"Hey! You’re judging me! God said don't judge!"

Have you ever heard these words before? What is up with these seemingly conflicting statements from God's Word? A) If your brother sins rebuke him. Verses B) Judge not least you be judged. Hmmmm... Catch 22. Maybe? Maybe not?

Jesus said, this is my commandment, Love one another as I have loved you. Could love be the answer to our dilemma? Well let's think about this... How does God love you? I don't know about you, but I don't know how many times God has come to me and said, "Ummm, James. You know that thing you did yesterday; you know how you treated your brother. (It's usually not yesterday; it’s usually what happened about three minutes ago, short leash and all.) Was that very loving of you?"
"Ahhhh well, Ummm God, you know, I wasn't up to my best not feeling well and all."
"So, if I have a bad day, I can treat you like you treated you brother, would you like me to treat you that way?"
"No, God. I'm sorry.”
“Now go back to him and apologize."
"Yes, Jesus."
"You know I love you?"
"Yes, God. I know you love me very much."

(The above was a fictitious conversation with God, but it very close to the reality of when his Spirit convicts me).
I don't know about how God works in your life, but in mine he rebukes me of my sin, my lack of love, and then after I acknowledge my shortcomings, otherwise known as sin, he reassures his love for me and sends me out to deal with the consequences. One thing I have never seen God do is plaster my name all over the sky and tell the whole world, "Hey everyone, yoo hoo, all you people down there who don't think I exist, James sinned three minutes and twenty seven seconds ago. You know what he did, he was selfish and hated his brother in his heart and didn't show the wonders of my awesome love. You know I’ve loved him for all eternity, with a great and passionate love and he still doesn't represent me fully every moment of every second. What am I going to do with him?"
I don't know about you but God doesn't treat me that way. A few times in my past, when I wouldn't listen to him, because I knew I was falling short (otherwise known as walking in sin) he has sent a dear gentle brother or sister to come along side me and whisper in my ear. "Hey bro, the Lord wants me to tell you he loves you and misses you. You haven't come to him in a while and he knows your dealing with an issue that you and he knows about. He wants to let you know that you and he can work it out together. But, most of all he just want me to let you know he loves you and misses you."

How does God rebuke you?
In Revelation Jesus said,

Rev 3:19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

It is his great love for us that he comes and says anything to us at all.

My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
Heb 12:6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
Heb 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
Heb 12:8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
Heb 12:9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
Heb 12:10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.
Heb 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Pr 9:8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
Pr 9:9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.

Pr 27:5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Is this how we can tell those who walk in wisdom, those who walk in love? Jesus said,
Lk 17:3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.
Lk 17:4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Mt 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

If your brother sins go to him privately and show him his fault, if he repents forgive him. But, you may also have this experience happen to you. You go to your brother to rebuke him and you find that you didn’t understand what he did at all.

Pr 18:17 The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.

You may be the first to present you case to your brother about his sin and then he starts to question you about what you think you saw or what you think you heard. Then you say, “Ooops, I am so sorry. Will you forgive me. I repent for not having all the facts.” But, when you are presenting your case be gentle and non condemning. For,

Gal 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
Gal 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Gal 6:3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

If you go to your brother, thinking you are something you may find out you are all wet. But, if your brother is loving he will forgive you and may even thank you for being concerned about him. He may even compliment you on your courage to even go up to him and inquire about it. So see,

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

For, true wisdom is to walk in love. Those who truly love and want to be representatives of God's love know that if we are rebuked and shown where we are failing to represent God's Love, we are quick to repent and may yell, “Woo hoo! ”I get to repent, I get to look more like Jesus. Woo hoo! It’s pruning time. I get to bear more fruit for Jesus."

When you go to your brother, you want to make sure you listen,

Pr 18:13 He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame.

You see, because Jesus loved the Pharisees and the children of Israel he rebuked them. They tried to trap him but they always just got rebuked, because their hearts were evil or as I like to put it loveless.

So, when you go to your brother you need to make sure of a few major things; one, your walking in love towards your brother. The question I like to ask myself is: “Am I willing to physically die for my brother?” If not then I need to go into prayer repent and ask God to change my heart. And number two is are you are walking in the light and in love. For Jesus said,

Mt 7:3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
Mt 7:4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
Mt 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

So, we have to make sure we are walking in the light and our lives are correct. You may even want to go to someone who is spiritual and ask them about your spirituality. Do not go to them and ask them how you should rebuke so and so. “I didn’t say any names. All I did was mentioned he was male, over 6’ tall, green eyes, loves to sing real loud in the church and has a wife that is really short. I don’t know how he guessed I was talking about so and so; he’s only one person in our church of 30 people. I didn’t even mention his address, phone number or last name (sarcasm).”

The goal is to establish him back to his former glory, or former intimacy with God and leave it there. Jesus says if your brother repents forgive him. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Do you enjoy and appreciate God’s loving confidence? Does he take your sins and remove them as far as the east is from the west? As God loves you, love your brother. Now, if there are laws in your state or country that require you to report certain sins then by all means do what is right. Don’t worry, all authority is appointed by God, even the prison authorities.

We are commanded to love and rebuke; if your brother sins rebuke him. If your brother is a pastor or a spiritual authority the same rules apply. Is he your brother? Did Paul rebuke Peter in Galatians? Proverbs says, to rebuke a wise man and he will be wiser still. It does not add, unless he is a pastor. What is a Pastor, but a person who is given the call of leading the church. Is he above the spiritual callings of apostles, prophets, and evangelists? Did the prophets rebuke kings? Do pastors have more authority than King David had? Wasn’t he rebuked by Nathan the prophet? Now don’t go off half cocked and rebuke your pastor for all your Christian pet peeves. “Well, you see pastor, this guy on the internet said I could rebuke you all I want to.” Rebukes have to do with relationship and love. If you don’t have a relationship with someone or God doesn’t call you to specifically rebuke someone, then you need to check your heart. If you have never honored the person then something may be wrong with you. For, God loves us and honors us, and if you haven’t honored that person, then you may not be representing Jesus anyway, so your rebuke won’t do any spiritual good. Peter said honor the King. Weren’t the kings he was talking about killing Christians? Hmmm… I feel repentance coming on. How many of you have dishonored former Presidents? I know I sure have. God calls us to honor them. Doesn’t mean we agree with them or condone their sin. Yeah, I had to repent also. Woo hoo! We get to be more like Jesus!

Therefore, if our brother sins we need to check our lives. Are we walking in love? Are we willing to die for them? Are we willing to help carry their burdens? Will we listen? Will we be compassionate? Will we keep their confidence? Are there any planks in our own eyes? And do we really and truly care about them? Then, through prayer and gentleness we can go to our brother and say, “You know I love you brother, let’s go and get some coffee, somewhere quiet, and talk.

All Scripture were taken from:
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:

God bless.

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