Customer Reviews

Who Are You to Judge?

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I am new to Dr. Lutzer's books, but after hearing much about it, I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed! This book runs in the same vein as John MacArthur's _Reckless Faith_, although this book is more broad in its scope of defining deviant doctrines.

AMong the statements that Dr. Lutzer makes on biblical discernment these are the most notable: A half-truth is more destructive than a whole lie, namely because a half truth is harder to recognize. The theme of the book would be to develop in Christians the discipline to learn discernment in a loving way. That is, when one is exposing error, one should do it with an intent to win back the brother. He then goes into detail on distinguishing between true and false miracles, true and false doctrine, false prophets, etc.

However, I must warn this: If you have read Dr. Macarthur's book on discernment (please read this one as well), and you were offended by his "intolerant" statements about the Charismatic movement or the Catholic Church (amazing that Christians now adopt the language of the world!), then this book will probably have the same effect. But then maybe not. MacArthur writes with fire and ice; Lutzer is more cool and rational. Anyway, Just read both

As a Christian I have, in the past, grown very frustrated with the populary held idea that Christians cannot declare something to be wrong even though the Bible condemns it. I always heard, "Judge not that ye be not judged." This attitude never felt right with me.

Thankfully I am not the only one. The author does a masterful job of distinguishing between unlawful judgement and lawful discernment. He makes good use of scripture, in context, to support his points.

In the current post-modern world that we live in, where tolerance is held above justice, this book and others like it can help Christians deal with the world we live in. You'll learn how to judge situations based on God's standards not your own. This book does not promote self-righteousness. Rather, it promotes sensitivity to the righteousness of God.

I was blest enough to be part of the congregation of the historic Moody Church here in Chicago when Pastor Erwin Lutzer preached this wonderful series to the people he shepherds every week from one of America's great pulpits.

Pastor Lutzer, a kind, compassionate, gracious, loving man...PULLS NOT PUNCHES.

He address subjects that many ministers are afraid to tackle, and the people of Moody Church are the better for it. Appearances, Miracles, Spiritual Gifts, Discernment, Entertainment, Prophets, etc. They are all included, and it is sound, biblical, godly wisdom, sown from a heart of love for God's people.

I would recommend this book and this pastor to anyone, at any time.

Discernment is the ability to recognize the truth and distinguish it from error. This work is a call for discernment. One learns the truth from the word of God. To discern, one makes a "judgment" what is consistent with the bible and what is "error". In John MacArthur's endorsement, states that there is a crying need in today's church for discernment. Each individual person in the body of Christ needs to study God's word, learn the truth, examine oneself for rebellion against God, and learn how to react properly to false teaching and ungodly living in this world.

Lutzer argues misguided tolerance plagues the Christian church today. That there is a disconnect between people who accept the authority of scripture and how they live their daily lives. Knowing the truth and living the Truth is paramount to the body of Christ. Lutzer uses Jesus' prayer for His disciples, recorded in John chapter 17, to illustrate his point. In the prayer Jesus prays for those who are His. He describes the disciples as holding the truth, being in the world, but not of the world. This is a definition to whom a Christian is. This is prayer for protection from sin not hardship. That Christ's followers would persevere through physical and mental hardship (temptation that comes from living in a sinful world).
Lutzer argues the context of the scripture: Do not Judge:
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. (Matthew 7:1-2 RSV)

"Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you. (Matthew 7:6 RSV)

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15 RSV)

Who is a dog? Who is a swine? Who is a false prophet? Is not Jesus asking the believer to examine and make determinations about people? To be able do this one must make determinations about truth, who holds the truth, and who is seeking to teach the truth.

Matthew 7:3-5 tells us to take the log out of our own eye before attempting to take the speck out of someone else's eye. Meaning one needs to evaluate ones own sinfulness first, repent, and move away from the sinfulness before making determinations about others. Lutzer also argues that not doing this first will actually make you more judgmental and a harsher critic of others.

An accurate picture of God starts with studying the Bible and being taught the word of God. To be able to discern correct theology and false theology.
What one believes determines:

(1) How one thinks of himself.
(2) How one thinks of others.
(3) Ones purpose in life
(4) Determines one's existence in the afterlife.

