A Farmer’s Insurance commercial states, “We know a few things because we have seen a few things”. To that I say, “Amen!”

That statement applies to my own personal life as well as my experience working with people for over 35 years trying my best to help them find and fulfill their God-given eternal purpose.

I must confess that I have no grid for Christians who are still wondering what their life is all about, all the while wandering around in lives that do not match what they have testified to me they believe God has called them to be and do.

Solomon said this in Ecclesiates 3:11 – “He [God] has put eternity in their heart.”

With this being true I often ask people, “Do you live with eternity in view or your immediate felt needs in view?” This is usually the point in the conversation they tilt!

I believe a large portion of the “Christian” population lives in and for the immediate moment rarely ever thinking about how the decisions they are making in this moment will effect their eternal purpose.

For instance, Paul the apostle wrote this to his spiritual children in Corinth. ” 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?  3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?” [1 Corinthians 6]

“Judge the world”?

“Judge matters of this life”?

“Judge angels”?

If Christians do not step into their calling to judge this world they disqualify themselves from ever being called upon to judge in the world to come!

If Christians do not step into their calling to judge this life they disqualify themselves from ever being called upon to judge in the next life!

If Christians do not step into their calling to judge the church they disqualify themselves from ever being called upon to judge angels!

Most Christians believe we have no business judging anything or anyone. I mean didn’t Jesus say, “1 Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can  you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” [Matthew 7].

He did say “do not judge”, but the context of that statement is don’t look past the log in your eye to cast judgment on someone else. In other words, it takes a lot of time, energy and focus to even find a speck [minute problem] in the other person’s eye you are judging. How can you do that and not see the log that is in your own eye? Or, how can you see that speck with that log in your eye?

The context is not about making no judgment. It is about making complete judgements. And it is also about not being a hypocrite judge by being so focused on the insignificant problems in other people’s lives you pretend you do not have anything in your life that you need to address.

Also, Jesus’ next statement after the “do not judge so that you will not be judged” is, “for in the way you judge, you will be judged.” Do you see that His point is the way we judge, not do not judge at all?

“Judgement begins with the household of God” [1 Peter 4:17], and it is supposed to begin with the individual temple [believer] of God. The individual Christian is, and the corporate Body of believers are, the temple of God.

Christians who do not believe we are called to judge do not know the Word of God, or do not believe the Word of God that they know!

If we are to judge the world, this life and angels we need to work on removing logs out of our purview so we can live with a clear view of eternity!

God’s people get involved with people, places and things that in no way are contributing to His eternal purpose for their lives. Needing human companionship, they meet with and in some cases marry people who will never help them find, walk in and fulfill their eternal purpose and potential.

Or, they get involved with people or activities where they have to walk away from [apostasy] their own personal revelation and experiences in God. They have not made a right judgment about their own current call from God [this life] so they will never be called upon to judge the world, angels or the next life.

This is a travesty and great tragedy!

These “believers” say, “I have not abandoned Christ. I totally believe in Him.”

My question to them is, “Then why have you turned away from the Christ [anointing, mission, mandate, message, methods and ministry] that He revealed to you and in you?”

Jesus is denied all the time by people who do not believe the God they say they believe in!

You may believe He provided you a way to get into heaven but you have abandoned His eternal purpose for you to get heaven into earth. My friends, by getting heaven into earth is how we judge the world.

The Lord knows I know too many people who have chosen a spouse, career, job position or promotion that was not equally yoked with them. I know the Bible tells us not to be unequally yoked with an unbeliever [2 Corinthians 6:14], but how many believers have married unbelieving believers who drag them down and away from their own revelation and experiences in God. And how many have taken a position, even in a ministry, that caused them to “deny” the Christ that called them into the ministry?

Trust me, no spouse is better than the wrong spouse! There are a lot of married single Christian people! And that position, promotion and paycheck in ministry is not worth losing our position as judge in the Kingdom of God.

The words “matters of this life” in our 1 Corinthians 6:3 text literally means, “to spend the life, to spend your existence, time, resources, possessions.” In other words, what do we spend our life on? What do we invest our life in? Who do we invest our life in? To make the wrong judgment in these “matters” will make all the difference on if we get all of the life God purposes for us in “this life”, and the next life!

Speaking of judgment and having an eternal perspective, let’s look at what Jesus said to Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel.

“16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

I want to address a few of the important truths found in this text.

1. Verse 17 – “God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
2. Verse 18 – “Those who believe in the Son is not judged, but those who do not believe have already been judged because they refused to believe in the name [nature, character, call, mission, mandate, methods and ministry] of the only begotten Son of God.”
3. Verse 19 – “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”
4. Verse 21 – “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Do you notice how Jesus was not sent into the world to judge the world but at the same time His coming into the world brought judgement upon the world?

Do you notice how there can be no salvation apart from judgment?

Do you notice how those who practice truth come to the Light so that their deeds [works] will manifest [come into being and into the view of the world] and be revealed as the works of God? Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” [Matthew 5:16]

In this verse Jesus clearly connects light to good works and God being glorified in them!

Do you notice how the lovers of darkness do not come to the Light?

Where do you stand in relation to Light and darkness?

Have you come to the Light [Jesus Christ]?

Are you manifesting your good works to prove they are wrought by God [God’s works]?

Are you afraid of the Light and being exposed by the Light?

Do you love darkness, and if you do why do you love it?

If you have experienced the Light why on earth would you dare venture back into that which is not Light?

Is your perspective temporary or eternal?

It really is that black and white!

Keep HIS Faith! Keep HIS Passion! Keep HIS Purposes!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker