And if you'd pray those two great commands of Scripture of turning your phones off and turning to Matthew chapter 7.
! Matthew 7, 1-12 this morning. I don't know whether you can remember the reading, Matthew 7, 1-12.
But I think one of the problems with the sermon on the mount is we are so used to looking at it in little sections.
Sometimes it's very difficult to see the connections.
And how is Matthew 7, 1-12 connected?
It speaks of logs and dogs and hogs.
But how is all that pulled together? What is the connection?
Is there any link between Jesus talking about what he's talking about?
So in verses 1-5 he takes you to the octalmatrist.
And then in verses 6 he takes you to the cafe.
And then in verses 7-9 he takes you to the farm.
How is it all connected? How does it all link up?
I think Jesus gives us the clue in verse 1.
He says, judge not. Stop judging.
And that is the link that I think we often miss.
The link about judging. Proper judgment and having discernment.
That actually goes right the way through this chapter.
And these first 12 verses.
That seems to be the keynote.
And so four points this morning.
I think Jesus teaches us first of all the restriction on judging.
The restriction on judging.
Stop judging in order that you would not be judged.
That's the command.
Jesus is making this command isn't he?
He's saying that habit of persistent ongoing fault finding that people have.
And again we need to remember the context.
Jesus is speaking to his disciples.
And he is saying to his followers.
Get rid of this habit of carping criticism.
Even this idea of condemning other people enters into it as well.
And he seems to have in mind this carping criticism fault finding.
That centres on non-essentials.
And we get that from verses 3-5 don't we?
We see this fellow who seems to see a speck of sawdust in his brother's eye.
You know on rather small matters.
They get all disturbed and critical.
And he says stop judging that.
Stop judging that.
See the great big plank in your own eye.
Charles Spurgeon when he was in his early ministry.
He started being a minister when he was 17.
He was just a young man and he made a number of mistakes.
He was young at that time.
There was a certain fellow that would come to him every Monday and point out his mistakes.
And one day this man, his name was Mr Brimley.
He was actually the mayor of Cambridge.
He said to young Spurgeon.
Is it really true that you told your people the other Sunday that if a thief would get into heaven he would pick the angels pockets?
This version said well yes.
If a thief, if it were possible for an ungodly person without him being changed by the Holy Spirit, without him being born again,
if he got into heaven with the same nature as he's got now,
if a thief got into heaven and his nature was unchanged it wouldn't do any good.
He would steal in heaven.
He would go around as a thief picking the angels pockets.
My dear fellow Brimley said, don't you realise angels don't have pockets?
And Spurgeon said with the same gravity, no sir.
Well I didn't realise that.
But I will put this right.
I'm glad to hear from someone who knows.
Following Monday morning, Spurgeon goes into his shop and he goes into Mr Brimley's shop and he said,
Mr Brimley I put the matter right.
What matter?
I put the angels pockets.
Mr Brimley looked horrified and said, what did you say?
Spurgeon said, I told my people that I made a mistake when I was preaching to them last Sunday.
I told them that if a thief got into heaven with his nature unchanged,
he would still go around picking the angels pockets.
But that I have subsequently heard from no lesser person than the mayor of Cambridge,
someone who knows that angels have no pockets.
And so I don't want you to go around with the false notion about heaven.
And so I told them that if a thief were ever to get into heaven with a nature unchanged,
then she would go around plucking the feathers out of the angels' wings.
Mr Brimley said furiously, I will never try to set you straight again.
Spurgeon replied, that is precisely what I wanted you to say.
Now that was a very silly illustration.
But some people have this habit, don't they?
They have a habit of carping and fault-finding.
And Jesus says, stop it.
It's really interesting.
He says, stop it.
We often don't think we can say that.
Stop this habit of fault-finding and criticising.
But it's become part of your nature.
The young composer gave a concert.
It didn't fare well with the critics.
The critics really panned it.
They didn't care for it.
But Gene Sibelius, the famous Finnish composer,
consoled the young fellow.
He patted him on the shoulder and he says,
remember, son, there is not one city in the world
where they've erected a statue to a critic.
Stop judging.
Now why is it that we have this habit of doing so?
There are certain reasons why we shouldn't do it.
Or we put it positively,
there are reasons why we do it.
First reason is that we forget our position before God.
Stop judging, Jesus says, that you be not judged.
For with the judgement you pronounce,
you will be judged.
And with the measure you use,
it will be measured to you.
What does he mean when he says,
lest you be judged, that you be not judged?