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, (2 Timothy 4:3 RSV)

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1 RSV)
First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, (2 Peter 1:20 RSV)

Dr. Lutzer instructs about false prophets (any false teacher) and how to discern their teachings as false. Three examples a theology that justify accumulation of wealth, cater to the pride of 'God's' spokesman, and a context where immorality will flourish. The is one type of heretic.
The second is described in First Corinthians 11:19. For there must be heresies among you that they which are approved are made manifest among you. This is the New American standard version. The revised standard version uses the word faction. This was a division caused in the church by the wealthy consuming more food for the Lord's supper then the poor. This type of division in God's church is considered a heresy. See also Galations 5:6.

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4 RSV)

Lutzer argues the Christian parent is often in 'cahoots' with the god of this world. When the parent does not edit what their children view on the television, hear or read. Also included in text is a discussion what adults should permit themselves view in television, the movies, and the occult. Do not let the world corrode your own soul or the children in your charge. Parents should be able to explain their 'tastes' are determined by what is pleasing to God. Lutzer argues that resistance to sin is lessen when Christians laugh at homosexuality, adultery, and incest. This often is the aim of the entertainment industry.

but test everything; hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:21-23 RSV)

Lutzer concludes his work on judging discussing Christian integrity. He does not say it, but through implication a warning for Christians to not allow logs to get lodged into their eyes. First is an analysis about Christian organizations that misrepresent their influence, size of their membership, exaggerate stories to raise money, and/or are to driven by sales. He also argues against positive only ministries and failure to point out false teachers. Lutzer discusses Characteristic of a person of integrity: speaking the truth, honor friendship, keeping commitments, refuse to take advantage of others, and is not for sale.

Lutzer's book points us back to the pages of the Bible, where we are told to live our faith, not just believe it. With many examples and detailed references to the Word, we are admonished to stand up for God's Word against the apathy, and now the nation's intolerance, of the absolutes that have been given us by the Creator. He reminds us also of the judgments that will be given to those who don't stand up for their faith, and aren't willing to defend the Word of God in the face of changing society. It's a great call to step out of your box and open your mouth to do something about what's going on in our homes and in our culture, instead of just watching it happen.

Their is a grave misconception in Christianity when it comes to "judging".EL lists several areas that we are told to judge or else find ourselves in error. SHLOUD BE READ BY EVERY CHRISTIAN.

A well written book that's also easy to read. It isn't a book to judge others, but one that shows us how to evaluate the truth that's in the Bible. It shows how one should also judge oneself - with the comparison found in Scripture.

After just finishing this book, yesterday it has to be the best book on Biblical Discernment I have read. I cannot say that I agree with everything in the book, but I agree with most. Lutzer emphasizes why discernment (the ability to discern between right and wrong, the true and the false, or the half true and the false) is out of style in our Postmodern day, and why Christians need to make biblical judgments and be like the Bereans who were not afraid to examine and test. The book is well written, does not use much technical language, and Lutzer uses lots of illustrations and stories to make an easier read. Lutzer like David Jeremiah is an excellent writer and knows how to balance his academic knowledge and write for the average Christian. There are many good chapters in this book and I by no means have enough space to write about them all in such a brief review, so I will give a brief synopsis of a few. The chapters are as follows.

1. Why are we afraid to judge?
2. Judge Not, That you be not Judged
3. When you judge Doctrine
4. When you judge False Prophets
5. When you judge Miracles
6. When you judge Entertainment
7. When you judge Appearances
8. When you judge Neopaganism
9. When you judge Ghosts, Angels, and Shrines
10. When you judge Conduct
11. When you judge Character

In the 4th chapter, Luzter spells out why we must discern between true and false teachers. There are many false teachers in churches today that have not been tested because so many Christians are deceived by personality, charm, charisma, and rhetoric. A good quote on page 94 on detecting a false teachers is

Does he (the teacher) emphasize the need for repentance, holiness, and submission to God? Does he preach a Jesus who calls us to suffer, with the promise that He will walk with us through the sufferings? Or does he present a Jesus whose primary function is to give us the blessings of heaven right now?

