by Dave Schultz
Judge With Righteous Judgement
To call God the Lord confesses His authority.
To call ourselves His children implies a duty to obey.
To believe He speaks to Man, is to strain to hear His voice.
To believe Him eternal is to look to Him for truth.
We honor Him as Maker when we wisely use our freedom.
We honor Him as Savior when we become a useful Church.
It is a disquieting time: The world has rocked the Church.
Shall we respond with timidity, or authority?
Will we succumb to worldliness in the name of freedom,
Or are there still commandments that we treasure and obey?
Do we allow them to believe there’s no absolute Truth,
Or proclaim “He has risen!” with a strong, united voice?
Peril arises when each man wants to add his own voice.
Are we a thousand congregations, or one Holy Church?
Confusion occurs, when opinions are piled over truth,
And every new preacher claims prophetic authority.
If we cloud the gospel, inventing doctrines to obey,
Will the world not be tempted to misuse the same freedom?
Faith becomes one choice among many, in a world of freedom.
When views conflict, itching ears tend to seek out a pleasant voice,
Offering them conveniently hand-picked fashions to obey:
“Judge not that ye be not judged,” they warn--while judging the Church
For daring to ask that men yield to God’s authority;
For opposing the lie that each soul creates its own truth.
Unless men also can create worlds, we cannot touch Truth.
Some resent rigid values as an affront to freedom--
But one replaces them by what moral authority?
Bleating “It’s true for me” does not make a compelling voice
Next to the resurrection miracle that grew a church,
Or the parting of seas that caused a nation to obey!
Reality is what God makes it. We ought then to obey
Our natural longing to know God and to learn His truth.
Wisdom may not be bounded by a particular church,
But it is bounded by God--without whom, moral freedom
Is merely our capacity to err. Heed then His voice,
And tremble in the presence of the Highest authority.
Who are we to judge other men’s freedom? We are “the church
of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth!” Our voice
Is charged with His authority, and the prudent shall obey.