Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God

Who Are You Condemning?

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-12-15

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver explores the biblical concept of condemnation, arguing that everyone is always condemning someone—whether themselves, others, or God—through their words, attitudes, and actions. He distinguishes between eternal condemnation (reserved for unbelievers) and the self-condemnation that even Christians can experience. The sermon examines how we condemn ourselves by our speech, unjust judgment of others, and grudging; how we condemn others by our obedience to God's law; and how we condemn God by rejecting His counsel and justifying ourselves. The message calls believers to examine who they are condemning and to align their lives with God's Word.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bibles to Psalm 107, and we're going to begin reading with verse 10. And although you might think I'm not going to be preaching from this passage, I will before I close. I want you to look at it. Psalm 107, beginning there with verse 10. He says, Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron, because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High.

[John Weaver] Therefore He brought down their heart with labor, they fell down, and there was none to help." Now just recently I brought a message entitled, Who Are You Justifying? Today the title of the message is, Who Are You Condemning? I've told you repeatedly Anytime you study the Bible, you must remember this, that every positive has a negative, and every negative has a positive. So when you read something in the scripture like, Thou shalt not steal, that's a negative. There is always a positive, and that positive is found in Ephesians 4, that we're to work with our hands and labor for that which is good, that we may have good, that we may have to give them to him that needeth, etc. So, Thou shalt not kill is a negative. The positive is thou shalt preserve life.

[John Weaver] So I was pointing out who are you justifying that there is a sense indeed in which we justify either sinners, self or the sovereign God. Today we're talking about who are you condemning. And just like I pointed out in the last message that we are always justifying someone whatever we do and however we live. The opposite is also true. We're also always condemning someone, whatever we do and however we live.

[John Weaver] Most of us never ever think of the subject of condemnation. In fact, to be condemned literally means to be judged guilty in light of the law, that is for sure. But usually when we think of the word condemned or the subject of condemnation, we certainly think of those who are unsafe. Our Lord said it like this in John 3 and verse 18, He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he believeth not in the Son of God. So those who believe are not condemned, those who believe not are condemned already. And in John 3 and verse 36, our Lord confirms this when He says this, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not on the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." So normally when we think about the word condemnation, we normally connect that word with the wrath of God and rightly so. There are plenty of verses in the Bible that teach that those who are condemned are the subjects of God's righteous wrath and anger.

[John Weaver] In fact, we're told in Psalm 7 and verse 11 that God judges the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day. Now, I want you to stop and think about that for a moment. The Bible says God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. So sinners may have many feast days, but they never have any safe days, because there is not a moment when the anger of God is not burning hot against them. So just because a lot of people think that they're going to party up and have a grand old time and a good old time. Very obviously, they're not concerned about God's righteous anger, God's wrath, and God's judgment. And certainly God's judgment will fall in His time upon His enemies.

[John Weaver] So, the point I'm trying to make is this. Although we normally associate condemnation with those who are unsaved, let me point out that condemnation is not reserved only for the unjust. I'm going to show you from Scripture how that we may condemn ourselves, how we may condemn others, and how we may even condemn God Himself. So let me begin today with this point. It is possible to condemn ourselves.

[John Weaver] And it doesn't matter whether you're a Christian or a non-Christian. It is possible to condemn yourself. Now, when I'm using the word condemnation now, especially in relationship to Christians, You've got to understand that a Christian's condemnation is not to eternal death. The Bible says in Romans 8 and verse 1, there is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. Now when He says there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, what He's saying is that we will not be eternally condemned, we will not experience the wrath of God.

[John Weaver] In fact, our Lord said it just a little differently, but teaching the same truth. He said in John 5 and verse 24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, now listen, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. So when He says shall not come into condemnation, He's talking about the eternal condemnation at the day of judgment. So very obviously then, when we're talking about how that Christians may condemn themselves, we're not talking about a condemnation at the last great day of judgment. So Christians are not under that kind of condemnation. There's no condemnation of those who are in Christ Jesus. But that does not mean then that we cannot condemn ourselves. There's a way that we can condemn ourselves. So let's ask and answer the question then, how in the world do we condemn ourselves? Not only as Christians, but as non-Christians as well. How do we condemn ourselves? Well, first of all, have you ever considered that your words and your attitudes and your actions may be condemning yourself before God?

[John Weaver] You know, it is a truth of Scripture and it is a truth of everyday life that we are indeed condemned by our words. I read recently of a courtroom situation where a man was on trial for armed robbery. And one of the witnesses who was testifying against him said, quote, he said, this is a hold up, give me all your money. And when the witness said that, the defendant blurted out, that's not what I said. I said give me your money or I'll shoot. Needless to say, it did not take the jury very long to condemn the man. He was condemned out of the words of his own mouth.

[John Weaver] And so this is what I'm talking about and I'm going to demonstrate to you. Although there is no eternal condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, we still may condemn ourselves with our own words. In Job 9 in verse 20, Job said this, Job said, If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me. If I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Then Eliphaz, in trying to answer Job, said this in Job 15 in verse 6, Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I. Thine own lips testify against thee. So we can be condemned by the words of our own mouth. Scripture teaches that this is exceedingly clear and exceedingly easy that our own mouths testify against us.

[John Weaver] I want you to hold Psalm 107, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12. And look if you would beginning there with verse 34. Matthew 12 and verse 34. Matthew 12 verse 34.

[John Weaver] Notice what our Lord says. Matthew 12, verse 34. Our Lord is speaking and He says this, O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Now watch carefully. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment.

[John Weaver] For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Now notice what he said. Every idle word that proceeds out of your mouth. And then he said, By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. So, Matthew is teaching us that the whole tenor of our conversation will be evidence against us. We condemn ourselves with our own words.

[John Weaver] Have you ever stopped to think how we don't really consider what we say at times? And we don't really consider oftentimes how our words hurt. When I was a child and when you were children, most of you, you had this little rhyme. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. But the truth is, names do hurt. And words do hurt. All you have to do is let someone call you ugly, fatty, skinny, whatever, something that you don't like, and you'll understand they hurt.

[John Weaver] And he is saying here that every idle word, every vain word, every useless word, we're going to be called in to account for. You see, the reason our words are so important is that the word that we speak reveal the state of our heart. It reveals our mind. That's why the Bible says in Proverbs 23, verse 7, help me out now, as a man thinketh in his heart, what so is he? In other words, you're going to act out, you're ultimately going to be, and you're ultimately going to do what you think and what you say. That's why in Proverbs 4, verse 23, he said, Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Now, look in Matthew 15, since you're right there, and let's begin reading there in verse 18. Now, we're talking about words.

[John Weaver] I want you to watch what happens here. Matthew 15, verse 18. Our Lord is explaining to his disciples, and he says this, But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. Now watch carefully. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man. But eat with unwashed hands, defile not a man. Now, go back to verse 18. But those things which proceed out of the watch The mouth. Where do they come from? From the heart. And they defile the man.

[John Weaver] So it is the words that we speak. It is the attitudes that we demonstrate and manifest that reveal the very state of our heart and the very state of our soul. No wonder our words condemn us. Because they reveal the innermost thoughts of your heart.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you something, I can listen to you and I can tell you what's on your heart because ultimately it's going to come out. I can listen to you and tell you what kind of individual you are and what is important to you and what is not important to you by the tone of your conversation. You can do the same thing for me. Because it is our words, therefore, that reveal our attitude.

[John Weaver] And our attitudes always lead to actions. Thus, God's going to judge our words.

[John Weaver] Now, go in your Bibles to the book of James, if you would. Hebrews, James. And look, if you would, beginning there with chapter 3. James chapter 3. And look, if you would, please, at verse 2. James 3 and verse 2. James says this. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, unable also to bridle the whole body."

[John Weaver] If I were to ask you, and I'm not doing this, but if I were to ask you to raise your hand if you had said something in your life that you wished you had never said. Everybody would raise their hand. And you know, the thing is this, James said if we want to be perfect, we have to be able to bridle our tongue. But no one can do that.

[John Weaver] And you see, once those words go out of our mouth, you can't call them back. A good illustration of that is like the emails that you send. Once you hit that send button, you can't get it back. It's gone. And everybody sees it. It wants to look at it. Or it can be anywhere and everywhere. I never will forget the story I heard about a man who had lied about his neighbor.

[John Weaver] And he had spread the rumor to two or three different people. So he got under real conviction about it and he went to the pastor and asked him what he could do. And he says, well, what you need to do is to go catch a chicken. Pluck some of its feathers. And tonight you put a feather on each of the doorsteps that you've told this lie to.

[John Weaver] And the man did so. And so the next morning he came to the pasture. He said, well, I've done exactly what you've said.

[John Weaver] Now what do I do? He said, I want you to go gather the feathers and bring them back. The man came back, he said, I can't. The wind has blown them I don't know where. He said, you do not know where all of your words have gone and all the lies that you have told. He said, the only thing you can do is go to the man against whom you have lied and the people against whom you've lied concerning him and repent and make it right. But that does not mean that you've stopped the rumor.

[John Weaver] Look down if you would, please. In James chapter 3 and verse 6, here's what he means. James 3 verse 6, he said, And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members that defileth the whole body, and set on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire out of hell. I heard one man say this tongue is like an automatic sewing machine set on fire out of hell. Those of you who've done an automatic sewing machine, I mean it is fast.

[John Weaver] You see, the Scripture tells us that as Christians especially, we are admonished, we are commanded to use language that cannot be condemned. In fact, in Titus 2 and verse 8, Paul says, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is on the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Sound speech that cannot be condemned. Do you know what Paul said in Ephesians 4 and verse 29? Listen to this.

[John Weaver] Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. But he goes on to say, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers. So on the one hand, he said let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. On the other hand, He said, when you speak, you speak that which is good to the use of edifying, that is, that it may build up and strengthen someone rather than hurt them and rather than condemn them.

[John Weaver] Now, look in James 5 and verse 12. Look what James comes to the conclusion. James 5 verse 12, he says, But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath, but let your yea be yea, and you're nay be nay lest you fall into condemnation.

[John Weaver] Now let me just point something out. Here is the tenor of what James is saying. You never have to punctuate your conversation with expletives and with cursings if you mean what you say. And if you say what you mean. I never will forget when I was a boy, there was a man who was of small stature. And I suppose he tried to make up for his smallness of stature by taking God's name in vain just about every breath that he took. He cursed consistently, constantly. And I remember even as a small boy, I despised being around him.

[John Weaver] I could not stand it. I did not want it. I was not a Christian, but I knew that something was wrong. And I asked my father about it one day, and all my father said was, I suppose he's trying to make up for his lack of size. I don't know. But you know, I learned a valuable lesson from that. If you say what you mean and mean it when you say it, Everybody will understand, yes. Everybody will understand, no. You don't have to use anything else.

[John Weaver] And this is what James is saying, because we're going to give an account for our words, very obviously. Now, if we understand that by our words we shall be justified and by our words we shall be condemned, we might want to learn to pray as David did in Psalm 141 and verse 3. When David said, set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips.

[John Weaver] And I will tell you folks, I will be absolutely honest. There are times, although it is painful, exceedingly painful, it really pays to bite your tongue and not say what you really truly want to say. Because once those words go out, they can never ever be taken back. Okay? So we may condemn ourselves by our words. Secondly, we may condemn ourselves by our unbiblical and unjust judgment and condemnation of others.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Luke 6. Luke 6, and then we're going to Matthew 7. Okay? Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So Luke 6. And notice if you would, verse 37. Luke 6, verse 37. I'm just showing you how we may condemn ourselves. Luke 6, verse 37. Look at what our Lord says. He says, Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.

[John Weaver] Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. I'm going to explain this, but look at it again. Judge not that you shall not be judged. In other words, here is the lex talionis, here is the law of retribution. God is saying you better be careful with your judging because ultimately you're going to be judged in the same measure and in the same way that you judge. Be careful with your condemning because you will be condemned in the same measure and the same way that you condemn. Now look in your Bibles to Matthew 7. You're going to see the same principle, Matthew 7, beginning there with verse 1. And our Lord says it like this, Matthew 7, verse 1. Judge not that you be not judged. Now here's the principle. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you again. So He says, Judge not that you be not judged. You could also read that, Condemn not that you be not condemned. What our Lord is condemning here is unjust, unkind, and unbiblical judgments.

[John Weaver] And usually, this type of judging is when we're trying to judge someone's motives or someone's intent. You see, these verses do not prohibit all kinds of judgment. They just prohibit a certain kind of judgment. There are plenty of judgments in the Bible that are commanded. In fact, the Bible tells us in John 7 verse 24, our Lord said it like this, Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. So we're commanded on the one hand to judge not. We're commanded on the other hand to judge righteous judgment. So what am I being prohibited from doing when He says judge not?

