“Judge not, that you not be judged.” (Matthew 7:1) It’s no surprise that our secular cultural adheres to this principle as if it were a get-out-of-jail-free card. “I can do anything I want and you judgmental Christians better keep quiet!” Have we gotten to the point where we think that even God won’t judge man’s actions?
When we continue to read Matthew 7, only a few verses later God’s Word tells us, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” Obviously, we have to make judgments about who the dogs and swine are in order to obey this instruction.
As many news articles are reporting serious crimes some of the “dogs” and “swine” are evident by their behavior. More concerning is the fact that the behaviors seem to be becoming more and more depraved. Random acts of violence, though they have apparently declined since they spiked during Covid lockdowns, are not uncommon in more and more places.
Slowly but surely our culture has declined into a mindset that does not value life. It has been reported that 1/4 – 1/3 of Gen Z has been aborted. Though no one truly knows how all of these women feel about the killing of their babies, many publicly celebrate as they proudly tell the world of their murderous hearts.
Yet, we are not supposed to judge this behavior. We do so to our detriment! All ignoring (or joining in the celebration!) of sin and crime does is increase the wrath of God and put us in the path of a greater judgment from Him.
It seems that from small children on we teach “Bible stories” without mentioning the wrath or judgment of God. Many Christians tell everyone, “God loves you,” even as they steal, rape, and pillage! This makes a mockery of God’s Word.
Our God is a just God and we are to be conformed to His image. But, we are unjust when we coddle the criminal and let the victim suffer. God judges what is right and wrong and we are to be conformed to His justice, not the false premises of a pagan culture that says, “Judge not!” No matter that they consider lack of justice to be “kindness” or “winning them to Christ,” we cannot allow God’s opponents to define His righteousness.
If people do not know that they will be judged by God (not just man) for their actions and words, why would they think they need a Savior? This judgment of God is not only on individuals. Nations who forget God or refuse to know Him and obey His commands will also suffer His wrath. Psalm 9 seems to describe our own nation: The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. The LORD is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9:15-17)
The United States, by our failure to listen to God, use His commandments as our laws, and killing the very children He creates in the womb, have dug our own pit. We have forgotten God. The scripture tells us that “the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” He gets to make the rules (whether others believe it or not). He will, just as He warns us, exert His wrath on us if we fail to listen to Him.
As His people, we must tell the truth of His justice and wrath just as we do His love and grace. The truth is what sets people free. As long as we continue to teach things like the flood as God’s rescue of the animals rather than God’s judgment on people, we will have an ignorance that leads to more and more wrath.
Ladies, will we start at home? We must teach the truth, not the fairytale version that man has made. But, will we also, in conversations with other believers and unbelievers, speak the truth of what is happening around us? God’s judgment is not “coming,” it is upon us.
