A People Who Judge Themselves — Zac Poonen

Judging Begins with the Household of God

I'd like to turn to a verse in 1 Peter 4 which for many years I have considered to be the verse that indicates who really belongs in the family of God and who does not. See there's a sort of easy believism in Christendom today and many are being deceived into thinking that just because they repeated some magic formula they become Christians and they are eternally secure.

It's obvious that such people haven't read the New Testament completely and it's our calling as a church to expose error, to let the light shine in this darkness. So that nobody's blood is on our hands in the final day.

It's an awesome responsibility I see to stand in a pulpit and proclaim the Word of God and to make things so clear that no one who listens is deceived about their eternal destiny. I'm not saying they'll all get converted but at least they'll know where they stand.

So here's 1 Peter chapter 4 is the verse I have in mind. 1 Peter 4 and verse 17. It speaks here of the household of God or the family of God and it says here that the time has come. It is time for judgment to begin in the household of God.

From the household of God and it must begin with us first and then it goes on to say in verse 18 that it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved. Now most Christians don't believe that it is with difficulty that a righteous person is saved.

They say it's very easy. You just say Lord Jesus come to my heart. That's it. What do you do with verses like this that it's with difficulty that a righteous person is saved? A lot of Christians have got some favorite verses which they take ignoring 75 of other verses that if they took would balance out their understanding of truth.

So I see the family of God or the household of God or the Church of God as a place where people like it says in verse 17 judge themselves first. So if you are a person who judges yourself first and not others you're part of the household of God.

If you're a person who spends your time judging other people I don't know where you are. I hope you'll make it. But one thing I can be sure that if you're a person who judges yourself first you're definitely a part of the household of God.

Scripture, Self-Deception, and Sin

There are many things in Scripture that are a little vague and I think God has kept it that way. There are verses that I think God has deliberately put in a vague way to see whether man is really serious about obeying him or whether he's going into Scripture to find some loophole for disobedience.

Some little verse from which he can get comfort in his sin. I think of a number of well-known television evangelists who very famous people who when they fell into adultery shameful adultery they stayed away from the television program for a few weeks and then came back and said well David also fell into adultery.

He did not lose his position as a king. He came back so I've come back. See they went into Scripture to find some comfort in their sin and God allowed them to find it. To deceive themselves. Forgetting that David was in the Old Covenant and they were in the New Covenant.

I mean if they had pointed to Paul or Peter falling into adultery that would be something but they found comfort in their sin by going to the Old Testament and God allowed them to find it. To deceive themselves.

I mean they wouldn't go to a verse like 1 John 3 which says he was he who commits sin is of the devil. They wouldn't take that because that would condemn them. Sin is the main subject in the New Covenant.

And it's very important to understand that. I don't know whether you realize the only time that Jesus used the word New Covenant. We use it so often. I use it frequently. I believe it's one of the major things the Lord's asked me to proclaim and teach.

But Jesus used the word only once and it's at the Last Supper. He said this is my bud of the New Covenant which is shed for the forgiveness of the sins of many. And what I learned from that is the New Covenant is all about being free from sin.

It's got nothing to do with healing or prosperity or comfort or evangelism or anything or ministry. It's got to do with being free from sin. From that will flow many other things. Even a ministry would be to lead other people to be free from sin and to enter the New Covenant.

Of course, we should do that. So I have found great comfort in this verse and I believe God gives us his word to make us supremely happy. That the most joyful person that walked on this earth was Jesus Christ.

Loving Righteousness and Hating Iniquity

And the reason why God anointed him with the oil of gladness above all other people is mentioned in Hebrews 1 verse 9. Hebrews 1 verse 9 referring to Jesus it says, you have loved righteousness and hated iniquity.

Therefore. He doesn't say therefore God your God anointed you with the oil of gladness period. It says therefore God anointed you with the oil of gladness above all the others. So the reason why Jesus had such tremendous joy in his life.

Well, there was a reason for it. He loved righteousness. He didn't just do righteousness. He loved it. He didn't just avoid sin he hated it and there's a revulsion in him to sin. And we we may think we have come to great heights when we've just avoided sin.

