Don't Judge the Judge

Today is the third day in our 52nd week, reading the Bible through in a year.  Our scriptures today are:  Job 34-36; Revelation 20.

Jesus divides the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25)

I can't tell you how many times I have heard people talking about their experiences in courts of law.  They talk about how fair or unfair the judges were.  They say, "If you get so-and-so on the bench, you might as well hang it up."  Or, "This one is pretty lenient--you're lucky you got that judge."  I find it ironic when people talk like this, because (theoretically, at least) the judge is the one who determines what's fair or unfair.  We, the "little people" aren't in a position to judge the judge, because it's the judge's ruling that determines what's fair or unfair.

And yet, we judge the judge all the time.  Humanly, this isn't really such a bad idea, because all people are fallible--even judges.  But when we put ourselves in a position of judging the Judge of all the universe, we commit the sin of hubris.  We've elevated ourselves to the level of God, presuming that we can judge the decisions of the Lord.

In Job 34.5-6 (ESV), Elihu quotes his friend Job,who  accuses God of being an unjust judge:

For Job has said, ‘I am in the right,

    and God has taken away my right;

6 

in spite of my right I am counted a liar;

    my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’

Then, in vv. 10-15, Elihu points out to Job that God is beyond reproach.

10 

“Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding:

    far be it from God that he should do wickedness,

    and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.

11 

For according to the work of a man he will repay him,

    and according to his ways he will make it befall him.

12 

Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,

    and the Almighty will not pervert justice.

13 

Who gave him charge over the earth,

    and who laid on him[a] the whole world?

14 

If he should set his heart to it

    and gather to himself his spirit and his breath,

15 

all flesh would perish together,

    and man would return to dust.

In his self-assured righteousness, Job has forgotten that he cannot judge the living God--for God Himself is the Judge of all.  Elihu continues his rebuke of Job in vv. 16-19:

16 

“If you have understanding, hear this;

    listen to what I say.

17 

Shall one who hates justice govern?

    Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,

18 

who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’

    and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’

19 

who shows no partiality to princes,

    nor regards the rich more than the poor,

    for they are all the work of his hands?

Finally, Elihu says that when Job presumes to judge God, he speaks without knowledge, and in his hubris he is guilty of rebellion.  

34 

Men of understanding will say to me,

    and the wise man who hears me will say:

35 

‘Job speaks without knowledge;

    his words are without insight.’

36 

Would that Job were tried to the end,

    because he answers like wicked men.

37 

For he adds rebellion to his sin;

    he claps his hands among us

    and multiplies his words against God.”

In Revelation 20, we read about God judging Satan, and sentencing him to the Abyss for a thousand years.  Then, after that millennium, Satan will be released again, to wreak his havoc for awhile.  I remember someone saying to me, "That's awfully dumb of God, to let the devil out again."  In so saying, that person put himself in the position of judging the Judge--a dangerous place to be.

In the end, we read that the Judge of all the earth does what is right.  Verses 11-15 (ESV) say:

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Many readers don't like that final sentence, because they think that God punishes sinners too harshly.  One author I read recently has put himself in the position of judging the Judge, and thus declared that the Bible doesn't actually mean what it says.  That author insists that since God is good and kind and loving, all souls will eventually be saved.  It's a sweet concept--but that's not what the Bible actually says.

As believers form their own personal theology, it's important to remember that God is the Judge, and we are not.  We need to accept the Bible's teachings, and not commit the hubris of thinking that we know a better way to handle things than God does.  In Genesis 18.25, Abraham asks, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?"  The answer, of course, is a resounding YES!  Whether or not that justice makes sense to us, it's God that we're talking about.  By definition, God is just.  So even if God handles something differently from the way you would have done it, you can trust that God is good.  And because God is more fair than you could ever hope to be, you can just relax--and don't judge the Judge. 

Restored, Not Rejected

Today is the third day in our 35th week, reading the Bible through together in a year.  Our scriptures* today are Isaiah 30-32; 1 Corinthians 5.

1 Corinthians 5 is a difficult scripture for many Christians, because we want to believe that the church is full of godly people.  In reality, the church is a mixed bag of saints and sinners, of those who are truly seeking the Lord in their lives, and those who are not.  Some people are Christians in name only, but reality shows that their behavior is unregenerate, no different from the rest of the world.  In this chapter, Paul talks about how to handle those who are in need of "church discipline."  

