God bless you, brethren.  If I confront someone about their sin, am I passing judgment on them?  I mean, I myself am not perfect, so how can I who am not perfect confront someone about mistakes they’re making?  And how does Jesus’ saying about removing the speck from your brother’s eye tie into this?

Sincerely,
Avoiding Judgment

Dear Avoiding Judgment,

In Jhn 12:48, Jesus said that the Word of God is what judges mankind, and in Matt 7:1-2, we are told to be very careful about what we use as our standard of judgment.  If we are constantly judging people based upon our own personal opinions or arrogance, that is wrong.  However, the Bible commands us to judge with righteous judgment (Jhn 7:24).  When Jesus said to make sure to take the plank out of your own eye before trying to take the speck out of your brother’s eye (Matt 7:3-5), He was addressing the arrogant attitude that sees only other people’s faults, but not your own.  We are told to be honest about our own sins, and only then can we humbly seek to help others confront theirs.  If we had to be perfect before we could condemn others’ sins, we would never be able to say anything!  However, we aren’t told to be perfect; we are told to be humble and use the Bible as our standard for righteous judgment.

     Why do people that are not saved put others down?

Sincerely,
On The Up And Up

Dear On The Up And Up,

People do things for a lot of different reasons, some legitimate, some not.  Especially when people are living their lives outside of Christ, they are enslaved to sin, and they make all sorts of unhealthy decisions (Rom 6:17-18).  It isn’t our job to judge or condemn those outside of Christ – God says that they will be judged by the Word (Jhn 12:48).  It is our job to look past whatever harm or personal injury we may have suffered and strive to bring the truth of Christ to them.  Don’t worry about what those who are lost do to you; worry for them and be a light (Matt 10:28).

     In the Old Testament, God tells groups of people to go and completely wipe out another group.  How can this be just?  I believe I remember there was an instance where He did it to prove to the Israelites that He would be with them if they followed His directions.  How can this be explained as an acceptable thing?

P.S love the website! It does so much good! Thanks!

Sincerely,
Looking To Justify

Dear Looking To Justify,

God has to make complex decisions that allow individuals the freedom to choose while still keeping the rest of mankind safe.  Every time that God has destroyed a nation, He has done it for the safety of other nations and because that nation had become so corrupt that it was unsalvageable (Gen 15:16, Gen 6:5).  God knows that infants will be safe in His arms when that nation is destroyed, and it is important to remember that there is a difference between God taking someone’s life and a human making that decision.  God is our Creator, and He is intimately aware of where we will go when we die – after all, He is the Judge (Heb 12:23).

When wicked nations are allowed to continue, they inhibit the possibility of future generations obeying God, and they are destructive influences on the rest of mankind.  Thankfully, we have a God who knows where to draw the line – not too soon, and not too late.

      I was in supervision.  My job was high-pressured, and I was forced to step down.  Now, I feel alone, embarrassed, and I truly feel others were undermining me and disrespecting me.  How do I get my confidence back and feel better about working there?  God had to break me in order to get my attention.

Sincerely,
Feeling Demoted

Dear Feeling Demoted,

A righteous man may fall seven times, but he gets back up again (Pr 24:16).  We are defined more by how we accept failures than anything else.  The greatest athletes are those that can regroup and rally after a bad game or difficult quarter.  Humility is one of the most important traits in life (Jas 4:10).  The humble improve.  Think of this setback as a chance to focus on what really matters, and count your blessings.  We count them blessed who endured hardship when we read about them in the Bible (Jas 5:11).  Learn from your mistakes, forgive those who have harmed you, and be a shining light for Christ.  As a Christian, your worth is so much more than your job.  Christians have their hope of heaven as an anchor for their souls (Heb 6:19).

     If you were convicted of being a sex offender over eighteen years ago, and now time has changed your life, and you have accepted Christ, should you still be condemned by the public?  Does God always hold it against you for the sin that now has been forgiven by some?

Sincerely,
Leaving The Past Behind

Dear Leaving The Past Behind,

Sin has both spiritual and physical consequences.  The spiritual consequence of sin is eternal death unless we are forgiven in Christ (Rom 6:23).  The physical consequences of sin still remain after forgiveness.  God says that we reap what we sow (Gal 6:7).  When we behave immorally toward a woman, lose our temper, mistreat others, are bad examples for our children, etc. – there are consequences to those choices.  God does offer forgiveness if we place our faith in Him (read “What Must I Do To Be Saved” for more details), but that forgiveness doesn’t remove the consequences of sin in this life.  David sinned when he committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:2-4); God forgave David of the sin when David repented (2 Sam 12:13), but David’s child still died as a consequence of that sin (2 Sam 12:14).  A sex offender can be forgiven if they turn to the Lord, but the consequences of that sin will still follow them in this life.

     Hello again, and may God continue to bless you all.  My question is concerning a trend in the Lord’s church and its consequences.  I am having trouble concerning fellowshipping with the denominational world.  I don’t believe it is a good idea for the Lord’s church’s members to be thrown up together with speakers that are not Christians… i.e. at Christian youth rallies, inviting them in during Bible study, or holding breakfast with them to show our support for each other.  We are to be in the world, NOT of the world.  I think it shows an acceptance of their false doctrine, and waters us down… not to mention confusing our own on where we stand and why.

I don’t hate the sinner, just the sin, but we need to draw the line and say, “That’s it.”  Thanks a lot.

Sincerely,
Influenced

Dear Influenced,

There is nothing wrong with studying with people from the denominational world in hopes of converting them to the one true church of Jesus Christ (Eph 4:4-6), but it is dead wrong to support false teachers.

2 Jhn 1:10 says that we shouldn’t even give a greeting to those that are false teachers.  We cannot in any way confuse people by supporting the denominational world.  The denominations have left the basic teachings of Christ, and these religious leaders are destroying people’s souls.  They nullify God’s laws in order to keep their traditions (Mk 7:9).  Jude warned that false teachers are like hidden rocks that sink ships and shepherds that fail to protect the flock (Jude 1:12).  God’s church should have no communion with the doctrines of demons (1 Tim 4:1).