A lot of people avoid sin was still miserable. But when a person learns to hate sin and love righteousness God will anoint him with the oil of gladness because there's no partiality with God there's a law.

Lord God you have anointed Jesus with the oil of gladness not because he's your son because he loved righteousness and hated iniquity more than all the others. So what I learned from that is the measure in which God gives us the oil of gladness joy and freedom from murmuring and grumbling and complaining and a life of constant thanksgiving for all circumstances is if we love righteousness and hate iniquity first of all in ourselves.

So the thing I judge myself in is to see whether I hate iniquity whether I love righteousness whether I'm developing an increasing revulsion to sin. Not satisfied with avoiding it but just like you know, I often try to picture in my mind what is the most repulsive thing I can think of and I want to hate sin like that.

It's not just that I'm in the beginning. We don't get there soon in the beginning we have lived in sin so much that the first step to that is turning away from it battling it and being drawn towards it and avoiding it and then fighting it fighting it fighting it like we sing in that song Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin each victory you win will help you another to win.

So each time we resist temptation is going to make us stronger and gradually we come to the place. It doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't even happen in a year or two, but we can to me. This is the mark of progression into the likeness of Christ that we can gradually come to the place where we have a revulsion towards it.

We hate it. I mean like if like we would have a revulsion to lick the floor with our tongue or lick a toilet bowl. Oh Would you do it for a hundred dollars to have a revulsion for sin like that Lord, I want to hate sin and have a revulsion against it every type of sin to speak evil of others to have a dirty thought for even a smell of Looking at anything pornographic or ugly sexually a revulsion to it.

Just like I'd have a revulsion to lick a toilet bowl that's hating sin and Loving righteousness. Just like think of something you really love say Lord. I want to love righteousness like that like a good meal or something like that and I Want to judge myself.

Judging Ourselves Before Christ's Judgment Seat

Until I get there if we judge ourselves We will not be judged in 1 Corinthians 11 says in relation to The Lord's table an expression which is true generally apart from the Lord's table as well verse 31 If we judged ourselves rightly We will not be judged and that is at the judgment seat of Christ.

I won't be judged for anything. I Picture this sometimes in my mind. I like to Read scripture and think in pictures. It helps me God's given us an imagination and In our unconverted days, we used our imagination for all types of filth.

Why not use it for something good now? I do it all the time. I Imagine that Christ has set up his judgment seat and I imagine believers through the ages standing before him and one by one being called up before him to be judged and You know, the Bible says that each one is going to be judged and here it says in 1 Corinthians 11 31 If we judge ourselves rightly in that day, we will not be judged.

So I've got to judge myself rightly so I think of different ones going up before the Lord and the Lord pointing out various things in them that They didn't set right in their lifetime on earth after they were saved and things that they took very casually In relation to his word or in relation to sin.

And one by one they're judged now I picture myself coming up there in my turn comes and I want the Lord to say to me. It's nothing. Your record is clear. Wow, can you imagine how it'll be? If it's like that for you.

Are you passionate. That it should be like that. Or do you live forever like evangelical Christendom that says oh, it doesn't matter if he's sin. The blood of Jesus is always there to cleanse us. You're gonna have a shock when you get to the judgment seat of Christ if you ever make it there.

You cannot have a casual attitude to sin to any sin that you know to be sin that you know to be wrong and Expect that we can play the fool with sin. And be ready to meet the Lord. It's not true. Whoever sold you that lie?

Cheated you. Listen to the truth. It says in 1 John and chapter 2 that when the Lord comes. 1 John chapter 2. These are scriptures. I'm not going to take you to the Old Covenant to give you comfort for your sin.

From the examples of men who failed. This is the new covenant in my blood. Which is shed for the forgiveness of the sins of many. He was pointing out that there was a tremendous price paid. To forgive even one sin.

I've often thought of it like that that If I was the only sinner in the whole world of every human being was righteous and had never sinned and I was the only one who had sinned and I had committed only one sin in my life.

Once I got angry. That's it. Jesus would still come down from heaven. To die for this one man. Me who committed one sin. So that I go into God's presence. I look at it like that and that's why I've learned to hate sin.

