Jesus said, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." The question is this: Are these words from Christ life-giving or condemning? Well, the answer lies in the response of the hearer. If you repent, you spend eternal life with God; if you continue to be your own god, you will feel condemned…and rightly so. This feeling should lead you ultimately back to a rightful fear of God and the consequences of rebellion, and therefore lead you to repentance and eternal life. God is the genius behind behavior modification. An enemy of God will block the beauty of this process that was set up by God by taking away the consequences of the wrong behavior! For example, an enemy might say, "God knows and understands and does not expect you to be sin free - that is what the blood of Christ is for." The TRUTH is that anyone who continues in sin is not even born again! (1 John 3:6-10) The other approach of an enemy of Christ (and they might not even know that they are an enemy) is to teach people that condemnation should never come from a "true" Christian. How deceitful. These blind guides are falling into a pit and leading others to follow suit. So answer for yourself. If Jesus or anyone else told you to get out of the middle of the road because a Mack truck was headed directly for you, is that condemning or saving news?
If the message of "cut your hand off if it causes you to sin" is condemning, then Jesus Himself was condemning. The question rather should be, "Does God condemn people, and does He call US to judge and condemn so as to save someone from the wrong path?" The answer is clear. Take a look at the instructions He gave the seventy-two in Luke 10:8-15: "…but when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near'. I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths." These are the words of Jesus Christ - our Author of life - the One we are to copy. Is it wrong to obey the Lord and warn people of God's wrath and the consequences of a stubborn heart? Of course not! This is ultimate love, for one must lay down their life, reputation, popularity, friendships, etc. to pronounce the judgment and condemnation of God. This person loves you more than their own life. Persecution is usually inevitable for the person who loves others this much, loves them enough to tell them the Truth. Jesus was crucified for giving such warnings, and John the Baptist lost his head.
Look at the method, the tone, and the words of John the Baptist: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance… The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire…His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.' And with many words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them." (Luke 3:7,9,17,18) Do you see the word "good news?" Do you feel the same way? The only reason that you would feel to the contrary is if you did not want to repent. Do you see how you then become an enemy to God without even knowing it? This is not condemnation - this is good news! I love obedience! I can't wait to find it, and I want more from where that came from. Give me the commands of God so that I can DO them, for they are more rewarding than anything in the world!
Likewise, in Acts 2, was Peter wrong to "pierce them to the heart?" Rather, should we not be thankful to the person who is not on earth for a popularity contest, but rather loves you more than himself by telling you the hard truth that you must repent or perish? If someone feels convicted, they are going to have to change themselves or blame the messenger. But the person who is wise will thank the messenger for calling it what is was: a SIN before God that needs to be repented of. See Proverbs 9:7, 10, 13.
What about judging? What the counterfeit church has planted in your heads that you are not to judge others - and it is true that you are not to judge how someone bows down to God. But we are to clearly commanded by God to diagnose or judge those inside the church who are caught up in sin. The Apostle Paul taught and commanded: "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you." (1 Corinthians 5:12) Yes, we are commanded to judge those inside the church, and we are commanded not to even eat or associate with someone who calls himself a brother yet is sinful (vs 11).
For the record, Remnant Fellowships teach you to examine your own life and to stay focused on your own heart and present it clean before the Lord. We have never turned a repentant heart away. Galatians 6 teaches us to be gentle when a brother is caught up in a sin. The result of mercy and love with a commitment to God above man is beautiful. People are changing from one glory to another glory -- no one remains the same. We must be doing the will of God. Even the enemies to this movement have to admit that they have changed or laid down sin from this teaching. Some people clean out the heart only to experience seven more demons entering (Matthew 12:43-45). Fruit is the key to knowing when God is blessing something or not (Matthew 7:20). Unchanged lives are the defining characteristic of dead churches. People who do not want to lay down sin HAVE to condemn this message of Christ and His true followers, or otherwise they would feel the conviction! Their projection numbs that pain of conviction.
Obedience condemns disobedience. Noah condemned the whole world by his righteousness and faithfulness to God (Hebrews 11:7). The "A" student condemns the "C" student. Why? Because that person (the A student) can give the Great Professor what He actually asked for. Abel could give God what He asked for. So, Cain hated Abel and killed Abel. It is one thing to not give God what He has asked for...it is another to kill and try to murder (with words or otherwise) the person who obeys and preaches obedience to the Creator. God is watching.