Hello friends. It is Lara Gboyega Adedeji once again. In this article, I want to share with us on what has been titled: How do You Judge on the earth? What do you say? Those are the two questions we will be examining this piece. How do you judge on the earth as a kingdom ambassador, as a kingdom citizen? How do you judge? In fact, are you supposed to judge? And when you judge, what do you say? We are going to start by looking at Genesis 1, I will read verse 26-28; that’s where we will start our observation from. The Bible says:
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So, the location was not in doubt- [on the earth]. Verse 27, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Verse 28, Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
God said; “have dominion over everything that moves on the earth.” So, what is that dominion-the phrase “have dominion?” What does it mean? It means that the Lord said; “man be the lord of the earth, be the master of the earth.” Another word for it is that; have ownership, have ruler ship, have power over the earth. what is God saying in essence? God is saying man! I give you the permission to judge the earth. So, in Genesis 1 from verse 26 to 28, God bestowed an authority on man. concerning a territory that He created. Because the Bible says that in Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 that in the beginning God created the heavens.
Because, “the heavens” is not just one particular space, that’s why if you go to the new testament, Apostle Paul was talking about being caught up in the third heaven. Meaning that heavens is actually in plural, they are different layers or strata in heaven. But the earth is one singular territory. So, God said man should have dominion over the earth that He created. So, God handed the ownership, the ruler ship, the mastership, the lordship of the earth over to man. To do what? Is it to play with the animals therein? Is it to look at them and say they are beautiful? Was that why God handed dominion over to man? No! God said dominate, rule, master it, dominate it, subjugate it, have ownership over it, have control over it. In essence, another word we can use is that: judge it. God said man, I have given you authority to judge the earth.
So, when man was given that authority, that was the original position of every man born of God. If you go to the genealogy of Adam, you will see Adam, born of God. He was not the son of any man, because, before Adam was no man, God created him, so he was the son of God. So, if God sits as judge in heaven and He says; I made this territory, but this particular one I am giving ownership, I am giving ruler ship to you, what is the position is the position that man is supposed to sit as on the earth? Judge! So, God said man, go and judge the earth, I am giving you authority. That was what happened in the beginning. Now the authority over the earth was given to man and the devil knew that there was nothing he could do on the earth, except he usurps the authority of the man. Because when you look at Scriptures, embedded in it are principles, the word of God cannot be broken, when God gives a man authority, the Bible says the callings and the gifting of God are without repentance.
Meaning that God does not overturn it, He does not take it back. He doesn’t say no, because I woke up this morning and I am not feeling good, He is not a man, He is not given to sleep or slumber, He is not given to changing His mind. He will not say because you did this I am changing my mind about what I have given to you, no! The gift and the callings of God are without repentance. He doesn’t change His thinking about it. So, the devil is aware of this principle, he knew no one has authority in any sphere that God created except he has been given. So, the devil was aware of this, and the only way he could have authority on the earth is to usurp the authority of man and take that authority from him and exercise it in perversion. When Adam was judging the earth, God wanted to name animals, God did not do it, He had to bring the animals to Adam to see what he will call them.
God did not Himself usurp the authority of man. Man was in partnership, in collaboration with God. That’s why if you understand how it is from the beginning, you will understand that when you become a new creation in Christ Jesus, you have been restored back to the original position that Adam was in the garden. That God will do thing on the earth, He said how will I do this thing without telling my friend about it? That was even Abraham that was not redeemed. How much more a redeemed man. So, understand that God will not usurp the authority of man, that’s why in Scripture in Psalms the Bible says God is looking down on the earth looking for a man that will stand in the gap, “a man” because, He has given the authority. In Genesis 1:26-28, God actually handed dominion, judging, authority, ruler ship, mastership, ownership of the earth to man.
