By John Thiel, The Sanctuary Series, study 20, mp3

This particular study is very valuable just after we have studied the three segments of the dress reform, because once we get information as to what is right and what is wrong in regards to actions, we fall into a terrible danger of becoming judgmental, of judging by what we see and making certain conclusions which don’t help anyone. Our careful study into judgment, the way that we judge, must be revealed to us as it is from the sanctuary.

What we are studying here is the way of God, Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary. We remember Isaiah 55 where God says, My ways are not your ways.

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“My ways of judgment are not your ways. They are distant from each other as the heaven is higher than the earth.” Our comprehension of judging is something that we are in need of understanding as it is God’s way, otherwise our own way will be completely out of heaven’s way and we will have no admittance there. We are trying to tune into God’s way of judging. It comes from the sanctuary. To whom will God show His way of judging? Because of His way being over and above man’s way, and man’s way of judging being so different, can God really reveal it if it is so vastly higher and different?

To Whom Will God Reveal His Way of Judging?

Psalm 25:8 Good and upright [is] the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

Whom will He teach? Sinners. He will teach sinners in His way.

Psalm 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

This is a precious revelation of God’s way which is so much higher than our way, and which is not clear to be understood by human beings. Yet God will teach sinners in the way and He will guide in judgement and teach His way to those who are meek. It is only the meek that will receive God’s way that is higher than our way; because if you are not a meek person you will not open your mind up to another way. You’ll be closed up in your own self-conceited, forward mentality. It is only the meek to whom He will show the way. It is the sinners who have become meek whom He will guide in judgment.

The Meekest Man

We must look at the meekest man to whom God revealed judgment. Moses was known as the meekest man on earth, but did he ever lose his meekness at any time? That’s the reason why he couldn’t go into the promised land, because he lost his meekness. But there was one man who never lost His meekness, and that was Jesus. Note how sure He was in reference to His judgment being correct. Notice the meekness that was the source of Him being sure that His judgment was correct:

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing:

Is that meekness? It is an attitude that says, I’m sorry, I can’t do anything of my own motivation.

John 5:30 … as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Can you see the hallmark of meekness as the source of true judgment? He says, “I can’t do anything of Myself. If I have to make a judgment, it has to be what I hear” from whom? “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

John 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

I can’t sprout forth my own opinion about Myself. I can of Mine own self do nothing. If I judge, it’s a judgment that I get from someone else.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

My judgment is just because I only do and say what the Father has said to Me. My own testimony is no good. To such a meek attitude God will reveal the true judgment. Observe what is written of Him in reference to when He was confronted with making a judgement.

The Judgement of Jesus Was Not of His Own

This tells us where Jesus gets His judgment from, and where He doesn’t get it from:

Isaiah 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

It’s a slight contradiction, as I hear, I judge. What is meant here? Let us read the context:

Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

As I hear, I judge, as I receive from My Father. As it says, The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. It is something that came and was given Him from the Father. Therefore when He judged, He didn’t judge by what He saw around Him, He didn’t judge with the seeing of the eyes as in what He saw a person doing, neither by what He heard people saying and reporting to Him. That would not influence His judgment in the slightest. His judgement was as He heard the Father giving Him the information.

Notice when He had to clarify as people were checking up on Him regarding human judgement versus His judgement. Jesus is talking to the Pharisees:

John 8:15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

I judge no man. He says that in regard to the way they judge. You judge after the flesh, after the seeing of the eye, and the hearing of the ears, I judge no man.

John 8:16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

He says, I judge no man, but if I judge, it’s not Me that judges. If I make a judgment, it is not of Myself, I am not alone, the Father is with Me. My judgments are not Mine, I don’t judge. It is the Father that reveals the judgment to Me. That is the reason why the Father could reveal the judgement to Him, because He was meek, He said, Of mine own self I can’t do anything. I judge no man. I do not raise Myself into a position where I can make a judgment about anybody.

His Counsel to Human Beings Who Are to Judge Matters

Let us observe His counsel to human beings who are to judge matters, because in this world we must make judgments.

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance,

He was practicing that, and now He tells them, Don’t go by the appearance of things. Don’t go by what you think you are hearing.

John 7:24 … but judge righteous judgment.

He counsels people who make judgments, Don’t go by the appearance of it. Let it be righteous judgment. Here is an example of judgment.

