There is a lot of talk among Christian preachers and teachers about Satan’s first or great lie. What was Satan’s first or great lie? “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be open, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” On the day that you sin, you will be able to judge between good and evil. Our Lord Jesus told us to “judge not, least you be judged.” Do not judge between good and evil or the judgement will be upon you. Jesus encouraged us to pray, “forgive us as we forgive others.” Would it not also be, judge us as we judge others? The great lie is that there are any among us that have the ability to decide what is good and evil.

It has been said that today is a time of tolerance, but that God is not tolerant. It was said that the statement, “have no other gods before me,” is an intolerant statement. If God was/is not tolerant, would any of us be here to discuss that fact? Tolerance means sufferance, patience and compassion. Tolerant means merciful, patient, and unprejudiced. The same speaker that said, speaking of alternate lifestyles, that God is not tolerant later, speaking about her own forgiven sins, said that God was patience and merciful with her. One thing that God is not is prejudice about sin. Sin is sin. Sexual misconduct with a member of the opposite sex is not a forgivable sin, while sexual misconduct with someone of the same sex is not. Being heterosexual does not give one the right to judge the sexual practices of others. By the grace of God and not by our own practices. God is tolerant. He is merciful, patient and not prejudice while He waits for His children to return home.

“Judge not that you be not judged. For with the judgement you judge, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And if any hear my words and do not believe, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. And yet if I do judge, My judgement is true; for I am not alone but with the Father that sent me.” The Bible thumping, pulpit screaming, preachers of the Word tell us that a Christian suffers much. “Jesus suffered and we must also suffer. Our flesh must suffer as we invite the spirit in.” Jesus said to walk with Him we must be willing to suffer with Him, to be tolerant with Him. “O faithless generation how long must I suffer you.” O faithless generation how long must I be tolerant of you. O faithless generation how long must I be patient with you. “The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”

“My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will he shall know concerning the doctrine, weather it is from God or I speak on My own. He who speaks of his own seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One that sent Him is true.” Whose glory do you seek when you stand before the body of Christ and pass judgement on the lost. What is the good news of the glory of God? What is the good news of the grace of God? What is the good news of our Lord Jesus? Pray for one another – pray from you enemies – pray for those who despiteful use you – love one another – love your enemies that they will know that you are your Father’s children. Not my doctrine, but the doctrine of the One that has called to me and is sending me. Not to my glory, but the glory of the One sending. Not to my glory, but the glory of the One forgiving. Not to my glory, but the glory of the One that is true. Glory to the Son of God and to the Father to whom Jesus Himself gives the glory.

There is nothing that we can do for God except the things that we do for one another. There is nothing we can give to God that is not His. If we give to God our love, we give what came from Him. If we give God our soul, we give Him what He created in us. If we give God the glory, we are being honest with ourselves and returning only what is true. To be to God for God we must be to one another for God. We cannot judge one another for God – we can forgive one another – we can pray for one another – we can love one another for God. Not that God does not love us, but so that we can be the body of Christ. We can be the feet that walk, the hands that touch and the heart that loves. “He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. I give living waters in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people.” Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, eat from the tree of life, that is Jesus, and become a heart out of which will flow rivers of living water.

© 2000 Tim D. Coulter Sr.