That’s why when God wanted to redeem man, He had to come as a man. Because, even though God is a supreme God, sovereign God, He is the master of the universe, He will not deny Himself, whatever thing He has established, He will not repent on it. He doesn’t take it back, the authority that God gave man, He gave man in totality, since that day in Genesis chapter 1:26 to 28, He didn’t take it back. But what happened? In Genesis chapter 3, we saw what happened in the garden, how the devil in cunningness and craftiness, was able to steal his way into the heart of Eve, and took the authority from them. That was when there began to be a division of kingdoms among men. That some men are under the sway of the prince of this world, and you have men that are still under the authority of the King of kings.
So, you understand from Scripture that dominion was given to man, the power, the authority to judge the earth was given to man from the beginning, but the devil usurped it, but Jesus started showing us the difference. Now, when Jesus came, He came to restore back the old order, Jesus came to show us how it should be. John chapter 8, we want to see how Jesus did it. How do you judge on the earth? Haven become a kingdom citizen. That is why for you to have your full right and authority back on the earth, you must be born again. Yesterday, the simplicity of the gospel was made open to us in the evening Bible school that you can never by your own works justify yourself, you can never by your own works redeem yourself. It has to be by the blood of Jesus Christ, it has to be by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. No other way has been made available than Christ.
No other foundation can be laid except that which has been laid-Christ. That’s why the Bible says that if the foundation is destroyed, what can the righteous do? The foundation that has been laid that must never be destroyed is Christ. Because if that foundation becomes destroyed in the life of any man, there is nothing that man can do. So, Jesus started showing us an example. John 8, I will read verse 5, I will skip some verses, it’s a lengthy read but I will try to make sure we read the cogent ones. John 8 I will read verse 5 to 8 and then I will move to verse 16. This was about the woman that was caught in the very act of adultery, and they brought the woman to Jesus, they were now saying to Jesus; “Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned, any person caught in the act of adultery should be stoned. But what do you say?
Moses said this in the law, we are the disciples of Moses, at a point they said this; we are the disciples of Moses, but this is what Moses said in the law, that anyone caught in the very act of adultery should be stoned. But they said since you are a controversial person, since you came you have been scattering all the status quo, what do you say? How do you judge this matter? Meaning that in the law of Moses, the matter was judged in the law, and there is a pattern for the judgement. And we have received that pattern from generation to generation and we still hold that pattern dear. But they asked Him; what do you say? How do you judge this matter?
Verse 7, “so, when they continued asking Him” they kept asking Him the same question, He raised Himself up and said to them; “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” How did Jesus judge the matter? After they kept asking Him; what do you say? How do you judge this woman? This one is a clear case of death, she was caught in the very act, we made sure we caught her, and this time we caught her red handed. We, caught her here by the wrist. So, what do you say about the matter? And Jesus aster they continued asking, looked at them and He said; he who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone first. But what happened? They started dropping their stone one after the other and they left. Now, what is the principle behind this story? I want us to read verse 11 to 16.
“Now Jesus asked her; where are the people that condemned you? And she said no one Lord, and Jesus said to the woman, neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” The reason you have been dead is the sin. This is how I judge your matter, repent of this sin and make sure you don’t do it again. Go, I don’t condemn you, as long as you decide not to continue on this path and you turned around, neither do I condemn you. The Bible says; now therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, even though they have killed people, even they have aborted pregnancies, even though they have done terrible things in their past.
Yesterday we were examining the simplicity of the gospel, how people think it’s about your pious attitude or your sanctimonious living that commends you favorable to God, no! your mediator is Jesus. This woman committed adultery and I am sure this is not her first time, for them to catch her in the act, she has been doing it for a long time, they have been following her, but Jesus said; neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more. Should we continue in sin and except grace to abound? No! Jesus said go and sin no more. The only reason why you will not be condemned is that you go and sin no more. But for this very act, neither do I condemn you. Now, let’s see what Jesus meant by that.
