Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? (Romans 2:1-3).
Here Paul is talking about people who judge, including those who sit on the bench. This passage is true for anyone who takes it upon himself to sit in judgment of another person, whether he is a duly authorized court judge, pastor of a church or a father or mother over a family. In the eyes of God the only true judge is one who is appointed and ordained by Him. You and I have no business judging anyone.
If a criminal was brought up before me, and I was told, “Judge this man,” I would have to say, “I can’t; I don’t have the authority and power to judge him.” I could pronounce all kinds of judgment against him, but it would not mean a thing. Nobody would carry out my judgment. If anyone did, he would be as much a criminal as I or as the man I had judged.
We do not have the right to pass judgment on our fellow human beings made in the image of God. Why then do we address a judge as “your honor”?
Because he has been given the awesome authority and power to exercise legal dominion over the lives of other men and women.
What is that authority and power called? Honor. And it is a recognizable honor. Doesn’t that fit the pattern of honor? This authority and power is given to him to execute judgment that is written (Psalm 149:9). Now, what about a judge who is dishonorable? First, we must recognize that this is a contradiction in terms. Let’s see why.
What is dishonor? According to the Bible, if you give a person honor, you have given him dominion. You have given him authority. When that individual is dishonorable, he uses his authority and power to his own advantage—to better his own life, to increase his own power, prestige and position, to line his own pockets. He is using honor in a dishonorable manner.
A soldier, for example, is given the authority and power to carry a weapon. That is an honor. His government has entrusted him with a firearm. His country has bestowed upon him the right to use it against the enemy. For him to use that weapon for his own purposes or designs is wrong. What happens to such a person?
He is dishonorably discharged from the service for misusing the dominion that was given him. That is what Paul is talking about in Romans 2:1. Literally he is saying that the one who passes judgment on his neighbor is trying to clear his own conscience before God by being quick to condemn another person for the same offense he is guilty of himself.
Now let’s see how this applies to our daily lives. There is not much that you and I can do about a dishonorable county, state or federal judge—except to vote and pray, believing God for a solution to the situation. And don’t underestimate the power of prayer.
Similarly let’s take the Supreme Court as an example. You and I may feel that some Supreme Court justices have been dishonorable; but we cannot vote them out, because we did not vote them in. We can, however, pray them out.
I have been part of that. I have heard the Lord say to me in my prayer time, Pray this way. “Why?” I asked. “What are we doing here?”
His answer was, I’m going to change the Supreme Court. I’m going to change that situation, He told me. There are certain things I want you to pray. Most of it you will have to pray in the Spirit, because you do not
know what to pray for as you ought. Besides that, you have no business knowing much about the man.
That kind of thing is between God and the person in question. But we can pray the way God tells us, and He will take care of the situation for us.
This applies to the Church, and particularly the ministry. Listen to God and watch the situation so you can pray as you should—not so you can condemn, but so you can pray.
For instance, you may be told to pray for some preacher who is always criticizing women. He gets in the pulpit and preaches about their hair, their face, their clothes, their attitude and their actions.
He may start out preaching about the Resurrection, but the first thing you know, he is preaching about short skirts. He can’t seem to get off the subject of women. Watch out for such a man. It may be that he is trying to save his own spirit, trying to salve over his own conscience. It is likely that he is either chasing women or wanting to badly. He may even be into pornography, and it has a hold on him. So, it comes out in judgment. That isn’t always the case but many times it is.
When a person comes down on men and women of faith, it is often a sign that something is wrong with him on the inside. If the truth were known, you would find jealousy. You would find a person who has very little faith. He knows it and is embarrassed about it, so he tries to cover up and excuse it every way he can. Then judgment starts to come out in his life.
What is that? Dishonor
That man is using a position of honor in the wrong manner. He needs our prayers. That is what I meant when I said a dishonorable judge is a contradiction in terms. The same is true of a dishonorable Christian, whether a minister or not. Each of these individuals by definition is a person of honor. For one of them to act in a dishonorable manner
is contradictory. This is what Paul is telling us in Romans 2.