Now, before I go any further, let me say that everybody sins.  My sin is no better or worse than your sin, or anybody else's sin.  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)."  This study on 1 Corinthians 5 keeps in mind that no person is better than another, because "none is righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10)."  There is, however, a need to keep the church from being infected by rampant sin, and a need to show people how grievous their sin is, when it corrupts other members of the body of Christ.

This study bears in mind Jesus' teaching about taking the logs out of our own eyes, before we take the specks out of other people's eyes.  Click here to read my article about that.  It also recalls Jesus' teachings about forgiveness and restoration.  Click here to read my article about that.  

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul deals with sin that is so egregious that its taint has infected the entire congregation.  This sin has become open and notorious, and indeed those who indulge in it have become sin-missionaries, wanting to spread their licentiousness to others.  In verses 1-5, Paul says:

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.  When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

The problem here is not simply the fact that this church member is sleeping with his stepmother.  It goes beyond that, to the fact that the church is arrogant about it.  "So what?" they say.  "Jesus forgives us for our sins, so the more we sin, the more forgiveness we'll have!"  Paul addresses this flippant attitude toward sin in Romans 6:1 when he says, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?"  The fact that Paul brings up this question gives evidence to the pervasiveness of this false teaching.  Paul knows that in order to cut this heresy out of the church, he has to cut the purveyors of this lie out of the church as well.

"A little leaven leavens the whole lump"

Paul knows that this prideful attitude toward their sin will spread, like yeast spreads through a batch of dough.  In 1 Corinthians 5:6-7, he says, "Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened."  The people really are unleavened, meaning that they truly are free from the power of sin in their lives.  So, since sin has no power, they should not give it power over their lives.  Once you give it power again, it expands until it has influence over the entire congregation.

Paul's solution: remove the offending brother from the church.  Now, Paul almost certainly wrote this prescription before Matthew chronicled his version of Jesus' ministry.  Paul did not have Matthew 18 to draw from.  Still, it's safe to presume that discreet attempts had been made by some of the true believers in the congregation, to persuade the licentious brother to change his ways, before this became a church-wide matter.  However, not only had the behavior remained--it seems that the congregation as a whole affirmed it.  Again, since it hadn't been written, they couldn't quote Matthew 7:1, which says, "Judge not, that you be not judged."  However, the sentiment must have existed at the time.

Yet, Paul claims his apostolic authority and pronounces judgment nevertheless.  In 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, Paul writes:  "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?  God judges those outside. 'Purge the evil person from among you.'”  

So, should we judge, or should we not judge?  

There is a difference between condemning a person for their actions, where you say, "This person is worthless, a sinner, someone who deserves damnation," and making a decision to eliminate a person's evil influence from the church, for the good of everyone in the congregation.  In the first case, you write the person off entirely.  In the second case, there is still room for restoration.  Because he is a believer, this man is still saved, despite his actions that grieve the Holy Spirit.  Turning him out of the church, and relinquishing him to Satan for the destruction of his flesh sounds pretty harsh.  But hope is found in the knowledge that his spirit will be saved in the Day of the Lord.  Certainly, though, the hope is greater than that.  Restoration to the church may take place, when there is repentance.  Indeed, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 shows that this man did return to the church with a contrite heart.  Paul writes:

Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you.  For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough,  so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.  So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.  For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.  Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,  so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

So, Paul's judgment wasn't for the sake of either discrimination or condemnation.  Rather, it was so that the man, being turned over to the power of Satan, might see the error of his ways.  Like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) who longed for his father's house, the errant man remembered the solace of Christ's body the church.  Repenting of his sins, he returned and was restored to fellowship.  This is the whole point of church discipline--not condemnation, but contrition.

Certainly, self-discipline is far better than needing to submit to church discipline.  Returning to righteousness is much better when you do it on your own.  No one wants their sins confronted publicly.  Instead, God wants us to come to him simply because we realize that we've done wrong.  Two passages in our Isaiah readings demonstrate this today:

15 

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15).”


And the effect of righteousness will be peace,
    and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever (Isaiah 32:17).


This is God's will for our lives--not sin and shame and embarrassment.  Not isolation and judgment and suffering.  How wonderful it would be, if we would simply trust that when God says something is off-limits, we would avoid it?  How much better it would be, if God's people would learn to avoid sin, rather than pushing the limits of God's grace!  Like the Prodigal Son, when we wander, God is always willing to take us back.  He wants us to return and be restored.  He wants to give us rest and strength when we come to Him in quiet trust.