Verse 12, “then Jesus spoke to them again saying; I am the light of the world.” We must understand the thought process of Jesus, we must understand what Jesus was driving at, because everything that Jesus did on the earth was an example to us. That’s why if you are a believer and you have not really studied the words and the life of Jesus, you have not done justice. Because, studying the life of Jesus, Jesus simply came to set for us an example of kingdom living. How do you live as a regenerated person on the earth? How do you operate as a kingdom citizen on the earth? Jesus molded it 100 percent. Verse 12, “Jesus spoke to them saying; I am the light of the world, he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Jesus was saying to them, offense will make you walk in darkness, now you were offended, but He said I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me becomes my disciple, follows God after my order; you will not walk in darkness. Verse 13, “the Pharisees therefore said to Him, you bear witness of yourself, your witness is not true, Jesus answered and said to them; if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not where I come from and where I am going.” What was Jesus saying here? He said see, I know who I am, I know my origin, I know my source, but you have lost touch with your source and identity, that’s why you are living this way. Jesus made it clear to them in verse 15, He said, “you judge according to the flesh.” Jesus is referring back to the same issue; you judge according to the flesh, meaning that you were judging by outward appearance, the same thing God said to Samuel, “men look at the outward appearance, but I God I look at the heart”
So, while they were looking at the outward appearance of a prostitute, while they were looking at the outward appearance of a woman that was caught in the very act of adultery, Jesus was seeing a woman that was truly repentant and was ready for a second chance in life. see what Jesus said; you judge according to the flesh, judge no one. Don’t say I don’t judge anybody, that’s not what I am saying, He said I don’t judge anyone in that order. In Isaiah 11, it was prophesied concerning Jesus, it said He will not judge by the seeing of His eyes nor the hearing of His ears but He will judge in righteousness. Do you understand it? That’s Jesus, He said I don’t judge like that. Verse 16, “and yet if I do judge”, so that you don’t read that Scripture in isolation, “if I do judge, my judgement is true. For I am not alone, I am with the Father who sent Me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.”
Now, what was Jesus saying here? If I do judge, I don’t judge in My capacity, as God alone, the Bible says He did not count it robbery to be equal with God, He submitted Himself, He learnt obedience by the things He suffered. You must understand it; Jesus came to set for us an example. Why was Jesus always referring, I and the Father are one. Whatever I hear Him say; I say, whatever I see Him do; I do. Why was He repeating those things? Is it because He did not know? He is saying it and reechoing it so that we can live like that, so that as He is, so we will be in this world. So, Jesus was saying; this woman that was caught in the very act of adultery I do not judge according to the flesh the way you do. But I judge according to the Spirit, I judge in righteousness.
In the Amplified Version it said; “you judge according to human standards just by what you see. I do not judge anyone, but even if I do judge, my judgement is true and my decision is right. For I am not alone in making that judgement” When you judge, are you judging in the image and the likeness of God? In Genesis 1 verse 26 it said let us make man in our image and according to our likeness and let them have; the only reason why they will have that dominion successfully is because they are in our image and in our likeness. The reason the judgement of Christ is true on the earth is because He is not alone making that judgement. He makes that judgment in the Father. When you make judgment on the earth as a kingdom citizen, are you making judgement alone by yourself or you are in Christ. Are you making that judgement in Christ? Or you are making it by yourself by human standards, by the judging of the eyes and by the hearing of the ears. Are you judging the way God will judge it? are you judging the way Christ will judge it?
It said for my decision is right for I am not alone in making that judgement but I and the Father who sent Me make the same judgement. So, the judgement of Christ concerning the woman caught in the very act of adultery was not His personal judgement, it was the judgment of the Father. So, if you are making judgements, is it according to the judgement of Christ? Is it true that it is in Christ you live, in Him you move, in Him you have your being? If it is true, then you will judge in Him. You won’t judge on your own. So, how do we judge on the earth? We judge in Christ. Do you have a personal opinion of your own? No! If you go to john chapter 11 and you read the story of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, you will see how Jesus subjected Himself to the Father’s instruction.
