Hillsong’s Judah Smith Says “Jesus is Not Your Judge” BY NEWS DIVISION

Found here. My comments in bold.

-----------------

We don't intend to defend Judah Smith or Hillsongs, we intend to evaluate the author's statements.

Quick to sniff out any hint of heresy, this author smugly jumps to a conclusion not warranted by the facts or the testimony of Scripture. It's these sorts of things that discredit the Doctrinal Police, who apparently don't take time to think things through.

Or perhaps, the author is ignorant of the nature of God's judgment. He thinks Christians will be judged. But it is the unrighteous that will be judged, while it is the deeds of  Christians that will be judged.

Jn. 12:47-48 As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.

1Co. 3:12-15 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 

1Pe. 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

Further, Scripture expressly states that those who believe His word have already received life and will not face condemnation.

Jn. 5:22-24 Moreover, the Father judges no-one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

Christians are already in heaven when the unrighteous are judged.

Re. 6:10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

Obvious conclusion: God judges the unrighteous, but He judges the deeds of the righteous. Judah Smith's tweet is 100% correct.
-------------------

Hillsong is known for lots of things. Among secular culture, Hillsong is known as the celebrity-saturated, music-drive pop-culture venue that is spreading like wildfire throughout the world. Among discerning Christians, Hillsong is known for dancing naked cowboys, sleazy Christmas cabarets, pedophilia cover-ups, gay worship leaders, sticking up for abortion, and really, really bad theology.

As a case-in-point on the latter, the characterstically (sic) bad theology of Hillsong’s pastors, we bring to your attention to lastest (sic) jaw-dropping, cringe-worthy theological failure of celeb-bedazzled Hillsong-affiliated pastor, Judah Smith.

Smith is the lead pastor of The City Church (Churchome Global) in Seattle, a church heavily affiliated with the Hillsong mothership in Australia. Smith is featured on the Hillsong website, speaks at their conferences, contributes to their websites and publications, and is considered a part of the “Hillsong family.” Smith is also one of the pastors written about in Vice Magazine as “one of the evangelical celebrities dominating Hollywood.” He is regularly seen with his protege, Justin Beiber alongside another Hillsong pastor, Carl Lentz.

And just yesterday, Smith tweeted out this insanely unbiblical comment.

The controversy here is in relation to Smith’s assertion, “[Jesus] is not your judge.”

Of course, Jesus is your judge. It seems that evangelical pop-culture has gone from claiming in libertine defiance, “Only God can judge me” to “Not even God will judge me.”

The Bible – that book with the leather cover and shiny pages, should Judah Smith forget what it looks like – begs to differ on the subject of Jesus being our judge. (Withering sarcasm, a very unchristian attitude.)

“And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.” – Acts 10:38 (Um, that's Acts 10:42. He is indeed the judge of the living and the dead. What He will judge needs to be explained.) 

Or how about…

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. – 2 Corinthians 5:10 (Ah, so Christians' deeds will be judged.)

Or maybe…

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son…and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. – John 5:22 & 27 (Again, we agree He will judge. Again, what he judges is important.)

Also…

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. – Revelation 19:11 (He wages war against the unrighteous. It is nonsense to think Jesus wages war on the children of God.)

Jesus as the judge of the quick (living) and the dead is a pretty important part of his Lordship over all the heavens and Earth.

Dear reader, please know that in spite of the theological vapidity of Judah Smith, we can assure you that Jesus is most assuredly your judge. (The author never documented this.)

You must find the true Gospel, the faith in which can allow you to escape his judgment unscathed. You will not find that Gospel preached by Judah Smith or so many other celebrity pastors.

Find your way to a small, forgotten church where the light still shines from the windows on Sunday morning. Walk in and ask to hear what you won’t hear from the celebrity megachurches…God’s Word and the Good News.