He doesn't mean that if you're critical of someone,
of others, they'll be critical of you.
That isn't what he's saying.
He isn't saying a kind of karma,
you criticise others and it'll all come back to you.
Probably what Jesus means is when he says that you be not judged,
that passive verb refers frequently,
it has the idea of God's activity.
What he's saying,
do not judge lest you be judged by God.
And so what Jesus is saying is,
realise that, stop that.
This habit of judging, lest you be judged.
You need to know that you too stand under the judgement of God.
You also are one who is going to be judged.
And at that point,
if you've been brought up in an evangelical church,
you'll say, hang on a minute, hang on a minute.
If God has brought me to faith in Jesus,
then I will not face judgement anymore.
Three things students always say.
Every sin is exactly the same.
It's all the same, which it isn't.
I can't remember what the third one is.
The second one is this.
There's no judgement for Christians.
We will not face judgement.
And that is true in one sense, isn't it?
There is no more condemnation in Christ Jesus.
Wonderfully so.
You're not judged according,
with regard to your salvation.
That you are secure in him.
There is no way that God is going to change his mind.
There's no way that God is going to
overturn his verdict on your life.
God will not change his mind.
But that doesn't mean
that as a Christian disciple,
you will not be judged
for the quality of your Christian life.
And that is actually
a lot of the teaching in the New Testament.
So, in Romans 14,
where he says,
in verse 12,
10 of verse 12,
You then,
why do you judge your brother?
Or why do you look down on your brother?
For we will all stand
before God's judgement seat.
So each one of us
will give an account
for himself to God.
That's what Paul means
in 2 Corinthians 5.
Again,
he's talking to Christians.
And he says,
for we must all appear
before the judgement seat of Christ.
that each one
may receive
what is due him
for the things done
while in the body.
In other words,
you need to be careful
and I need to be careful
because you and I too
will stand before
Christ's judgement seat
for the quality
of our Christian life.
You too will be judged.
Your temper,
the gifts that the Lord
has given you
and how you've used them,
your criticism of other.
And Jesus says,
don't forget,
not only don't forget
your position,
but you are blind
so often to your own sins.
And that is the point
of verses 3 to 5,
isn't it?
Why do you see
the little speck
that's in your brother's eye
but don't notice
the great big log
that's in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother,
let me take the speck
out of your eye
when there is a log
in your own eye?
You hypocrite.
First,
get rid of the log
out of your own eye
and then you will see clearly
to take the speck
out of your brother's eye.
It's stupid,
isn't it,
to go up to him
and say,
you've got this little speck
of dust in your eye
that's making it red
and you've got this massive
2x4 plank
in your eye.
How are you ever
going to be able
to see to do that?
Hypocrite,
first of all,
remove it.
It's like somebody
with loads of dandruff
on their shoulders
going up to somebody
with a tiny little fluff
and saying,
oh, you've got something
on your suit
and rubbing it off.
Sort yourself out.
There's a terrible
blindness,
isn't there,
in you and I
to our own sin.
And we need to be
aware of that.
And that is involved
in what Jesus is saying.
In verses 3 to 5,
he says,
judge not
in verse 1.
You can see that
what he means
in verses 3 to 5,
isn't he?
He's saying,
don't judge hypocritically.
Hypocritically.
It's interesting,
Jesus is not forbidding,
he's not saying,
be gullible,
he's not saying,
don't be discerning.
He's saying,
don't judge hypocritically.
Don't judge in a way
that is blind
to your own sin.
We can see it in others,
can't we,
but not in ourselves.
And that is what
Jesus is addressing here.
When we go to
camp in Swansea,
we stay in the church
I grew up in.
And it's a
kind of,
it's a 19th century building,
the toilets are
pretty grotty
where the gents are anyway.
And there's a sink,
but the mirror
to the sink
is on a different wall,
which is really fine,
apart from when
you want to go and shave.
You want to try to shave
without a mirror?
Men?
It's so difficult,
isn't it?
Because you cannot
shave without a mirror.
Can you?
You end up with streaks
while I'm not shaving
at the moment.
You cannot shave
without a mirror.
Because you have
to see yourself.
And you can very
clearly see others,
the sin of others,
but you can't very
clearly see yourself,
and so stop judging.
The kind of
hypocritical judgment.
So let me say this,
one of the ways
that we frequently do this
is actually in gossip.
We may not even
be conscious
that we're doing it,
but we may be
speaking to someone else
about someone else.
And we are in some way
pulling them down,
and that person
may agree with us
to some degree.