[John Weaver] So, I could say this. Pat said so and so about me. I bet that dirty rotten skunk meant it like this. You just wait till I get... I will fix him. Now what have I just done? I've heard what he said. I've placed my own interpretation upon it. I interpreted it wrongly. I condemned him without even asking him what he meant when he said it. By the way, there's always a difference between a fact and our interpretation of a fact. There's always a difference between a fact and our perspective on the fact.

[John Weaver] What God forbids me from doing is to judge someone's motives and someone's intentions because I do not know those. I cannot know those unless I ask. I could say, Don, what did you mean by that? Give him the opportunity to explain it. I do not always have to interpret everything in the worst possible light. Well, when he says judge righteous judgment, that means this. If Don does something that's contrary to Scripture, I can look at his actions I can see what the Bible says and I can say, Don is wrong based upon the Word of God. That's a righteous judgment. Because I'm not condemning him, God is condemning him for his unbiblical and unrighteous actions.

[John Weaver] So very obviously then, there is a good judging and there is a bad judging. And Matthew chapter 7 and Luke chapter 6 are pointed against rash, hard, uncharitable, and unbiblical judgments. It's basically when we think evil where no evil exists. I get tickled a lot of times because I even get asked this because I preach a lot of places. And listen, pastors usually do not tell me anything about the church affairs or the state of the people. I just preach usually whatever the Lord lays on my heart. And inevitably, invariably, I'll have people come up to ask me, well, didn't the pastor tell you to preach that? I mean, did he tell you anything about me?

[John Weaver] And the answer is, no. No, he didn't tell me anything about you. I don't even know you. Or they will take what I said and, well, that was a personal slam against me. Well, I didn't even know you. Never heard of you. I just preached and the Holy Spirit applied it. That's what it amounts to. You see what I'm saying? But you always normally place a bad interpretation upon something and if you don't ask, you will never know. And many times, we do not judge righteous judgment because we don't even know the Word of God. You see, Christ does not condemn judging as a magistrate.

[John Weaver] Magistrates do that all the time. Because judging judicially is not only right, it is also necessary. Judging people's actions based upon the law of God is right and necessary. But what he forbids is for you and I to judge hastily and harshly without any thought of extenuating circumstances without giving someone an opportunity to explain what they said or what they meant or why they did what they did.

[John Weaver] So it's impossible for you and I to know motives and intents. God does indeed require that we judge righteous judgments. You see, the scribes and the Pharisees were noted for their private judgments. They not only condemned our Lord's disciples, they condemned our Lord Himself. Therefore our Lord said to the Pharisees in Matthew 12 and verse 7, But if you had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. So they condemned Christ who was guiltless. There are many who are quick to judge and swift to condemnation based upon their own standards and their own thoughts. You know what the Bible says in Proverbs 18 verse 13, He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, It's a folly and a shame to him. So when you begin to judge and you begin to condemn without really knowing the whole story, God said it's a folly and a shame. Moreover, in Proverbs 15 and verse 18, the Bible says, The heart of the righteous studieth to answer, but the mouth of the wicked poureth out contempt.

[John Weaver] So God then is forbidding us to judge unjustly. unrighteously, unbiblically, harshly, especially when we're trying to do it to the motives and intents of others. I want you to see this. I can quote the verse, but I want you to turn to 1 Peter chapter 4, and look if you would please at verse 8. 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 8. If we understood this verse, I'm sure that it would save us a lot of heartache. 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 8. Peter writes, above all things have fervent charity or fervent love among yourselves. For charity or love shall cover the multitude of sins. So the person who has biblical love in his heart is willing to overlook and forgive a lot of things. Especially those things that would come as a personal insult.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, and very quickly, we may condemn ourselves by grudging. I want you to look in your Bibles to James 5 and verse 9. Go back to James 5. We may condemn ourselves by grudging. Just showing you how Christians may condemn themselves. We may condemn ourselves with our words. We may condemn ourselves by our unjust and unbiblical condemnation of others. We may condemn ourselves by grudging. Look in James 5 and verse 9, James says, Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest you be condemned.

[John Weaver] Behold the judge standing before the door. Grudge not one against the other, brethren, lest you be condemned. Now, the word Grudge here literally means to groan not, grumble not, groan not sour, and sullen one with another. Why is it that we grudge? Sometimes we grudge because someone is happier than we are. Someone has more than we have. Someone has better advantages than we have. Maybe they have a better family. Maybe they have better opportunities. And what we do is we grudge it. We groan and cry out against it. One of the commentators that I read, usually fairly often, is Albert Barnes. And usually Albert Barnes is pretty good. But Albert Barnes on this passage does a very interesting thing. On the one hand, he denies what grudging is. And then on the other hand, he turns around and says, this is why people grudge.

[John Weaver] You can't have it both ways. Very obviously, grudging is grudging. My favorite illustration, and I've used this before, here is what it really means to grudge. When I was a boy, seven, eight, nine years old, since I was raised on a farm, we had a hog pen with hogs in it, naturally. And we had on our back porch a five-gallon bucket. And that five-gallon bucket was known as a slop bucket. And all the coffee that was not finished at breakfast went into that slop bucket. Any toast that was not eaten went into that slop bucket. Any eggs went into that slop bucket. After dinner, what you didn't eat of that piece of corn went into the slop bucket. A half-eaten biscuit went in the slop bucket. Same thing with supper. Whatever was left went in the slop bucket. By the end of the day, that five-gallon can was usually pretty full. It was my job then, either that night or the next morning, to take that slop bucket out and pour it in the hog trough.

[John Weaver] You've done that, haven't you, Linda? And you'd pour it in the hog trough. And here these big old sows would come up there and they'd put their mouth down in that trough and they'd go, you know, kind of like Ron drinks his coffee. Really enjoying it and sucking it up, you know. And all of a sudden what happens, one of those sows will hit a piece of corn. And that sow will take that corn in her mouth and turn and run. Guess what the other sows will do? They'll run after her. Grunting and pushing, trying to take it away. They're not content to go through their slop until they find their piece of corn. They want the one she's got. You know, you can have five dogs out here and five T-bone steaks. Throw the first one out. Guess what happens? One gets it, runs off. Where are the other four? Chasing him. You've got one for them, but they won't wait to get it. They're grudging the fact that someone has something that they don't.

[John Weaver] And here's what he says, grudge not brethren. Let's be honest. Are you listening to me? There are some people better looking than we are. There are some that have more hair than I do. I don't begrudge Alma because he's got a better head of hair than I do. I'm thankful he's got a better head of hair. I'm thankful Vicki hasn't pulled it out yet. I mean, you know.

[John Weaver] That might be in the next four or five years, but who knows? I'm just saying. And listen, if Mark has a million dollars, I'm thankful Mark has a million dollars. I'm not concerned. I don't grudge him. I'm happy that he has it. And what we do is we say, man, I wish I had kids like that. Man, I wish I had a new car like that. Man, I wish this. I wish that. And we get unhappy and we get sullen and we get sour because we don't have what everybody else has.

[John Weaver] Well, I mean, you know, we can condemn ourselves. And by the way, I can quote this one too, but I want you to see it. Turn to Psalm 37 in verse one. Psalm 37 verse one. We can even grudge against the wicked, which is really, really ungodly. Notice if you would please in Psalm 37 in verse one. Look what the Bible teaches. Psalm 37 verse 1. God says, fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Listen, it does not make me envious of these Hollywood movie stars that go through wives like they do clothes. I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be like those individuals who will have a new car today and wreck it tomorrow and get another new car. Who cares? What do they have? Look at the rest of it. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like the grass and withers the green herb.

[John Weaver] Where are they going to be in judgment? And where are they going to be on judgment day? Why would we be envious of the wicked? Why would we be desirous of anything that they have? No, God says, grudge not. You don't grudge against the wicked. You don't grudge against each other. And if God blesses somebody with more than you, you should say, thank you, Lord, for being merciful and gracious and kind to them.

[John Weaver] And I pray they'll use it for your honor and your glory. Hey, that's the way it should be. And I can wait my turn until God blesses me with something. And then you'll say, thank you, Lord, that you blessed him. So, we can condemn ourselves. It is possible to condemn ourselves either by our words, by our unjust condemnation, or by grudging. Secondly, I want you to note, it is possible to condemn others.

[John Weaver] This is going to take a little bit of explaining. It is true that the wicked often condemn the just. And of course they do so unjustly and unrighteously. And sometimes that condemnation is done legally. That is, it is done through the judicial system. There have been plenty of godly people and righteous people that have been unjustly condemned. And it's getting easier and easier to have that done to you. And the Bible says in Proverbs 17 verse 15, talking about the judges particularly, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord.

[John Weaver] And then God asks in Psalm 94 verses 20 and 21, Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by law? Now he's talking about judges, and he's talking about governments. Shall a throne, that is a government, shall a throne of iniquity, that is a wicked government, have fellowship with God? when that wicked government makes sin legal and then he goes on to say, listen to this, they gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood. In other words, he's talking about a legal judicial condemnation when there should have been no legal judicial condemnation. Now, although I am talking about it is possible to condemn others, I'm not particularly talking about the condemnation of the just by the wicked. Listen carefully. I am referring to the fact that the righteous often condemn the wicked. We do not condemn the wicked through a court of law, since obviously they control most of the courts.

[John Weaver] However, we may condemn them spiritually and judicially before the judge of all the earth. Have you ever thought about this? How do we condemn the wicked? How do we evidence their wickedness and the just deserts of their wicked conduct? The answer is, by obedience to God's law. You remember I started this message, I told you every positive has a negative, every negative has a positive. Do you realize that one of the results, one of the effects of living a righteous, godly, holy, obedient life is that you condemn the wicked when you do that. Has that thought ever hit you? that you condemn the wicked by living a righteous, holy life. The word condemn is katakrino and one of the definitions of that Greek word simply means to give judgment against one by one's good example and to render another's wickedness more evident and more censurable. So we can condemn by living a godly, holy life.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Mark, chapter 12. Mark 12. And notice if you would, beginning there with verse 41. Mark 12, verse 41. Look at what our Lord says. I'm just showing you what it means to condemn. And this is the same word used here. Mark 12, verse 41. Our Lord says it like this. Mark 12, I'm sorry, it's Matthew 12. Matthew 12.

[John Weaver] I knew something was wrong when I started to read it. Matthew 12, verse 41. Matthew 12, verse 41. Our Lord said it like this, the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater than Jonas is here. the queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold her greater than Solomon is here now notice if you would the men of Nineveh and Nineveh was the capital of Assyria Assyria was a wicked ungodly nation and he said the men of Nineveh is going to rise up and condemn this generation why? well they repented to the preaching of Jonah and behold, they're greater than Jonas."

[John Weaver] That is, Jesus Christ was there, and you won't listen to me. And so here, these people who repented, they're going to end up condemning these who did not repent. How? Because they repented, they believed, they heard, they repented. These had the presence of Christ and failed to repent. Then he said, the queen of the south, that is the queen of Sheba, she traveled across the desert. on camels to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And he said, now here a greater than Solomon is here, Christ the Son of God is here. And he said, you won't even walk across the street to hear me. And so the Queen of the South is going to stand up and condemn you.

[John Weaver] Now, the men of Nineveh, by their repentance, by their obedience, condemned those who did not repent and obey. The Queen of the South, by her traveling and hearing and repenting, condemn those who will not listen. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 11, and I tell you what, go ahead and find Proverbs 28 as well. Look in Hebrews chapter 11, and then we're going to go to Proverbs. Watch this, Hebrews chapter 11, and notice if you would please verse 7. I want you to see specifically what God says concerning Noah. Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 7, because I'm showing you how it is possible to condemn others, how it's possible to condemn sinners. Watch this, Hebrews 11 and verse 7, By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world. and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Now, how did Noah condemn the world? By his faith, by his obedience.

[John Weaver] He believed God. He obeyed God. You know what the Bible says in 2 Peter 2 and verse 5?

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to just listen to this. Because I want you to understand it was the preaching and teaching of Noah about the truth of God that condemned the old world. It was not just his preaching, but his obedience. The Bible says in 2 Peter 2 and verse 5 that God spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness. bringing the flood upon the world of the ungodly. So what was Noah doing? Noah was preaching the truth, but Noah was exercising faith, Noah was obeying God, and the Bible says, by his obedience, he condemned the world. And so we condemn others by our obedience. So if we obey and others do not, the very fact that we obey condemns those who refuse to obey. Now, look in Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 4 very quickly. Proverbs 28 in verse 4. And notice if you would what the Scripture says. It's very, very plain. Proverbs 28 verse 4. Look at this.

[John Weaver] You remember I told you every positive has a negative. Every negative has a positive. Okay, here we go. Proverbs 28 verse 4. They that forsake the law, that is God's law, praise the wicked, but such as keep the law, contend with them. If we as Christians want to praise the wicked and support them in their wickedness, then we just simply violate God's law and do what they're doing. But he said, if we want to honor God, we keep God's law, and as we keep God's law, we are contending with them. And the word contend literally means to fight against. So, how do we fight against evil? The most basic, the most fundamental way is by being obedient yourself to the Word of God. And if you're not obedient to the Word of God, nothing else really matters. Because God's not going to honor your fighting anyhow because you're not obedient yourself. One of the qualifications to live for God and fight for God is to obey God yourself. So He says very plainly, they that forsake the law, They're appraising the wicked.

