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A Warning Against Holding Others in Contempt

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But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. – 2 Chronicles 28:9

The people of God have gone through terrible times where it seems all hope has been lost. Israel and Judah were divided, and Judah was doing very wickedly in forsaking the worship of the living and true God to worship baal, a false pagan deity of that day. They not only set up churches and sacrifices to this god but even sacrificed their children in fire to appease these false gods. God’s hand of discipline was on them and caused a foreign army to conquer them. But also the people of Israel fought against these their very people killing 120,000 of the people of Judah. Not only that but Israel took back 200,000 wife’s, sons and daughters to their land with spoils from the war. What a tragic time of hurt for the very people of God, civil war, division, confusion, idol worship and great devastation. In the midst of this situation God raises up the prophet Oded to speak to the people of Israel. His message was simple, yes God was angry with Judah over their evil practices and is judging them, but your killing them and your making them slaves is wrong also. Be careful he was warning or God will become angry with you also. And he speaks this phrase that hits home: “But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God?” (2 Chronicles 28:10). It is very easy to see the sins of others, to judge them and even take action against them. We can treat people who are our very brothers and sisters in the Lord badly, accusing them and causing them great hurt. God was speaking through his very prophet who heard his words that this action they made was not condoned by him, God’s people should not be the method of God’s judgment in most cases on others of God’s people. We see the pattern that God himself raises up circumstances, and pagan armies to bring discipline to his people.

Paul the Apostle in his letter to the believers in Rome says the same thing to us: “You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat” (Romans 14:10). We are never called of God to treat other brothers and sisters with contempt, having disgust and disapproval over one’s failing and weakness. Such thinking is never right because God will measure the same contempt back to us from his holy standard of perfect. We should never measure ourselves with ourselves but with God himself. Though Judah was in great apostasy and failing, Israel should have prayed and sought God for their repentance and change. When we take matters in our own hands, judge and kill each other with words, slander and gossip, we end up doing great hurt to ourselves and possibly incur God’s judgment on ourselves. When we listen to the words of prophet Oded, we should seek to judge ourselves and not others and to look at our own failings and not the failings of others. We all are seeking to follow the Lord in this journey and the last thing we need to do is to put stumbling blocks and obstacles in each others way (Romans 14:13). Paul in the Church was speaking of differences of opinion over worship holy days and Christian liberty. God’s judgment will come on those that it has to. Let us not wish it on anyone and not seek to bring it ourselves.

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  1. Churchwork's Avatar
    Verse 9 I think is the key verse: "But you have gone too far, killing them without mercy, and all heaven is disturbed." And verse 10: "now you are planning to make slaves of these people." You've taken this passage too far, because what Christian enslaves another Christian? These people are not necessarily saved either, but are part of two nations: Israel and Judah. God is speaking to them as nations not as individually saved persons. I can see how you potentially are abusing the Scriptures to falsely judge Christians who point out your failings.

    You are likely using this passage for your own self-serving purposes. This is what the Holy Spirit has put on my heart to say. Take for example when a brother in Christ was kicked out of Church and handed over to Satan for being deceitful. I might imagine you would accuse Paul for doing so because you said brothers should not have "disapproval over one’s failing and weakness." Who made this rule up? You? Also, I fear that you don't recognize many false Christians who have never been born-again, but if they are not treated according to your stipulation, you suggest a wrong was done. Their fruits show they are not Christians. The fact is the gospel message has not been received as evident by very strange teachings of that one you call a Christian, e.g. they believe odd things like in Mormonism, they kick women in the face, or they are profuse nose pickers, etc. This is not a matter of "Christian liberty." You're confusing two completely different matters. All of this is of a very strange spirit that they remain unrepentant of. We shall know them by their works.

    I don't think the passages you cite support your view when you said, "we should seek to judge ourselves and not others and to look at our own failings and not the failings of others." The Bible never says to ignore the sins of others. That is a very strange thing to say. Christians, if we are loving, will point out the failings of our brothers and sisters and encourage them to repent. Whereas you remain silent, assuming you are a Christian. As would be your misusing 2 Chron. 28, you are misusing Romans 14: "So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God" (v.10). Here we are told don't condemn brothers and sisters in Christ. But pointing out someone else's sin is not condemning them. Are you making this mistake?

    "For the Scriptures say, As surely as I live, says the LORD, every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God. Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong" (vv.11-14). Distinguish a matter such as this with, for example, someone who is unclean with their profuse nose picking and proud of it, claims Mormons are Christians, does not repent of kicking a woman in the face, and whose anger is about to blast out at any moment. We should be slow to anger (James 1.20). There are cleansing laws in the OT for a reason. Same old bad habits and false ideas continue to be not of God. And retaliation from said individual as well is further signs something is rotten and he is not a Christian. You would call such a person a Christian, but I would not. The gospel never entered that person's heart.

    This applies to brothers and sisters in Christ (Romans 14.10-14), not to false Christians. Discern the difference. Not everyone is a Christian who claims to be.

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