That's why I've learned to love righteousness. Not just talk about it or hear about it. And that's why I can testify. My life is filled with joy. The Lord's delivered me from bad moods completely. It's not it's it's the laws are the same.

If you love righteousness and hate iniquity, it's yours too. 1 John chapter 2 Verse 28 little children Abide in him. These are he's talking to born-again believers. Little children Abide in Christ. Haven't you accepted Christ?

Yes, you've accepted Christ abide in him. Is there a need for that? John don't you know that once a person's accepted Christ, he's automatically abiding him in favor. John says I don't believe that rubbish.

I tell little children abide in him. Stay in him. He won't forsake you but it's easy for you to run away from him. Abide in him so that when he appears We may have confidence and Not shrink away from him in shame.

It is coming. So they're going to be two categories of believers. One who have boldness. Oh Lord you've come and the others are going to shrink away. Who are these people are going to shrink away is unbelievers.

Little children. Read scripture carefully. This is the only book That can show us the truth. I believe it with all my heart and my eternal destiny. Is too serious a thing for me to play the fool with.

People are so careful with a little scan report that shows a little patch in their lung. Doctor says that could be serious. They get so worried about that Which can never send them to hell. And they don't seem to be concerned about Sins that they take so lightly.

Little children abide in him so that when he appears We may have boldness. That we can run to meet him and not Like some believers will do in that day shrink away run backwards. Imagine believers running backwards when the Lord comes in shame.

Because in that light they will see The seriousness of the sin they played the fool with for so many years. And then he says, you know that if he's right if you know that he's righteous. Verse 28. You know that everyone who practices righteousness Is born of him.

See what a great love. Chapter 3 verse 1 the father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God and such we are. For this reason the world doesn't know us because he did not know him.

Is it true that the world doesn't know you or are you popular with the world? Seeking to be popular with the world the world does not know us Because he did not know him. I do not want to be popular In a world that rejected my Savior, I do not want to be accepted By people who have rejected my Lord.

I'm not interested. Why do I want to be popular with people with whom Jesus is unpopular? The world does not know us Because he did not know him. We're not popular with the world Because he was not popular with the world.

Beloved to your children of God. It has not yet appeared what we shall be. But we know that when he appears We will be like him. Because we will see him just as he is and If you have this hope. Everyone who has this hope this dual hope.

That I shall see him and when I see him I shall be like him. Not only see him. That's what most people only think of that. There's a double hopes the other side of the same coin. If you don't have the other side is a counterfeit coin.

The hope that I shall see him and when I see him I shall be like him. Everyone who has this hope if you want to test yourself whether you have this hope or not. Will keep on purifying himself. Will keep on judging himself.

He doesn't have time to judge others because There's so much work to do in his own life. There are so many weeds in his own garden. That he has no time to criticize the gardens of others. He's cleansing himself cleansing himself.

Purifying himself till he reaches his standard of purity. That means he's not going to stop. Until he's reached the pure standard of purity of Jesus Christ. That's why we need to live in a cleansing all the time.

You cannot be satisfied if you really believe that God has predestined us to become like Jesus Christ and that's what he's going to make us that. If that is our goal, we'll purify ourselves just as he's pure and that's why it's important to have the attitude that Paul had in Philippians chapter 3.

Pressing Toward Full Likeness to Christ

Philippians chapter 3 and verse 13. He first of all says in verse 12. I have not yet become perfect. Obviously that was his goal. A Lot of Christians are afraid of the word perfect and perfection. The New Testament is full of it.

The New Testament also says in Hebrews the law could make nothing perfect. So the Old Testament doesn't have that word. The person who's not interested in perfection is really an old covenant Christian.

I don't know what that means. It's like saying a blackish white or something like what is blackish white? An old covenant Christian. It's a anomaly. It's a contradiction in terms. He says I've not yet become perfect, but I press on.

In order to Philippians 3 12 that I'm a lay hold of that. For which Christ laid hold of me. Jesus laid hold of Paul on the road to Damascus and he became it became clear to him over a period of time. Why he laid hold of him dear brothers and sisters.

