The Lord detests murmuring. He hates it so much that He sent fire among the Israelites because of their murmurings (Numbers 11:1). In the New Testament, He warned believers to avoid falling prey to the same sin as the Israelites (1 Corinthians 10:1-14). Additionally, New Testament believers are admonished to do all things without murmurings (Philippians 2:14-16). People murmur as they focus on events within their lives rather than upon the Lord and His word. Yet, the Christian’s life events are ultimately brought to pass, either directly or indirectly, by a loving and caring God. The Lord abhors murmuring because it directly insults His working and provision in our lives.
One of the most misunderstood, misquoted, and abused truths of scripture revolves around whether or not a person should judge. Contrary to popular teaching, all believers are instructed to judge all things (1 Corinthians 2:15). Yet, how a person judges makes the judgment scriptural or unscriptural. Judging with equity involves incorporating an unwavering standard by which to judge. When emotion, modern thought, and one’s educational attainments form the foundational basis for how someone judges, the standards are ever changing and never consistently applied. They rarely yield an equitable outcome. Therefore, it is important to consult an unwavering standard concerning every decision and matter. This standard must be something perfect without possibility of corruption. Only one standard consistently fits this mold, and, of course, it is the Bible. The word of God remains the standard by which the saints will be judged and the only viable source by which all things should and must be judged while on earth (John 12:48).
Some Bible words are more difficult than others to define in the strictest sense; equity is one such word. Yet, the Lord provides enough information for any diligent student willing to compare spiritual things with spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:13). In Isaiah 59:14, the word equity relates to judgment, justice, and truth. The fact that the word equity occurs only ten times in scripture links it indirectly with the Ten Commandments. Within those ten occurrences, the word basically involves judging with equality based upon a just standard. Additionally, Judges 1:7 and 2 Chronicles 6:23 reveal that the related word requite means to get even or to return evenly. The Lord will prove in the future that this is the standard by which He judges (Psalm 98:9). Since believers are to be Christlike, this too should be true of His faithful followers.