So we don't think
of it as gossip.
Let's stop judging,
unless you be judged.
So there's a restriction
on judging.
Secondly,
let's see in verse 6,
there's the requirement
of judging.
Requirement of judging.
Look at verse 6.
Don't give dogs
what is holy.
Don't throw your pearls
before pigs,
lest you trample them
underfoot
and turn to attack you.
Don't worry about
the meaning of it
now for a moment,
we'll come back to that.
But just notice the language.
Do you see
what Jesus is saying?
He is assuming
that you're going to obey
whatever it is he means
in verse 6.
And so,
if you're going to
obey verse 6,
what have you got
to work out?
You've got to work out
who are the dogs
and who are the pigs,
haven't you?
You're going to have
to judge,
you're going to have
to discern.
You're going to have
to stop judging
as he taught you
in verses 1-5,
a kind of carping,
critical, hypocritical
kind of judging.
But you see,
Jesus does balance
and in verse 6
he's now saying,
don't give what is
holy to the dogs
and don't throw your pearls
before the hogs.
And so you have to know,
don't you,
who are the dogs
and who are the hogs
if you're going to
obey this.
Jesus is not
forbidding all kinds
of judgment.
He's just putting
a balance on what
he said in verse 1-5.
Much like he does
in Proverbs 26.
He has got those
funny verses in it,
two verses back to back.
And one of them says,
don't answer a fool
according to his folly.
And then in the very
next verse it says,
answer a fool
according to his folly.
And it gives a reason
for both those things.
It's balancing there,
but you need to see
the big picture.
You have to think
there is a paradox.
There are two truths
which seem contradictory,
but actually when you
take them together
they're both very helpful.
There's a sort of judging
that you ought to do,
and this is the requirement
of judging.
And so that tells you
and I
that the mushy,
ordinary,
bog standard
interpretation
of verse 1
cannot be right.
So people shoot off
verse 1 all the time,
don't they?
Maybe you're talking
about a public scandal
in business
or in public,
and you state
how wrong it is
and so unjust,
and then somebody
comes in and says,
the Bible says,
judge not
and be not judged.
Or there's some
public teacher
in the church
and they are rejecting
what the Bible
is saying on sexuality
and homosexuality
and they are speaking
really clearly
against the Bible's message
and you state that
and somebody comes
and says to you,
the Bible says,
don't judge.
Now you see what
Jesus is saying
in verse 6?
There is a kind
of discernment,
there is a kind
of judgment
that you have to make.
He's not assuming
that you have a mind
that is kind of
morally neutral
and mushy.
No.
He's saying there's
a kind of discernment
that you have to make.
There's a discernment
that He wants you to have.
Now look at the details.
What does He mean
by what is holy?
And who are the dogs?
And what are the pearls?
And who are the pigs?
Well, so probably this.
What is holy
refers to anything
of the sacred things
of God.
particularly the gospel
and His word
about the kingdom
that He's been speaking about
and the offering
of Jesus
as the King of the kingdom
and the pearls
it probably has to do
with the treasure
of the kingdom,
the treasure of the gospel.
And He's saying
that there are some
that are hogs
and dogs.
Dogs used to be
a term that was used
for the Gentiles.
I don't think
He's using it
in that way.
But He is taking it
He's saying
a dog
is a pejorative term.
It's still used today
as a pejorative term.
And it's saying
they are
essentially
there are some
who are like that.
He's not thinking
of your pet dog
I think on the children's
shoot isn't it
there's a lovely picture
of a retriever
or a Labrador
or something like that.
When He talks about dogs
He's not talking
about a dog like that.
Draw a big pair of fangs
on that children.
Dogs that go
through the rubbish.
Dogs that bite
and carry rabies.
They're not the sort
of things that you'd
like to have in your house
or in your garden
or let your kids
play with.
They're wild.
They're not nice
to have us.
Jesus is saying
there are some people
they've rejected
the gospel
and they are so
antagonistic
with the gospel
and anti the gospel
that they may
tell you so.
And they say
I don't want to hear.
And they may say
leave me alone.
They might say
don't even talk
about Jesus to me.
They may say it
very politely
in a British kind of way.
Don't even invite me
to that.
I don't want to know
anything about the
kingdom of God.
I don't want anything
to do with that.
I like you
but I can't stand
this Jesus stuff.
And Jesus says
respect them.
And leave them alone.
Because don't throw
what is precious
to dogs
and hogs
who've rejected it.