John 7:22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Can you see what He is saying? On the Sabbath day children were circumcised because if the Sabbath happened to fall on the eighth day, they had to be circumcised. You had to have an operation on the Sabbath day. Jesus says, Here I am, healing a man on the Sabbath day, judge not according to the appearance of things. Do you see the revelation here? How can we do an operation on the Sabbath? Can’t that wait till after the Sabbath, or maybe just before the Sabbath? Why on the Sabbath? The Pharisee will judge according to the appearance, but God says, Don’t judge according to the appearance.

We must be judge according to God’s revelations, not according to what we see played out in front of us. I wish to emphasise the fact that what we are studying now is of vital importance to keep God’s people in harmony together.

Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw [it],

They made a judgment. What did they judge?

Matthew 12:2 … they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

Here was a judgement. Do you know the story that Jesus is pointing to here? David and his men, in running away from Saul, were running and arrived at Nob where the sanctuary was (1 Samuel 21). Ahimelech, the priest, asked David, Are you on the king’s business, and David said, Yes. That was a lie. He was running away from him, he wasn’t there on the king’s business. Then David said, Me and my men are hungry, and Ahimelech said, Well, the only food that I have got here is the showbread; and that, according to the law, was only to be eaten by the priest. David said, Yes, we will have it. And they had it. By him doing that, Ahimelech and all his priests were killed by Saul. What is your judgement? Was he guiltless? Jesus said, But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. Can you get your head around that? What sort of a judgment is that? There is something that is the judgement of God and that is not the way that man sees. That is what you see right through the Scriptures. There are many things that screw your natural brain, because it doesn’t sound right. How can David be guiltless before God when he was a greater sinner in action than King Saul was? How can King David be saved and Saul lost, when King David did those terrible things with Bathsheba, etc., etc.? Our judgement must be guided by a different thing than what we see, and feel, and hear. That is what Jesus is trying to say.

Are we as the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus also given to draw conclusions and to make judgments? Is this our work too as God’s people?

We Are Called To Make Judgements

This is where the church has to judge:

1 Corinthians 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.

What do you learn from this? God’s church is called upon to make judgements. We are not to go with our problems to court to unbelievers, because they will judge according to the seeing of the eyes and the hearing of the ears. Whereas we in the church are called upon to make judgments similarly to how we are going to have to judge one day when we have to judge angels, during the thousand years. It is very vivid then that it does devolve upon us to be judges and to draw judgments. There comes now the issue that we must make judgments over situations, but we must not make judgments according to what we see and hear. Really let that sink in.

1 Corinthians 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

If there is a wicked person in the church he must be judged and put away. This is a very fascinating challenge. So we say, Okay, these people are not following dress reform, out. Or, These people have really violated some commandments therefore we will no longer have part with them. Consider this, if I have to judge angels and the world, by that same token I am directed to judge among believers. If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. Who are to be judges in the church? Those who are least esteemed. What is meant by that?

The Meekest

The meekest, those who aren’t forward. Those that are forward, we think that they can make judgments, but don’t put them up as judges. You put the ones that are least esteemed, the meekest, those that are regarded as so quiet that they don’t say anything to anybody to try and judge them, and destroy them. There are a people in the church who are to do the judging but that are not prone to judge. They are meek. The apostles thought Judas was good, and they wanted him to be the tops, but not according to Jesus was he tops. These are the principles that we must use to judge in the church. The kind of judgment that we are called upon to make is tokened by the judgement that we are to make during the thousand years.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

They judged. But did you notice, Judgment was given unto them? Jesus was given judgement, and judgement was given them. Why was judgment given them? Because they were the meekest, as Jesus was the meekest. They would judge only according to that judgment which was given them. We are now to judge as it is given us, not from our own motivation but as God’s prerogative. If God chooses someone to be a judge in the church, He will reveal, not according to what is being played out in front of them, but according to how God judges.

1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

God gives us judgment. Not the things which man speaks.

1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Our judgment is to be governed by someone else, the Spirit of God that knows all things. Not by the spirit that knows me inside of myself, because I don’t know what’s inside of another person, no matter how they behave. You see this continually in human interaction. One person says something and the other person says, You said that! No, I didn’t say that. But yes I heard you say that. Oh, I didn’t say that, I meant this. But the person took the words and concluded from his own spirit. I see this happen all the time in the church.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:

The natural man is the Pharisee that judges self-motivatedly. He can’t understand the judgments of God. God’s way of judgment is higher than man’s way.