Is it clear to you? Why Christ laid hold of you? Do you have a passion to lay hold of that? For which Christ laid hold of you. Christ did not lay hold of me just to come to church on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Christ did not lay hold of me. Just to sort of drift along in the world somehow keep on. Confessing sin forever. No. He laid hold of me with a purpose that he may transform me into his likeness and Paul understood that and he says therefore.

First of all, he says I haven't attained it yet. I Haven't reached that goal yet, but one thing I do. Forgetting what lies behind Philippians 3 13. Reaching forward to what lies ahead. I press toward the goal for the price of Total likeness to Christ that is the upward call of God.

Always calling me upward. Away from attachment to sin in the world. Call of God in Christ Jesus. Now when most Christians take that verse forgetting the things that are behind. To refer to the mess they've made of their life in the past.

Well, thank God I can forget the mess I made of my life in the past and I can press forward. That's good. That's a kindergarten way of understanding that verse. But Paul was not in the kindergarten he was a mature Christian and Mature Christians when I say when I was a child, I thought like a child.

I spoke like a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things. So it's alright when you're a child. Born again last month or something like that. To say well forgetting the things that are behind.

I'm really thankful that I can forget them. Messed up life I lived. But when you've been a Christian for 20 years like Paul or more. What you're trying to forget is How much you have already become like Christ?

Paul says I know I've overcome this and this and this and this and this and I've Sacrificed this this this this this. I've given up this this this and this but I'm gonna forget it. That's what he's forgetting he's forgetting the progress he's made not the mess he's made of his life.

That's the attitude of the mature Christian. He says I'm not thinking of how far I've already Progressed in likeness to Christ or how much better a Christian I am than some of my fellow Christians in the church.

That's not in my mind. If I keep that in my mind, I'll never press on to perfection. I'll just keep congratulating myself that I'm a better Christian than some of the others and Probably judge them as well.

No, I'm gonna forget it. I'm gonna forget the things that are behind and What was behind Paul all that he had suffered for the Lord? He's an overcoming life and he had written scripture and he planted churches.

He's I'm gonna forget all that I'm only gonna see I've not yet become fully like Christ and I've got a long way to go. When you say Paul you're already miles ahead of most other believers, that's fine.

God bless them, but I'm pressing on to the goal. I Mean, I hope they will press on to the goal, too and so he says let us therefore verse 15 as Many as are mature have this attitude. In the margin of my Bible, it says mature.

If we are mature we will have this attitude Lord I want to be more like you and if in any area verse 15 you have a different attitude. That means a casual attitude towards sin. God will show it to you and When God shows it to you Acknowledge it humbly.

And say Lord, I'm sorry. I don't have that attitude. However, let us keep living by the same standard to which we have attained. Brethren join in following my example. And observe those who walk according to this pattern.

This is another emphasis in the New Testament That we You know call people to look at our life. It's a completely foreign concept to the Apostles to say. Oh, don't look at me. Look at Jesus. That means don't look at my messed-up life.

I'm not a good Christian, but look at Jesus you never find that in the New Testament. Paul says look at me. Follow me as I follow Christ. He said I haven't yet come there, but as far as I've come you can follow me see my goal see what I'm pressing on towards and every one of us Should have this attitude.

Let everyone who's mature a lot of us think we are pretty mature. You may not be you may still be in the kindergarten if you don't have this attitude so this business of judging ourselves the Church of God is a group of people who Judge themselves and they have so much to cleanse themselves that they have no time to judge others.

And it's from that. Or as John says purify themselves as he's pure. Like that the channel gets purified and purified and purified. And as God sends the living waters through it flows out in purity without any pollution in the channel.

The Judgment Seat of Christ and Eternal Accountability

So in that light, let's turn to 2nd Corinthians in chapter 5 and see something more that Paul says in relation to the Lord's coming and are Going to be with them in eternity. I said how we don't want to shrink away in shame.

The Bible speaks about two judgment seats in Revelation 20 it speaks about the great white throne of God where unbelievers are going to be judged. For the degree of punishment they're going to have in hell.

They're going to be degrees of punishment in hell. It's not just hell. It says he who knew his master's will and did not do it will be beaten with more stripes. Than he who did not do is know his master's will.