[John Weaver] But such as keep God's law, contend with Him. So it is possible to condemn ourselves. It is possible to condemn others. And I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Psalm 107 because I want you to see it is possible to condemn our God. Look if you would, Psalm 107. And let's begin reading again at verse 10. Psalm 107, verse 10. He says, such as sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, being bound with affliction and iron. And you want to wonder why in the world are we bound in affliction and iron. Here's why. Because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High, Therefore he brought down their heart with labor.

[John Weaver] They fell down, and there was none to help." Now, I want you to look very carefully at verse 11. How did they condemn God? Because they rebelled against the words of God, and then he says specifically, they condemned, or condemned the counsel of the Most High. Now the counsel of the Most High is His Word as well. You remember what God said in Isaiah 55 and verse 11. He said, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth.

[John Weaver] It shall not return to me void, but shall accomplish that in which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it. Well, how do the wicked condemn God? How do we condemn God? Well, go back to Psalm 10. If you would, and look at verse 13. Psalm 10 and verse 13. A very interesting verse. Psalm 10. Notice if you would please verse 13. Now he's talking about the wicked, so watch. Wherefore do the wicked contemn or condemn God?

[John Weaver] He hath said in his heart, Thou will not require. How's the wicked man condemning God? He is denying His Word. He's denying the truth of God's judgment. He says, God is not going to require that I stand before Him and give an account of myself. God is not going to judge me. He is condemning God by condemning the counsel of God, by condemning the Word of God.

[John Weaver] I've told you repeatedly that thoughts and words always lead to action and conduct. Our Lord Himself was condemned and crucified by the wicked and rebellious rulers of His day. Our Lord Himself even foretold His death. He said in Matthew 20 verse 8, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests, unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him unto death. And then, of course, in Mark 14, in verse 64, when the high priest had all of his counsel there, the high priest said, you've heard his blasphemy, what think ye? And the Scripture says, and they all condemned him to death. Why did they condemn Christ? They rejected His words. They refused His counsel. They refused to bow to Him.

[John Weaver] Ah, but you say, wait a minute, Pastor. Christ has been crucified, and we cannot condemn Him any longer the way He was condemned at His crucifixion. Well, that may be true, but it is not true that we can no longer condemn Him. If you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 7, Luke chapter 7, and let's begin reading there in verse 28. I used part of this verse when I dealt with the passage, this passage on who you are justifying, but now I want you to note who you are condemning. Look in Luke chapter 7 and verse 28. Watch carefully. Our Lord says concerning John the Baptist, Luke 7 verse 28, For I say unto you, among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God being baptized with the baptism of John. Watch, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, not being baptized of Him.

[John Weaver] Now wait, all the people and the publicans did what? They justified God. I told you last time how they did that. They said God is right, we're wrong. We need to repent. we need to submit to the teaching and the Word of God. But the Pharisees and the lawyers, watch, they rejected the what? The counsel of God against themselves. They refused His words. They refused to bow. They refused to submit. They condemned God in justifying themselves. They did not say God is right and we're wrong. What they said was we're right and God is wrong. And do you realize that when you and I refuse the counsel of God, when we refuse to live by the Word of God, when we refuse to do that which is biblical and right, what we're doing is we're condemning God and we're saying, God, you're wrong and we're right.

[John Weaver] It is possible not only to condemn yourself and others, it's also possible to condemn God. If we believe that God is worthy to be honored and obeyed and worshiped and served, then we will bow to Him and to His Word and submit to Him and bring our lives in conformity to His Word. If we do not believe that God is worthy to be honored and served and worshiped and obeyed, we refuse to obey Him. Thus, we condemn Him and we justify ourselves. It is impossible to live without either justifying or condemning God. You're always either justifying Him or you're condemning Him. He alone is worthy and He alone deserves our obedience. He alone deserves our worship. But when we condemn Him, we say, no, He doesn't deserve that. I deserve to do what I want to do. I deserve to please myself. I deserve to live the way I want to live. I deserve to do what I want to do. And when you justify yourself, you condemn God. What did the Bible say in Psalm 107 and verse 12?

[John Weaver] They contemned God. How? By rejecting His counsel. And the only way that we condemn God is when we refuse to obey because in our actions, in our attitudes, if not in our words, we're saying, you're not worthy. I am. And I'll justify my actions by condemning God. And by the way, Let me tell you the reason most people are so quick and so ready to curse God and condemn Him is so that they may justify themselves. Because you've got to realize this, here's the only conclusion that you can come to. Either God is right and we're wrong, or we're right and God is wrong. There's no in-between. And we justify ourselves and condemn God or we condemn ourselves and justify God.

[John Weaver] They that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep God's law contend with the wicked. So the last time I ask, who are you justifying? Now I ask, who are you condemning? You'll either condemn God or you'll either justify God. You'll either condemn yourself or justify yourself. So who are you justifying and who are you condemning? Let's pray. Father, we are thankful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we are thankful for His words and for His truth. And we ask, Lord, that You would indeed be pleased to apply the message our hearts.

[John Weaver] Help us to learn Your Word. Help us to be obedient. Help us to be godly. Help us to be in a position where we may be blessed of Thee. And Lord, we can only be that as we repent and acknowledge, Lord, that Thou art right in every detail. And we're sinners and we're wrong. And Lord, enable us by Thy divine power to obey Thee. and bring our lives into greater conformity to Your Word. Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Who Are You Condemning?

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	Ewc9GKYy8a0
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-12-15
Dictation Name
Book	Book 134: Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification - Volume 1 — Chapter 20
Source Timed Segments	73

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Let's open our Bibles to Psalm 107, and we're going to begin reading with verse 10. And although you might think I'm not going to be preaching from this passage, I will before I close. I want you to look at it. Psalm 107, beginning there with verse 10. He says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 107:10-12

"Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron, because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High."

Introduction: The Principle of Positive and Negative

Every biblical negative has a positive; the message on justification has a counterpart on condemnation.

"Therefore He brought down their heart with labor, they fell down, and there was none to help." Now just recently I brought a message entitled, "Who Are You Justifying?" Today the title of the message is, "Who Are You Condemning?" I've told you repeatedly: anytime you study the Bible, you must remember this, that every positive has a negative, and every negative has a positive. So when you read something in the scripture like, "Thou shalt not steal," that's a negative. There is always a positive, and that positive is found in Ephesians 4, that we're to work with our hands and labor for that which is good, that we may have to give to him that needeth, etc. So, "Thou shalt not kill" is a negative. The positive is "thou shalt preserve life."

So I was pointing out in "Who Are You Justifying" that there is a sense indeed in which we justify either sinners, self, or the sovereign God. Today we're talking about who are you condemning. And just like I pointed out in the last message that we are always justifying someone whatever we do and however we live, the opposite is also true. We're also always condemning someone, whatever we do and however we live.

Condemnation Is Not Only for the Unsaved

While condemnation is often associated with God's wrath on unbelievers, Scripture shows that Christians can also condemn themselves in non-eternal ways.

Most of us never ever think of the subject of condemnation. In fact, to be condemned literally means to be judged guilty in light of the law, that is for sure. But usually when we think of the word "condemned" or the subject of condemnation, we certainly think of those who are unsaved. Our Lord said it like this in John 3:18, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he believeth not in the Son of God." So those who believe are not condemned, those who believe not are condemned already. And in John 3:36, our Lord confirms this when He says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not on the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." So normally when we think about the word condemnation, we normally connect that word with the wrath of God, and rightly so. There are plenty of verses in the Bible that teach that those who are condemned are the subjects of God's righteous wrath and anger.

In fact, we're told in Psalm 7:11 that God judges the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day. Now, I want you to stop and think about that for a moment. The Bible says God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. So sinners may have many feast days, but they never have any safe days, because there is not a moment when the anger of God is not burning hot against them. So just because a lot of people think that they're going to party up and have a grand old time and a good old time, very obviously, they're not concerned about God's righteous anger, God's wrath, and God's judgment. And certainly God's judgment will fall in His time upon His enemies.

So, the point I'm trying to make is this. Although we normally associate condemnation with those who are unsaved, let me point out that condemnation is not reserved only for the unjust. I'm going to show you from Scripture how that we may condemn ourselves, how we may condemn others, and how we may even condemn God Himself. So let me begin today with this point: it is possible to condemn ourselves. And it doesn't matter whether you're a Christian or a non-Christian. It is possible to condemn yourself. Now, when I'm using the word condemnation now, especially in relationship to Christians, you've got to understand that a Christian's condemnation is not to eternal death. The Bible says in Romans 8:1,

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:1

"There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit."

Now when He says there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, what He's saying is that we will not be eternally condemned, we will not experience the wrath of God.

In fact, our Lord said it just a little differently, but teaching the same truth. He said in John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life," now listen, "and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." So when He says "shall not come into condemnation," He's talking about the eternal condemnation at the day of judgment. So very obviously then, when we're talking about how that Christians may condemn themselves, we're not talking about a condemnation at the last great day of judgment. So Christians are not under that kind of condemnation. There's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. But that does not mean then that we cannot condemn ourselves. There's a way that we can condemn ourselves. So let's ask and answer the question then: how in the world do we condemn ourselves? Not only as Christians, but as non-Christians as well. How do we condemn ourselves? Well, first of all, have you ever considered that your words and your attitudes and your actions may be condemning yourself before God?

How We Condemn Ourselves

We condemn ourselves through our words, unjust judgment of others, and grudging.

You know, it is a truth of Scripture and it is a truth of everyday life that we are indeed condemned by our words. I read recently of a courtroom situation where a man was on trial for armed robbery. And one of the witnesses who was testifying against him said, quote, "He said, 'This is a hold up, give me all your money.'" And when the witness said that, the defendant blurted out, "That's not what I said. I said, 'Give me your money or I'll shoot.'" Needless to say, it did not take the jury very long to condemn the man. He was condemned out of the words of his own mouth. And so this is what I'm talking about and I'm going to demonstrate to you. Although there is no eternal condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, we still may condemn ourselves with our own words. In Job 9:20, Job said, "If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me. If I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse." Then Eliphaz, in trying to answer Job, said this in Job 15:6, "Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I. Thine own lips testify against thee." So we can be condemned by the words of our own mouth. Scripture teaches that this is exceedingly clear and exceedingly easy, that our own mouths testify against us.

I want you to hold Psalm 107, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12. And look if you would beginning there with verse 34. Matthew 12:34.

Notice what our Lord says. Matthew 12:34. Our Lord is speaking and He says this, "O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Now watch carefully. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment." "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Now notice what he said. Every idle word that proceeds out of your mouth. And then he said, "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." So, Matthew is teaching us that the whole tenor of our conversation will be evidence against us. We condemn ourselves with our own words.

Have you ever stopped to think how we don't really consider what we say at times? And we don't really consider oftentimes how our words hurt. When I was a child and when you were children, most of you, you had this little rhyme: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." But the truth is, names do hurt. And words do hurt. All you have to do is let someone call you ugly, fatty, skinny, whatever, something that you don't like, and you'll understand they hurt. And he is saying here that every idle word, every vain word, every useless word, we're going to be called in to account for. You see, the reason our words are so important is that the words that we speak reveal the state of our heart. It reveals our mind. That's why the Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, help me out now, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." In other words, you're going to act out, you're ultimately going to be, and you're ultimately going to do what you think and what you say. That's why in Proverbs 4:23, he said, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." Now, look in Matthew 15, since you're right there, and let's begin reading there in verse 18. Now, we're talking about words.

I want you to watch what happens here. Matthew 15:18. Our Lord is explaining to his disciples, and he says this,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:18-20

"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man."

Now watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:18-20

"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man."

Now, go back to verse 18.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:18-20

"But those things which proceed out of the mouth"

—watch—

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:18-20

"come forth from the heart, and they defile the man."

So it is the words that we speak. It is the attitudes that we demonstrate and manifest that reveal the very state of our heart and the very state of our soul. No wonder our words condemn us, because they reveal the innermost thoughts of your heart. Now let me tell you something, I can listen to you and I can tell you what's on your heart because ultimately it's going to come out. I can listen to you and tell you what kind of individual you are and what is important to you and what is not important to you by the tone of your conversation. You can do the same thing for me. Because it is our words, therefore, that reveal our attitude.

And our attitudes always lead to actions. Thus, God's going to judge our words. Now, go in your Bibles to the book of James, if you would. Hebrews, James. And look, if you would, beginning there with chapter 3. James chapter 3. And look, if you would, please, at verse 2. James 3:2. James says this:

Scripture Reading — James 3:2

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body."