In the 5th chapter, Lutzer focuses a little on the Word of Faith movement and the massive so called miracles that are happening. Lutzer leans toward the direction that Satan is behind many of the miracles. I have done a study on this movement and have read books devoted to it. Many in the movement will claim Christ is behind their miracles, but I believe that Satan may be the author of many of them in attempts to deceive the gullible and naive. Lutzer gives an example of a Muslim healed at a Christian healing crusade, which does not exactly line up with the scripture. In the 6th chapter, Lutzer calls for discernment in the kind of TV and the amount of TV that we watch. Lutzer suggests that we use 1 Jn 2:16 as a way to test entertainment. And even if the entertainment we watch is neutral, it must be run under the clock test (Eph 5:16). There are many Christians that watch safe nature shows, documentaries, and such. But if they spend all their time doing so, they are not spending their time to the glory of God. They are also not spending their time evangelizing the lost. Lutzer did not include this very important way to spend our time in this chapter for some reason. In the 8th chapter Lutzer, talks about the occult and how many Christians have opened its door by their entertainment, and careless stance towards it. Satan is using entertainment to soften believers, and as a result has blinded many Christians. Harry Potter is a popular series that I fortunately have never watched. Any entertainment that portrays the occult has safe, or okay is bad. Lutzer lists out the difference between Harry Potter entertainment and CS Lewis entertainment for those of you wanting to make an accusation against the Chronicles of Narnia.

In the 10th chapter, Lutzer speaks of showing discernment between legalism and license. In this chapter does Lutzer say its okay to drink Alcoholic beverages as long as it's done in moderation or does not lead another believer to stumble. I am not sure if I can agree with him here as so many are out of control in this area, and need to completely cease from drinking alcohol. Lutzer also makes a case against the Fundamentalist way of thinking that attending movies, dancing, playing cards, listening to rock music, and such are wrong. Lutzer says they are not wrong if done to the glory of God and do not lead someone to stumble into his former life of sin. And in the final chapter, Lutzer speaks of the Godly man with integrity and why need it. He uses a tragic illustration of a pastor that was asked by his elders to speak with a wealthy farmer about his salvation. The pastor obeyed his elders, and angered the prideful man. At the next business meeting, the wealthy farmer showed up and spoke about the pastor, and persuaded the board to let him go. The unfortunate pastor was terminated and not a single elder stood in his defense! They all wanted the wealth and influence of the farmer, for if he were upset the church would have taken a great financial blow. Sadly, stories like this happen all the time and integrity is so lacking on the boards of many churches. If I were that pastor I would have fought against this board. And if I were let go in such a way, I would have openly preached out against those wicked and corrupt elders! There is no law against street or open air preaching. Perhaps the pastor could have done some of that and exposed the corruption in that church board. But to do absolutely nothing (as the pastor did) did not expose anything as the corrupt elders have continued in their leadership. Overall a very good book worth reading more than once.

We hear this quote many times in our lives, "Who are you to judge?" Jesus said, "Do not judge or you to will be judged." So, what does this mean?--- Don't become a Pharisee, but do make righteous judgments.

Erwin Lutzer is senior pastor of Moody Church in Chicago. He explains what our roles are as Christians and why judgments are both necessary and needed. But one should not judge petty (neutral) doctrines. Erwin deliverers an outstanding and easy to follow message. What must we need to know about in our world that will deceive us. This is an important book for all Christians.

I do somewhat agree with the previous reviewer on the subject of judging branches such as Calvinism. The author puts this in the catagory of petty doctrines. There was a flash of concern when I read this. We should not ignore it, but should we not discuss it graciously without dividing?

Is it that--- "We have lost the ability to judge the world because we have lost the ability to judge ourselves?"

Do--- "We think it is better to tolerate error than to look ugly defending the truth?"

He says "instead of the church going out to the world, the world is now coming into the church"

We have entered postmodernism---where all religions and spirituality is accepted and tolerated; there are no rights or wrongs; truth is defined as my personnel opinion, with no absolutes.

Although we are to have integrity and go the straight and narrow, "I'd rather be a struggling Christian in an imperfect church than a perfect sinner outside the church." "The love within the church attracts the world, the holiness within the church convicts the world."

"It is better to warn against danger than flirt with it."

"Our task is to make wise judgments in a nonjudgmental world!"