Don't give anything
that is sacred
to people who despise
the sacred things
of God.
It's not meant
to keep us
from telling others
what they know
Jesus.
It's mainly saying
that there are
certain circumstances
there are certain
people that prefer
not to be bothered
with the gospel.
And when you
tell them that
leave them to God.
That's the kind
of thing.
You don't give
sacred things
to people
who despise
that.
And that is what
Jesus seems to be
saying.
And when we
do this
what do we
make of this?
Jesus himself
when he gives us
an example
do you remember
Luke 23?
Jesus comes
before Herod
and Pilate
sent Jesus
before Herod
and when Herod
saw him
Luke tells us
he was really
pleased.
Because for a long
time he wanted
to see Jesus
and he hoped
that he could
see Jesus
through some
kind of miracle.
And so he
asked Jesus
loads of questions
but Jesus gave
him no answer.
Herod is there
he's curious
about Jesus
but he's not
serious about
committing his
life to Jesus.
And so Jesus
doesn't go for it.
He leaves Herod
alone.
He doesn't offer
to do a little
heavenly trick
a miracle
this will satisfy
your curiosity.
Herod has got
no desire for
the truth at all
and so Jesus
leaves him alone.
He doesn't even
answer does he?
Or the Apostles
Lord in Acts 13
and Acts 18
two different places
in Antioch
and in Corinth
the Jews
make so much
fuss
that they
abuse him
and Barnabas
and Silas
and they
reject his
message
and Paul
says we
had to offer
the gospel
to you first
but since you
think that you
are unworthy
of eternal life
we turn to the
Gentiles.
We're turning
and taking the
gospel away from
you
and we're giving
it to the
Gentiles.
you see people
who don't want
to have any
truck with the
gospel
then it's
taken from
them.
Don't throw
what is
precious to
those who
despise it.
That is
Jesus' point.
It takes
really different
forms.
In 1555
John Calvin
was in the
city of Geneva
and he was
having a problem.
There was a
man who was
notoriously
immoral
and drunk
and the
elders of
the church
along with
Calvin
they excommunicated
him because
of his
conduct.
He was
banned from
the Lord's
Supper.
But the
civil magistrates
the city
officials
they overturned
that decision
of the elders
and they gave
this fellow
the right
to partake
of communion
again.
The day
came on
a September
morning
it was
communion
Sunday
and after
Calvin preached
his sermon
when he went
down from
the pulpit
and thinking
that this
guy
John Bethelier
was in
the audience
and that
he would
want to
come to
the table
to defy
him
Calvin said
to the
people
I have
prayed to
the Lord
for firmness
and my
prayer has
been answered.
And he
told them
if anyone
who had
been banned
from the
Lord's
Supper
should come
forward
to try
to partake
of that
supper
Calvin said
I will
do what
the clear
command
of my
master
requires me
to do.
And then
raising his
voice and
stretching out
his hands
he said
lay down
my life
before
these hands
shall reach
forth for
the sacred
things of
God
to those
who have
been branded
as despisers.
John Bethelier
didn't come
because he had
to make a
stand didn't
he Calvin?
He was a
man who
cared for
the things
of God
and so
there may
well be
I think
there probably
is going
to be
in your
dealings
with people
there will
be somebody
who says
point blank
to you
I want
no more
of your
witness
I don't
want any
more of
your
Christianity
and I
think Jesus
is teaching
us here
we have
to respect
that
don't
cast the
pearls of
the gospel
before those
who will
have none
of it
and tell
you that
but verse
six is
also a
terrifying
warning
because it
shows you
and I
how far
antagonism
to the
gospel
can go
how far
it can
take you
it can
give you
the nature
of a
pig
or a
dog
and that
ought to
be to you
a great
warning
that you
can put
yourself
in such
resistance
and antagonism
to the
gospel
that it
can put
you
beyond
the
hope
of
responding
to it
that if
you
harden
your
heart
one day
God
will say
enough
is
enough
and if
you
continually
and persistently
refuse
the gospel
and maintain
that stance
you are
on your
way
to the
kind of
antagonism
to the
truth
that will
place you
in a
place
where
you're
not
even
able
to hear
the
gospel
anymore
and you
need to
be aware
of that
thirdly
Jesus
says
there's
not only
a
restriction
on
judging
and the
requirement
of
judging
but thirdly
there's
the
resources
for
judging
and as
you look
at those
verses
it says
ask
and it will
be given
to you
seek
and you
will
find
knock
and the
door
will
be
open
to you
and we
love those
verses
but when
you look
at them
in the
context
of what
it says
you say
why does
Jesus do
that
what is
he on
about
can you
see the
connection
between
verses
5 and
6
what
Jesus
is doing
here
it's
not
really
disconnected
if you look
at verses
1 to 6
how can I
do that
how can I
have the
knowledge
to do
