One of the enemy’s most effective tricks to trap believers is through a self-convinced posture of judgement. It is crucial we resist this trap.
Avoid the Pharisee Trap
In Jesus’s day, the Pharisees were so certain that Jesus was wrong, they turned the heart of the people against their own Saviour, inciting the crowds to shout “Crucify Him!”, when five days earlier, joyful hosannas had echoed off the Jerusalem walls. These zealous leaders were so convinced they were right, they sought the Lord’s destruction, sliding their Scriptures like beads on an abacus, measuring and weighing the very Word of Heaven with hellish accusations of judgement. Self-justified, deceived, without discernment, fuelled by pride and destroyed by conceit, they turned their own people against the Saviour and incited hatred against the very One sent by Heaven for their deliverance.
Sound familiar?
Rumours and accusations against church leaders currently clog our airwaves. Modern day Pharisees fight and accuse church leaders as this same religious spirit which demanded Jesus’ death by crucifixion mocks Christian leaders, bringing division and pain instead of glory. Today, self-righteous and self-appointed accusers criticize and vilify anointed men and women of God, irrespective of the destruction they inflict on the Body of Christ. Many disillusioned believers are falling away, exiting as they lose confidence in a divided team, while the world looks on.
Judgement is a trap, set by the enemy, baited by offence and enacted by pride. If the Lord taught us not judge, (Mathew 7:1) who are we to wage war against those in the Body of Christ? Only loss ensues.
God Appoints
If it is God, Who is in the business of using people, Who lifts up imperfect people and sovereignly establishes them as His leaders, who are we to then sit and make judgement of our leaders or our family in the Lord?
Remember, it is God Who anoints and appoints. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God (Rom. 13:1). We can rest in the truth that our loving Father is tenderly watching over His Church. We must avoid this impulse to tear down, despise, judge or disdain those Whom the Lord has chosen. None of us have the right to use our accusations as a hammer, bruising the Body with angry criticisms and scriptural protests. For the sake of His Name, we must resist the plan of the enemy to wreak havoc in the Church and flee this trap of judgement.
Here are 5 ways we can overcome the trap of judgement:
1. Speak Life.
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Eph 4:29)
Closing our mouths is often the most holy thing we can do.
2. Remember Whose we are.
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30).
The Lord is within you. We are His temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Do our words and actions reflect this consecration?
3. Refuse the Clamour.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Eph. 4:31)
Refuse to engage with the rumour mills and plainly avoid the accusations. Turn off your devices and fast the media frenzy. May peace be your portion as you choose the better.
4. Forgiveness is always the Right Response.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.(Eph. 4:32)
Mercy is non-negotiable in the Kingdom. If we are children of God, we are commanded by Jesus to forgive as the Father has forgiven us (Mat. 6:15).
As Jesus lovers, practicing kindness and forgiveness is always within our grasp.
5. Maintain our Gaze on the One Who loves best.
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. (Heb. 12:2)
If we keep looking to our Perfect Jesus, we will never lose sight of our goal. As we maintain our steady gaze on the One who Loves us above all, we will flee this trap and be a strength to the Body of Christ. For truly, one can’t gaze at another’s flaws and the Flawless One at the same time, so let’s choose to keep our eyes only on Jesus!
For more on this topic, enjoy this anointed sermon by Pastor Mama Tiny.
To shift your spiritual atmosphere, please connect through this powerful Word with Prophet Shyju.
We pray God’s richest blessing to you and yours in this beautiful Resurrection season!
Shalom,
Shyju and Tiny