John 7:24
“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
There are many references to “judging” in the Bible, but perhaps the most famous and most used is found in the first verse of Matthew, chapter 7: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Yet here, in this verse in John, we hear Jesus saying, “… judge correctly.” What gives?
Clearly, Jesus’ words suggest that there are correct ways of judging and incorrect ways of judging. An example of incorrect judging would be to presume to judge another person’s heart. Since only God can know what is in a person’s heart, only God can make that judgment. In this case (John 7:24) Jesus is referring to making a judgment about applying God’s will to the Sabbath. Is it right to heal on the Sabbath? Jesus (God) clearly judges that it is right to heal on the Sabbath. The Jewish leaders have incorrectly judged that it is not right to heal on the Sabbath, even though they themselves circumcise on the Sabbath.
Q: What other examples of judging correctly can you think of?
I think Jesus is point out the faulty judgment of the Pharisees, a judgment that emphasizes certain particulars at the expense of the main point.
Think about the absurdity of what the Pharisees were claiming – Hey Jesus, miracles aren’t for the Sabbath, neither is physical/spiritual shalom. They eventually have to claim Jesus is doing miracles by the power of Satan otherwise the Spirit is confirming what Jesus is doing and rejecting their Sabbath objection.
I had a good conversation with several people at Philos last night about discerning the work of the Holy Spirit verses fake/other spirits. When someone claims to have received prophecy from the Lord, how do we respond. I think evaluating the content and manner in light of scripture is paramount. Does it fit with the Bible generally? Does it fit the biblical specifics of the issue? Does it fit what scripture says about prophecy? I think these questions are good and valid ways of judging. I never want to find myself condemning what is from God, but also never want to accept something as from God when it is of man or Satan.