truth is that no man (save it be Jesus Christ) can walk in perfect righteousness and hold the entitlement of true judgment. He gave us the key in Matthew 7:12, the “Golden Rule”… “LOVE” What do we expect from others?

Here is the part that so many lose the point, He switches focus onto “False Prophets” but there is no condemning judgment given/granted to us… Just a word of caution to watch for them by their “corrupt, evil fruit”!

This passage is not referring to our ability to judge the hearts and intents of our fellowman; this passage instructs us to look at the actual deeds or visual facts involved in those professing to be “Prophets”. Are their deeds constructive, based on “God’s love, kindness, service”, or are they divisive and contentious, leading to anger and conflict? So many people want to take this verse out and say that it justifies their right to judge any and everybody, but the Lord has warned us of great consequences when we judge in His seat… It’s unrighteous.

How can we love and place condemning judgment upon another? It truly is impossible to be a humble servant of Christ and hold His righteousness when we place judgment upon others. God has clearly stated that we will be judged with that same judgment. Peter asked Christ how many times can a brother sin against him and repent (still being forgiven), “…until 7 times?” he asked… Jesus said, “Until 70 times 7”!

If one truly repents, he should be forgiven. Who are we to evaluate and/or consider whether he has truly repented out of Godly sorrow? Let me guess, “By their fruit?” Do we not ask our Father in heaven for forgiveness daily? We definitely should! But do we report every little thing we repent of to our congregation and/or Elders? God forbid! The Apostle Paul said that when we judge, we have a false assurance in that judgment and dispute the God given Right for the Lord to be the “Final Judge”. Think about it this way, it would be like a “defendant” trying to override the judgment of the “Supreme Judge” in our common courts today.

The Love of God brings us to repentance. (Romans 2:4) Through His patience, goodness, forbearance and longsuffering, all who accept the truth through Jesus Christ and repent in godly sorrow, can be forgiven.

Many have come to the self-righteous mindset that the Lord has given this righteous judgment to us because we have become “born-again” and grown in our faith. We somehow have formed a false sense that God’s judgment is not sufficient; He really needs our input. We feel we have the right to, and should, judge for Him. God has clearly spoken against this over and over again in His Holy Word. James said,

How can any man justify their condemning judgment upon any other person? Is not the heart of that man only known by God and that man himself? Therefore, who art thou that judgest another man’s servant and be justified in the end on that great and glorious day at the Judgment seat of God? How disrespectful and unloving can a creation be to its Creator? Does the clay tell the potter what it thinks and desires? No, we are simply molded into the greatness that our Creator desire to mold. Jeremiah and Paul said,

No, this does not justify predestination of some unlucky, pre-damned souls… “None should perish!” (Matthew 18:14) Many people take this as some sort of “elect, chosen few” that will be in heaven. This sounds pretty lonely doesn’t it? “The lucky pick off the spindle”, as if God created anything in “His image” (to bring “Him glory”) that He wanted to burn! This view is unloving, intolerable judgment in its highest form, and welcome to the mindset of Satan himself! He says things like, “You’re not good enough to be saved, you may as well live in sin”, or, “He made you this way, you may as well sin!” God forbid! God’s desire is that “NONE SHOULD PERISH”, but still SOME WILL! Jesus died so that every one of us could live with Him forever, if we would just call out to God the Father through Him (Jesus) and repent true heartedly. Why can’t we unite against such ungodliness and chaos?

Paul said something that really relates to what is happening when we condemn others and separate the body; we are not only taking, but “STEALING” God’s judgment seat!

Are we not thieves of His judgment when we presume it and condemn others? As if a servant taking the throne of his King along with the Kings Word, Scribe, Crown and Spear… Making the laws, establishing those laws by the new, unjust right of the throne and executing those servants who did not fall and worship him right then! Some would say this is just a small issue, but I beg to differ. This is Grand Larceny against the “Great King Jesus”, God Himself! “Off with their heads”, any King of the old world would have said… God holds the ultimate right to judge because He is not only the Sovereign Monarch, but also the Creator of all things that He reigns over! Going deeper, what about the fact that this is a form of “Spiritual Adultery and Idolatry”… Do you see this?

