THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4
Scripture: Genesis 18:19, Matthew 7:1,2

Keeping the way of the Lord is the third requirement and consists of two elements. First, to do righteousness and second, to do judgment. Abraham was charged with doing righteousness and doing judgment. One main outcome in doing righteousness was so he could qualify to do judgment. Isn’t it interesting that in the last 80 – 100 years of church tradition, leaders have mostly taught believers that they should be afraid to do judgment? Taking Matthew 7:1 in the Sermon on the Mount out of context and preaching it consistently, as if it were the gold standard for Christian behavior in the earth has handicapped God’s people! We have not acknowledged or responded to God’s call to do righteousness and judgment through covenant. Ignoring God’s call to do righteousness and judgment has worked against the church keeping the way of the Lord hidden. Matthew 7:1,2 says, “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.” It has always been the case that we must stand in the fire we call down. But that does not in any way set aside God’s original purpose for His saints through the covenant He made with Abraham. That original purpose was very clear – it was to do righteousness and as a result, qualify to do judgment. One of God’s purposes for covenant believers was that they would impede evil by doing judgment. Abraham was called into his destiny after the flood. Because God promised that He would never again destroy the world by flood, He had to have a mechanism by which evil was stopped or restrained. He chose man to do that! He chose covenant believers to do that. It is time that we looked at history in context and begin to act accordingly. We have an eternal purpose. That purpose includes building a wall against evil!