1 Corinthians 2:14 … for they are foolishness unto him:

“That’s a foolish judgment. David is worth condemnation. Why isn’t Saul saved? That’s foolishness unto me.”

1 Corinthians 2:14 … neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

What is the mind of Christ? Selflessness. The person who is spiritually selfless is the person who is least esteemed in the church and who is set up to judge. Try to understand that.

Continual devotion and piety establish so close a relation between Jesus and His disciple that the Christian becomes like Him in mind and character. {TMK 124.4}

Continual devotion and piety establish a close relation so that the disciple and Jesus become one in mind and character.

After association with the Son of God the humble follower of Christ is found to be a person of sound principle, clear perception, and reliable judgment. He has a connection with God, the Source of light and understanding. {TMK 124.4}

God is to be the source of light and understanding, and then judgement can be made. It is called reliable judgement. It is dependent upon those who are so dependent that they will not rely on their own judgement. Moses did that when the people came with all their arguments, he just fell down before the Lord and said, What Lord? That was the meekest man. He didn’t know how to judge, but he said, What do I do here? He took it before the Lord and then the Lord gave him the instruction. That is the true way of judging. We are to judge under His way and His judgment, and we have Jesus as the perfect example to guide us, not by hearing or seeing according to the flesh.

The following is such a powerful and important scripture that is applied now if we are going to follow what we have just been pursuing:

1 Corinthians 4:4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

If you see something being done wrong and you feel like, “That is wrong, we’ve got to do something about that!” Stop, hold back, judge nothing of yourself, and wait until the Lord has brought to light the hidden things of darkness, or the hidden things of purity. Let the Lord clarify it. Don’t jump to conclusions. We do this so rapidly. I see something, I hear something, That’s it, I’ve made the judgment. Sorry. Keep it. Don’t jump. Hold back. Let the Lord reveal what has been said and done. That may be some waiting.

The Judgement in Heaven

In the heavenly investigation, in the judgment hour since 1844, God is at work to make all things clear and plain in the correct way. The following statement is so pristine in its revelation:

The ignorantly guilty must learn their condition. {SHM 444.1}

Remember the statement we’ve often read, God reveals the things that mar our life in the judgment (Bible Commentary Vol.5 1085.4). We are ignorant of our errors.

The ignorantly guilty must learn their condition. We must wait patiently and not fail or be discouraged, for God has His plans all arranged. While we are burdened and distressed, but waiting in patient submission, our invisible Helper will be doing the work we do not see, and will bring to pass in His providence events which will either work reformations, or will separate these half-hearted, world-loving members from the believers. {SHM 444.1}

Are there half-hearted world-loving people in the church? Don’t judge them! Don’t be fast! If they cause you problems and difficulties, if they create terrible sufferings to you, distress, you are burdened, then, waiting in patient submission, your invisible Helper will be doing the work we do not see, and will bring to pass in His providence events which will either work reformations, or will separate these half-hearted, world-loving members from the believers. Until the Lord has done that, don’t judge. Let it all come into fruition by His providence bringing about events which will do this. If there is somebody that is doing something wrong, let the events reveal it to him whether he will reform or not. If he doesn’t reform, the events will separate him from God’s people, because the events will show that he is outright antagonistic, and then the church can judge him. You have to wait for that, by the events.

The Lord knows about every case and how to deal with each. Our wisdom is limited to a point, while infinite wisdom comprehends the end from the beginning. {SHM 444.1}

At the beginning of a wrong we don’t know the end, so don’t judge. Be patiently submissive. Let the Lord reveal. This is a crucial point. This is very dear to my heart. Many times people have come to me and said, “Oh! Do this and that!” “Steady, I don’t know.” “But look, look, look!” “No.” We have seen some benefits of functioning like that. We have seen souls who could have been lost if we wouldn’t have done that. Here is the principle.

This is how God does it in the time of the judgement. As we are being judged by our responses to His orchestrating of the events, if we respond to the cross correctly, personal cleansing by repentance will take place, and then we are forgiven and judged. If I am forgiven because I am now willing to reform under the events that have come around – I have been terribly wicked but now I am prepared to repent and reform – then I am judged as worthy to remain in the church, worthy to have eternal life. Now it is imperative that if that is the way that we are being judged we must judge others in exactly the same way.