that
how can I
live in
that way
how can I
be aware
of the
log that's
in my
own
eye
so that I
don't judge
blindly
without seeing
my faults
that's a
question you
might have
or you
might have
a question
how can I
discern
how on earth
can you
tell
whether or
not someone
is despising
the sacred
things of
God and
the gospel
how do you
know when I
should leave
them alone
how can I
know the
difference between
improper
critical
condemning
kind of
judging
and somebody
having a
true discernment
of their
true state
how can I
distinguish
between that
and you've
got all these
questions
and so Jesus
says to you
doesn't he
verse 7
ask and
it will be
given to
you
seek and
you will
find knock
and the
door will
be opened
to you
how can I
know the
difference
and know
Jesus'
words and
Jesus
ask
pray to
the father
that is the
way that you
receive the
discernment
and understanding
that you need
in order to
obey Jesus'
commands
it's the same
thing in
James 1
verse 5
if any one of
you lacks
wisdom
then he'll
ask of
God
and he'll
liberally
give it
and when you
read that
you think
that's come
out of
nowhere
but before
that
Jesus has
said
count it
all joy
brothers
and sisters
if you fall
into various
sorrows
and so on
so why did
James say
if any of you
lack wisdom
let him ask
of God
it's all
connected
James is
saying if
you fall
into trial
it's not
that that you
need deliverance
from right
away
but you need
to know
how to
endure it
you need
to know
how to
go through
suffering
you need
to know
how are
you going
to be
steadfast
and faithful
to Jesus
and count it
all joy
in the midst
of trials
well if
anyone
lacks
let him
ask of
God
and it's
connected
and it's
the same
as it is
here
what Jesus
is doing
here though
in the way
that he speaks
is he's
trying to
give you
more than
the fact
that you
should go
on believing
and asking
in prayer
he's
trying to
encourage
you
look at
what he
says
in verse 9
to 11
or which
of you
if his
son
asks him
for bread
will you
give him
a stone
or if
he asks
for a
fish
will you
give him
a servant
and if
you then
are evil
and you
know how
to give
good
gifts
to your
children
how much
more
will your
father
who's
in
heaven
give
good
things
to those
who ask
him
notice
how he
describes
earthly
fathers
he says
they are
evil
if you
then being
evil
that's
Jesus'
assessment
of my
nature
and yours
Jesus
says
you have
a sinful
human
nature
and that
is what
he means
and if
you think
that men
and women
and boys
and girls
are basically
constituted as
good
well you
don't agree
with Jesus
he assumed
it
he said
to his
disciples
if you
then being
evil
he doesn't
mean
that you're
as evil
as you
possibly
could be
of course
not
but he
does
mean
that you
and I
have this
root of
evil
and sin
within me
if you
then being
evil
see the
contrast
if you
have the
competence
and even
enough
natural
affection
to play
not to
play tricks
on your
own
sons and
daughters
how much
more will
your heavenly
father give
to those
who ask
him
what's
Jesus
saying
he's
saying
one of
you dads
wouldn't do
something
like this
your son
comes in
you've
spent all
afternoon
decorating
a stone
as a
piece of
bread
and your
son comes
in and
says
can I
have one
of those
rolls
and you
say yeah
take the
chop one
and your
son is so
hungry
that he
picks it
up and
he doesn't
realise
that it's
a piece
of stone
and he
bites into
it
and he
breaks
three teeth
and you
say
it's a
stone
you thought
it was bread
but it's a
rock
it's so
funny
let's go
to the
dentist
none of
you
would be
so
low down
evil
to do
that
would you
none of
you would
be so
sinful
your
daughter
asks you
for a
packed
lunch
tomorrow
he
says
what
would
she
like
in
the
packed
lunch
and she
says
I'd
love
a
piece
of
fish
and he
said
it would
be
really
funny
if I
put
a
serpent
in
there
and she
comes
into
school
and she
opens
up
the
picnic
box
or the
lunch
box
and out
comes
the
serpent
RSPTA
and the
police
are
called
and you
laugh
you know
how to be
consistent
with your
children
you know
how much
more
Jesus is
saying
he will
give good
things to
those who
ask
you can
trust him
God
the
father
will not
double
cross
you
God
is not
looking
for
loopholes
to get
out of
answering
your
prayers
he says
get rid
of
superstition
get rid
of
this
nonsense
I think
Christians
can be
really
superstition
we think
if I
come to
God
in
prayer
like this
I'm
afraid
he's
going to
call me
to be
a
missionary
or something
like that
you
can
trust
you
can
trust
your
father
in
heaven
it
doesn't
mean
you
won't
have
questions
about
what
he
gives
you
but
the
point
is
you
can
depend
on
a
faithful
father
and
then
fourthly
and really
briefly
he gives
you the
rule of
judging
verse 12
yes he doesn't
help us with the
headings being where
they are
he says
so whatever
you wish
that others
would do to
you
do also to
!
