Chapter Seven "Want to Live Longer?"

CHAPTER 7

WANT TO LIVE LONGER?

The answer to this chapter’s titled question is simple, yet to understand the simple answer you must come to understand it deeply.  Here is the simple answer:  “Don’t Judge.”

Religious folk have used the term “righteous judgment,” whether they understood it or not isn’t my concern at this moment.  I wouldn’t dare enter into judging them and reap what I’m about to share.  There definitely is a true idea of this thing of a righteous judgment.  So, without a long lengthy expose’ of my definition of this word righteous let me simply say that it is one’s ability to hear God’s voice.  This hearing from God precedes our words, judgments and actions; thus righteousness is not necessary behavior as we suppose good behavior, but is the result of righteousness (hearing God’s input on any situation).  With this idea of righteousness, hearing God speak to us, any action or judgment, though even being what we call good behavior would be consider not good behavior if one hasn’t acquired the ability to hear from God.  We at those moments would be “acting independent from consulting God.”  You see this in the clearest scripture text found in Romans 14:3…”whatsoever is not of faith (hearing from God) is sin (acting independent from God).”  Thus, my true idea of a righteous judgment would mean you know with a degree of certainty that God has called you to speak or act in any given situation.  In those cases it would not be you doing the judging or acting but you in obedience to instruction

God had given to you, thus any ill effect from personally judging someone or situation apart from God, would not come upon you like a boomerang.

With this in mind, let me now continue with the title, “Do you want to live longer?”  We are warned over and over again in scriptures to not judge, not at all.  You would think this would be clear to us by now.  Just try curving your habit of making judgments.  Do you realize how many times in the course of just one day we make “unnecessary” judgments in idle talk?  It is written that we will stand accountable for every idle word.  I have come to discover that this accountability is now and not only in the future before God.  I’m sure most of you have discovered the same thing.  Again scripture backs this in Matt. 7:11 “Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you give out, it shall be measured to you again.”  Also read Luke 6:37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged; condemn not, and you shall not be condemned; forgive, and you shall be forgiven.”  

Now I understand that most of us know better.  We have heard these expressions I’ve shared before.  It makes since not to judge where it is not called for, not being lead of God to do so as I’ve already mentioned.  But this isn’t what I really wanted to bring out in this chapter.  It was just some things I thought I’d share to make what I now say make more sense.

I’d like to now focus on the “RESULTS” of judging in light of living longer.  Our uncalled for judgments take their toll on us in the form of years of life.  We have all heard the text, “the wages of sin is death.”   This text is correct.  How many times have we quoted this verse?  Do we really believe it?  To believe it, all you have to do is look in the mirror.

What are you saying Paul?  You mean, if I would cut out judging in my life it would add years to my life?  Yes, that is what I am saying.  What would be its proof?  How can I prove this?  Starting right now mark your age and condition.  Cut out judging and you should hold your present age and condition.  Sorry, what has been done in the past is done.

THE THIN LINE

There is a thin line which we cross each day unaware.  It wreaks hell in our lives and we either blame God or the Devil.  What is this thin line?  We judge and set the world ablaze.  In the name of truth we set things lose.

It can’t be said that we haven’t been warned.  Do yourself a favor.  Look up every text you can find in the Bible on this matter of judging.  I hope you see its power; both constructive as well as destructive.  As you read you can hear the cracking under your feet of the thin ice upon which you tread.  You find yourself stopping in your tracks.  You, in a defense move begin to kneel, displacing your weight of years of accumulated judgments, hoping to delay the inevitable…the ice giving out from under your own self-condemning judgments returning to drown you in the water you have feared.   Reflect on the spiritual song we all may have song or hear; “On Christ the SOLID ROCK I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”  This song also said, “My hope is built on nothing less, then Jesus blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.”  It is through this NAME that the rights of the unfallen Adam come.   So, add what I have just said to this matter of The Rights of the Unfallen Adam, and our acquiring a longer life.