If I were to ask you, and I'm not doing this, but if I were to ask you to raise your hand if you had said something in your life that you wished you had never said, everybody would raise their hand. And you know, the thing is this, James said if we want to be perfect, we have to be able to bridle our tongue. But no one can do that. And you see, once those words go out of our mouth, you can't call them back. A good illustration of that is like the emails that you send. Once you hit that send button, you can't get it back. It's gone. And everybody sees it. It wants to look at it. Or it can be anywhere and everywhere. I never will forget the story I heard about a man who had lied about his neighbor.

And he had spread the rumor to two or three different people. So he got under real conviction about it and he went to the pastor and asked him what he could do. And he says, "Well, what you need to do is to go catch a chicken. Pluck some of its feathers. And tonight you put a feather on each of the doorsteps that you've told this lie to." And the man did so. And so the next morning he came to the pastor. He said, "Well, I've done exactly what you've said."

"Now what do I do?" He said, "I want you to go gather the feathers and bring them back." The man came back, he said, "I can't. The wind has blown them I don't know where." He said, "You do not know where all of your words have gone and all the lies that you have told." He said, "The only thing you can do is go to the man against whom you have lied and the people against whom you've lied concerning him and repent and make it right. But that does not mean that you've stopped the rumor." Look down if you would, please. In James 3:6, here's what he means. James 3:6, he said, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members that defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell." I heard one man say this tongue is like an automatic sewing machine set on fire of hell. Those of you who've done an automatic sewing machine, I mean it is fast.

You see, the Scripture tells us that as Christians especially, we are admonished, we are commanded to use language that cannot be condemned. In fact, in Titus 2:8, Paul says, "Sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." Sound speech that cannot be condemned. Do you know what Paul said in Ephesians 4:29? Listen to this. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth." But he goes on to say, "but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." So on the one hand, he said let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. On the other hand, He said, when you speak, you speak that which is good to the use of edifying, that is, that it may build up and strengthen someone rather than hurt them and rather than condemn them.

Now, look in James 5:12. Look what James comes to the conclusion. James 5:12, he says,

Scripture Reading — James 5:12

"But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath, but let your yea be yea, and your nay be nay, lest ye fall into condemnation."

Now let me just point something out. Here is the tenor of what James is saying. You never have to punctuate your conversation with expletives and with cursings if you mean what you say and if you say what you mean. I never will forget when I was a boy, there was a man who was of small stature. And I suppose he tried to make up for his smallness of stature by taking God's name in vain just about every breath that he took. He cursed consistently, constantly. And I remember even as a small boy, I despised being around him.

I could not stand it. I did not want it. I was not a Christian, but I knew that something was wrong. And I asked my father about it one day, and all my father said was, "I suppose he's trying to make up for his lack of size." I don't know. But you know, I learned a valuable lesson from that. If you say what you mean and mean it when you say it, everybody will understand, yes. Everybody will understand, no. You don't have to use anything else.

And this is what James is saying, because we're going to give an account for our words, very obviously. Now, if we understand that by our words we shall be justified and by our words we shall be condemned, we might want to learn to pray as David did in Psalm 141:3, when David said, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." And I will tell you folks, I will be absolutely honest. There are times, although it is painful, exceedingly painful, it really pays to bite your tongue and not say what you really truly want to say. Because once those words go out, they can never ever be taken back. Okay? So we may condemn ourselves by our words. Secondly, we may condemn ourselves by our unbiblical and unjust judgment and condemnation of others.

Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Luke 6. Luke 6, and then we're going to Matthew 7. Okay? Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So Luke 6. And notice if you would, verse 37. Luke 6:37. I'm just showing you how we may condemn ourselves. Luke 6:37. Look at what our Lord says. He says,

Scripture Reading — Luke 6:37

"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned."

"Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." I'm going to explain this, but look at it again.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:1-2

"Judge not, that ye be not judged."

In other words, here is the lex talionis, here is the law of retribution. God is saying you better be careful with your judging because ultimately you're going to be judged in the same measure and in the same way that you judge. Be careful with your condemning because you will be condemned in the same measure and the same way that you condemn. Now look in your Bibles to Matthew 7. You're going to see the same principle, Matthew 7, beginning there with verse 1. And our Lord says it like this, Matthew 7:1.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:1-2

"Judge not, that ye be not judged."

Now here's the principle.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:1-2

"For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

So He says,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:1-2

"Judge not, that ye be not judged."

You could also read that,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:1-2

"Condemn not, that ye be not condemned."

What our Lord is condemning here is unjust, unkind, and unbiblical judgments.

And usually, this type of judging is when we're trying to judge someone's motives or someone's intent. You see, these verses do not prohibit all kinds of judgment. They just prohibit a certain kind of judgment. There are plenty of judgments in the Bible that are commanded. In fact, the Bible tells us in John 7:24, our Lord said it like this, "Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment." So we're commanded on the one hand to judge not. We're commanded on the other hand to judge righteous judgment. So what am I being prohibited from doing when He says "judge not"?

So, I could say this. Pat said so and so about me. I bet that dirty rotten skunk meant it like this. You just wait till I get... I will fix him. Now what have I just done? I've heard what he said. I've placed my own interpretation upon it. I interpreted it wrongly. I condemned him without even asking him what he meant when he said it. By the way, there's always a difference between a fact and our interpretation of a fact. There's always a difference between a fact and our perspective on the fact.

What God forbids me from doing is to judge someone's motives and someone's intentions because I do not know those. I cannot know those unless I ask. I could say, "Don, what did you mean by that?" Give him the opportunity to explain it. I do not always have to interpret everything in the worst possible light. Well, when he says "judge righteous judgment," that means this. If Don does something that's contrary to Scripture, I can look at his actions, I can see what the Bible says, and I can say, "Don is wrong based upon the Word of God." That's a righteous judgment. Because I'm not condemning him, God is condemning him for his unbiblical and unrighteous actions.

So very obviously then, there is a good judging and there is a bad judging. And Matthew chapter 7 and Luke chapter 6 are pointed against rash, hard, uncharitable, and unbiblical judgments. It's basically when we think evil where no evil exists. I get tickled a lot of times because I even get asked this because I preach a lot of places. And listen, pastors usually do not tell me anything about the church affairs or the state of the people. I just preach usually whatever the Lord lays on my heart. And inevitably, invariably, I'll have people come up to ask me, "Well, didn't the pastor tell you to preach that? I mean, did he tell you anything about me?"

And the answer is, "No. No, he didn't tell me anything about you. I don't even know you." Or they will take what I said and, "Well, that was a personal slam against me." Well, I didn't even know you. Never heard of you. I just preached and the Holy Spirit applied it. That's what it amounts to. You see what I'm saying? But you always normally place a bad interpretation upon something and if you don't ask, you will never know. And many times, we do not judge righteous judgment because we don't even know the Word of God. You see, Christ does not condemn judging as a magistrate.

Magistrates do that all the time. Because judging judicially is not only right, it is also necessary. Judging people's actions based upon the law of God is right and necessary. But what he forbids is for you and I to judge hastily and harshly without any thought of extenuating circumstances, without giving someone an opportunity to explain what they said or what they meant or why they did what they did.

So it's impossible for you and I to know motives and intents. God does indeed require that we judge righteous judgments. You see, the scribes and the Pharisees were noted for their private judgments. They not only condemned our Lord's disciples, they condemned our Lord Himself. Therefore our Lord said to the Pharisees in Matthew 12:7, "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless." So they condemned Christ who was guiltless. There are many who are quick to judge and swift to condemnation based upon their own standards and their own thoughts. You know what the Bible says in Proverbs 18:13, "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him." So when you begin to judge and you begin to condemn without really knowing the whole story, God said it's a folly and a shame. Moreover, in Proverbs 15:18, the Bible says, "The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things."

So God then is forbidding us to judge unjustly, unrighteously, unbiblically, harshly, especially when we're trying to do it to the motives and intents of others. I want you to see this. I can quote the verse, but I want you to turn to 1 Peter chapter 4, and look if you would please at verse 8. 1 Peter 4:8. If we understood this verse, I'm sure that it would save us a lot of heartache. 1 Peter 4:8. Peter writes,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 4:8

"Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."

So the person who has biblical love in his heart is willing to overlook and forgive a lot of things, especially those things that would come as a personal insult.

Thirdly, and very quickly, we may condemn ourselves by grudging. I want you to look in your Bibles to James 5:9. Go back to James 5. We may condemn ourselves by grudging. Just showing you how Christians may condemn themselves. We may condemn ourselves with our words. We may condemn ourselves by our unjust and unbiblical condemnation of others. We may condemn ourselves by grudging. Look in James 5:9, James says, "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned."

"Behold, the judge standeth before the door. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned." Now, the word "grudge" here literally means to groan not, grumble not, groan not sour and sullen one with another. Why is it that we grudge? Sometimes we grudge because someone is happier than we are. Someone has more than we have. Someone has better advantages than we have. Maybe they have a better family. Maybe they have better opportunities. And what we do is we grudge it. We groan and cry out against it. One of the commentators that I read, usually fairly often, is Albert Barnes. And usually Albert Barnes is pretty good. But Albert Barnes on this passage does a very interesting thing. On the one hand, he denies what grudging is. And then on the other hand, he turns around and says, this is why people grudge.

You can't have it both ways. Very obviously, grudging is grudging. My favorite illustration, and I've used this before, here is what it really means to grudge. When I was a boy, seven, eight, nine years old, since I was raised on a farm, we had a hog pen with hogs in it, naturally. And we had on our back porch a five-gallon bucket. And that five-gallon bucket was known as a slop bucket. And all the coffee that was not finished at breakfast went into that slop bucket. Any toast that was not eaten went into that slop bucket. Any eggs went into that slop bucket. After dinner, what you didn't eat of that piece of corn went into the slop bucket. A half-eaten biscuit went in the slop bucket. Same thing with supper. Whatever was left went in the slop bucket. By the end of the day, that five-gallon can was usually pretty full. It was my job then, either that night or the next morning, to take that slop bucket out and pour it in the hog trough.

You've done that, haven't you, Linda? And you'd pour it in the hog trough. And here these big old sows would come up there and they'd put their mouth down in that trough and they'd go, you know, kind of like Ron drinks his coffee. Really enjoying it and sucking it up, you know. And all of a sudden what happens, one of those sows will hit a piece of corn. And that sow will take that corn in her mouth and turn and run. Guess what the other sows will do? They'll run after her. Grunting and pushing, trying to take it away. They're not content to go through their slop until they find their piece of corn. They want the one she's got. You know, you can have five dogs out here and five T-bone steaks. Throw the first one out. Guess what happens? One gets it, runs off. Where are the other four? Chasing him. You've got one for them, but they won't wait to get it. They're grudging the fact that someone has something that they don't.

And here's what he says, "Grudge not, brethren." Let's be honest. Are you listening to me? There are some people better looking than we are. There are some that have more hair than I do. I don't begrudge Alma because he's got a better head of hair than I do. I'm thankful he's got a better head of hair. I'm thankful Vicki hasn't pulled it out yet. I mean, you know.

That might be in the next four or five years, but who knows? I'm just saying. And listen, if Mark has a million dollars, I'm thankful Mark has a million dollars. I'm not concerned. I don't grudge him. I'm happy that he has it. And what we do is we say, "Man, I wish I had kids like that. Man, I wish I had a new car like that. Man, I wish this. I wish that." And we get unhappy and we get sullen and we get sour because we don't have what everybody else has.

Well, I mean, you know, we can condemn ourselves. And by the way, I can quote this one too, but I want you to see it. Turn to Psalm 37:1. Psalm 37:1. We can even grudge against the wicked, which is really, really ungodly. Notice if you would please in Psalm 37:1. Look what the Bible teaches. Psalm 37:1. God says, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." Listen, it does not make me envious of these Hollywood movie stars that go through wives like they do clothes. I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be like those individuals who will have a new car today and wreck it tomorrow and get another new car. Who cares? What do they have? Look at the rest of it. "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."

Where are they going to be in judgment? And where are they going to be on judgment day? Why would we be envious of the wicked? Why would we be desirous of anything that they have? No, God says, "Grudge not." You don't grudge against the wicked. You don't grudge against each other. And if God blesses somebody with more than you, you should say, "Thank you, Lord, for being merciful and gracious and kind to them."

And I pray they'll use it for your honor and your glory. Hey, that's the way it should be. And I can wait my turn until God blesses me with something. And then you'll say, "Thank you, Lord, that you blessed him." So, we can condemn ourselves. It is possible to condemn ourselves either by our words, by our unjust condemnation, or by grudging. Secondly, I want you to note, it is possible to condemn others.

How We Condemn Others

The righteous condemn the wicked not through courts but by their obedience to God's law, which makes the wicked's disobedience more evident.

This is going to take a little bit of explaining. It is true that the wicked often condemn the just. And of course they do so unjustly and unrighteously. And sometimes that condemnation is done legally. That is, it is done through the judicial system. There have been plenty of godly people and righteous people that have been unjustly condemned. And it's getting easier and easier to have that done to you. And the Bible says in Proverbs 17:15, talking about the judges particularly, "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord."

