Sunday, August 22, 2010

Unjust Judgment

I have been working on a more in depth post on creation, but have been so busy that I haven't been able to finish it in time for posting this weekend. But not to be deterred from having a Sunday post, I thought I'd post something from one of my favorite books in the Bible:

Proverbs 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

Pride is not always a bad thing. There is nothing wrong with being proud of a job or accomplishment you did at work or at home, especially when you worked very hard and diligently to complete it properly. There is nothing wrong with being proud of a child or grandchild when they do a good job at school.... or for doing something right that you know they learned as a guiding principle.

The kind of pride this proverb mentions is the kind found in overly pious Christians, who think they are who they are because they have some special status with God--by way of their own works. They look down on people they consider heretics and unbelievers, because they think they have a lock on everything in God's Kingdom.

Many are taught this kind of attitude from the pulpits they sit in front of, others are just arrogant by nature and carry it over into their spiritual lives. But we can see that in this proverb this kind of behavior is not acceptable in any form, even to the degree of judging the wicked.

The wicked in this proverb means the unbeliever. The plowing means judging them them with pious unjust judgment.

In this case, this kind of judgment is counted as sin. They do not realize, nor do they understand, how God operates or they would not behave in such a way. God judges righteously, because He is inherently righteous. Humans are inherently unrighteous, therefore they cannot mete out righteous judgment as God does.

The writer of this proverb understood this. If only more Christians would understand this and follow God's path accordingly.

4 comments:

Z said...

I think some feel moved to inform and guide the unbeliever and it takes the form of judgment sometimes.
One needs to always come from love when talking about faith, something I wouldn't have said even 3 weeks ago, but something's changed in me, something that was brewing for months and which came together through so many signs to me that it seems like a miracle to me now, though I fought and struggled and, admittedly, was very 'high and mighty' before I got off my high horse!
Thanks, LA...good things to think about.
The judger becomes the 'wicked' ..not good.

LA Sunset said...

Thanks for the good comment, Z.

How is it that we can know as much God? Answer is simple, we can't. How do we know that the unbeliever, the Mormon, won't get their eyes opened by God in some way or fashion, and then become a Christian with far deeper understanding than ourselves? Same answer.

John the Baptist knew more than anyone else at the moment he was fulfilling his calling. But he also knew that their would be one after him that would know far more than he ever would.

Z said...

Good points, LA...
We don't know A THING, when it comes right down to it! But HE DOES!

Catherine Barry said...

Very good points. My thinking has always been why does Christ warn us to judge not, for we will be judged by our own measuring stick... and he also tells us that we should be "known by our actions and how we live". Is it possible that maybe those who aren't living according to faith may be brought to Christ via our example. Maybe being a witness means being an example of God's love more than someone who talks about it but doesn't reflect it???