We are in the midst of a series called "Loving Judgment" at Cedarbrook. It's my attempt to bring some balance to the many Bible texts that I've preached on that tell us not to judge. The truth is, there are times when we need to judge...not a person but their behavior. The church at large seems to have adopted the army's "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy. That might work for them but the Bible tells us that love doesn't hide problems from each other. Love brings them into the open so they can be resolved in a safe environment.
The topic is a dicey one though because the church has so often abused the idea of judgment. Someone sent me a link from the Wallstreet Journal called "Banned from Church". This tells a number of scary stories about how churches misapplied the verses in 1 Corinthians 5 about throwing out the "immoral brother".
Last week I attempted to address the true meaning of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 5. Read or listen to what I had to say by clicking the link. Our goal should always be reconciliation and not punishment. It's surprising to me how church folk so quickly forget that and seemingly relish in the opportunity to harm others.