Please check out another wonderful book by this author, "Hitler's Cross"

On the whole this book is very good and worth one's time. However, I was bothered by some things Lutzer says, especially in the chapters on False Prophets and Miracles. I realize Lutzer is trying to protect people from the false, and that is good, but he has some biases of his own that are more traditional and anti-supernatural than they should be. I was bothered that Lutzer said that "Jesus came to show us how to suffer", which is partly true, but if that's all He came to do He wasted His time in performing miracles, raising the dead, rising from the dead Himself, and telling his followers to do the same every time they went out (not just in the sometimes disputed passage of Mark 16)!

Lutzer follows the traditional interpretation of 2 Corinthians 12:7 that Paul had a sickness, "thorn in the flesh" that God refused to heal (implying we cannot expect God to heal us either). But "thorn in the flesh" was never used of sickness, only of the Canaanites who opposed God. Paul himself identifies his thorn as a "messenger of Satan",and messenger is always used of a personality, whether human or angelic. So Paul was not being buffeted by a sickness, but either an actual demonic spirit, or thru the many people who opposed him and the message of Christ thru him. This is what God refused to remove, and you can see in Paul's life God never did--Paul was continually opposed, and imprisioned again even in his last letter to Timothy, and was killed shortly thereafter.

Granted one might think Paul meant a sickness, because right after he speaks of the thorn in the flesh he speaks of "glorying in my infirimities", which can mean sickness. But the same word, asthenea, is also used in Romans 8:26 where it says "The Spirit also helps in our infirmities, for we know not how we should pray...". Here it means "weakness", weakness of spirit and character, etc. So Paul need not have been talking about being sick, he could also have been talking about his personal weaknesses. This is very likely the case because Paul speaks of glorying in his infirmities just previous to this passage in 2 Corinthians 11:30, where he has just listed a whole bunch of things he has gone through--hard work, numerous beatings, being stoned, being shipwrecked three times, in constant peril from robbers, from his own countrymen, among false brethren everywhere he went, in weariness, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, fastings, cold, nakedness--all on top of his concern for the churches. But among all this Paul does not mention a chronic disease, just the normal things one would expect from a tough life and persecution.

If dear Dr.Lutzer wants to emphasize Paul's thorn in the flesh, why does he not balance it with the descriptions of the many miraclous healings Paul did also? Yes, Paul "left Trophimus sick", but there is no reason given for that. It could have been a number of reasons other than Paul was supposedly unable to heal him. That is nothing but conjecture.

Lutzer agrees with the traditional interpretation that miracles ceased after the completion of the New Testament. Was that because God willed it, or was it that so many heresies came flooding in after the first Apostles died that they could not take take place? I did not like how the dear Dr. emphaisized how many people suffered for Christ and were poor, which though true, also left out how God blessed people like Abraham and made him very rich, how God made Job very rich. There is something unbalanced here.

Lutzer's research about the Word of Faith movement is also shallow and negatively biased. Yes, there are some scumballs among them, but the leaders of the movement, the late Kenneth E.Hagin, Kenneth Copeland and Jesse DuPlantis that I am aware of, have pointed out these rats and condemned what they were doing long before Dr.Lutzer got there. (See Kenneth Hagin's book "The Midas Touch, A Balanced Approach To Biblical Prosperity". ) To smear a whole movement because of a few bad apples is hardly fair. These people are also very careful about finances and refuse to go into debt for their big ministries; they emphasize walking in trust of God's Word and not by one's feelings; they emphasize that you must have a personal relationship with God if you want anything from Him and if you want heaven and a wise life now; and they emphasize walking in love and forgiveness toward others if you want anything from God. If Dr. Lutzer had read their publications and a book or two for even a few months instead of taking what other people have said about them without checking them out,I guarantee he would come out with a different attitude. Are they perfect? No. But they do get a lot of results that many of our mainline denominational brothers are ignoring in favor of telling people just to suffer and live with it as "God's Will"- a fatalism that can turn people against God, and even kill any hope they may have for improvement from Him. I know this from bitter experience. If I wanted that, I might as well become a Muslim and their "all is Allah's will."

Well, I don't want to trash the book too much, but one had best be careful about some of it.