The Judgment and the Measuring

Here is the sanctuary judgment:

Revelation 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

What is the measurement? Listen to Jesus’ words:

Mark 4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

Take heed what you hear. The measure with which you measure others, this will be measured unto you.

Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

In the judgement we are going to be measured. Am I totally reliant in my judging ways as Jesus was reliant? He would only judge as the Lord the Father showed Him. How did He judge the woman that was caught in adultery?  Did He judge her to be condemned to death? No. He didn’t judge with the seeing of the eyes and the hearing of the ears. He was told that she had committed adultery, and she had, she was caught in the act. But what did Jesus do?  He did not judge her condemned. He forgave her. The measure in which you judge and measure, that will be measured unto you. I must measure up with Christ’s measurement, and that measure will be judged and I will be measured by it. If I do not clear my brother or sister by the measure of Christ’s method then I am going to be measured by my own measurement.

Let Love Abound

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and [in] all judgment;

What kind of judgment must I exercise according to this? Love. Let love abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.

James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Let your love be more and more in all judgement, because if you judge without love then you will have no mercy. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy. You will be judged according to the measure of mercy that you extend toward the person that you are judging. We have to judge, but we will be personally judged in the manner in which we judge because mercy rejoiceth against judgement. What does that mean? Wonderful, I didn’t have to condemn this person even though it looked like I had to, because I can have mercy of him, until he has no more mercy on me. It is the meekest person that is to do the judging. When Jesus judged He judged those who judged against His mercy. The Pharisees crucified Him. That is why they were not the woman’s seed, they were the serpent’s seed. If you carefully ponder upon all this, you can see that this is a totally different way of judging. We will be judged according to the manner in which we judge. Whether I have mercy or whether I don’t. The perfect pattern is described in the parable of Matthew 18.

Matthew 18

This is the playing out of what Jesus was teaching and what the Bible is saying. This is so foreign to our way of thinking, yet you will see how true it is. That is why Jesus could say that David was guiltless when he went and ate of the showbread, on this principle:

Matthew 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

This is the judgment. He is taking account.

Matthew 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his Lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

He was free, he didn’t even owe anything anymore.

Matthew 18:28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their Lord all that was done. 32 Then his Lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Can you get it more powerful? It will be measured according to the way I measure. In comment on this, Sister White writes that in the judgement in the heavenly sanctuary, as my name comes up, this picture comes into play, because I have many sins and my sins are of a huge measure and I cry to God for mercy, and God forgives me; then I come and see my brother or sister and I see the wrongs that they have done to me or to the church and I deal with them, and they come and say, Oh, I’m so sorry, please have mercy on me, and I respond saying, No I can’t forgive you, you have violated the law, you have done me so much hurt, I can’t forgive you, I cannot forget what you have done. Is that the same as what is written here in Matthew? The one who says, No, you are going to have to pay for all this, you did it and you aren’t paying me, now you have to pay. What is going to happen in the judgment if this kind of judgment is ours? I will be judged according to my judgment on my fellow human being.

Thus we receive the true sense of where we are to judge, and where we are not to judge. The only judgment of casting out and removing from the church or removing from my heart any brother or sister is when they have removed the meek and lowly Jesus out of the picture and have persecuted God’s people. Then they are out. Those are the people we judge. So let us be very careful if we have an unforgiving spirit and that spirit hardens and hardens, because there will be events in our life that will bring us to the forefront and the church will see, This is a hardened, unforgiving, unchristian person, because their own life is so corrupted that they will be seen as not worthy to be church members. That is how it will happen. God will do that. It is such a serious thing.

Judge Not

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

This is a beautiful summation of acknowledging your own sin so that you don’t judge the other person. Then when you acknowledge your own sin you can be compassionate to the other.

For, seeing that they fail to keep the law, they will devise rules and regulations of their own to force themselves to obey. {MB 123.1}

This is the Pharisee. They see that they fail to keep the law, so what do they do? They devise rules and regulations of their own to force themselves to obey.

All this turns the mind away from God to self. His love dies out of the heart, and with it perishes love for his fellow men. {MB 123.1}

You make laws to make yourself become rigid and obedient.

A system of human invention, with its multitudinous exactions, will lead its advocates to judge all who come short of the prescribed human standard. The atmosphere of selfish and narrow criticism stifles the noble and generous emotions, and causes men to become self-centered judges and petty spies. {MB 123.1}

We feel we have to judge and we start spying each other in the church. I have seen this being practiced.