That's Luke chapter 12. So here it says about the judgment seat of Christ at which believers will stand. That's different from the great white throne of God mentioned in Revelation 20. Here it speaks about Our appearing at the judgment seat of Christ.

In 2nd Corinthians 5 10 we must all appear Before the judgment seat of Christ. So He speaks in verse 1 about earthly house or tent. The earthly tent is our body. This body is a tent or a house in which the real person's living and What we call death is this person moving out of this house.

That's death. The person doesn't die. You know that none of you will never ever die not even an unbeliever dies. He just moves out of this house. What we call death is. The body dies, but it's a moving out of this house, which is a temporary house, and he says This house is going to be torn down.

We have a building from God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens. But in this house verse 2 we groan because We're sick and tired of living in this house. We long to be clothed With our heavenly dwelling and When many people think of that They're thinking of sickness and pain and aches in this house.

I'm thinking of unlikeness to Christ in this house. What are you thinking of when you say I'm sick and tired of this body is it? Lord in this body. I'm still not Behaving like you. I'm not talking like you.

I'm not thinking like you not having the same attitude that you have that Disturbs me more than the sickness and the aches and pains so when I think of groaning in this body I'm not groaning because I've got aches and pains.

I'm not bothered about that. All our aches and pains Multiplied by a thousand are not equal to one sin. A mature Christian is one who takes one sin more seriously than ten sicknesses. I want to have that attitude if I had cancer and leprosy and Tuberculosis and AIDS all combined and I say Lord That won't disturb me as much as one sin one sinful thought a word or attitude our motive that I get angry or lust or Run after money to me.

That's more serious than having leprosy and tuberculosis and cancer and AIDS all combined. If you've seen it like that, you're a mature Christian if you haven't Pray that you will I really believe that when sickness is more serious to me than sin I'm in the kindergarten.

That's okay. I'm not saying you're not saved but we don't want to sit in the kindergarten forever. We all enter the kindergarten initially. How long do you want your children to sit in the kindergarten?

We want to move on, right? So we groan in this body to be clothed with the dwelling in heaven. So that when we put that on we won't be found naked. This is one who's naked who's going to shrink away in shame.

For indeed when we're in this tent we groan being burdened because we Do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed and I to me that clothing is The nature of Christ that takes over in order that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

And he who prepared us for this purpose is God who has given us the Holy Spirit as a pledge therefore Being always of good courage. Knowing that while we are at home in the body in this body. We are absent from the Lord.

Our real home is there but now in this body we are absent from the Lord. I Mean we don't we're not physically with Jesus and So we walk by faith and not by sight. We are of good courage. I say and we are rather Eager to be absent from this body.

To be at home with the Lord. So Paul when he talks about home, he's not talking about this earth. He says my home is in heaven. And right now I am absent from my home. He's along to be home with my Lord and Therefore we have as our ambition now remember this at home means to be in heaven absent from home means To be on the earth.

So keep that in mind Verse 9 therefore we have as our ambition whether at home in heaven or Absent from heaven on this earth to be pleasing to him. So that means That when I'm in heaven, I want to please the Lord and Here on earth I want to please the Lord too so in other words, I'm going in a certain direction and when I leave this body and Enter God's presence.

My direction is not going to change suddenly. It's going to be the same direction. I always had on earth To please the Lord. It's not that I was running after money on this earth and suddenly I have to turn direction because now I have left the body I'm in heaven.

Or that I took sin so casually here on earth and suddenly I've left the body and gone to heaven and I got to change Direction. No, no. No. It's the mature Christian he says whether I'm here or in heaven.

The direction of my life is not going to be any different. The passion of my life is going to be to please the Lord a good way to examine ourselves. If the Lord were to take you out of your body tonight Let's not boast.

James says don't boast about tomorrow. But say if the Lord wills We shall live and do this tomorrow. But if the Lord were to call us home today Can you say that The direction of your life will not change.

You won't have to suddenly change direction. Because you have now entered God's presence. It'll be just the same Because you lived in God's presence here. Always wanting to ambition our ambition is to please him.

That means a burning passion to please the Lord and I could only do it in a limited way on earth, and I'm excited that I can now do it in fullness. But my ambition hasn't changed. Make that your goal if it isn't if it's not your goal already.

