Be Not Judgmental

by Guy C. LaMar

Brethren, as true Christians, we must NOT judge others by their outward appearance.

However, we should be discerning ── by righteous judgment ── the obvious.

Truly, if we are aware that a person is of the true faith, and that person has a good understanding of what it is to be loyal and committed to the LORD God – then that person would also know that coming before the LORD God on the “feasts of the LORD” ── which includes the weekly holy Sabbath (Leviticus 23:1-3) ── should include showing the utmost respect to the LORD God as well as to the brethren.

So, if that true Christian has the nicest of attire, then they would adorn themselves in it.

Yet, if that true Christian would prefer to deliberately dress like a loafer ── then they have come before God Almighty and the brethren with disrespect!

When coming before the LORD God (even on camera with a sermon), we should dress our very best.

Now, if it’s a pair of overalls ── then wear your very best overalls. If it’s a pair of sweatpants ── then wear your very best sweatpants. It should be the best of what we possess.

Now, make no mistake about it – a nice dress for a woman, a nice suit and tie for a man ── and it is one’s preference ── is not, and I repeat, IS NOT “holy clothing”!

Again, whatever of the best clothing that one possesses is what one should be wearing when coming before the LORD God! It doesn’t matter what kind of clothes it is – as long as it is in modesty. Modesty is often known as demureness. It is a mode of dress and deportment that intends to avoid encouraging of sexual attraction in others. The word modesty comes from the Latin word modestus which means ‘keeping within measure.’

If your very best clothes have holes in them, maybe no sleeves ── and they are your very best of clothing ── then, in the eyes of the LORD God, you are just as well dressed as if you had on a Nightingale of Kuala Lumpur or a Loro Piana suit!

Because it’s your very best!

Here’s another thing to THINK ABOUT… Religious people tend to get all wrapped up in what should be the style of church.

Well, every person has their own flavor and taste of dress and style.

Religious people tend to believe that everybody should think as they do ── an assembly-line of religiosity!

To us, it’s just a load of old codswallop!

Brethren, the relationship between the LORD God and you is personal. The LORD God knows your heart. But, someone else truly doesn’t know your heart. They can only guesstimate by wrongly judging you.

Again, religious people tend to believe that everybody else in “their group” must have the same form of “dress code,” or taste in music, or the same manner of “personality code.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ works differently in every individual!

Our Lord Jesus would have been asked to leave the majority of so-called Christian churches of today! And, John the Baptist (our Lord Jesus’ cousin) would have been as well. Surely due to nothing more than him being a Nazirite. P.S. – he wore clothing made out of camel's hair, and he had long hair! Yet, in the eyes of the LORD God, he was one of the most righteous of men!

Let the light of Christ that is within us be seen!

Brethren, if we are offended by others’ attire ── then we certainly need to look at ourselves in the mirror!

I can recall ── years ago, how a self-righteous deacon was telling an old farmer that he should come to church dressed in a suit and tie. Well, that old farmer gave that self-righteous deacon a tongue-lashing. He let that deacon know, in no uncertain terms, that he had on the very best of his overalls. And that he felt uncomfortable in a “monkey suit and tie”!

It was rather haughty and self-righteous for that deacon to have said that to this old farmer.

Well, guess what!?

Sadly, that old farmer never came back to church services again! That deacon had offended him. Why? Because of dictatorship, haughtiness, self-righteousness. Because of that “cookie cutter” religiosity! Because of that “assembly-line” religiosity! Because of their self-righteous dress code!

IT IS NOT OF GOD!

Surely, if our Lord Jesus ── the soon-coming King of kings and Lord of lords ── were to come into that old farmer’s home, that old farmer would wear his best of overalls! He could easily say to the old farmer something to the effect of, “’ Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.’” – Luke 6:20. The word poor is ptōchos meaning “having the positive moral attitude of humility.”

Now, some religious people don’t like a certain genre or style of music. Personally, I don’t care a whole lot about this so-called Christian music. Or, what they call “praise music.” Very little of it I like ── but most I do not! It is, of course, just personal taste. Yet, some high-and-mighty religious people believe that to be a Christian you MUST listen to that religious genre or style of music! Again I say what a load of old codswallop!

I personally like all kinds of music. I like some genres of music that “good old” religious people believe are abominable. But, it’s a good thing they are not my judge.

Honestly, I find the majority of religious people stuffy, unpleasant, and undesirable to be around for any length of time.

Why?

Because the overall majority of religious people are judgmental.

I absolutely abhor being around judgmental people.

There’s a man who works with me at my job ── he asked me one day, “Did Judas Iscariot go to heaven or hell?”

I answered, “Neither.”

I went on to tell him not to buy into this heaven or hell doctrine.

Yet, I explained that it is not our place to be judgmental against Judas Iscariot, Adolf Hitler, Jeffrey Dahmer, or ANYONE!

That is the LORD God’s job ── not ours.

And, to quote the Lord GOD’s own words, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” – Psalm 136:1.

Brethren, let us be more Christ-like towards each other, and to those of the world, instead of being all puffed-up with our own self-ideologies of religiosity!

“But the LORD said to Samuel [the Prophet Samuel], ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, … For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” – 1 Samuel 16:7. □

ADDITIONAL STUDY MATERIAL:

'No One Has Ascended To Heaven' ── When I scroll down my news feed on Facebook, it’s often replete with people posting and talking about their dead loved ones. “I know you’re here with us,” many write. But are they seeing us down here!? Are we ever going to see them again!? And when, and how!?

The Confusion About Death PDF online booklet ── What is death? What will happen AFTER death? There is grave confusion that exists in our culture concerning death and in particular the fate of the dead. It’s a complex web of conflicting religious dogma that leads to a whole plethora of thoughts, teachings, and beliefs. Here are the answers to many of your questions from God’s divine Word – the Holy Bible!

Proving the Truth! PDF online booklet ── Have you proven the truth that you believe in?

What Happens After Death PDF online article ── After death then what!? Is death the finality!? Is there life after death!? It’s time that you understand.

Does Your Appearance Count? PDF online article ── How important is your appearance? Is the LORD God concerned about how you dress and how you appear? Can you be spiritually clean and yet at the same time be physically unclean?

Hell or No Hell? PDF online article ── Matthew 25:46 – “’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’” ... I would like to briefly go over this – just what did our Lord Jesus Christ mean!?