How can we seem to feel we have the right to judge anyone when we know where we ourselves have come from? Does this not strike you to be a sign of pride, self-righteousness, and/or arrogance?

Satan himself was victim to this very line of reasoning. He believed that he had the right to not only judge, but to be the judge and ruler of all. When we impose our own understanding and our “self-righteousness” upon others, we take what is rightfully owned by the Creator and steal the action of judgment from Him and “none of us are purely righteous… no not one.”… Remember, there is only one that is able to save and destroy. That is the Lord Jesus Christ and we cannot implement our standards of righteousness in place of His. Only in God’s uprightness will we love unconditionally and understand that people are always sinners saved by grace, no matter what level of “good” they believe they are at. We are called to judge ourselves (Examine yourselves, and see that you are in the faith) and hold to the truths that the Lord Jesus has given each of us… individually. He is the only “truth” and, therefore, He is the only one that has the right to place condemning judgment. He is righteous and just in every way, yet He has forgiveness and mercy to pour out onto each of us if we seek it wholeheartedly. He has paid the supreme price for that right. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” He cried on the cross. He is the keeper of peace and the giver of life. Jesus has set the example of perfection for everyone to strive to follow. This does not mean that we should expect anyone else to realize this and follow His example the way we see it. We are responsible to work out our own salvation, not our neighbors! We that have become “new creatures” in Christ Jesus are blessed beyond words, and we can be an instrument in God’s hands to aid others to the truth. This can only be done by the “LOVE of CHRIST” flowing through us and leading them to repentance! We should desire for the Lord’s message to grow. We should be of one mind, one spirit, and one body in our battle against evil, unified with each other in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. I could list hundreds of scriptures that support this truth.

Only when the sinner turns from the sin and rebukes it in the name of Jesus can he overcome the flesh and move forward in Christ’s will. Still, when we have turned from the sin, we should not condemn others for their inability to see their sin. We all are sinners saved by grace alone and in our salvation comes a humble spirit.

As we grow in the truth of Christianity, we should be building our brothers and sisters up, not tearing them down and separating ourselves from them. If we boast in our own abilities, we move the judgment from God to condemnation upon ourselves. This is a call for unity between the brothers and sisters within all of our “denominational” bodies. I ask each of you to pray about this and see if there be any differences that you might need to address and repent, making a change from within yourselves to walk according to how He has called you to walk. Christ came for the sinners. He sends us out to unify the body, not divide it. We need to hold to the fundamentals of true Christianity. Paul addressed an issue to the Romans about their little petty differences not meaning anything and I think he used a great example,

Peter wrote,

Can we truly believe that we are holding to what Peter has commanded us to be like here if we feel as if we are something special or more worthy of glory in one way or another? We should be thankful that He has given us a chance to worship Him. We should thank Him every day that we are so blessed to have the knowledge of Him and His great blessings in our lives. This is a call to everyone that claims the name of Jesus Christ. May we come together in unity and grace, remembering that God is a righteous and Just God; but He is a merciful and forgiving God also. If we are truly His, we should help others through the “Love of Christ”, setting the example of true Christian charity. We need to unite as Christian soldiers, putting on the full armor of God, and work together against every evil which plagues us in these troubled times. We should be filled with love and tolerance, seeking to serve our brothers and sisters as we serve God. May we seek the Lord’s guidance that we may rise above our petty pride and unite in this greater cause—to conquer the forces of Satan and help the Lord bring us all home. Praise to the only true and living God… Amen!

I challenge each of you to study this out and see if you are in the true faith of Christ Jesus. I believe this is sufficient for what we are dealing with today also…Let me end with an important statement made by the Apostle Paul,

I pray that this message strikes the right cord and all who choose to read it will desire to search within them for what needs to be changed. This is a continuing self examination process that the true convert will imply into his/her life. I pray that this lesson will bring together the fullness of the body, uniting into true selfless love (Agapeo) and working faith (Pistis), building up the body instead of dividing the members. May the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit be glorified in everything that has been presented unto you here today! Thank you and God bless you all. I truly can say I love you all in Christ Jesus and pray that we can move forward in Christ Jesus starting now!! I pray these things in Jesus’ Holy name. Amen.