We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. A.W. Tozer
Therefore let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth. --Basil of Caesarea
Once you learn to discern, there's no going back. You will begin to spot the lie everywhere it appears.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service. 1 Timothy 1:12

Monday, March 31, 2014

Judgments Are Necessary


It is quite impossible for either an individual or a church to make no judgments; for even the failure to make decisions is in fact a decision based on the implicit assumption that this circumstances are not weighty enough to force a judgment…. Neither an individual Christian nor a church can avoid responsibility by refusing to make judgements; for that very refusal is already a judgment, an evaluation of commitments, strategies, priorities, and competing truth claims….

 D.A. Carson, A Model of Christian Maturity: An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 10-13, p.70
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6 comments:

Ron Livesay said...

People take “Judge not, that you be not judged" (Mathew 7:1, NKJV) and use it to justify their behavior. Jesus said, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24, NKJV). Righteous judgment is right judgment. It is biblical judgment. It is His judgment.

When someone says, "Don't judge me," they are usually practicing some behavior that is totally unbiblical, and that behavior has already been judged by the Scriptures. We do wrong by looking the other way.

March 31, 2014 at 10:41 AM
Glenn E. Chatfield said...

And when they DO say "Don't judge," they are making a judgment!

March 31, 2014 at 10:54 AM
Anonymous said...

Amen, Ron L!

Glenn, often when a believer righteously judges error - whether doctrinal error or sinful behavior - said discerning believer is usually labeled as a "pharisee"...

Tolerance is embraced, with tolerance shown to all except Biblically literate Christians, of course. HAHA!

-Carolyn

March 31, 2014 at 1:19 PM
Glenn E. Chatfield said...

You're absolutely right, Carolyn. Which is why I wrote this article a long time ago:
http://watchmansbagpipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/who-is-pharisee.html

March 31, 2014 at 2:22 PM
Anonymous said...

Hi Glenn,

:) I "stumbled" across your Pharisee article a short while ago. It really ministered to me, due to what my husband and I were facing at the time, for discerning several errors in our (now former) church.

There (our former church), people who objected to the Son of God movie were also labeled "Pharisees" by the pastor.

Yet the correct term for discerning believers is "disciples". Today we might call them "Bereans". :)

-Carolyn

March 31, 2014 at 2:31 PM
Glenn E. Chatfield said...

How dare anyone object to the "Son of God" movie! :oD

March 31, 2014 at 4:03 PM

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