
Judging Is a Function Reserved for God.
The second reason why we must stop judging others is that judging is the prerogative of those vested with the power to judge. In most countries, this refers to sitting magistrates, but in the Kingdom of God, this refers to God Himself.
“Only one is the lawgiver and judge, He who can save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” James 4:12
To understand why God is called the only lawgiver and judge, we must first understand that the very first country created is called the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. This country is governed by God Himself, and His laws apply throughout the universe and to everything that lives and breathes. These laws are contained in the book of the law commonly called the Bible. The laws of the Kingdom are hierarchically superior to all the laws of all natural countries, so all countries should submit to them in order to know peace, joy, and fulfillment.
The laws of the Kingdom are perfect because they are made by the One who is omniscient, the author of all things. According to one of the laws of the Kingdom of God, it is forbidden for anyone to exercise the function of judge because this is exclusively reserved for God. When we decide to judge our neighbor, we become transgressors of the law, regardless of the motive behind the judgment.
The Policeman Incapable of Judging the Thief.
I remember one day when I was exhorting a group of brothers and sisters on the necessity of stopping judging others, the Lord put it in my heart to explain to this group that when a policeman catches a thief in the act, he can only deprive the latter of his freedom and then put him at the disposal of the magistrate who will decide what to do next.
Suppose the magistrate decides to release this thief the same day and the same policeman catches him again in the act the next day. You understand that the policeman will have no choice but to arrest him again and hand him over to the magistrate. The policeman will in no case decide to take the place of the magistrate even if he disapproves of the fact that he decided to release this thief.
Suppose once again that the same magistrate decides this time to release the thief again and that this thief decides to rob the house of the policeman who had arrested him twice. Imagine that the policeman catches this bandit in the act of burglary at his home. You agree that the policeman will still not judge this bandit.
Despite the frustration the policeman might feel, he will never take the place of the judge to judge this person. The policeman will limit himself to doing his job as a policeman because he is a policeman: that’s all there is to it. Imagine that our policeman decided at some point to no longer trust the magistrate and decided to judge the thief himself to condemn him. Would he have respected the established order? Of course not, because he would have usurped the title of judge, which is punishable in most jurisdictions.
When we decide to judge others in our hearts because of their flaws, weaknesses, shortcomings, mistakes, misfortunes, etc., we are also committing the offense of title usurpation. In other words, we are taking the place of God without having received the mandate. God, who sees the hearts, will notice the infraction and will apply the law in force. The sanction will not be delayed because He shows no favoritism. Everyone must stick to their function.
The Holy Scriptures attest that every citizen of the Kingdom of God has received a function and that they will be held accountable for the exercise of that specific function. These functions correspond to roles that each person is called to play so that a harmonious and peaceful life is possible on earth. By giving us these functions, God has previously endowed us with the natural gifts and talents necessary for their exercise.
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8
The Holy Scriptures demonstrate through this verse that everyone has received a role on earth and that everyone should stick to that role, just like the policeman who has no choice but to arrest the bandit and hand him over to the magistrates. This Biblical verse shows us that to be productive and live in harmony, every human being should know their function on earth and stick to it. We are not meant to play all roles even if we were capable of it.
An effective and victorious football team is certainly a football team in which each player knows their position and sticks to it. The victory of this team comes from everyone perfecting their role while respecting and valuing the position of all the other teammates without whom no victory is conceivable.
The previous verse shows us that God has planned six (6) different roles or functions in His team. These are seers (Prophets), servants (ministers), teachers, exhorters, givers, administrators, and compassionate people…
This text is an excerpt from the book “STOP JUDGING TO SUCCEED BETTER” written by Dominique MBOG.
We invite you to read the following article “Is It Compatible to Be a Lawyer and a Christian?“.
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