Today, you might be like the man in 1 Corinthians 5.  You've wandered pretty far from God's path.  You've done some pretty rotten things.  Maybe it's even gotten to the point where people have thrown their hands in the air and are done with you.  Separated from the people of God, you've found that Satan has had even more power in your life.  You know that you need to be set free.  The good news is that God is not done with you.  There's still time for you to repent and come home to Jesus.  If you need some help with this, then I'd sure like to talk with you.  Just email me at revgregsmith@gmail.com.  I'll do whatever I can to help.  Because Jesus wants you restored, not rejected.  He wants to see you recovered and reclaimed by His love.



*All scripture taken from the ESV.

Specks, Planks, and Fruit

Today is the second day in our 30th week, reading the Bible through together in a year.  Our scriptures today are:  2 Kings 9-10; Matthew 7; Psalm 49.

Some years ago, when I turned 35, I was feeling a bit old so I decided to go to the doctor and get a physical.  I'm not the sort of person who goes to the doctor unless there's a problem, so this was a big deal for me.  I asked the doc to give me a complete workup.  When all the tests were in, he told me that my cholesterol was high (never mind that he didn't tell me I was supposed to fast before the cholesterol test) and that I had some weight to lose.  "Just eat a few more vegetables and a few less desserts," he said.  Then, patting his own massive gut, he said shrugged and said, "But who can really do that, anyway?"

That was the last time I visited that doctor.

I mean--what kind of doctor gives medical advice that he himself isn't willing to take?  And, something so basic, too!  He was trying to take the speck out of my eye, when all along he had a plank in his own eye.

In Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV), Jesus says:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Come to think of it, as I'm writing this blog post this morning and using Dr. So-and-so as my example, I'm judging him quite a bit, aren't I?  See, this is how it works.  When you judge me, then I judge you right back.  I might have a speck, and you might have a plank.  But then once I realize that you have a plank, I get judgmental about you judging me, and my speck turns into a log!  And round and round it goes!

That's why Jesus said it's better not to judge at all.  "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."  

Once I read an article in which the author addressed that commonly used Christian aphorism, "Love the sinner; hate the sin."  The writer said, "I have a problem with that.  It takes so much time getting to the point where I hate my own sin, that I don't have time to hate yours."  

Things that make you go "hmmmm...."

Now, I know what some will say.  I've also heard that Christian aphorism that says, "God hasn't called me to be a judge, but He has called me to be a Fruit Inspector."  This is based on Matthew 7:15-20 (ESV), which says:

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Let's be very careful here, and understand what Jesus is talking about.  Here, our Lord isn't talking about evaluating people's sin.  People who use the "fruit inspector" phrase generally mean that they're not judging the people who commit the sin; they're simply judging the sin according to God's righteous standard.  This is often a way of getting away from admitting our own judgmental attitude.  We sanitize it and call it "fruit inspection."  But all the while, we're pointing out someone's speck while our planks vibrate like a diving board that somebody just jumped off of.  What Jesus was talking about here were false prophets.  These folks aren't just "sinners" who are minding their own business in their sin, but people who are trying to spread their rebelliousness and lies to other people.  In other words, sin-missionaries.  What they have to say sounds good (sheep's clothing) but in the end the sin that they spread will devour like a ravenous wolf.

There's a big difference between someone who sins (don't we all fall into that category) and someone who tries to spread their disease to other people.  When we convince other people to sin, then we feel more normal ourselves.  If we can convince enough people that our sin is okay, then maybe it will become culturally acceptable even.  Maybe we can convince some preachers to say that our sin isn't really sin.  In fact, if we're all born sinners, then our sin isn't really sin because God made us that way, so it's really God's fault--right???  And anyway, doesn't God want us to do the things that make us feel good???

You see the way false prophets work?  They warp the truth and twist the mind until you don't know truth from lies anymore.  Jesus sounds awfully judgmental when he calls these people names.  But these people are worthy of His judgment!  Their fruits are open for inspection by all believers, because it's only by inspecting these fruits that we can identify true teachers from false.

Turn on any episode of trash TV and you can see someone whose life is an immoral train wreck, defending their own sin before a live audience.  Sometimes audience members will even get into verbal throwdowns with the TV show guests.  Invariably, the guest will use this oft-quoted Bible verse.  "The Bible says don't judge or you'll be judged," they say.  And they're right.  They might be wrong in their behavior, but they're right in their quote.  It's not our job to judge or to condemn another person.  "Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone," Jesus says in John 8:7 (NLT).  Be careful about trying to take the specks out of someone else's eye when you have a log in your own.  Don't "love the sinner but hate his sin."  Love the sinner and hate your own sin instead.  