The Bible says they came to Jesus and told Him that Lazarus was sick, the Bible reemphasized it, that Lazarus, Mary and Martha Jesus loved them dearly. They were the few people that when the Scripture was talking about, Jesus loved them. it wasn’t just about multitude disciple relationship. He had a personal relationship with that family. But three days Jesus was restrained by the Father from going until Lazarus died. Why? Because the Father said it was not time. And when the Father said it was time, Jesus told His disciples let us go for our brother Lazarus is asleep let us go and wake Him up. And sarcastic Thomas said He asleep, that means He has died let’s go also and die with Him. They told you he was sick you did not go, when he died you will now go. Let’s go and die with Him because I know what Mary and Martha will do.
That you knew and you did not show up. But you see how He was judging, and when He got to the tomb of Lazarus, He groaned within Himself and He prayed, He said I am praying this prayer not for my sake, but for your sake, so that you believe. That’s how Jesus lived. His judgement was not about Himself, it’s about how Christ was judging the matter, it was about how the Father was judging the matter, it was about the will of the Father, it was about the heart of the Father, it was about the passion of the Father. In fact, He said in verse 4 of that John chapter 11 when Jesus heard that, He said this sickness is not unto death but to the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. So, the mission and the purpose was clear. Jesus said my judgment is true because I don’t judge alone. I judge in partnership with the Father.
To judge as Christ on the earth, what are the things we need to do? I am going to mention four things that we need to do to judge as Christ. How do we judge on the earth? We judge as Christ that’s the answer. What do we say when we are judging as Christ? The truth! It said sanctify them by your truth, for your word is truth. When you are judging, do you have an opinion? What must be on your lips is the truth. That’s how to judge as Christ. What do you say? The truth. Is homosexuality good? Is it not good? People have different sexual orientations; people should have freedom of expression. And you say it’s true, people should have different sexual orientation. Is that the truth? Or you are fearing their faces? When the brought that woman to Jesus, Jesus would have said, this is a very controversial matter, they brought the law of Moses, the best thing is to avoid this kind of issues.
Let me play safe. Then I will say since Moses said that ever you want to do is in your hands, judge it. He could have said that, but is that the truth? Jesus was in many controversial situations, but every time, it’s about the truth and the heart of the Father. Do you think Jesus could not have saved John the Baptist from the prison when he was to be beheaded? Didn’t angels open the gate for Peter when he was imprisoned. Jesus was not around the church prayed. How much more when Jesus was physically on the earth, angels could have gone and open the door for John and come out. See the gruesome death, but Jesus knew that that was the truth about the death of John the Baptist. He must disappear. As kingdom citizen we must understand, it’s about the king and His mission. It’s about the king and its desires. Your life is about the king, your family is about the king, your provision is about the king, everything is about Him.
Do you think Jesus liked the kind of death He was going to die? When He was in the garden of gethsemane and He knew His our had come, He prayed and cried, He said I wish this cup can pass over Me, but He knew this is the heart of the king concerning Me. That’s the truth. His disciples were so zealous, they even cut off the ear of a man. That means they could have killed for Him, He said no, in fact He took the ear of the man and pasted it back. I am going this way, this is what I have been predestinated, it has been preordered, it has been preordained for me to go. So, Jesus was always discerning the truth, but that’s how He lived. He was hungry but the Father had the desire of speaking to the woman by the well, His hunger disappeared. And when His disciples came, they were shocked and asked among themselves, did somebody give Him food to eat? Because they saw the passion at which He was conversing with the woman, they were saying among themselves somebody must have given Him food to eat.
And Jesus said to them I have a meat you don’t know of. My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me. That’s my meat, that’s the truth. No matter how I am feeling, the truth about my existence will always come to bear, it must shine out. How do we judge as Christ on the earth? 2 Timothy 2:15. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Number One: we must discern correctly. To rightly divide the word of truth is to discern the truth. This same Scripture can be perverted, but throughout this Scripture are the truths, or is the truth because the truth I personified in one Person-Christ. He said I am the way, the truth and the life no one come to the Father except through me. He is truth personified. So, for you to judge as Christ on the earth, you must discern the truth. Over this issue what is the truth? For every issue, there is truth and falsehood. Meaning there is truth and lies, you either believe the lies of the devil because he the father of lies and liars or you believe the truth which is Christ. For every person that is looking very useless and good for nothing, there is a truth about the destiny of that person. If only you will partner with God to find it out. For what you are going through presently as a believer, there is a truth about that circumstance if you will only discern it. So, we must rightly discern the truth to judge as Christ on the earth.
