Removing Judgments (Part 2)

One of the primary things that can hinder the life and light flowing from your spirit to your body is judgment. A log in the eye Jesus refers to in Matthew 7:3 is a picture of a log jam or dam that can be built up in your soul through judgments. That is why Jesus said, “Judge not.” When you tolerate judgments in your soul, it restricts the flow of life springing forth from your spirit man into the physical realm. It is like a beaver dam that stops the flow of water in a river. Jesus made it plain in John 12:47 when He said:

I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

If Jesus did not come to judge, where does that leave you and me? 

There are a number of different types of judgments that can hinder the release of the benefits of the finished work of the cross to us. First are judgments toward God. Those who consciously or unconsciously blame God for the premature death of a loved one have actually passed judgment against the Lord. When we get to heaven each of us will have 20/20 hindsight. We will be saying, “Ohhhhhh, Ahhhhhh. You were good. You were right. You were fair. I was wrong to have judged you unfaithful because of that delay or hindering circumstance.” The Bible says of Sarah:

Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of   a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.         (Hebrews 11:11)

Declare with me, “I judge God faithful no matter what the circumstances seem like!” 

Another form of judgment is against self. Whenever we agree with and believe lies against ourselves, such as, “You are dumb” or “You are ugly” or “You are unworthy of receiving God’s blessings” it actually blocks the flow of blessing in our lives. Believing things like, “I am not educated enough,” or “I am inadequate for this assignment from the Lord,” or “I always fail, mess up, or say the wrong thing” gives the enemy place to hinder the fulfillment of God’s adequacy and blessing in your life. These are all judgments that are untrue of you and me. 

Why not rather judge and say of yourself what God says of you?

• “I am the righteousness of God in Christ!”
• “I have the mind of Christ!”
• “I have His adequacy.”
• “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

These are righteous judgments from the Word. By agreeing with these truths, it causes your soul to come into alignment with your spirit and will cause these things to become reality in your life. It is also very important to forgive yourself for past failures and mistakes. God has forgiven all our sins, past, present, and future (Ephesians 1:7; 4:32). So, who are we to refuse to forgive ourselves? 

A third type of judgment is judgment toward others. This is the primary focus of Jesus’ teaching on judgments in Matthew 7. Those who tolerate judgments in their souls toward others hinder the flow of salvation’s benefits in their lives. It also causes us to yield to the accuser of the brethren. Judging others is not the job of mankind. God is God, and you and I are not! God clearly identifies Himself as the only rightful Judge. 

For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. (Hebrews 10:30)  

Whenever we tolerate judgment of others we assume God’s place. None of us are objective enough to righteously or fairly judge the motives of another; only God can do that. Though we can judge what a person does in light of the Word we cannot assume why they did it.

One way we judge others is by knowing or identifying people after the flesh. This is a common mistake that may happen with your mate, child, close friend, or authority in your life. “My husband is a typical man … my wife is an uncontrollable shopper … my child is a slow learner … people in authority are in it for themselves.” Each of these may seem like factual and harmless observations. The problem is they are fleshly characterizations (judgments) that obstruct your spiritual vision of them. This may also happen when a person confesses their sin and yet you judge them to be insincere because you believe you know the motive of their heart.

To judge means to “condemn, sentence, punish or avenge.” This requires siding with the accuser of the brethren. That is not our place. Rather our place is to intercede for them and ask the Lord to bless them, restore them, and give them revelation of the knowledge of Jesus. Then choose to forgive them instead of judge them. 

Whether it was a brother or sister in the body of Christ who said or did something hurtful or a parent or close family member who hurt, abused, or neglected you, forgive them and release them from anything you think they owe you. Maybe you think they should have known better than to do whatever they may have done, but forgive them anyway. Jesus said: 

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)  

You may be thinking, “But they do know!” The reality is they don’t know. Spiritually they do not know. Therefore, you can forgive anyone by agreeing with Jesus on the cross and Stephen as he was being stoned to death. As with Jesus, Stephen realized his attackers were spiritually unaware of their sin. With his dying breath he chose forgiveness when he said: 

Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. (Acts 7:60)  

You and I are no less equipped to do the same for those who wrong us. Many times people want to withhold forgiveness until they receive an apology. You may never receive an apology from your offender. When you choose to release the person who wronged you, it releases you and removes the log of judgment from your soul blocking the life flow from your spirit. It is more important to remove any root of bitterness from your own heart than to seek and hold out for an apology that may never come. For your own sake, release them anyway.

Refuse to let a root of bitterness be established in your soul that will hinder the flow of life from your spirit. Do not live under the authority of the wrongs done to you. Refuse to live with a cynical, judgmental attitude. You will never be truly free while you are holding on to your hurt and pain. Freedom in your soul from unforgiveness, bitterness, and judgments comes by choosing to value the cross greater than your pain and loss! 

The results produced when you choose to judge others are anything but pleasant. According to Matthew chapter 7, you get judgment yourself instead of mercy. Let me be clear about this: This is not judgment from God. He poured all His judgment and wrath out on His sinless Son, Jesus, on the cross in our place. Now it is not God who is judging and withholding mercy, but people. If you sow judgment, you will also reap it from others.

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote (speck) out of thy brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5)

When you are sitting in judgment, you cannot see clearly to help others. Judgment hinders your spiritual vision. Your effectiveness in life and ministry becomes restricted because of judgments you tolerate in your soul. Light, revelation, and life are not able to flow freely.

Instead of judging, sentence people to success by saying what the Word says about them. See them the way God sees them instead of locking them into their sin or present condition. Look for good in them and pray the truth of the Word over them. Instead of condemning them with careless words, forgive them. Remind yourself the cross is greater than anything they are doing or have done to you. Get in agreement with God about them. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any judgments you may have tolerated or justified in your life. As He reveals them to you, apply the finished work of the cross to these events, hurts, and actions of people. Then you will experience the free-flowing life and light of God in and through your soul. The fruit that results will establish a prosperous soul within you!

Adapted from Greg Mohr’s book, A Prosperous Soul.