And then God asks in Psalm 94:20-21, "Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?" Now he's talking about judges, and he's talking about governments. Shall a throne, that is a government, shall a throne of iniquity, that is a wicked government, have fellowship with God, when that wicked government makes sin legal? And then he goes on to say, listen to this, "They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood." In other words, he's talking about a legal judicial condemnation when there should have been no legal judicial condemnation. Now, although I am talking about it is possible to condemn others, I'm not particularly talking about the condemnation of the just by the wicked. Listen carefully. I am referring to the fact that the righteous often condemn the wicked. We do not condemn the wicked through a court of law, since obviously they control most of the courts.

However, we may condemn them spiritually and judicially before the judge of all the earth. Have you ever thought about this? How do we condemn the wicked? How do we evidence their wickedness and the just deserts of their wicked conduct? The answer is, by obedience to God's law. You remember I started this message, I told you every positive has a negative, every negative has a positive. Do you realize that one of the results, one of the effects of living a righteous, godly, holy, obedient life is that you condemn the wicked when you do that? Has that thought ever hit you? That you condemn the wicked by living a righteous, holy life. The word condemn is katakrino and one of the definitions of that Greek word simply means to give judgment against one by one's good example and to render another's wickedness more evident and more censurable. So we can condemn by living a godly, holy life.

Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Matthew, chapter 12. Matthew 12. And notice if you would, beginning there with verse 41. Matthew 12:41. Look at what our Lord says. I'm just showing you what it means to condemn. And this is the same word used here. Matthew 12:41.

Our Lord said it like this, "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." Now notice if you would, the men of Nineveh—and Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, Assyria was a wicked ungodly nation—and he said the men of Nineveh is going to rise up and condemn this generation. Why? Well, they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. That is, Jesus Christ was there, and you won't listen to me. And so here, these people who repented, they're going to end up condemning these who did not repent. How? Because they repented, they believed, they heard, they repented. These had the presence of Christ and failed to repent. Then he said, the queen of the south, that is the queen of Sheba, she traveled across the desert on camels to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And he said, now here a greater than Solomon is here, Christ the Son of God is here. And he said, you won't even walk across the street to hear me. And so the Queen of the South is going to stand up and condemn you.

Now, the men of Nineveh, by their repentance, by their obedience, condemned those who did not repent and obey. The Queen of the South, by her traveling and hearing and repenting, condemned those who will not listen. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 11, and I tell you what, go ahead and find Proverbs 28 as well. Look in Hebrews chapter 11, and then we're going to go to Proverbs. Watch this, Hebrews chapter 11, and notice if you would please verse 7. I want you to see specifically what God says concerning Noah. Hebrews 11:7, because I'm showing you how it is possible to condemn others, how it's possible to condemn sinners. Watch this, Hebrews 11:7, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Now, how did Noah condemn the world? By his faith, by his obedience.

He believed God. He obeyed God. You know what the Bible says in 2 Peter 2:5? Now, I want you to just listen to this. Because I want you to understand it was the preaching and teaching of Noah about the truth of God that condemned the old world. It was not just his preaching, but his obedience. The Bible says in 2 Peter 2:5 that God spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. So what was Noah doing? Noah was preaching the truth, but Noah was exercising faith, Noah was obeying God, and the Bible says, by his obedience, he condemned the world. And so we condemn others by our obedience. So if we obey and others do not, the very fact that we obey condemns those who refuse to obey. Now, look in Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 4 very quickly. Proverbs 28:4. And notice if you would what the Scripture says. It's very, very plain. Proverbs 28:4. Look at this.

You remember I told you every positive has a negative. Every negative has a positive. Okay, here we go. Proverbs 28:4. "They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them." If we as Christians want to praise the wicked and support them in their wickedness, then we just simply violate God's law and do what they're doing. But he said, if we want to honor God, we keep God's law, and as we keep God's law, we are contending with them. And the word contend literally means to fight against. So, how do we fight against evil? The most basic, the most fundamental way is by being obedient yourself to the Word of God. And if you're not obedient to the Word of God, nothing else really matters. Because God's not going to honor your fighting anyhow because you're not obedient yourself. One of the qualifications to live for God and fight for God is to obey God yourself. So He says very plainly, "They that forsake the law praise the wicked."

"But such as keep the law contend with them." So it is possible to condemn ourselves. It is possible to condemn others. And I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Psalm 107 because I want you to see it is possible to condemn our God. Look if you would, Psalm 107. And let's begin reading again at verse 10. Psalm 107:10. He says, "Such as sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, being bound with affliction and iron." And you want to wonder why in the world are we bound in affliction and iron. Here's why. "Because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labor."

How We Condemn God

We condemn God by rejecting His counsel and justifying ourselves, essentially saying God is wrong and we are right.

"They fell down, and there was none to help." Now, I want you to look very carefully at verse 11. How did they condemn God? Because they rebelled against the words of God, and then he says specifically, they condemned, or condemned the counsel of the Most High. Now the counsel of the Most High is His Word as well. You remember what God said in Isaiah 55:11. He said, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth." "It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Well, how do the wicked condemn God? How do we condemn God? Well, go back to Psalm 10, if you would, and look at verse 13. Psalm 10:13. A very interesting verse. Psalm 10. Notice if you would please verse 13. Now he's talking about the wicked, so watch. "Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God?"

"He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it." How's the wicked man condemning God? He is denying His Word. He's denying the truth of God's judgment. He says, God is not going to require that I stand before Him and give an account of myself. God is not going to judge me. He is condemning God by condemning the counsel of God, by condemning the Word of God. I've told you repeatedly that thoughts and words always lead to action and conduct. Our Lord Himself was condemned and crucified by the wicked and rebellious rulers of His day. Our Lord Himself even foretold His death. He said in Matthew 20:18, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death." And then, of course, in Mark 14:64, when the high priest had all of his counsel there, the high priest said, "Ye have heard his blasphemy: what think ye?" And the Scripture says, "And they all condemned him to be guilty of death." Why did they condemn Christ? They rejected His words. They refused His counsel. They refused to bow to Him.

Ah, but you say, "Wait a minute, Pastor. Christ has been crucified, and we cannot condemn Him any longer the way He was condemned at His crucifixion." Well, that may be true, but it is not true that we can no longer condemn Him. If you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 7, Luke chapter 7, and let's begin reading there in verse 28. I used part of this verse when I dealt with the passage on who you are justifying, but now I want you to note who you are condemning. Look in Luke chapter 7 and verse 28. Watch carefully. Our Lord says concerning John the Baptist, Luke 7:28, "For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him."

Now wait, all the people and the publicans did what? They justified God. I told you last time how they did that. They said God is right, we're wrong. We need to repent. We need to submit to the teaching and the Word of God. But the Pharisees and the lawyers, watch, they rejected the what? The counsel of God against themselves. They refused His words. They refused to bow. They refused to submit. They condemned God in justifying themselves. They did not say God is right and we're wrong. What they said was we're right and God is wrong. And do you realize that when you and I refuse the counsel of God, when we refuse to live by the Word of God, when we refuse to do that which is biblical and right, what we're doing is we're condemning God and we're saying, "God, you're wrong and we're right."

It is possible not only to condemn yourself and others, it's also possible to condemn God. If we believe that God is worthy to be honored and obeyed and worshiped and served, then we will bow to Him and to His Word and submit to Him and bring our lives in conformity to His Word. If we do not believe that God is worthy to be honored and served and worshiped and obeyed, we refuse to obey Him. Thus, we condemn Him and we justify ourselves. It is impossible to live without either justifying or condemning God. You're always either justifying Him or you're condemning Him. He alone is worthy and He alone deserves our obedience. He alone deserves our worship. But when we condemn Him, we say, "No, He doesn't deserve that. I deserve to do what I want to do. I deserve to please myself. I deserve to live the way I want to live. I deserve to do what I want to do." And when you justify yourself, you condemn God. What did the Bible say in Psalm 107:12?

Conclusion: The Inescapable Choice

We are always either justifying God and condemning ourselves, or justifying ourselves and condemning God; there is no middle ground.

They condemned God. How? By rejecting His counsel. And the only way that we condemn God is when we refuse to obey because in our actions, in our attitudes, if not in our words, we're saying, "You're not worthy. I am." And I'll justify my actions by condemning God. And by the way, let me tell you the reason most people are so quick and so ready to curse God and condemn Him is so that they may justify themselves. Because you've got to realize this, here's the only conclusion that you can come to. Either God is right and we're wrong, or we're right and God is wrong. There's no in-between. And we justify ourselves and condemn God or we condemn ourselves and justify God.

They that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep God's law contend with the wicked. So the last time I asked, who are you justifying? Now I ask, who are you condemning? You'll either condemn God or you'll either justify God. You'll either condemn yourself or justify yourself. So who are you justifying and who are you condemning? Let's pray. Father, we are thankful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we are thankful for His words and for His truth. And we ask, Lord, that You would indeed be pleased to apply the message to our hearts.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Inescapability of Condemnation

Summary: Just as we are always justifying someone, we are always condemning someone by our actions and attitudes.

Evidence: We're also always condemning someone, whatever we do and however we live.

Self-Condemnation Through Words

Summary: Our words reveal our hearts and will be the basis for our justification or condemnation.

Evidence: By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Condemning Others by Obedience

Summary: Living a righteous life condemns the wicked by highlighting their disobedience.

Evidence: By faith Noah... prepared an ark... by the which he condemned the world.

Condemning God by Rejecting His Counsel

Summary: When we refuse to obey God's Word, we condemn Him and justify ourselves.

Evidence: The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves.

The Mutual Exclusivity of Justifying God and Self

Summary: We cannot justify both God and ourselves; one must be condemned.

Evidence: Either God is right and we're wrong, or we're right and God is wrong.

Key Arguments

Christians Can Condemn Themselves Without Eternal Condemnation

Summary: Romans 8:1 assures no eternal condemnation for believers, but they can still experience temporal self-condemnation through sin.

Evidence: There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus... but that does not mean then that we cannot condemn ourselves.

Words Are the Primary Means of Self-Condemnation

Summary: Jesus taught that every idle word will be accounted for, and our speech justifies or condemns us.

Evidence: Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment.

Unjust Judgment of Others Brings Condemnation on Ourselves

Summary: Judging others harshly or hypocritically results in being judged by the same standard.

Evidence: Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.

Grudging Leads to Self-Condemnation

Summary: James warns that groaning against one another brings condemnation.

Evidence: Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned.

Obedience to God's Law Condemns the Wicked

Summary: Noah's faithful obedience condemned the world; similarly, keeping God's law contends with the wicked.

Evidence: By faith Noah... prepared an ark... by the which he condemned the world.

Rejecting God's Counsel Is Condemning God

Summary: The Pharisees rejected God's counsel, thereby condemning God and justifying themselves.

Evidence: The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves.

Scripture References

Psalm 107:10-12

Context: Introduction to the message; those who rebelled against God's words and condemned His counsel were brought low.

John 3:18

Context: Unbelievers are condemned already because they do not believe in the Son of God.

John 3:36

Context: Those who do not believe on the Son shall not see life; God's wrath abides on them.

Psalm 7:11

Context: God judges the righteous and is angry with the wicked every day.

Romans 8:1

Context: There is no eternal condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

John 5:24

Context: Believers have everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation.

Job 9:20

Context: If Job justified himself, his own mouth would condemn him.

Job 15:6

Context: Eliphaz tells Job his own mouth condemns him.

Matthew 12:34-37

Context: By your words you will be justified or condemned; every idle word will be accounted for.

Matthew 15:18-20

Context: What proceeds from the mouth comes from the heart and defiles a person.

James 3:2

Context: If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man.

James 3:6

Context: The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, set on fire by hell.

Titus 2:8

Context: Sound speech that cannot be condemned.

Ephesians 4:29

Context: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

James 5:12

Context: Let your yes be yes and your no be no, lest you fall into condemnation.

Luke 6:37

Context: Judge not, condemn not, forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Matthew 7:1-2

Context: Judge not, that you be not judged; with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

John 7:24

Context: Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

1 Peter 4:8

Context: Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

James 5:9

Context: Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned.

Historical References

Noah and the Flood

Context: Noah's obedience in building the ark condemned the world.

Men of Nineveh repenting at Jonah's preaching

Context: Their repentance will condemn the generation that rejected Christ.

Queen of Sheba seeking Solomon's wisdom

Context: Her seeking will condemn those who rejected Christ, a greater than Solomon.

Pharisees and lawyers rejecting John's baptism

Context: They rejected God's counsel and condemned God.

Important Quotes

We're also always condemning someone, whatever we do and however we live.

Significance: Establishes the central premise that condemnation is inescapable in human conduct.

By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Significance: Key biblical basis for self-condemnation through speech.

Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned.

Significance: Direct command linking grudging to condemnation.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world.

