Category Archives: Judgment

Advice, Angels, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Evangelism, Exhortation, Gospel, Inspirational, Judgment, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Witnessing

NOT OUR JOB

2 PETER 2:11

“whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.”

Why do we think we have the right to judge others? That’s God’s job. Peter states so here. Even the angels don’t point their fingers (or wings, lol) at the wicked in judgment. They know God is holy and just. They know He will judge all mankind at some point. It is not their concern.

Why can’t we learn from the angels? We judge others because it makes us feel better. It puts us above them, or so we think. Judging others is not our responsibility. That does not mean we shouldn’t confront a brother or sister about sin. That’s love. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t share the Gospel with the lost. That’s not judging. That’s love.

APPLICATION

Children can be very judgmental. It starts early. When your child comes home putting down another child for the way they look or act. It starts by your child thinking they are better than the boy down the street. You have to stop that thinking quickly.

How do you do that? Every time a judgmental attitude is exhibited, stop and lead your child in prayer for that other child. Explain to them how Jesus loves them just as much as He loves your child. Talk about ways your child could be more like Jesus to them. It’s really hard to judge someone you are praying for, isn’t it?

Are you guilty of judging others? Do you see yourself better than the world around you? Listen, dear brother and sister, the only thing that makes you any better is Jesus. Therefore, only He has the right to judge anyone. Let Him handle that. You need to focus on loving, not judging. And watch what happens. It may just surprise you.

Forgive me, Father, for my judgmental attitude. Show me how to love others like You do. Use me as Your vessel.

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Advice, Angels, Bible, Blasphemy, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Courage, Encouragement, Enemies, Evil, Judgment, Mentoring, Parenting, Scripture, Sin

NOT NICE PEOPLE

2 PETER 2:10

“and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties,” 

I had to read this verse a few times to catch all the negative words in it. All of them are referring to those who will be judged by the Father for their conduct and behaviors. Just look at this list:

  1. Indulge the flesh
  2. Corrupt desires
  3. Despise authority
  4. Daring (this word means to foolishly ignore safety)
  5. Self-willed (this word means to selfishly satisfy self)
  6. Do no tremble at God
  7. Revile God

Wow! Unfortunately, we are seeing that all around us today. These behaviors are front page news. We see it being carried out in protests and riots across our world. This is nothing new. Sin is sin. Until the Lord returns, we will be faced with an ever- growing resistance to the Lord and His teachings.

APPLICATION

Thanks Carl. Now that I am thoroughly depressed, what do we do about it? I didn’t mean to depress you. It’s just our reality. But there is hope. The Lord will handle those who rebel. We don’t have to. Our job is to be Jesus in a lost and fallen world. We can change the world one life at a time.

As parents, we can affect the next generation by teaching our children to do the exact opposite of those things listed above. We should teach them to not indulge the flesh and to respect authority. You can go through the whole list and develop ways to teach them how to do it God’s way.

Can you live in this world and live for Jesus? Certainly! But you have to depend on Him to guide you. You can’t do this on your own. And when you encounter those who live like Peter describes in this verse, just be Jesus to them. Respond to them in the same way Christ would have – in love.

Lord, I know I live in a fallen world. But with You living in and through me, I know I can face any challenging person or situation.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, Godliness, Inspirational, Judgment, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Submission, Surrender, Testimony, Witnessing

DON’T BE AN EXAMPLE

2 PETER 2:6

“and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter;” 

Peter gives us another example in this list of examples in verses 4-10, and this time it’s a bad one. By that I mean, we don’t want to follow the example of Sodom and Gomorrah. If you don’t remember that story, you can read about it in Genesis 18 and 19. They were ungodly cities deserving of destruction.

You know, the scary part is there wasn’t much going on in those cities that isn’t going on in our world today. Why is God sparing our cities? Judgment could fall at anytime, and what are we doing about it? What kind of example are we being for the world? Can the world distinguish us apart from the unbelievers?

