Some brethren have elevated themselves and have become content with a position as a
"judge" of sermons, of doctrine and of the Scripture as being "positive" or "negative." I have always been leery of
those who think they have the authority to judge the Word as something "negative."
I sometimes ask churches when I hold a meeting if there is anything negative about "convince," "rebuke," "exhort." Usually
someone will think that "convince" and "rebuke" are more "negative" and "exhorting" is more "positive."
Regardless, Paul told preachers to preach "the word" which includes
the "whole counsel" and to do so in season or out of season with longsuffering (2 Tim. 5:2;
Acts 20:20, 26, 27). It is "out of season" to preach what men like to judge
as "negative." Such will always be the case when brethren get bold enough to judge God's word as "negative." (I always thought
that if a person could show me how to escape hell that such was a pretty positive thing!)
When people begin making themselves judges of the law they have sinned by making themselves above the law rather than keeping their place "under" the law. James tells us,
"So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of
liberty" (Jas. 2:12).
And again he stated,
". . .But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of
the law but a judge" (Jas. 4:11).
If I understand James' point, we cannot be partial in God's law. We cannot set aside part of God's
law and choose to obey another part, or we make ourselves judges rather than doers. If we violate
any part, if we reject any part, if we despise any part, we then despise it all for it all condemns us (Jas. 2:4, 10). The
next time you are asked to judge God's word as "negative" think about this admonishment:
". . .Behold, the Judge is standing
at the door!" (Jas. 5:9).
The irony is, that while some may think they are judging the
preaching of the word, it is the word that is judging them, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12)