Significance: Illustrates how obedience condemns the disobedient.

They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

Significance: Shows that keeping God's law actively opposes wickedness.

The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves.

Significance: Example of condemning God by rejecting His Word.

Either God is right and we're wrong, or we're right and God is wrong. There's no in-between.

Significance: Summarizes the ultimate choice between justifying God or self.

Discussion Questions

In what ways do our everyday words reveal the condition of our hearts, and how can we become more mindful of the words we speak?

Context: Based on Matthew 12:34-37 and the teaching that words justify or condemn us.

What is the difference between righteous judgment and the kind of judging Jesus forbids in Matthew 7:1-2?

Context: The sermon distinguishes between judging actions by God's Word and judging motives.

How does grudging manifest in our lives, and what practical steps can we take to overcome it?

Context: James 5:9 warns against grudging; the sermon illustrates it with the hog trough analogy.

In what ways does our obedience to God's Word serve as a form of condemning the world, as seen in Noah's example?

Context: Hebrews 11:7 shows Noah's faith condemned the world.

How do we practically 'condemn God' in our daily lives, and what does repentance from that look like?

Context: Psalm 107:11 and Luke 7:30 show rejecting God's counsel condemns Him.

Why is it impossible to remain neutral between justifying God and justifying ourselves?

Context: The conclusion states there is no middle ground.

Applications

Guard Your Speech

Summary: Recognize that your words reveal your heart and will be judged; practice speaking only what edifies.

Evidence: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying.

Avoid Unjust Judgment

Summary: Refrain from judging others' motives; instead, judge actions by Scripture and give others the benefit of the doubt.

Evidence: Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Overcome Grudging

Summary: Cultivate contentment and rejoice in others' blessings rather than groaning against them.

Evidence: Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned.

Live Obediently to Condemn Wickedness

Summary: Your faithful obedience to God's Word serves as a witness against the world's sin.

Evidence: By faith Noah... prepared an ark... by the which he condemned the world.

Submit to God's Counsel

Summary: Instead of rejecting God's Word, humbly accept it as right and align your life with it.

Evidence: The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves.

Justify God, Not Yourself

Summary: In every situation, choose to acknowledge God's righteousness and your own need for repentance.

Evidence: Either God is right and we're wrong, or we're right and God is wrong.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:36:33Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T11:14:09Z

Clean Transcript

Who Are You Condemning?

