1. Life & Death @
The Center

2. The LORD God took the man and put
him in the Garden of Eden to work it
and take care of it. And the LORD God
commanded the man, ―You are free to
eat from any tree in the garden; but you
must not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, for when
you eat from it you will certainly die.‖
(Genesis 2:15-17)

3. What is the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil?
Why was its fruit forbidden?

4. But the serpent
said to the woman,
―You will not die;
for God knows that
when you eat of it
your eyes will be
opened, and you
will be like God,
knowing good and
evil.‖

5. ―There is only one
Lawgiver and Judge, the
one who is able to save
and destroy. But you—who
are you to judge your
neighbor?‖
James 4:12

6. Some critical verses!
• John 8:15 – Jesus Himself judged nobody!
• 1Cor 4:3 – Paul didn‘t even judge himself
• James 4:12 – we are not to judge our
neighbour
• 1Cor 5:12-13 - we are especially forbidden
to criticise those outside the church

7. ―Love is ascribing worth to
others at cost to self.
Judgment is ascribing worth
to self at cost to others.‖
Gregory Boyd

8. Effects? Death
• Judgment defines us; spirituality is
primarily a matter of ‗avoiding sin‘ (death
of love)
• Faith becomes performance with lots of
hiding (death of authenticity)

9. Malaysia‘s Most Sinful
(or what we cannot help feeling superior to)
• Homosexuals (and LGBTQ persons)
• Bankrupts / Financial Failures
• Sex Offenders
• Drug Addicts
• Communists

10. Malaysia‘s Lesser Sins
(or what we don‘t mind tolerating)
• Gluttony
• Greed / Acquisitiveness
• Anger
• Arrogance / Pride
• Ethnic / Cultural Bigotry
• Social (and Ecological) Apathy
• Economic Inequality

12. Effects? Death
• We separate ‗lowly‘ from ‗very bad‘ sins
(death of honesty and humility)
• We experience God as a judge (death of
relationship with God)

13. How can we say No to
this forbidden fruit?

14. #1 Have the heart of God

15. GOD is LOVE
1John 4:16

18. The Lord, the Lord
A God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger,
Abounding in steadfast love
and faithfulness
(Exodus 34:6)

19. The LORD will rise up as he did
at Mount Perazim, he will rouse
himself as in the Valley of
Gibeon— to do his work, his
strange work, and perform his
task, his alien task. (Isaiah
28:21)

20. Although God causes grief, he
will have compassion according
to the abundance of his
steadfast love;
For he does not willingly afflict
or grieve anyone
(Lamentations 3:32)

23. The Pattern of God‘s Judgment
• Clearly and specifically fore-warned
• Characterised by patience and reluctance
• Happens only after repeated warnings and
chances to repent!
• Involves rescuing / preserving a righteous
remnant
• Is un-characteristic of Him; it‘s His ‗strange
work‘; God doesn’t enjoy judgment (Isa
28:21, Eze 18:23)

24. And the LORD God said, ―The man has now become
like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not
be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from
the tree of life and eat, and live forever.‖

25. #2 Confront with restraint and
love (Reject hypocrisy!)
(bearing in mind 1Cor 5:12-13!)

26. ―Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For
in the same way you judge others, you will
be judged, and with the measure you use, it
will be measured to you. ―Why do you look at
the speck of sawdust in your brother‘s eye
and pay no attention to the plank in your own
eye? How can you say to your brother, ‗Let
me take the speck out of your eye,‘ when all
the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your
own eye, and then you will see clearly to
remove the speck from your brother‘s eye.‖
Matthew 7:1-5

27. #3 ―Cover over‖ the sins of
others

29. ―But Joseph said to his brothers, ‗Don‘t be
afraid. Am I in the place of God? You
intended to harm me,but God intended it
for good to accomplish what is now being
done, the saving of many lives. So
then, don‘t be afraid. I will provide for you
and your children.‘
And he reassured them and spoke kindly
to them.
Genesis 50: 19-21

30. What must we do?
• Love ‗recklessly‘ (with abandon), judge
very cautiously!
• If we must judge/confront, we must
ensure:
– We have removed our ‗planks‘
– We do so authentically and within strong
covenantal relationships
• ‗Cover up‘ the sins of others with the love
of God (1Pet 4:8)

31. ―Above all, put on
love…‖
Colossians 3:14