Is It Judging When Holiness Preachers and Teachers Tell Sinners the Truth?

Today’s post is a re-write of one of my older posts. Very often, when ministers point out the dangers of and consequences of sin, those who are sinners say that we are “judging” them. They often reject the life-changing information that ministers give and hide behind the phrase, “Don’t judge me”. But is it really judging when we tell the lost the truth?

It is the mission and mandate of the church to help people 1) to see the error of sin; 2) to get forgiven for sin; 3) to receive the power of the Holy Ghost in order to resist the pull of sin; 4) to do a work for God while living a holy life and; 5) to make it successfully into the Kingdom of God with all of its splendor and rewards. In the process, we must praise and worship God, allow the Holy Ghost to mold us into the image of Jesus Christ and teach others to do the same.

What does the Bible tell us about judging?
Matthew  7:1-5 (KJV)
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Judgment for sin falls within the province of God’s business. Ministers are fully aware of that. We have to remember that we do not know all of the aspects of an individual’s life. What may appear to be an adulterous marriage, for example, simply because an individual has had four spouses, may not be the case at all. Let’s say the first three spouses died.  In that case the fourth marriages is certainly not an adulterous one. Not our business. And yet, as ministers, it is our responsibility to help to guide those who seek to make it into the Kingdom of God.  Ministers are mandated to “cry loud and spare not” about sin.

Isaiah 58:1-2 (KJV)
1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

We must boldly speak as God directs. Nathan the prophet in 2 Sam. 12:1 did just that. He was not afraid to confront David, the king, when he was in error concerning Bathsheba. God sent Nathan to David and Nathan stood boldly and told him “Thou art the man!” Nathan did not judge David, God judged David. Nathan simply told David the truth. As a result, David was able to REPENT and he got his life right with God. David had to bear the judgment of God, but at least he did not die in his sins.

2 Samuel 12:13-14 (KJV)
13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

If ministers do not tell a sinner about his sin and his soul is lost God will charge us, the ministers, with the responsibility for that soul.

Ezekiel 33:7-9 (KJV)
7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

It is especially important that a minister (or anyone) assures that his own life is right before God. How can one preach against sin if he personally is actively involved in sin?

Luke 6:41-44 (KJV)
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

The Bible is our standard of living. We all must live a clean, holy and sin free life before God. This kind of life is absolutely impossible to live without the Holy Ghost. But when the Holy Ghost comes in we can live as God requires.

My answer to the original question, “Is it judging when Holiness preachers and teachers tell sinners the truth?” is no, it is not judging when Holiness preachers and teachers tell sinners the truth. We are commanded and commissioned by God to expose sin. If an individual dies in his sin and we have refused to tell him the truth, God will hold us responsible for that lost soul. Therefore, ministers and Saints of God, we must obey God and carry out His mandate for our lives. We must assure that there is no unrepentant sin in our own lives and continue to do the work of soul winning that God requires of us. Love God and live Holy because Holiness is still right!