It’s God’s Name We Tarnish….

We hear all the time, “don’t judge”, but is that really true? We are not the ultimate Judge (God), but we are to use His standards. If someone isn’t a believer, we can still hold them to the 10 commandments, for it applies to everyone. But we are not to expect from them to listen and do them. However, if someone claims to be a believer and doesn’t act in a biblical manner, we have every right to hold them accountable. The whole “don’t judge” thing is biblical. If we are willing to use God’s standards applied to ourselves, then we are to apply it to other believers and pretenders as well. Why is it important? Because it’s God’s name we tarnish with our bad behavior. We are all created in the image of God, so regardless of what we believe, when we act badly, we give the world a sour taste. If we allow others to paint a false picture of God without confronting them, then we are contributing to the problem. We just have to use discretion when we “call out” one’s contradictory behavior. When people behave in a manner or support a behavior that contradicts God’s character, believers have a duty to confront, call out, and convict the offender’s behavior. That’s biblical. And to the simplest form, people see warnings as judgements. God’s judgement is coming regardless if you’ve been warned or judged at all. Just do me a favor, pray first, and ask God to guide your spirit in the process. We wouldn’t be in modern day America if Christians put this concept into practice. Those that claim to be Christians, yet act in a way contradictory to God’s character need to be confronted. A little yeast goes a long way in permeating the entire loaf. And so it is our duty to call out people claiming to be Christians, yet act unchristian, but we must do it with grace and respect. “Don’t judge”, needs to be a phrase not acceptable in a real Christian’s life. A real Christian knows what real judgement is, because it comes to those who ignore or rebel against God. We don’t want that for anyone, especially if they call themselves a Christian.

1 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Say to them, ‘Listen to the word of the Lord. 3 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits the false prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all!’4 “O people of Israel, these prophets of yours are like jackals digging in the ruins. 5 They have done nothing to repair the breaks in the walls around the nation. They have not helped it to stand firm in battle on the day of the Lord. 6 Instead, they have told lies and made false predictions. They say, ‘This message is from the Lord,’ even though the Lord never sent them. And yet they expect Him to fulfill their prophecies! 7 Can your visions be anything but false if you claim, ‘This message is from the Lord,’ when I have not even spoken to you?8 “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because what you say is false and your visions are a lie, I will stand against you, says the Sovereign Lord. 9 I will raise My fist against all the prophets who see false visions and make lying predictions, and they will be banished from the community of Israel. I will blot their names from Israel’s record books, and they will never again set foot in their own land. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.10 “This will happen because these evil prophets deceive My people by saying, ‘All is peaceful’ when there is no peace at all! It’s as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash! 11 Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down. 12 And when the wall falls, the people will cry out, ‘What happened to your whitewash?’13 “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will sweep away your whitewashed wall with a storm of indignation, with a great flood of anger, and with hailstones of fury. 14 I will break down your wall right to its foundation, and when it falls, it will crush you. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 15 At last My anger against the wall and those who covered it with whitewash will be satisfied. Then I will say to you: ‘The wall and those who whitewashed it are both gone. 16 They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’ Ezekiel 13:1-16