If you're not there already, don't don't get discouraged, but say Lord. I want to come there. I Want to be a mature Christian? So that when I leave this body and Come into your presence the direction of my life is not going to change even one degree.

It's going to be to please you it's going to be please you here please you there. Because We must all appear verse 10 the judgment seat of Christ. That each one of us may be rewarded for the deeds that we did in our body.

Whether good That means whether it was to please the Lord or bad. Which is to please ourselves and please other men whether it is good. I only wanted to please the Lord. Even if I didn't please myself, and I offended a lot of human beings or whether it's bad bad in the sense I Did what I pleased I Did what satisfied my ego.

I did whatever I wanted to do I did what would Please other people that's bad. He says therefore verse 11 knowing the fear of the Lord. Boy, that's something which most people don't know today if we knew the fear of the Lord We would have more wisdom.

The Fear of the Lord and the Death of Self

When it says in the Old Testament that the fear of the Lord Proverbs 9 10 is the beginning of wisdom it's like saying that is the ABC of wisdom. You know children when they go to school they first learn the ABC.

You can't learn anything else without learning ABC. Whether you want to study history or geography or physics or science or anything you got to start with ABC and You can never afford to forget it if through some brain injury you forget your ABC at some time.

All your education stops as well. Because your entire education is based on never forgetting your ABC. The fear of the Lord is the ABC of wisdom and If I ever lose it my entire spiritual education comes to a halt and That's happened in the lives of many who claim to be believers.

It can never happen in the life of a believer who judges himself instead of judging others. Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord We persuade men verse 14 for the love of Christ controls us. Having concluded that one died for all.

Therefore all died. This is a mystery a New Testament mystery. That when Jesus died on the cross We died with him as I was saying on Sunday the word of the cross has got two parts. One is that Christ died on the cross and the second part is that I died with Christ.

The first part is foolishness to the unbeliever and the second part is foolishness to most believers. That I died with Christ. The first part most unbelievers do not accept the second part most believers don't accept because if I died with Christ, then I will not live for myself and There are two places in Scripture where it says Why Christ died?

In 1 Corinthians 15, it says Christ died for our sins. Very clear. That's the gospel Christ died for our sins to take the guilt of our sins. Have you seen the second reason why Christ died here? He died 2nd Corinthians 5 15.

2nd Corinthians 5 15 not so popular a verse that those who live Should never again live for themselves. Did you know that Christ died? That I should never live for myself again. It's as much Scripture as 1 Corinthians 15 that says Christ died for our sins.

You know how Irresponsible children selfish children grow up wanting privileges in their home, but not willing to take a responsibility a mark of a spoiled kid. Who wants all the privileges of being in a good home, but doesn't want to take any responsibility in the home and so it is with Christians who want all the privileges of Being God's children and not the responsibility.

Who want the fact that Christ died for my sins. I want that privilege but the responsibility. That he died that I might never live again for myself. They don't want that so it's very easy when you read these scriptures to discover whether we are Going getting closer to maturity or not or we are in a Merry-go-round like these carousels and parks where You always come back to the same place.

You sin, you repent, confess your sin, get forgiven and sin again and Repent and confess your sin and you are forgiven again. You sin again. This is a Carousel or a merry-go-round from which the devil never lets you get off get off it.

Say Lord, I'm not gonna sit there anymore. I'm gonna get off it. I want to press on. He died that I might never live for myself but I must live for him who died and Rose again for me and that is the meaning of verse 17 that if any man is in Christ He's a new creature.

Christians have this bad habit of taking verses by itself without seeing in its context. What is this new creature, this new creature is the one who doesn't live for himself. Because the old creatures, the race of Adam, they all live for themselves.

That's the meaning of that. So it's because I see how Jesus lived on this earth. Never to please himself and I say Lord, that's how I want to live. You've called me to live like that and that's not a miserable life.

The devil keeps saying all your life will be miserable if you live like that is the happiest life you can ever live on this earth the happiest most joyful and most useful life. That anyone ever lived on the earth was the life Jesus lived and he was not a millionaire.