But when it comes to false teachers who claim to speak for God but who actually spread falsehood, sin, and lies--these you will know by their fruits.  Don't trust them, for they are wolves in sheep's clothing.   

"Non-Judgment" - My Article in the Southside Messenger

Spirit & Truth # 214

“Non-Judgment”

                                                                                            

By Rev. Greg Smith

            Recently, I told my church that I had discovered a hidden letter that had been tucked in a drawer by a former pastor a dozen years ago.  This note was a warning to any pastor who might come after him, naming a person in the congregation who had always been a thorn in the pastor’s side.  When I told the worshippers who the scoundrel was, they burst out laughing, for I had named one of their gentlest and most beloved deacons.  My ruse was up, and everybody knew that there had never been any such note left.  My point was simply that we tend to judge a person one way when we meet them in a neutral situation, and a very different way if we’ve been warned about them in advance.  We treat them differently still, if they have been commended to us by someone we respect.  We prejudge people based on all kinds of true or false criteria, but Jesus warned us about this kind of prejudice.

Jesus said, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:37-38 NKJV).”

Jesus wasn’t saying not to discern the difference between good and evil, sin and righteousness in our lives.  He wasn’t even saying that we should avoid such discernment when it comes to other people’s lives.  He was saying that we should not cross the line from discernment to condemnation.  A person may have sin in his life, but it is wrong for someone to condemn that person because of his sin.  God is the judge and we are not.  If I stand in judgment, I assume the role of God, and that is the sin of hubris. 

            “Give, and it shall be given to you,” Jesus said in verse 38.  The context of this verse is verse 37, which talks about giving non-judgment, non-condemnation, and forgiveness.  When you give judgment, that’s what you receive.  When you give condemnation, that’s what you get back.  But forgiveness is the reward of those who give forgiveness to others.  Give whatever you want to receive. 

            In Matthew 7:12 (NLT), Jesus gives the Golden Rule:  “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.”  The Silver Rule is like it:  “Do not do to others as you would not have them do to you."  Who have you judged lately?  Who have you condemned lately?  Who have you forgiven?  Expect to receive from God just as you gave.

"Truth and Lies"

Recently I came across a list of lies that we tell ourselves, and that we tell each other. 

- The check is in the mail.

- I'll start my diet tomorrow.

- We service what we sell.

- Give me your number and the doctor will call you right back.

- Money cheerfully refunded.

- One size fits all.

- This offer limited to the first 100 people who call in.

- Your luggage isn't lost, it's only misplaced.

- Leave your resume and we'll keep it on file.

- This hurts me more than it hurts you.

- I just need five minutes of your time.

- Your table will be ready in a few minutes.

- Open wide, it won't hurt a bit.

- Let's have lunch sometime.[i]

            Reading that list made me think of spiritual lies that we tell ourselves.  Jesus wants us to know the truth, just like He wanted the people in His own day to know it. 

            The first lie we tell ourselves is that we’re free.  Yes, in this country we have certain political freedoms, but we like to tell ourselves that we are free to our very core.  The truth is that everybody is going to serve a master.  Either you’re going to serve sin as its slave, or you’re going to become a servant God—set free from sin so you can live as a child of God, as a member of God’s family.  John 8:33-36 says:

“But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

            The second lie we tell ourselves as Americans and as Christians is that we can fall back on our heritage.  A lot of people think that God is impressed by the lineage we carry from pious ancestors.  The truth is that God isn’t impressed by us at all—and that what God wants is people who claim Him as their spiritual Father.  In verses 8:39-41a, Jesus refutes the people’s claim that they are special because of their parentage:

“Our father is Abraham!” they declared.

“No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.  No, you are imitating your real father.”

            This leads us to the third lie, that you can claim God as your Father if you have no love.  A child who is adopted from an abusive home into a loving family needs to choose which set of values they are going to adopt for themselves.  Will they behave like their first father or their second?  In verses 41b-47, Jesus tells them that their true Father is the one that they learn to act like.

They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.”

Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me.  Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!  Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me?  Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”

            There are many people who claim to be Christians, yet they have no love for Christ at all.  Jesus knows that they have no love for Him because they have no love for their fellow human beings (Matthew 25:40, 45).  People like this may put on a good religious show, but God will easily judge between those who follow Him and those who don’t.

