Right Judgment

Text Verse: Psalms 145:17 NLT
“The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.”
Matthew 7:1 NLT

God is the ultimate judge. At the end of this life we will have an account for how we have lived our lives.
Matthew 7:11 states that we are not to judge. This refers to judging with condemnation like what the Pharisees did.
However John 7:24 states that we are to judge justly and not based on appearance. This may seem like a contradiction but it is not. We are not to judge by condemnation but we can use right judgment. Judgment is to distinguish for decision. We need thr right judgment that comes from God so that we can distinguish justly and have the right decision. Zechariah 4:6 NIV “So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit. We are not to force anything or anyone but submit to the will and power of God.
Any human effort without the will and power of God is not productive.
It will not produce any result that will glorify God. We need discernment from God.

How can we have the right judgment?
We need the Zoe kind of life. To think how God thinks. To feel how God feels. To act how God acts. To have the Right Judgment we need:

1. The MIND OF CHRIST. 1 Corinthians 2:16. This comes by abiding in Him and fully having the understanding of His Word. Without the Mind of Christ we will live carnally, emotionally and according to fleshly desires. The Mind of Christ is set on heavenly things and thinks about the eternal. If we have the Mind of Christ we will have the right judgment as our Lord showed us when He was on earth. Every decision Jesus made, every judgment was right.
2. The HEART OF THE FATHER. John 3:16 Matthew 7:11. To have the right judgment we need the Heart of the Father. Otherwise we may condemn others and not have the right heart. We are called to love God with all that we have and love others as ourselves. If we have this kind of unconditional, saving and extravagant love we will have the right judgment.
3. The CHARACTER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Galatians 5:22. This refers to the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us. A fruit is not force. It is a result of being in the presence of God, staying in His love and obeying His commands. It is impossible to be wrong if you are with God and He is in you. The Holy Spirit will teach us of all things and He will guide our decisions. In Him we have the right judgment.

In closing, we are not called to judge with condemnation, hatred and by our own will and human effort. However we are called to judge rightly. And we can only do this by His grace – if we have the Mind of Christ, the Heart of the Father and the Character of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, we are blessed by God with all of these things. Let us walk according to His will and with His love overflowing in us. All glory belongs to our Lord and King Jesus Christ. Amen.