If We Would Judge Ourselves, We Should Not Be Judged

1st Corinthians 11:31, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”

If we take care of the problem, then God won't have to in Heaven. 1st Thessalonians 4:6, "That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified." If we defraud a brother (e.g., committing adultery with his wife, stealing from him in an agreement, causing him to lose out on a deal because we were shady or greedy), God will avenge that brother.

God expects us as believers, when possible, to make reconciliation and restitution. Sometimes that is not possible. I had a Christian man write to me last year and three times he kept saying that he did some very horrible things in the past. Since he kept bringing it up, I felt like he wanted to tell me. So I told him not to, because it's not something I need to know. Pastor Jack Hyles used to wisely say: “Don't be reluctant to admit to others that you have feet of clay, but don't ever show them your feet.” Your sins are between you and God alone. The exception is if you wronged somebody, in which case you need to go directly to them and make it right. If you have committed a crime, then you alone must face the consequences. Do good and it will be good. If we obey it will be well, it we disobey it will be hell.

The Bible says if our brother has ought against us, to leave our gift for God at the altar, go make it right with our brother, and then come back with our gift (Matthew 5:23-24). We cannot be right with God VERTICALLY and be wrong with our brother HORIZONTALLY. In other words, God very much monitors how we treat others. God is no respecter of persons and the way we treat others can make or break our walk with God. 

A Great Lesson Learned From Job

After all the pain, loss and suffering Job went through, God ended Job's calamity when he prayed for his friends. Job 42:10, “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Job's so-called "friends" were jerks. So much so, that Job called them "MISERABLE COMFORTERS"! Job 16:1, "Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all." How many people would pray for jerks like that? Not many. But Job in his humility and love for God and his horrible friends, prayed for them anyway. Job was a good Christian! 

I think when God saw Job praying for his self-righteous friends, it broke His heart and He returned the favor by ending Job's suffering. That is my humble opinion. I often think about this passage of Scripture. Perhaps if I pray for people in my life who have hurt me deeply, and I love those that hate me, and I do good to the evildoers who have wronged me, then perhaps God will also bless me by turning my captivity. But if not, I will gladly echo the words of Job in Job 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”

As believers, our POSITION in Christ was forever settled the moment we were saved, declared legally justified in the sight of God. However, the way we choose to live here on earth is our CONDITION in Christ. If we don't want to be harshly dealt with by God at the Judgment Seat Of Christ as a believer (Psalm 6:1; 2nd Corinthians 5:10-11), then we need to please the Lord in our body, soul and spirit. God doesn't expect us to be perfect, He just wants us to try by submitting in obedience to the Word of God. 2nd Corinthians 10:4-6, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

Our relationship with God is similar to that of our earthly parents. Once we are born, we have their DNA and no matter what, they will always be our parents. The moment you got saved, God gave you His spiritual DNA, the Holy Spirit. God seals every believer with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-15). Nothing can change that. But now God is your heavenly Father, and He is not an absent parent (Hebrews 12:6-8). Just like our earthly parents, if we obey their rules they will be pleased (God sure will). When we do mess up, our attitude is important. Are we defiant, proud and rebellious? Or are we broken, sorry and humble to do better? God sees our heart.