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Let's open our Bibles to Psalm 107, and we're going to begin reading with verse 10. And although you might think I'm not going to be preaching from this passage, I will before I close. I want you to look at it. Psalm 107, beginning there with verse 10. He says, "Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron, because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High."
#1 | 0:15 to 0:47 | cleaned
"Therefore He brought down their heart with labor, they fell down, and there was none to help." Now just recently I brought a message entitled, "Who Are You Justifying?" Today the title of the message is, "Who Are You Condemning?" I've told you repeatedly: anytime you study the Bible, you must remember this, that every positive has a negative, and every negative has a positive. So when you read something in the scripture like, "Thou shalt not steal," that's a negative. There is always a positive, and that positive is found in Ephesians 4, that we're to work with our hands and labor for that which is good, that we may have to give to him that needeth, etc. So, "Thou shalt not kill" is a negative. The positive is "thou shalt preserve life."
#2 | 0:48 to 1:43 | cleaned
So I was pointing out in "Who Are You Justifying" that there is a sense indeed in which we justify either sinners, self, or the sovereign God. Today we're talking about who are you condemning. And just like I pointed out in the last message that we are always justifying someone whatever we do and however we live, the opposite is also true. We're also always condemning someone, whatever we do and however we live.
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Most of us never ever think of the subject of condemnation. In fact, to be condemned literally means to be judged guilty in light of the law, that is for sure. But usually when we think of the word "condemned" or the subject of condemnation, we certainly think of those who are unsaved. Our Lord said it like this in John 3:18, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he believeth not in the Son of God." So those who believe are not condemned, those who believe not are condemned already. And in John 3:36, our Lord confirms this when He says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not on the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." So normally when we think about the word condemnation, we normally connect that word with the wrath of God, and rightly so. There are plenty of verses in the Bible that teach that those who are condemned are the subjects of God's righteous wrath and anger.
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In fact, we're told in Psalm 7:11 that God judges the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day. Now, I want you to stop and think about that for a moment. The Bible says God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. So sinners may have many feast days, but they never have any safe days, because there is not a moment when the anger of God is not burning hot against them. So just because a lot of people think that they're going to party up and have a grand old time and a good old time, very obviously, they're not concerned about God's righteous anger, God's wrath, and God's judgment. And certainly God's judgment will fall in His time upon His enemies.
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So, the point I'm trying to make is this. Although we normally associate condemnation with those who are unsaved, let me point out that condemnation is not reserved only for the unjust. I'm going to show you from Scripture how that we may condemn ourselves, how we may condemn others, and how we may even condemn God Himself. So let me begin today with this point: it is possible to condemn ourselves.
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And it doesn't matter whether you're a Christian or a non-Christian. It is possible to condemn yourself. Now, when I'm using the word condemnation now, especially in relationship to Christians, you've got to understand that a Christian's condemnation is not to eternal death. The Bible says in Romans 8:1, "There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." Now when He says there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, what He's saying is that we will not be eternally condemned, we will not experience the wrath of God.
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In fact, our Lord said it just a little differently, but teaching the same truth. He said in John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life," now listen, "and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." So when He says "shall not come into condemnation," He's talking about the eternal condemnation at the day of judgment. So very obviously then, when we're talking about how that Christians may condemn themselves, we're not talking about a condemnation at the last great day of judgment. So Christians are not under that kind of condemnation. There's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. But that does not mean then that we cannot condemn ourselves. There's a way that we can condemn ourselves. So let's ask and answer the question then: how in the world do we condemn ourselves? Not only as Christians, but as non-Christians as well. How do we condemn ourselves? Well, first of all, have you ever considered that your words and your attitudes and your actions may be condemning yourself before God?
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You know, it is a truth of Scripture and it is a truth of everyday life that we are indeed condemned by our words. I read recently of a courtroom situation where a man was on trial for armed robbery. And one of the witnesses who was testifying against him said, quote, "He said, 'This is a hold up, give me all your money.'" And when the witness said that, the defendant blurted out, "That's not what I said. I said, 'Give me your money or I'll shoot.'" Needless to say, it did not take the jury very long to condemn the man. He was condemned out of the words of his own mouth.
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And so this is what I'm talking about and I'm going to demonstrate to you. Although there is no eternal condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, we still may condemn ourselves with our own words. In Job 9:20, Job said, "If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me. If I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse." Then Eliphaz, in trying to answer Job, said this in Job 15:6, "Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I. Thine own lips testify against thee." So we can be condemned by the words of our own mouth. Scripture teaches that this is exceedingly clear and exceedingly easy, that our own mouths testify against us.
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I want you to hold Psalm 107, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12. And look if you would beginning there with verse 34. Matthew 12:34.
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Notice what our Lord says. Matthew 12:34. Our Lord is speaking and He says this, "O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Now watch carefully. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment."
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"For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Now notice what he said. Every idle word that proceeds out of your mouth. And then he said, "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." So, Matthew is teaching us that the whole tenor of our conversation will be evidence against us. We condemn ourselves with our own words.
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Have you ever stopped to think how we don't really consider what we say at times? And we don't really consider oftentimes how our words hurt. When I was a child and when you were children, most of you, you had this little rhyme: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." But the truth is, names do hurt. And words do hurt. All you have to do is let someone call you ugly, fatty, skinny, whatever, something that you don't like, and you'll understand they hurt.
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And he is saying here that every idle word, every vain word, every useless word, we're going to be called in to account for. You see, the reason our words are so important is that the words that we speak reveal the state of our heart. It reveals our mind. That's why the Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, help me out now, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." In other words, you're going to act out, you're ultimately going to be, and you're ultimately going to do what you think and what you say. That's why in Proverbs 4:23, he said, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." Now, look in Matthew 15, since you're right there, and let's begin reading there in verse 18. Now, we're talking about words.
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I want you to watch what happens here. Matthew 15:18. Our Lord is explaining to his disciples, and he says this, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man." Now watch carefully. "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man." Now, go back to verse 18. "But those things which proceed out of the mouth"—watch—"come forth from the heart, and they defile the man."
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So it is the words that we speak. It is the attitudes that we demonstrate and manifest that reveal the very state of our heart and the very state of our soul. No wonder our words condemn us, because they reveal the innermost thoughts of your heart.
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Now let me tell you something, I can listen to you and I can tell you what's on your heart because ultimately it's going to come out. I can listen to you and tell you what kind of individual you are and what is important to you and what is not important to you by the tone of your conversation. You can do the same thing for me. Because it is our words, therefore, that reveal our attitude.
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And our attitudes always lead to actions. Thus, God's going to judge our words.
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Now, go in your Bibles to the book of James, if you would. Hebrews, James. And look, if you would, beginning there with chapter 3. James chapter 3. And look, if you would, please, at verse 2. James 3:2. James says this: "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body."
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If I were to ask you, and I'm not doing this, but if I were to ask you to raise your hand if you had said something in your life that you wished you had never said, everybody would raise their hand. And you know, the thing is this, James said if we want to be perfect, we have to be able to bridle our tongue. But no one can do that.
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And you see, once those words go out of our mouth, you can't call them back. A good illustration of that is like the emails that you send. Once you hit that send button, you can't get it back. It's gone. And everybody sees it. It wants to look at it. Or it can be anywhere and everywhere. I never will forget the story I heard about a man who had lied about his neighbor.
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And he had spread the rumor to two or three different people. So he got under real conviction about it and he went to the pastor and asked him what he could do. And he says, "Well, what you need to do is to go catch a chicken. Pluck some of its feathers. And tonight you put a feather on each of the doorsteps that you've told this lie to."
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And the man did so. And so the next morning he came to the pastor. He said, "Well, I've done exactly what you've said."
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"Now what do I do?" He said, "I want you to go gather the feathers and bring them back." The man came back, he said, "I can't. The wind has blown them I don't know where." He said, "You do not know where all of your words have gone and all the lies that you have told." He said, "The only thing you can do is go to the man against whom you have lied and the people against whom you've lied concerning him and repent and make it right. But that does not mean that you've stopped the rumor."
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Look down if you would, please. In James 3:6, here's what he means. James 3:6, he said, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members that defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell." I heard one man say this tongue is like an automatic sewing machine set on fire of hell. Those of you who've done an automatic sewing machine, I mean it is fast.
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You see, the Scripture tells us that as Christians especially, we are admonished, we are commanded to use language that cannot be condemned. In fact, in Titus 2:8, Paul says, "Sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." Sound speech that cannot be condemned. Do you know what Paul said in Ephesians 4:29? Listen to this.
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"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth." But he goes on to say, "but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." So on the one hand, he said let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. On the other hand, He said, when you speak, you speak that which is good to the use of edifying, that is, that it may build up and strengthen someone rather than hurt them and rather than condemn them.
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Now, look in James 5:12. Look what James comes to the conclusion. James 5:12, he says, "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath, but let your yea be yea, and your nay be nay, lest ye fall into condemnation."
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Now let me just point something out. Here is the tenor of what James is saying. You never have to punctuate your conversation with expletives and with cursings if you mean what you say and if you say what you mean. I never will forget when I was a boy, there was a man who was of small stature. And I suppose he tried to make up for his smallness of stature by taking God's name in vain just about every breath that he took. He cursed consistently, constantly. And I remember even as a small boy, I despised being around him.
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I could not stand it. I did not want it. I was not a Christian, but I knew that something was wrong. And I asked my father about it one day, and all my father said was, "I suppose he's trying to make up for his lack of size." I don't know. But you know, I learned a valuable lesson from that. If you say what you mean and mean it when you say it, everybody will understand, yes. Everybody will understand, no. You don't have to use anything else.
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And this is what James is saying, because we're going to give an account for our words, very obviously. Now, if we understand that by our words we shall be justified and by our words we shall be condemned, we might want to learn to pray as David did in Psalm 141:3, when David said, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."
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And I will tell you folks, I will be absolutely honest. There are times, although it is painful, exceedingly painful, it really pays to bite your tongue and not say what you really truly want to say. Because once those words go out, they can never ever be taken back. Okay? So we may condemn ourselves by our words. Secondly, we may condemn ourselves by our unbiblical and unjust judgment and condemnation of others.
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Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Luke 6. Luke 6, and then we're going to Matthew 7. Okay? Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So Luke 6. And notice if you would, verse 37. Luke 6:37. I'm just showing you how we may condemn ourselves. Luke 6:37. Look at what our Lord says. He says, "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned."
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"Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." I'm going to explain this, but look at it again. "Judge not, that ye be not judged." In other words, here is the lex talionis, here is the law of retribution. God is saying you better be careful with your judging because ultimately you're going to be judged in the same measure and in the same way that you judge. Be careful with your condemning because you will be condemned in the same measure and the same way that you condemn. Now look in your Bibles to Matthew 7. You're going to see the same principle, Matthew 7, beginning there with verse 1. And our Lord says it like this, Matthew 7:1. "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Now here's the principle. "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." So He says, "Judge not, that ye be not judged." You could also read that, "Condemn not, that ye be not condemned." What our Lord is condemning here is unjust, unkind, and unbiblical judgments.
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And usually, this type of judging is when we're trying to judge someone's motives or someone's intent. You see, these verses do not prohibit all kinds of judgment. They just prohibit a certain kind of judgment. There are plenty of judgments in the Bible that are commanded. In fact, the Bible tells us in John 7:24, our Lord said it like this, "Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment." So we're commanded on the one hand to judge not. We're commanded on the other hand to judge righteous judgment. So what am I being prohibited from doing when He says "judge not"?
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So, I could say this. Pat said so and so about me. I bet that dirty rotten skunk meant it like this. You just wait till I get... I will fix him. Now what have I just done? I've heard what he said. I've placed my own interpretation upon it. I interpreted it wrongly. I condemned him without even asking him what he meant when he said it. By the way, there's always a difference between a fact and our interpretation of a fact. There's always a difference between a fact and our perspective on the fact.
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What God forbids me from doing is to judge someone's motives and someone's intentions because I do not know those. I cannot know those unless I ask. I could say, "Don, what did you mean by that?" Give him the opportunity to explain it. I do not always have to interpret everything in the worst possible light. Well, when he says "judge righteous judgment," that means this. If Don does something that's contrary to Scripture, I can look at his actions, I can see what the Bible says, and I can say, "Don is wrong based upon the Word of God." That's a righteous judgment. Because I'm not condemning him, God is condemning him for his unbiblical and unrighteous actions.
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So very obviously then, there is a good judging and there is a bad judging. And Matthew chapter 7 and Luke chapter 6 are pointed against rash, hard, uncharitable, and unbiblical judgments. It's basically when we think evil where no evil exists. I get tickled a lot of times because I even get asked this because I preach a lot of places. And listen, pastors usually do not tell me anything about the church affairs or the state of the people. I just preach usually whatever the Lord lays on my heart. And inevitably, invariably, I'll have people come up to ask me, "Well, didn't the pastor tell you to preach that? I mean, did he tell you anything about me?"
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And the answer is, "No. No, he didn't tell me anything about you. I don't even know you." Or they will take what I said and, "Well, that was a personal slam against me." Well, I didn't even know you. Never heard of you. I just preached and the Holy Spirit applied it. That's what it amounts to. You see what I'm saying? But you always normally place a bad interpretation upon something and if you don't ask, you will never know. And many times, we do not judge righteous judgment because we don't even know the Word of God. You see, Christ does not condemn judging as a magistrate.
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Magistrates do that all the time. Because judging judicially is not only right, it is also necessary. Judging people's actions based upon the law of God is right and necessary. But what he forbids is for you and I to judge hastily and harshly without any thought of extenuating circumstances, without giving someone an opportunity to explain what they said or what they meant or why they did what they did.
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So it's impossible for you and I to know motives and intents. God does indeed require that we judge righteous judgments. You see, the scribes and the Pharisees were noted for their private judgments. They not only condemned our Lord's disciples, they condemned our Lord Himself. Therefore our Lord said to the Pharisees in Matthew 12:7, "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless." So they condemned Christ who was guiltless. There are many who are quick to judge and swift to condemnation based upon their own standards and their own thoughts. You know what the Bible says in Proverbs 18:13, "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him." So when you begin to judge and you begin to condemn without really knowing the whole story, God said it's a folly and a shame. Moreover, in Proverbs 15:18, the Bible says, "The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things."
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So God then is forbidding us to judge unjustly, unrighteously, unbiblically, harshly, especially when we're trying to do it to the motives and intents of others. I want you to see this. I can quote the verse, but I want you to turn to 1 Peter chapter 4, and look if you would please at verse 8. 1 Peter 4:8. If we understood this verse, I'm sure that it would save us a lot of heartache. 1 Peter 4:8. Peter writes, "Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." So the person who has biblical love in his heart is willing to overlook and forgive a lot of things, especially those things that would come as a personal insult.
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Thirdly, and very quickly, we may condemn ourselves by grudging. I want you to look in your Bibles to James 5:9. Go back to James 5. We may condemn ourselves by grudging. Just showing you how Christians may condemn themselves. We may condemn ourselves with our words. We may condemn ourselves by our unjust and unbiblical condemnation of others. We may condemn ourselves by grudging. Look in James 5:9, James says, "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned."
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"Behold, the judge standeth before the door. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned." Now, the word "grudge" here literally means to groan not, grumble not, groan not sour and sullen one with another. Why is it that we grudge? Sometimes we grudge because someone is happier than we are. Someone has more than we have. Someone has better advantages than we have. Maybe they have a better family. Maybe they have better opportunities. And what we do is we grudge it. We groan and cry out against it. One of the commentators that I read, usually fairly often, is Albert Barnes. And usually Albert Barnes is pretty good. But Albert Barnes on this passage does a very interesting thing. On the one hand, he denies what grudging is. And then on the other hand, he turns around and says, this is why people grudge.
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You can't have it both ways. Very obviously, grudging is grudging. My favorite illustration, and I've used this before, here is what it really means to grudge. When I was a boy, seven, eight, nine years old, since I was raised on a farm, we had a hog pen with hogs in it, naturally. And we had on our back porch a five-gallon bucket. And that five-gallon bucket was known as a slop bucket. And all the coffee that was not finished at breakfast went into that slop bucket. Any toast that was not eaten went into that slop bucket. Any eggs went into that slop bucket. After dinner, what you didn't eat of that piece of corn went into the slop bucket. A half-eaten biscuit went in the slop bucket. Same thing with supper. Whatever was left went in the slop bucket. By the end of the day, that five-gallon can was usually pretty full. It was my job then, either that night or the next morning, to take that slop bucket out and pour it in the hog trough.
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You've done that, haven't you, Linda? And you'd pour it in the hog trough. And here these big old sows would come up there and they'd put their mouth down in that trough and they'd go, you know, kind of like Ron drinks his coffee. Really enjoying it and sucking it up, you know. And all of a sudden what happens, one of those sows will hit a piece of corn. And that sow will take that corn in her mouth and turn and run. Guess what the other sows will do? They'll run after her. Grunting and pushing, trying to take it away. They're not content to go through their slop until they find their piece of corn. They want the one she's got. You know, you can have five dogs out here and five T-bone steaks. Throw the first one out. Guess what happens? One gets it, runs off. Where are the other four? Chasing him. You've got one for them, but they won't wait to get it. They're grudging the fact that someone has something that they don't.
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And here's what he says, "Grudge not, brethren." Let's be honest. Are you listening to me? There are some people better looking than we are. There are some that have more hair than I do. I don't begrudge Alma because he's got a better head of hair than I do. I'm thankful he's got a better head of hair. I'm thankful Vicki hasn't pulled it out yet. I mean, you know.
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That might be in the next four or five years, but who knows? I'm just saying. And listen, if Mark has a million dollars, I'm thankful Mark has a million dollars. I'm not concerned. I don't grudge him. I'm happy that he has it. And what we do is we say, "Man, I wish I had kids like that. Man, I wish I had a new car like that. Man, I wish this. I wish that." And we get unhappy and we get sullen and we get sour because we don't have what everybody else has.
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Well, I mean, you know, we can condemn ourselves. And by the way, I can quote this one too, but I want you to see it. Turn to Psalm 37:1. Psalm 37:1. We can even grudge against the wicked, which is really, really ungodly. Notice if you would please in Psalm 37:1. Look what the Bible teaches. Psalm 37:1. God says, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." Listen, it does not make me envious of these Hollywood movie stars that go through wives like they do clothes. I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be like those individuals who will have a new car today and wreck it tomorrow and get another new car. Who cares? What do they have? Look at the rest of it. "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."
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Where are they going to be in judgment? And where are they going to be on judgment day? Why would we be envious of the wicked? Why would we be desirous of anything that they have? No, God says, "Grudge not." You don't grudge against the wicked. You don't grudge against each other. And if God blesses somebody with more than you, you should say, "Thank you, Lord, for being merciful and gracious and kind to them."
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And I pray they'll use it for your honor and your glory. Hey, that's the way it should be. And I can wait my turn until God blesses me with something. And then you'll say, "Thank you, Lord, that you blessed him." So, we can condemn ourselves. It is possible to condemn ourselves either by our words, by our unjust condemnation, or by grudging. Secondly, I want you to note, it is possible to condemn others.
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This is going to take a little bit of explaining. It is true that the wicked often condemn the just. And of course they do so unjustly and unrighteously. And sometimes that condemnation is done legally. That is, it is done through the judicial system. There have been plenty of godly people and righteous people that have been unjustly condemned. And it's getting easier and easier to have that done to you. And the Bible says in Proverbs 17:15, talking about the judges particularly, "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord."
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And then God asks in Psalm 94:20-21, "Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?" Now he's talking about judges, and he's talking about governments. Shall a throne, that is a government, shall a throne of iniquity, that is a wicked government, have fellowship with God, when that wicked government makes sin legal? And then he goes on to say, listen to this, "They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood." In other words, he's talking about a legal judicial condemnation when there should have been no legal judicial condemnation. Now, although I am talking about it is possible to condemn others, I'm not particularly talking about the condemnation of the just by the wicked. Listen carefully. I am referring to the fact that the righteous often condemn the wicked. We do not condemn the wicked through a court of law, since obviously they control most of the courts.
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However, we may condemn them spiritually and judicially before the judge of all the earth. Have you ever thought about this? How do we condemn the wicked? How do we evidence their wickedness and the just deserts of their wicked conduct? The answer is, by obedience to God's law. You remember I started this message, I told you every positive has a negative, every negative has a positive. Do you realize that one of the results, one of the effects of living a righteous, godly, holy, obedient life is that you condemn the wicked when you do that? Has that thought ever hit you? That you condemn the wicked by living a righteous, holy life. The word condemn is katakrino and one of the definitions of that Greek word simply means to give judgment against one by one's good example and to render another's wickedness more evident and more censurable. So we can condemn by living a godly, holy life.
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Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Matthew, chapter 12. Matthew 12. And notice if you would, beginning there with verse 41. Matthew 12:41. Look at what our Lord says. I'm just showing you what it means to condemn. And this is the same word used here. Matthew 12:41.
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Our Lord said it like this, "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." Now notice if you would, the men of Nineveh—and Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, Assyria was a wicked ungodly nation—and he said the men of Nineveh is going to rise up and condemn this generation. Why? Well, they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.
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That is, Jesus Christ was there, and you won't listen to me. And so here, these people who repented, they're going to end up condemning these who did not repent. How? Because they repented, they believed, they heard, they repented. These had the presence of Christ and failed to repent. Then he said, the queen of the south, that is the queen of Sheba, she traveled across the desert on camels to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And he said, now here a greater than Solomon is here, Christ the Son of God is here. And he said, you won't even walk across the street to hear me. And so the Queen of the South is going to stand up and condemn you.
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Now, the men of Nineveh, by their repentance, by their obedience, condemned those who did not repent and obey. The Queen of the South, by her traveling and hearing and repenting, condemned those who will not listen. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 11, and I tell you what, go ahead and find Proverbs 28 as well. Look in Hebrews chapter 11, and then we're going to go to Proverbs. Watch this, Hebrews chapter 11, and notice if you would please verse 7. I want you to see specifically what God says concerning Noah. Hebrews 11:7, because I'm showing you how it is possible to condemn others, how it's possible to condemn sinners. Watch this, Hebrews 11:7, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Now, how did Noah condemn the world? By his faith, by his obedience.
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He believed God. He obeyed God. You know what the Bible says in 2 Peter 2:5?
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Now, I want you to just listen to this. Because I want you to understand it was the preaching and teaching of Noah about the truth of God that condemned the old world. It was not just his preaching, but his obedience. The Bible says in 2 Peter 2:5 that God spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. So what was Noah doing? Noah was preaching the truth, but Noah was exercising faith, Noah was obeying God, and the Bible says, by his obedience, he condemned the world. And so we condemn others by our obedience. So if we obey and others do not, the very fact that we obey condemns those who refuse to obey. Now, look in Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 4 very quickly. Proverbs 28:4. And notice if you would what the Scripture says. It's very, very plain. Proverbs 28:4. Look at this.
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You remember I told you every positive has a negative. Every negative has a positive. Okay, here we go. Proverbs 28:4. "They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them." If we as Christians want to praise the wicked and support them in their wickedness, then we just simply violate God's law and do what they're doing. But he said, if we want to honor God, we keep God's law, and as we keep God's law, we are contending with them. And the word contend literally means to fight against. So, how do we fight against evil? The most basic, the most fundamental way is by being obedient yourself to the Word of God. And if you're not obedient to the Word of God, nothing else really matters. Because God's not going to honor your fighting anyhow because you're not obedient yourself. One of the qualifications to live for God and fight for God is to obey God yourself. So He says very plainly, "They that forsake the law praise the wicked."
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"But such as keep the law contend with them." So it is possible to condemn ourselves. It is possible to condemn others. And I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Psalm 107 because I want you to see it is possible to condemn our God. Look if you would, Psalm 107. And let's begin reading again at verse 10. Psalm 107:10. He says, "Such as sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, being bound with affliction and iron." And you want to wonder why in the world are we bound in affliction and iron. Here's why. "Because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labor."
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"They fell down, and there was none to help." Now, I want you to look very carefully at verse 11. How did they condemn God? Because they rebelled against the words of God, and then he says specifically, they condemned, or condemned the counsel of the Most High. Now the counsel of the Most High is His Word as well. You remember what God said in Isaiah 55:11. He said, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth."
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"It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Well, how do the wicked condemn God? How do we condemn God? Well, go back to Psalm 10, if you would, and look at verse 13. Psalm 10:13. A very interesting verse. Psalm 10. Notice if you would please verse 13. Now he's talking about the wicked, so watch. "Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God?"
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"He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it." How's the wicked man condemning God? He is denying His Word. He's denying the truth of God's judgment. He says, God is not going to require that I stand before Him and give an account of myself. God is not going to judge me. He is condemning God by condemning the counsel of God, by condemning the Word of God.
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I've told you repeatedly that thoughts and words always lead to action and conduct. Our Lord Himself was condemned and crucified by the wicked and rebellious rulers of His day. Our Lord Himself even foretold His death. He said in Matthew 20:18, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death." And then, of course, in Mark 14:64, when the high priest had all of his counsel there, the high priest said, "Ye have heard his blasphemy: what think ye?" And the Scripture says, "And they all condemned him to be guilty of death." Why did they condemn Christ? They rejected His words. They refused His counsel. They refused to bow to Him.
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Ah, but you say, "Wait a minute, Pastor. Christ has been crucified, and we cannot condemn Him any longer the way He was condemned at His crucifixion." Well, that may be true, but it is not true that we can no longer condemn Him. If you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 7, Luke chapter 7, and let's begin reading there in verse 28. I used part of this verse when I dealt with the passage on who you are justifying, but now I want you to note who you are condemning. Look in Luke chapter 7 and verse 28. Watch carefully. Our Lord says concerning John the Baptist, Luke 7:28, "For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him."
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Now wait, all the people and the publicans did what? They justified God. I told you last time how they did that. They said God is right, we're wrong. We need to repent. We need to submit to the teaching and the Word of God. But the Pharisees and the lawyers, watch, they rejected the what? The counsel of God against themselves. They refused His words. They refused to bow. They refused to submit. They condemned God in justifying themselves. They did not say God is right and we're wrong. What they said was we're right and God is wrong. And do you realize that when you and I refuse the counsel of God, when we refuse to live by the Word of God, when we refuse to do that which is biblical and right, what we're doing is we're condemning God and we're saying, "God, you're wrong and we're right."
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It is possible not only to condemn yourself and others, it's also possible to condemn God. If we believe that God is worthy to be honored and obeyed and worshiped and served, then we will bow to Him and to His Word and submit to Him and bring our lives in conformity to His Word. If we do not believe that God is worthy to be honored and served and worshiped and obeyed, we refuse to obey Him. Thus, we condemn Him and we justify ourselves. It is impossible to live without either justifying or condemning God. You're always either justifying Him or you're condemning Him. He alone is worthy and He alone deserves our obedience. He alone deserves our worship. But when we condemn Him, we say, "No, He doesn't deserve that. I deserve to do what I want to do. I deserve to please myself. I deserve to live the way I want to live. I deserve to do what I want to do." And when you justify yourself, you condemn God. What did the Bible say in Psalm 107:12?
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They condemned God. How? By rejecting His counsel. And the only way that we condemn God is when we refuse to obey because in our actions, in our attitudes, if not in our words, we're saying, "You're not worthy. I am." And I'll justify my actions by condemning God. And by the way, let me tell you the reason most people are so quick and so ready to curse God and condemn Him is so that they may justify themselves. Because you've got to realize this, here's the only conclusion that you can come to. Either God is right and we're wrong, or we're right and God is wrong. There's no in-between. And we justify ourselves and condemn God or we condemn ourselves and justify God.
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They that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep God's law contend with the wicked. So the last time I asked, who are you justifying? Now I ask, who are you condemning? You'll either condemn God or you'll either justify God. You'll either condemn yourself or justify yourself. So who are you justifying and who are you condemning? Let's pray. Father, we are thankful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we are thankful for His words and for His truth. And we ask, Lord, that You would indeed be pleased to apply the message to our hearts.
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Help us to learn Your Word. Help us to be obedient. Help us to be godly. Help us to be in a position where we may be blessed of Thee. And Lord, we can only be that as we repent and acknowledge, Lord, that Thou art right in every detail. And we're sinners and we're wrong. And Lord, enable us by Thy divine power to obey Thee and bring our lives into greater conformity to Your Word. Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:36:33Z

