Daily Reading: 1 Corinthians 5-6
Scripture Focus: For
what have I to do with judging outsiders? (1 Corinthians 5.12)
Devotional
Thought: Recently I
found myself in court with an anxious family.
It was for a preliminary hearing in a legal matter. After discussion with the prosecutor and the
defendant's counsel, the judge dismissed the charges without prejudice. That sounds good, right? Prejudice is bad, so without prejudice is
good, isn't it? Sadly, it doesn't work
that way in court! After asking the
prosecutor we discovered that if a matter is dismissed without prejudice it can
be brought up again. If it is dismissed
with prejudice, then it can never again be re-filed. The judge had left the door open for judgment
in the future!
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul wrote about
judging someone in the church vs. outside the church. Paul made it plain that at this time, we
can't judge outsiders. It's not that we
can't say an action is wrong or right - for we have to be able to discern good
from evil. But, we cannot condemn
sinners. We dismiss their case without
prejudice, leaving it up to God, whose ultimate judgment is in the future.
In the case of a human court, charges
are dismissed without prejudice in order to give the state opportunity to build
their case for prosecution. With God,
however, just the opposite is true. The
Bible says that God is not willing for any to perish but for all to come to
repentance. He dismisses without prejudice
in order to give the defense time to
build their case - for the lost soul to come to Jesus and have his or her sins
forgiven! "Therefore do not
pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to
light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the
heart" (1 Corinthians 4.5).
Amen!
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that in your mercy you gave
me opportunity to believe in Jesus and to receive him as my Savior. Help me not to give up on anybody. May my loved ones and friends respond to you
in the time of decision.
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