Winning Wisdom: Judge Righteously

Topic: Judge Righteously [Tuesday, 18th April 2017]

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the undersanding of the prudent. 1 Corinthians 1:18

John 9 tells what transpired between Jesus, the Pharisees and a blind man healed by Jesus. The Pharisees "advised" the man healed by Jesus to give glory to God alone, as Jesus was a sinner. In reply the man tells them "now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth....If this man were not of God, he could do nothing" (John 9:31,33). Now the Pharisees being teachers of the law, and able to "discern" sin from righteousness according to their wisdom got angry at the reply of the man, and cast him out of the synagogue, saying, "thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?" (John 9:34).

A number of us have become like these Pharisees, thinking we are wise in ourselves, and we judge others by standards laid down by us. We have replaced God in our environment, becoming judges of the people according to earthly limited standards. Jesus said in reply "for I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and they which see might be made blind" (John 9:39).

We may get confused here, as 1 Thessalonians 5:21 clearly admonishes us to "prove all things; hold fast that which is good". How then do we do this without judging as it were between the good and the bad? John 7:24 says, "judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgement". It's simple, do not judge according to standards of the earth, but according to heavenly standards. We are continually admonished by scriptures to do things in accordance with the Spirit, dissregarding all earthly standards, so "that no flesh should glory in his presence" (1 Corinthians 1:29).

Keep winning daily.

Wise Action:

Whenever a situation arises where you have to judge what is good and acceptable and what is not, always ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, and prove all things by scriptures.

By Esun Tekeme