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PARABLE OF THE PALING FENCE​

Judge Not???
Richard, I never gave you the word “Judge not that you should not be judged” as some law or rule for you to just follow.
I said this for your protection, as a means by which you can extend grace to others.
Whenever you choose not to judge someone you are constructing a protective fence around them rather than following a commandment or law that I have passed.
In doing this you are protecting relationship with that person.
Remember Richard, I see everything through the lens of relationship.
But, not only are you protecting the person you choose not to judge, you are also protecting yourself.
Remember, I went on to say, “for the same measure you use (in judging others) will be measured back to you”.
Every time you choose to judge another, it is like removing a paling from the fence of my grace that I have built around your true life: relationship with Me.
When you choose to judge, there is a withdrawal from the relationship account of the person you judge and a withdrawal from your own relationship account.
If you do judge (and you will) repent quickly and I will reverse these transactions. I will restore the paling that was removed from the fence of grace around you.
The choice not to judge is quite simple. Before you pass judgement ask yourself the question: “do I have all the facts?”. Whilst you may have many facts you will never have the fact of a person’s thoughts and intentions that flow from their heart.
Remember, you are limited to looking at outward appearances, I alone look on the heart.
I can reveal the thoughts and intentions of a person’s heart to you, but it will never be for judgement, rather it will be for the restoration of relationship.
Remember Richard, I see everything through the lens of relationship.
You have misunderstood my intention when I encouraged you not to judge others. I did so to elevate the importance of relationship, your relationship with me and your relationship with others.
Judgement is not my weapon, it is a pathway that leads to deeper relationship.
Remember Richard, I have all the facts, so when I judge it looks very different to when you choose to judge.
Judgement from a human perspective is often a matter of self-justification.
If judgement separates you from true relationship, then it will surely separate you from experiencing justification.
Because of your relationship with me, being “in Christ”, you are constantly in a place of being justified, or as you might put it, being just as if you had never sinned.
True justification is experienced through relationship. So, when you refuse to judge someone, to justify your own thoughts or actions, you are putting relationship with me and that person first. Herein lies the true reality of being justified.
You see Richard, when you choose not to judge someone you are placing them in a position where you consider them as being just as if they had never sinned!!!
​(An Extract From My Prayer Journal)
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