Have you ever brought correction to someone in biblical context, citing scripture only to be asked, “Who are you to judge?” with a cherry-picked reference of taking the speck out of your own eye? Surely, this is common phrasing that many have heard and said but few truly understand.
It’s funny how those in the world who flat-out reject Christ will sometimes use a distorted version of verses to justify their acceptance of unrighteousness through their conduct and through their robust vocal proclamations.
Nevertheless, we [followers of Yeshua Jesus] press on in love contending for the Faith in which we are not ashamed. As we are now witnesses of the Testimony of Yeshua HaMaschiach, we in doing the good work of faith continue to show compassion for those who whether knowingly or unknowingly draw farther from God because of sin. Remembering in humility the sympathy Jesus has for us for He also was faced with temptation while on the earth. (Colossians 3:12/Psalm 116:5, 103:13 51:1/Isaiah 63:7)
Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV
Our Compassionate High Priest
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
May we have the patience of the saints in refuting and combating the misconception of Righteous Judgment. (Rev. 14:12)
What is Worldly Judgment?
Oxford Dictionary:
1. The ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions.
2. a misfortune or calamity viewed as a divine punishment.
Often times the person [in this case a sinner], who is receiving correction may view it as an impending divine punishment from our Creator. It can also be viewed in conjunction with the understanding of the worldly standard of judgment related to an unreachable level of perfection.
“NO ONE IS PERFECT…”
“YOU’RE NOT PERFECT…”
“WE ARE ALL SINNERS!”
Unfortunately, if you’ve ever heard remnants of these kinds of statements. You’ve witnessed a tragedy…a soul clouded by darkness, confusion, and believing a lie.
This way of thinking is evidence of the following verses:
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NKJV
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Now my statements may seem a bit harsh to one who does not know The Light of Life.
But if my words are harsh know this…
Sometimes Truth in love may be hard to hear. Truth in love cuts to the heart. Truth in LOVE…sets you free. We first have to be in a place of humility & ready to ask forgiveness from our God that we may be teachable to understand God’s Ways according to His Will and Word…GOD IS LOVE.
Let’s go over what God has revealed in Scripture that we may understand His mystery of perfection.
I’ve found approximately 20+ verses about Perfection, here are a few of those verses (KJV):
Matthew 5:48 – Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
James 1:4 – But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
1 John 5:18 – We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
1 John 4:18 – There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
So we see that The Holy Scriptures are referencing a particular kind of perfection. A special kind that is not known by the world.
For example:
Ecclesiastes 7:20 – For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
In this verse above (Ecc. 7:20), we see that The Word of God states clearly that there is not a just man on the earth [ManKIND is not just].
BUT WAIT!
We just read a few verses that reference PERFECTION…
When we see two opposite ends of the spectrum in the scriptures, this is an indication that we have to look deeper to obtain the biblical context of what these passages are actually saying. The true meaning is found in the original text as well as shown throughout the scriptures, for the scriptures whether Old or New Testament do not contradict each other…they confirm one mindset and one accord in Christ.
REMEMBER:
John 14:26 NKJV
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Let’s explore the deeper meaning of PERFECTION:
James 3:2 – For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Hebrews 10:14 – For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
1 John 4:12 – No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Philippians 3:12-15 KJV
Pressing Toward the Goal
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
According to the above verses, PERFECTION lays in wait in the midst of the sanctification process. As it is written…
Living Before God Our Father
1 Peter 1:10-16 NKJV
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
The Old Testament teaches us about God’s Love in Faithfulness and Mercy and shows us how to love in obedience in Truth. The New Testament teaches us about God’s Love in Faithfulness and Mercy and shows us how to love in obedience in Spirit. The Old and New are unified as one in the fulfillment through Christ.
Now we learned through reading the scriptures, that PERFECTION occurs in us as evidence that The Holy Spirit…God’s Spirit dwells in us when we [abiding in Christ] adhere to God’s Word. [I pray all who read this will read the chapters associated with the verses for the full context of the word].
James 3:2 NKJV (above is the same verse in the KJV)
2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
It’s important to note that a “bridle” is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, the “bridle” includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse and the reins that are attached to the bit.
The spiritual context of the word “bridle” shows that The Word of God is the whole armor (Ephesians 6). The helmet of salvation is likened to the bridle as SALVATION Who Is Yeshua is The Word made flesh. When we meditate on Him and keep His Word, which is The Father’s Word in our hearts (as it is written on the tablets of our hearts). Then what we think and speak will also be reflective of our conduct. Thereby, our spiritual bridle is Christ and when we follow Him, it is the same as a horse being steered by the reins attached to the bridle, and wherever the head goes the body follows! WOW
Side note: As I write I learn…isn’t it amazing when The Holy Spirit is teaching us? We are indeed witnesses of The Most Holy One and The King of Israel.