Who Are You Condemning?

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver explores the biblical concept of condemnation, arguing that everyone is always condemning someone—whether themselves, others, or God—through their words, attitudes, and actions. He distinguishes between eternal condemnation (reserved for unbelievers) and the self-condemnation that even Christians can experience. The sermon examines how we condemn ourselves by our speech, unjust judgment of others, and grudging; how we condemn others by our obedience to God's law; and how we condemn God by rejecting His counsel and justifying ourselves. The message calls believers to examine who they are condemning and to align their lives with God's Word.

Opening

Scripture Reading — Psalm 107:10-12

"Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron, because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High."

Introduction: The Principle of Positive and Negative

Every biblical negative has a positive; the message on justification has a counterpart on condemnation.

Condemnation Is Not Only for the Unsaved

While condemnation is often associated with God's wrath on unbelievers, Scripture shows that Christians can also condemn themselves in non-eternal ways.

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:1

"There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit."

Now when He says there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, what He's saying is that we will not be eternally condemned, we will not experience the wrath of God.

How We Condemn Ourselves

We condemn ourselves through our words, unjust judgment of others, and grudging.

I want you to hold Psalm 107, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12. And look if you would beginning there with verse 34. Matthew 12:34.

I want you to watch what happens here. Matthew 15:18. Our Lord is explaining to his disciples, and he says this,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:18-20

"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man."

Now watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:18-20

"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man."

Now, go back to verse 18.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:18-20

"But those things which proceed out of the mouth"

—watch—

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:18-20

"come forth from the heart, and they defile the man."

Scripture Reading — James 3:2

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body."

Now, look in James 5:12. Look what James comes to the conclusion. James 5:12, he says,

Scripture Reading — James 5:12

"But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath, but let your yea be yea, and your nay be nay, lest ye fall into condemnation."

Scripture Reading — Luke 6:37

"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned."

"Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." I'm going to explain this, but look at it again.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:1-2

"Judge not, that ye be not judged."

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:1-2

"Judge not, that ye be not judged."

Now here's the principle.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:1-2

"For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

So He says,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:1-2

"Judge not, that ye be not judged."

You could also read that,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:1-2

"Condemn not, that ye be not condemned."

What our Lord is condemning here is unjust, unkind, and unbiblical judgments.

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 4:8

"Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."

So the person who has biblical love in his heart is willing to overlook and forgive a lot of things, especially those things that would come as a personal insult.

How We Condemn Others

The righteous condemn the wicked not through courts but by their obedience to God's law, which makes the wicked's disobedience more evident.

How We Condemn God

We condemn God by rejecting His counsel and justifying ourselves, essentially saying God is wrong and we are right.

Conclusion: The Inescapable Choice

We are always either justifying God and condemning ourselves, or justifying ourselves and condemning God; there is no middle ground.

Who Are You Condemning?

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	Ewc9GKYy8a0
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-12-15
Dictation Name
Book	Book 134: Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification - Volume 1 — Chapter 20
Source Timed Segments	73

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Principle of Positive and Negative: Every biblical negative has a positive; the message on justification has a counterpart on condemnation.
Condemnation Is Not Only for the Unsaved: While condemnation is often associated with God's wrath on unbelievers, Scripture shows that Christians can also condemn themselves in non-eternal ways.
How We Condemn Ourselves: We condemn ourselves through our words, unjust judgment of others, and grudging.
How We Condemn Others: The righteous condemn the wicked not through courts but by their obedience to God's law, which makes the wicked's disobedience more evident.
How We Condemn God: We condemn God by rejecting His counsel and justifying ourselves, essentially saying God is wrong and we are right.
Conclusion: The Inescapable Choice: We are always either justifying God and condemning ourselves, or justifying ourselves and condemning God; there is no middle ground.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Christians Can Condemn Themselves Without Eternal Condemnation

Romans 8:1 assures no eternal condemnation for believers, but they can still experience temporal self-condemnation through sin.

There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus... but that does not mean then that we cannot condemn ourselves.

Words Are the Primary Means of Self-Condemnation

Jesus taught that every idle word will be accounted for, and our speech justifies or condemns us.

Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment.

Unjust Judgment of Others Brings Condemnation on Ourselves

Judging others harshly or hypocritically results in being judged by the same standard.

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.

Grudging Leads to Self-Condemnation

James warns that groaning against one another brings condemnation.

Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned.

Obedience to God's Law Condemns the Wicked

Noah's faithful obedience condemned the world; similarly, keeping God's law contends with the wicked.

By faith Noah... prepared an ark... by the which he condemned the world.

Rejecting God's Counsel Is Condemning God

The Pharisees rejected God's counsel, thereby condemning God and justifying themselves.

The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves.

Scripture References

Psalm 107:10-12: Introduction to the message; those who rebelled against God's words and condemned His counsel were brought low.
John 3:18: Unbelievers are condemned already because they do not believe in the Son of God.
John 3:36: Those who do not believe on the Son shall not see life; God's wrath abides on them.
Psalm 7:11: God judges the righteous and is angry with the wicked every day.
Romans 8:1: There is no eternal condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
John 5:24: Believers have everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation.
Job 9:20: If Job justified himself, his own mouth would condemn him.
Job 15:6: Eliphaz tells Job his own mouth condemns him.
Matthew 12:34-37: By your words you will be justified or condemned; every idle word will be accounted for.
Matthew 15:18-20: What proceeds from the mouth comes from the heart and defiles a person.
James 3:2: If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man.
James 3:6: The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, set on fire by hell.
Titus 2:8: Sound speech that cannot be condemned.
Ephesians 4:29: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.
James 5:12: Let your yes be yes and your no be no, lest you fall into condemnation.
Luke 6:37: Judge not, condemn not, forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Matthew 7:1-2: Judge not, that you be not judged; with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
John 7:24: Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
1 Peter 4:8: Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
James 5:9: Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned.

Historical References

Noah and the Flood: Noah's obedience in building the ark condemned the world.
Men of Nineveh repenting at Jonah's preaching: Their repentance will condemn the generation that rejected Christ.
Queen of Sheba seeking Solomon's wisdom: Her seeking will condemn those who rejected Christ, a greater than Solomon.
Pharisees and lawyers rejecting John's baptism: They rejected God's counsel and condemned God.

Important Quotes

We're also always condemning someone, whatever we do and however we live.

Establishes the central premise that condemnation is inescapable in human conduct.

By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Key biblical basis for self-condemnation through speech.

Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned.

Direct command linking grudging to condemnation.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world.

Illustrates how obedience condemns the disobedient.

They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

Shows that keeping God's law actively opposes wickedness.

The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves.

Example of condemning God by rejecting His Word.

Either God is right and we're wrong, or we're right and God is wrong. There's no in-between.

Summarizes the ultimate choice between justifying God or self.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways do our everyday words reveal the condition of our hearts, and how can we become more mindful of the words we speak?

[Context]

Based on Matthew 12:34-37 and the teaching that words justify or condemn us.

[Question]

What is the difference between righteous judgment and the kind of judging Jesus forbids in Matthew 7:1-2?

[Context]

The sermon distinguishes between judging actions by God's Word and judging motives.

[Question]

How does grudging manifest in our lives, and what practical steps can we take to overcome it?

[Context]

James 5:9 warns against grudging; the sermon illustrates it with the hog trough analogy.

[Question]

In what ways does our obedience to God's Word serve as a form of condemning the world, as seen in Noah's example?

[Context]

Hebrews 11:7 shows Noah's faith condemned the world.

[Question]

How do we practically 'condemn God' in our daily lives, and what does repentance from that look like?

[Context]

Psalm 107:11 and Luke 7:30 show rejecting God's counsel condemns Him.

[Question]

Why is it impossible to remain neutral between justifying God and justifying ourselves?

[Context]

The conclusion states there is no middle ground.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T11:14:09Z