            The Fourth Lie is that we can be the judge.  Like self-righteous people of Jesus’ day, many Christians believe that they can judge others’ behavior based on their own limited understanding.  People like this wouldn’t recognize a true move of God if it were right before their eyes.  In verses 48 and 52, the “righteous” people declare that Jesus is a “Samaritan devil,” and twice they say that He has a demon.  In verse 53, they ask Him, “Who do you think you are?”  In verse 59, they pick up stones to throw at Him.  But Jesus says, “No…I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father—and you dishonor me. And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge (vv. 49-50).” No, instead Jesus tells us not to judge (Matthew 7:1-3), and says that even He will not be the judge (John 12:47-48).”

            It seems that many American Christians these days have bought into a pack of lies.  We celebrate and congratulate ourselves for our freedom, when Jesus says we’re really not free if we’re slaves to sin.  We think that heritage is worth something, Jesus says it’s worthless if we think we can rely on our ancestors’ relationship with God.  We believe that being a Christian is a matter of affiliation with an organization or adhering to certain doctrines, but Jesus says those things are worthless without love.  We smugly judge those who don’t live up to our standards, but Jesus says that God is the judge and we are not.  In fact, Christians who believe these lies aren’t really believers at all.  Jesus’ standard is found in John 8:31-32: “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  I pray that you’ll not just call yourself a Christian, but that you’ll walk in Jesus’ truth and love today.

           

---

[i] Bits & Pieces, December 9, 1993, pp. 12-13.  http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/l/lie.htm.  April 6, 2017.

When God Testifies Against You

Today is the fourth day in our 30th week, reading the Bible through in a year.  Our scriptures today are:  2 Chronicles 24; 2 Kings 12; Matthew 9; Psalm 50.

This morning as I was having breakfast, I was listening to Max McLean reading today's scriptures.  When I heard his reading of Psalm 50, I was awestruck by the intensity, and even anger in his voice.  I've read this psalm many times, but have never felt the severity in it until I heard it from Max's lips.  Click here to listen to Max's reading.

In Psalm 50 (ESV), God speaks through the lips of Asaph, who is not just a psalmist, but a prophet.  Verses 1 and 2 make you think that this is going to be a lovely psalm, evoking images of sunrises, the perfection of beauty, and God shining forth.  Yet the tone quickly changes in verse 3, where God is surrounded by a mighty tempest, and before Him goes a devouring fire.  From this moment, we know that God is about to tell us some difficult things.  Verses 4-6 identify God as the Judge.

4 He calls to the heavens above
    and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me my faithful ones,
    who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
    for God himself is judge! 

But in this case, God is not only the judge; He is also the Prosecuting Attorney.  Verse 7 says:

7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
    O Israel, I will testify against you.
    I am God, your God.

What could it be that God has against His people, that would arouse such anger and retribution?  The people think that they are doing everything right, just because they are carrying out the prescribed religious rituals.  God acknowledges that they haven't wavered in this, and that their cultic acts are not the reason for the rebuke that He is about to give.  Verse 8 says:

8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
    your burnt offerings are continually before me.

Yet, for God, ritualistic observance is not enough.  He wants more than vain religion.  He wants sincerity of heart, thanksgiving, obedience, and total dependence on Him.  Without these things, all the religion in the world is worth nothing.

9 I will not accept a bull from your house
    or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
    the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the hills,
    and all that moves in the field is mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
    and perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Then, God enumerates His grievances against His people.

16 But to the wicked God says:
    “What right have you to recite my statutes
    or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline,
    and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
    and you keep company with adulterers.

19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
    you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
    you thought that I[c] was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God,
    lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!

Truly, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God (Hebrews 10:31)!  When you've got the Judge acting as the Prosecuting Attorney, can there be any hope for you?  Ah, yes--there is good news at the end of the psalm.  Verse 23 says:

23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
    to one who orders his way rightly
    I will show the salvation of God!”

Here, the word "thanksgiving" means more than a national holiday.  It represents the fullness of a right relationship with God, in which the believer recognizes total dependence on the Lord, and gratitude for what God has done.  Then, out of the overflow of that right relationship with God comes the natural result of a well-ordered life.  Here, we see a balanced approach to life, a harmony of faith (here, represented by a relationship with God marked by thanksgiving) and works (evidenced by right living).  True faith is revealed by works.  Righteousness should be the result of, and not the price paid for, salvation.  

I hope that your life shows a balance of faith and works, of thanksgiving and righteousness.  I pray that you know the salvation of God, and that you'll listen to the words of the prophet-psalmist Asaph as he speaks for the Lord and delivers God's message to you today.