The Lord reveals His mysteries that even the angels desire to look into. (1 Peter 1:10-12)
PERFECTION is the standard of holiness and means mature and complete in The Way Forward[Torah means The Way Forward]. To expand on this let me put it this way. The Hebraic word for perfect is “מושלם”/ מֻשְׁלַם (moosh-LAHM). Meaning completeness, whole, spotless, immaculate, accomplished, flawless, intact, perfect, total, finished, etc.
A wise man does not refute correction or righteous judgment with cherry-picked rationale. A wise man rejoices when God corrects & chastens. A wise man prays to The Father in the secret place through The Holy Spirit in the name of Yeshua for clarification & confirmation of the word received and for direction, guidance, and discernment. (Proverbs 9:8-12/Ecclesiastes 7:5)
Proverbs 15:32 KJV
He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.
We can now understand the state of PERFECTION in the following verses:
Romans 12:2 NKJV
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Revelation 19:6-9 NKJV
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
Now we know that PERFECTION is not the flesh nor a worldly standard of character but rather a spiritual state that is shown in the physical. (God’s Will done on earth as it is in heaven). His Word has gone forth and freed us from the bondage of sin…we are no longer slaves to sin…therefore we WERE sinners and now through Christ, WE ARE NO LONGER SINNERS.
Romans 5:6-11 NKJV
Christ in Our Place
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
So now that we know all these things we can look at the following scripture and now see the difference between worldly judgment versus righteous judgment and how the following scripture is ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT SINNERS NOT SAINTS! The same sinners that Christ will not know in that Great and Terrible Day…The foolish virgins.
Matthew 7:3-5 NKJV
3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
First, there are many scriptures in the OT & the NT that talk about the perils of hypocrisy. In fact, Yeshua warns us not to be like the hypocrites in the book of Matthew 6:5-9. This passage shows that the hypocrites have an overall conduct that is opposite of God’s Word. Our Lord and Savior have warned us not to be like them.
Isaiah 33:14
The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
In Isaiah 33:14, sinners are referenced as hypocrites.
Hypocrisy is the practice of engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another or the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform. In moral psychology, it is the failure to follow ONE’s own expressed moral rules and principles. (citation: Wikipedia – link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocrisy)
Going back for a moment…
Why does Matthew 7:3-5 say “brother” then appear to call the person on the opposite end of the conversation “hypocrite“?
Many don’t realize that a brother who comes with correction (which is a righteous judgment) about the conduct of another is a brother..and that brother is speaking truth in love.
The hypocrite in Matthew 7:3-5 is actually the blinded believer who has been handed over to his/her own mind to believe a lie for he/she rejects the Truth of God.
This is because blinded believers claim to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform and they fail to follow ONE’s own expressed moral rules and principles. In other words, they are strange to God, having knowledge and yet know nothing…for they reject truth for the love of sin and therefore do not stand nor choose righteousness..in that, they are found to be sinners for the do not walk in the PERFECT WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO LIFE and because of the lack of Holy Spirit oil, they will be like the foolish virgins…unknown by our God and King. (Matthew 25:1-13/Ecclesiastes 9:5-10/Hosea 4:6/Jeremiah 5:4)
Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
So, what is Righteous Judgment?
Ephesians 5:8-17 NKJV
Walk in Light
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
John 7:21-24 NKJV
21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Messiah Himself has told us to judge righteously. Righteous Judgment is based on God’s Instruction…from Genesis to Revelation…His Holy Scriptures are the guidebook and His Holy Spirit is our guide.
Messiah instructs us to not judge according to appearance which is what the WORLD judges by but judge according to the Holy Standard of God…Christ is our example. THIS IS RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT.
How many times have you heard, “Do not judge lest ye be judged.“?
And yet people make judgments of where to live, what to eat, education, career, what car to drive, what to wear, who to associate with, etc.
How many times have you heard, “You’re not perfect.”?
How many times have you heard, ” We’re all sinners.“?
Now…
How many times have you heard these statements from people who CLAIM to be children of God?
…and yet they bless with their mouths but curse inwardly…their conduct is hypocritical.
Psalm 62:4 NKJV
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly.
These are usually the same people who tell you the true follower of Christ to take the speck out of your own eye first before you speak. Not realizing that they are reciting a passage that is actually talking about them!
Hypocrisy in its truest form.
We must pray for each and every one.
We have been commissioned to share The Gospel of Christ and in that, we are called to be kings and priests on the earth for we are members of an eternal priesthood and King Yeshua is our High Priest.
Hebrew 5 NKJV
Key Verses: 5-6
A Priest Forever
5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”
6 As He also says in another place:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;
Revelation 1:4-6 NKJV
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Remember: Perfection is Maturity, Completeness, Made Whole
Hebrews 5 NKJV
Key Verses 12-14
Spiritual Immaturity
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT
Ezekiel 44:23 NKJV
23 “And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
True LOVE is not blind.
True LOVE is…a sword.. salt.. light…LIFE
God corrects and He chastens those He loves.
May we embrace the TRUTH in LOVE.
May we come back to our FIRST TRUE LOVE (Revelation 2:1-7)
Be holy for He is Holy.
LuvsCure Ministries 