To Judge or Not to Judge and To Believe or Not to Believe

(Originally written 8/7/2005

“To be or not to be?–That is the question,” Shakespeare wrote these famous words been quoted here in his writing of Hamlet. But I offer to you a pair of questions, which I believe need to be the questions of our time, “To judge or not to judge?” and “To believe or not to believe?”

Questions that must be answered not only by me, but also by everyone who lives and maintains existence on this planet called earth.  Before you cry the words, “Separation of Church and State,” I ask you, since when did God and his words qualify as a Church?  Do we not live in a God-fearing country?  Do we not as a majority of a people claim to believe in him? (Now at this point you have not introduced any politics so I don’t feel the separation of Church and State business is warranted.)

Each day we awake to broad, typecast judgments. Is it not God who said in the seventh chapter of Matthew verses one thru five?

“Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged: and with the same measure you use it, it will be measured back to you. “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck out of your yet’; and look a plank is in your own eye? “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye”.

Similar words are recorded in the sixth chapter of the gospel according to Luke verses thirty-six thru forty-two.

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

When God speaks of one brother trying to remove a speck from another brother’s eye before removing the plank from his own why does he call him a hypocrite? Is it because he is trying to do so before removing his own? Consider for a moment the plank—let it represent ignorance and the inability to see clearly. It could then be believed that in order to remove the plank and see clearly, one would only need to gain a greater understanding of judging and judgment. Once gained this understanding will qualify you to remove the speck from your brother’s eye by showing him what you have come to understand. For once this understanding has been gained by a majority of the people would not the people who are called to represent said people have a greater understanding as well? What is this…A greater understanding of what?

Should we not elect men to office who are a reflection of the people they represent? Are we a people who judge one another?  Is God saying for any man to draw a conclusion as to another man’s intentions, must he first be assured that he is blameless and not guilty of similar conclusions being assumed against him?

Is He also saying the judgments made by leaders (who represent the people of a country) reflect on the people living in said country?  Will it not fall back on the people of the nations those leaders represent?

“To believe or not to believe?” again, that is the question. In the gospel according to John chapter twelve, verses forty-four thru fifty, we find:

“He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him-the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

What understanding could we gain from these words? In His words could not darkness represent ignorance, and light represent seeing clearly with understanding? Is God saying that if you believe in Him, you believe in Jesus—the Man He sent, not to judge the world but to bring it light?

The understanding in which to believe his words are spoken by God who has commanded him to do so, in order that you may gain understanding. In believing that the words spoken by Jesus are from God, would we finally come to understand that God requires us to believe in not only Him, but also the One He sent?

Should we then leave judgment of the ones who do not believe in Him to Him?

For those who still find it difficult to believe in him and rely on his final judgment, consider for a moment his words in the Gospel according to John, chapter three verses fifteen thru twenty-one.

“That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For god did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world though him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

What understanding is God trying to bestow upon us in this portion of John’s Gospel? I stopped here. Again in doing so one would need not only believe the light is be referred to as understanding and the darkness referred to as ignorance, he would also need to believe evil deeds as being referred to the acts of committing sins and truth as being referred to as righteousness and justice. Could it not then be seen to those who seek the light, and to others who have found the light and those who have found the truth? When God says, “everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” Is he saying that the people who are committing sins are not committed to righteousness and justice or is he saying they are just afraid to face their sin? When God says, “he who does the truth and comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” Is he saying, to those who seek righteousness and justice, even though he may have had sinned, by seeking the light you glorify God?

Why would you glorify God you might ask? Why would you even want to? He did give us free will did he not?  One could gain understanding to these questions by referring to God’s word in the Gospel according to John chapter 10 verses 34 thru38. “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are all Gods”’? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the father sanctified, and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” How could one not want to glorify himself? Is God not saying if you by believe in him then you believe in his word, and believe that you yourself are a God as well? Is he really only asking us to believe?

What does God want us to believe you might ask? Could it really be that simple, just believe? What works of the Father are we supposed to do? God’s word in The Gospel according to Mark, chapter 16 verses 15-18 he says, “Go into all, the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Would not those who did not believe point to the lack of his signs? Would not those who have been baptized question their belief? Or should they? To seek further understanding one could read his word in the gospel according to John chapter 10 verses 25 thru 30. “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear  My voice, and I know them and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them our of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” What understanding could one gain form these words spoken by him? Is he saying, to truly believe in him one, would only need to become one with God? Is this not how Jesus was able to do God’s works while he lived among us? Would believing in him grant us eternal life as it did Jesus? The gospel according to John writes, God says, chapter 14 verse 9-14. “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you , he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also: and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. Is not God asking us two things here? First is he not asking you to believe He is God and God is inside him? Then is he not still asking those who some how still can not believe him, but to believe in order to be able to do his works?

What might you ask makes me believe, to judge or not to judge and to believe or not to believe are the questions of our time? As a seeker of knowledge, in order that I may gain understanding, through which wisdom is granted and given by God. I ask you, is the path of righteousness and justice not the one that leads to God?  I also ask you, where would you say the path of unrighteousness and injustice lead? For to answer these two questions in truth; one would and could possibly begin to take his first steps toward God. Seeing clearly the path of righteousness and justice, which has been laid before him.

Our country faces challenges no one could have ever imagined possible. First we have beat, the averages and have lasted for more then 200 years.  From the beginning of history democracies have always been temporary in nature. None have survived due to their inability to prevent history from repeating itself.  According to Scottish history professor, Alexander Tyler in 1787 at The University of Edenborough states, a nation forms first out of bondage by growing into spiritual faith. Then once faith is gained, courage is established allowing liberty to give birth. Liberty is then set lose because of an abundance of such greatness it allowed complacency to take hold.  A complacency that allowed us to become so self-satisfied and pleased with our works. We allowed indifference to take hold and give rise to our apathy.  This apathy, which represent our lack of emotion and concern for community and commitment to the common good, allowed dependence to give birth. A dependency in government, which has allowed men of darkness to take hold of it and who would soon have us all in bondage. Believe me when I say I do not judge the men of our government who hold office today.  I do question the people of this country- To judge or not to judge? To believe or not to believe?

The question of our time?

Steven Willis Henderson