this is the
law
the
prophets
that's the
rule in
judging
you notice
how it
ties it in
with what
has gone
before
doesn't
it
it says
it should
say
now
therefore
so
therefore
it's in
the negative
it's
not in
the
negative
it's
not
whatever
you
don't
want
people
to
do
to
you
don't
do
to
them
it's
positive
all
things
that you
would
like
others
to
do
to
you
!
you
also
want
to
do
the
same
for
them
it
leaves
all
sorts
of
room
for
creativity
and
there's
positivity
and energy
in verse
12
but the
thing I
want you
to
notice
is the
place
where it
occurs
he's
trying to
say
he's
trust
your
heavenly
father
he's
saying
your
heavenly
father
look how
much
more
will he
give
good
things
to
you
so
then
if
your
heavenly
father
has
got
such
goodness
towards
you
his
people
then show
the
goodness
of
the
father
in
the
way
that
you
deal
with
others
as part
of the
connection
it
connects
to
verses
1
to
5
and
you
wonder
how
am I
to
judge
well here's
the
rule
you can't
form a
precise
rule
for every
situation
but here's
a general
rule
to let
you know
how you're
going to
judge
if you
are going
to be
judging
others
in some
way
which you
are going
to be
because we
cannot live
without judging
others
you better
make sure
that you
how would
I want
someone else
to judge
me
but I'd
want
someone else
to judge
me
considerably
and I'd
want them
to consider
all the
circumstances
that I'm
under
in a
certain
situation
I'd
want
them
to judge
me
kindly
I'd
prefer
that they
judge
me
directly
and they
didn't
go to
others
and
gossip
about
me
or to
someone
else
but they
do it
directly
and when
they
state
their
case
I'd
want
them
to
judge
me
temperately
that
they
don't
blow
my
I'd
want
them
to
judge
me
privately
and if
they
are
something
against
me
I
prefer
that
if
I
need
correction
that
they
would
not
do it
in front
of a
group
of
people
and they
wouldn't
bring it
up all
of a
sudden
but they
have the
courage
to judge
me
privately
isn't that
the way
you want
to be
judged
well if
that's
the way
you want
to be
judged
verse 12
is saying
that's
how you
judge
others
and notice
the rationale
of this
we should
act in
this way
because
this is
what the
law and
the
prophets
are all
about
that is
what the
old
testament
requires
we don't
act
in this
way
because
it's
pragmatic
because
it's
for our
profit
we don't
act like
this
because
it's
for our
advantage
because
other
folks
will
like
us
better
no
that is
not
the
basic
reason
Jesus
doesn't
say
you'll
feel
better
if
you
do
this
he
doesn't
say
you do
it
for a
social
reason
so
that
enhance
your
reputation
there are
times
where our
morals
and our
ethics
only hang
together
because of
our
concern
of what
other
people
would
think
of us
we
don't
do
certain
things
because
it
would
ruin
our
reputation
or
we
wouldn't
receive
favour
or
esteem
and
pleasing
God
or
obeying
God's
words
hardly
enters
into
our
consideration
why is
it that
I
seek
to
obey
the
first
part
of
verse
12
if
I
do
if
it's
only
for
social
esteem
and
if
it's
only
that
I'll
feel
better
and
it's
not
that
the
Bible
requires
what
he
requires
is
that
it
pleases
God
and
why
I
do
something
is
a
great
index
of
whose
I
am
and
Jesus
saying
to
you
and
I
that
there
is
a
rule
in
judging
that
will
handle
every
detail
it
won't
happen
but
it
will
give
you
the
greatest
help
in
most
cases
and
Jesus
saying
stop
judging
this
by
mere
appearance
and
make
a
right
judgment
that
soon
go
in
prayer