Number Two: Ephesians 6:14, stand therefore, having girded your waist with the truth, having put on the breast plate of righteousness, the belt of truth, must be on your waist at all times. So, judge as Christ on the earth. the belt of truth must be on your waist. What does that mean? It means that at every time; your waist is like your mid-section. It’s an area that hold together your person. That’s why the Scripture started by saying stand therefore, don’t stand on lie, stand on the truth. Let the truth support you in standing. The belt is a support system. When you want to wear your cloth and its little bit loosed, you can use your belt to support and you are looking tidy and sharp. Let the truth make you tidy and sharp in your life. Let the truth be your support system. Don’t allow the devil use lie and manipulation and falsehood to support you. If lie go for a thousand years one-day truth will catch up. So, if you build your life on lies, you cannot judge as Christ. Build your life on the truth. Let truth be your foundation your support system.
Number Three: John chapter 8 from verse 31, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” If you abide in My words you shall know the truth, so it’s possible to know lies. But He said if you are My disciples indeed and you allow My words abide in you, you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. It will set you at liberty. So, to judge as Christ on the earth, be set free by the truth, let the truth set you free. Be at liberty by the truth. Let the truth be your liberty of expression. When you appear anywhere, let the words that come out of your mouth be words liberated by the truth. Let the word of God-the truth be the liberty of your expression.
Number Four: John 17:17, “sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth.” Be sanctified by the truth. We are saying all these so that you will know that the word of God is not letters that kill, it is the Spirit that gives life. This is the Spirit that gives life. The Spirit that gives life is what can sanctify you, not just reading letters. The Spirit behind the word, the Spirit of truth. The Spirit of truth can sanctify you. So, be sanctified by the truth, if you are sanctified by the truth, you are at liberty by the truth, you allow the belt of truth to be your support system, and you discern truth correctly, you will be able to judge as Christ on the earth. When the devil came to Eve, what Eve failed to do was to discern the truth. The devil came with lies, is it true that God said, and he manipulated her with his cunningness and lies and she fell for it, and that’s how the authority of that family was taken away. For everyone that will stand in authority again as Christ has given us, this confidence, this authority in Him, we must continue to discern the truth.
You must judge in Christ, in Him we must live, move and have our being. Having our being is having our identity. We can’t be separated from Christ, that’s why the Apostles said what can separate us from the love of Christ? What can separate us from this life that we have in Christ? Will it be persecutions, will be sufferings, what can separate us? He said nothing. Nothing can separate us from this life we have in Christ? Nothing! And that should be our bold submission also as kingdom citizens. Because this is the only way we can continue to rule and reign as Christ on the earth. The same way Christ did it, we must do it, looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith, looking unto Him alone, no one else. That’s why the Scripture says no other foundation can be laid except that which has been laid. You can’t look to any other person but Christ alone.
In Christ alone my hope is found, in Christ alone my life will be lived, in Christ alone my future is guaranteed, in Christ alone my living is established. So, how do we judge on the earth? we judge in Christ. What do we say? The truth! How do you know the truth? The word of God-Christ. It said and you will know the truth, He is talking about you, He is talking about me. You will know the truth and the truth is what will set you free. After Jesus declared the truth concerning that woman, who held Him? Nobody! Jesus looked at her and said where are your accusers? She said no one, He said who has condemned you, she said no one. Why? Because one with God is the majority. Don’t side with the world, the Bible says that those that side with the world they are enemies of God because the love of God is not in them. So, if the love of God is in you, you side with Him all the time even though it’s an unpopular stand. You side with Him.
