No Judgment Day On The Schedule?
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Matthew 7:1-2)
There is no judgement in heaven ... true or false?
Quiet your intellect. Listen not to your past learning. Listen inside to what our holy spirit is saying right now. Without intellectualizing or falling back on previous learning, what are you hearing inside? True? Or false?
In the Bible, Jesus mentions a certain kind of "judgment" made by our holy spirit. Here are the words said to have been spoken by Jesus sometime around year 3790 of the Hebrew Calendar:
"I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." (John 5:30)
But is this "righteous judgment" of the holy spirit simply referring to "seeing reality rather than what human perception would choose to see?"
The only other time Jesus mentions judgment in the Bible are with these words:
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24)
We know Jesus is not talking about self-righteous judgment, judgment based on perception chosen by human ego, because he has already said truly righteous judgment is heard inside from the voice of our holy spirit.
The statements quoted above constitute the entire extent of what the Bible reports Jesus saying about judgment.
But then along comes Paul, whose words are sometimes understood only by a state of awareness which most people would call mystical, and when we read Paul's words in our human perception the waters might start appearing muddied. Paul almost makes it sound like we must stand before a courtroom magistrate.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)
But does this really mean that Jesus Christ, who dwells in heaven as our holy spirit, has done a 180 degree flip and is now into judging by appearances? Are we being asked to believe that God abandons His very essence of total never-ending love, preferring at times to be unforgiving?
Or is there another way to understand Paul's words?
How would a Hindu who grasps the concept of karma interpret Paul's words?
Could the idea Paul tried to convey mean if you fail to listen inside and follow the guidance of our holy spirit, you encounter difficulties; but on the other hand if you diligently listen inside and honor the counsel of our holy spirit, your yoke is easy and your burden light? In other words, is Paul's "judgment seat of Christ" merely his mystical way of stating the law of cause and effect?
You be the judge. (Just kidding!)
Thank goodness we have the voice of our holy spirit always speaking inside of us. And thank God we have in addition modern day revelation from Jesus Christ, A Course in Miracles, in which Jesus explains the correct interpretation of many of his utterances in Biblical days, including thorough discussions of the insanity of thinking any judgments we attempt could be meaningful.
Addressing one's identification as ego, Jesus states:
"How can you judge? Your judgment rests upon the witness that your senses offer you. Yet witness never falser was than this. But how else do you judge the world you see? You place pathetic faith in what your eyes and ears report. Can this be judgement? You have often been urged to refrain from judging, not because it is a right to be withheld from you. You cannot judge. You merely can believe the ego’s judgments, all of which are false." (ACIM Lesson 151)
But then focusing more on our true nature, Jesus laughs with us and gently points out:
"No course whose purpose is to teach you what you really are could fail to emphasize there is no difference in what you are and what love is. Love’s meaning is your own, and shared by God Himself. For what you are is what He is. There is no love but His, and what He is is everything there is. There is no principle which rules where love is not. Love is a law without an opposite. Love cannot judge." (ACIM Lesson 127)
Does "judge not, that you be not judged" simply mean that using judgment to shut down the extension of your true nature of love is like unto judging yourself unworthy of experiencing the love that you are? Maybe the statement "with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you" is merely saying something like, "the amount of love you extend, small, large, or total ... is the amount of love you will experience."
Elsewhere in the Bible Jesus is quoted as saying:
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)
Is Jesus telling us to be only love, and therefore teach only love to the world?
You be the judge.
Oops, wait! Maybe just be the love you are!
Each month our Holy Spirit gives a message which helps individuals open spiritually and understand Jesus' teaching.
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"...nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:21)
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Holy Instant Christian Fellowship in Salt Lake City