The Pharisees were of this class. They came forth from their religious services, not humbled with a sense of their own weakness, not grateful for the great privileges that God had given them. They came forth filled with spiritual pride, and their theme was, “Myself, my feelings, my knowledge, my ways.” Their own attainments became the standard by which they judged others. Putting on the robes of self-dignity, they mounted the judgment seat to criticize and condemn. {MB 123.2}

The people partook largely of the same spirit, intruding upon the province of conscience and judging one another in matters that lay between the soul and God. It was in reference to this spirit and practice that Jesus said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” That is, do not set yourself up as a standard. Do not make your opinions, your views of duty, your interpretations of Scripture, a criterion for others and in your heart condemn them if they do not come up to your ideal. Do not criticize others, conjecturing as to their motives and passing judgment upon them. {MB 123.3}

“Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” 1 Corinthians 4:5. We cannot read the heart. {MB 124.1}

Have you tried to? Sorry. If you try to read the heart, it says here, You cannot read the heart! Don’t even attempt to. Remember, you have to have your beam out of your own eye before you can see clearly.

Ourselves faulty, we are not qualified to sit in judgment upon others. Finite men can judge only from outward appearance. To Him alone who knows the secret springs of action, and who deals tenderly and compassionately, is it given to decide the case of every soul. {MB 124.1}

He will make it clear. This is the sanctuary judgement that is undergoing right now. This is the true judgement.

If the truth we profess to believe, does not change the heart and transform the character, it is of no value to us. If the same defects of character remain in us after we have a knowledge of the truth; if pride, self-esteem, self-sufficiency, evil thinking, evil surmising, evil speaking, still continue; {RH, October 31, 1893 par. 6}

If this goes on it will reveal itself. Then the judgment comes home. If these are continued in and don’t stop,

…if we judge those with whom we come in contact, we are not becoming sanctified through the truth, and will have no part with Christ in his kingdom. {RH, October 31, 1893 par. 6}

Really let that sink in.

The Lord will deal with us as we deal with others. Have we dealt unkindly, unjustly with the brethren, with the world? Then it is for us to make confession, repent, and be converted, that our sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. {RH, October 31, 1893 par. 6}

If I want my sins to be erased from the books I must be converted from this judgmental attitude. It is not just the doing of certain things, it is the attitude of things, which will finally come forth by events in the doing things.

Do not merely assent to the truth, and fail to be a doer of the words of Christ. The truth must be applied to self; it must bring men and women who receive it to the Rock, that they may fall upon the Rock and be broken. Then Jesus can mold and fashion their characters after his own divine character. If we would listen to his voice, we must let silence reign in the heart. The clamors of self, its pretensions, its lusts, must be rebuked, and we must put on the robe of humility, and take our place as humble learners in the school of Christ. When this is the attitude of our brethren, there will be no more a desire to climb up onto the judgment-seat to judge others; {RH, October 31, 1893 par. 6}

The desire will be gone. I will no longer do this because the truth has created silence in my heart. The clamors of self, its pretensions, its lusts, will be rebuked, and the robe of humility will be put on, and we will take our places as humble learners in the school of Christ. When this attitude is there, there will be no more a desire to climb up on the judgment-seat to judge others.

…but they will lie low at the foot of the cross. As they behold the matchless loveliness of the character of Christ, their own defects will be made plain, and the delusion of self-righteousness which incased the soul will be swept away, and the arrows of the Lord will find the heart. The truth must be applied to the souls of our people as never before, or many who now feel at ease, will be weighed in the balances and found wanting. {RH, October 31, 1893 par. 9}

It is so powerful.

The Lord and the intelligences of heaven are looking upon the church that has been favored with great light. If the people who have heard the truth for this time, walk in the light as Christ is in the light, they will have the regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit. Their hearts will be softened and subdued, and they will be meek and lowly of heart, like their Saviour, and it can be said of them, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” They will love their Redeemer with supreme affection, and honor all those who love him, and who follow his precepts. They will not mount upon the judgment-seat, to judge their brother’s motives and work, because they will remember that Christ has bidden them, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” {RH, October 24, 1893 par. 1}

O God grant us that we will have such a vision of the judgment of heaven that we will be in tune with that judgement and practise it here and now, so that our name is not wiped out of the book of life by us not doing that.

Amen.