APPLICATION

Many, if not most, of us with children will tell the older sibling to be an example to their younger sibling. That’s really kind of unfair and burdensome for a child. We need to simply point them to Jesus. If they follow Him, they will be a good example for their sibling. Better yet, if we are living for Jesus, they will follow us.

Being an example is hard sometimes, especially if we are trying to accomplish it on our own. I know I am a poor example of Christ if I try to love people on my own. I won’t last one hour in a crowd without losing it. But when I surrender to Christ, He can live in and through me, showing my children and others how to live.

What kind of example are you? Are you an example of Christ or an example of Sodom and Gomorrah? Pointing others to Jesus is our goal. We simply want others to see Jesus in us so we can share with them all He has done in our lives. It really is that simple. Will you be His example today?

Use me, Lord, to exemplify You today. Hide me and show Yourself.

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Accountability, Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Deceit, Deception, Encouragement, Foundation, Judgment, Mentoring, Parenting, Scripture

SHHH, IT’S A SECRET

2 PETER 2:1

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.” 

We are wary of false teachers. Any of us who study God’s Word know they are out there, and we stand united against them. Most of them are easy to spot. They say things that go contrary to His teachings. But sometimes there are teachers that are just plain sneaky. Peter warns against them in this verse.

The Greek word for “secretly” is only used right here in 2 Peter 2:1. It means to bring in aside, to enter by stealth. In other words, they are slick. They slide in beside you and whisper these things so smoothly you believe they are true. They sound so good and reasonable. Don’t fall for it.

APPLICATION

Kids love secrets, don’t they? There is nothing wrong with secrets as long as they don’t hurt anyone. But we need to warn our children against those who want them to keep secrets that could harm someone else. Also, if anyone wants them to keep a secret that goes against God’s Word, that’s a huge red flag. The devil is deceptive. He sneaks in through ugly secrets.

Make a pact with your children to not keep secrets from each other. This is so important as they get older. Teens typically don’t discuss much of their lives with their parents. Listen to me – the devil, the ultimate false teacher, loves that. He loves to drive a wedge between parent and child. Don’t let him do it.

Are you grounded enough in God’s Word to recognize these false teachers? Their lies can be so convincing if you aren’t careful. Remember Scripture always agrees with Scripture. It won’t contradict itself. Check out any teacher by His Word. That is the ultimate judge.

Keep me alert, Lord, to those who want to deceive me. Help me protect others from those who want to tear them down.

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Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, Gospel, Judgment, Parenting, Punishment, Sanctification

TIME FOR JUDGMENT

1 PETER 4:17

“For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 

Judgment! No one likes to be judged. However, we all will be one day. In this verse, Peter makes a distinction between Christians (the household of God) and unbelievers (those who do not obey the gospel of God). For Christians our judgment comes in the form of correction, to make us more like Him. It can be harsh. We are not in danger of losing our salvation. That was settled the moment we accepted Christ as our Savior, but we can all use correction.

Unbelievers, on the other hand, face a more severe judgment. Peter implies that in this verse. He is saying You think our judgment is bad? Just wait until you see what happens to those who don’t believe. While our judgment is correction, their judgment will be punishment. They will suffer the ultimate consequence – eternal damnation.

APPLICATION

When my children were small, we used corporal punishment (we spanked them). Now, you may not agree with that. I don’t want to argue this point here. But we only used spanking when they deliberately disobeyed. When they just messed up or got caught up in the “heat of the moment” we didn’t use spanking as discipline. In those times we corrected them, even though that might mean some type of consequence.

Our children need to know God loves them so much that He will correct them. Just as we correct them, God will also correct them to keep them close to Him. He will never force them to do anything. We can’t force them to do anything either. But correction is needed at times. We should teach them to welcome it as it guides them toward holiness.

You probably hate correction as much as I do. I have learned through the years that I need it, though. I still don’t like it, but I know I need it. God’s Word corrects me each and every day. As I read and study His Word, it points men in the direction nearer to the heart of God. Will you trust Him today as He corrects you?

Thank You, Lord, for correcting me. Thank You for showing me the error of my ways. Keep me close by whatever mean necessary.

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