Tag: judging others

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1 John Devotionals

Loving? Or stumbling around?

Love

The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. (1 John 2:9-10)

I think it’s often easy for us to skip over these verses because we think to ourselves, “No problem. I don’t hate anyone.”

Maybe we don’t hate them.

But how often do we judge them?

Or how often do we fail to truly forgive them?

I was thinking of four people today. I don’t hate them, but whenever I think about them, I tend to stumble around a lot in my heart. Which probably means I don’t love them as I should.

So this morning, I’ve been praying that God would get my heart right towards them.

How about you? Is there anyone that God is putting on your heart right now?

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Matthew Devotionals

Seeing our own sins

Matthew

Yesterday, I was reflecting on Matthew 6:22-23, thinking about how healthy my spiritual eyesight is.

Part of that is my ability to see my own sins and faults. It’s so easy to see other people’s sins and faults, and not see my own. (Matthew 7:1-5)

And as the old saying goes, there’s no worse deception than self-deception. When you’re self-deceived, as Jesus says, “how deep is that darkness.” (Matthew 6:23)

(O Lord.) Who perceives his unintentional sins?

Cleanse me from my hidden faults.

Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins;
do not let them rule me.

Then I will be blameless
and cleansed from blatant rebellion.

May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:12-14)

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Romans Devotionals

Acting as judge?

Romans

In a lot of ways, Paul’s words echo Jesus’: “Don’t judge or you will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1-5)

But what does that mean?

Many people take it as, “Don’t ever point out my sin. Don’t ever call what I do sinful.”

But that’s not what Jesus or Paul are saying.

What they are saying is, “Never act as a judge who has never sinned yourself. Before you point out other people’s sins, look at your own. And repent.”

When we do that, several things happen.

First, we become humble. There’s no way we can look down on other people for their sins because we are so aware of our own.

Second, we understand so much better the kindness, restraint, and patience that God shows us, causing us to show that same kindness, restraint, and patience when we see others.

Third, instead of merely condemning others for their sins, we seek their repentance so that their relationship with God may be restored, just as ours was.

But what happens when we fail to see our own sins and repent?

We set ourselves up to be judged by God.

Again, merely pointing out other’s sins is not judging them. You cannot call someone to repentance without pointing out their sin.

But if all we’re ever doing is condemning people for their sin without the faintest hint of compassion for them, we’ve forgotten the heart of Jesus. We’ve forgotten his mission.

It wasn’t to condemn people. It was to save people. (John 3:17)

By his great kindness, he led us to repentance and saved us.

Do people see that same kindness in us?

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James

How true faith expresses itself (part 7)

James

Having addressed hearts that had been polluted by their love for the world, James now gets back to the tongue and how polluted hearts can affect it.

James talked earlier about how they were always fighting and quarreling among themselves and how that caused them to hate each other.

Literally he says, “kill,” but I highly doubt they were actually killing each other. Rather, I think they were killing each other in their hearts.

Why do people murder? Because they despise others in their hearts. They treat them as something less than someone created in the image of God. That’s why Jesus said,

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.”

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

Again, anyone who says to his brother, “Raca” is answerable to the Sanhedrin.

But anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21-22)

Here you see Jesus equating harboring anger in your hearts toward others, and as a result despising them, with murder.

I think James was doing the same. The people were so in love with the world, they started to envy and despise those who had more than they did. And that led them to say things they shouldn’t. To slander others and call them fools or worse.

So James says,

Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.

When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. (James 4:11)

So often when we talk about not judging others, we think of not judging their sins.

But here, I’m not so sure James is talking about judging people’s sins. I think he’s talking about judging them in terms of calling people “fools,” or “no-good,” or the like.

We saw another case of this in chapter two, when people in the church were sitting in judgment on the poor, despising them and giving more honor to others simply because they were rich.

So what James is saying is, “Don’t you dare judge people and see them as anything less than people created in God’s image.

“God’s law says you are to love them as yourself. God law says that you are not to despise or slander them in any way.

“And when you have the gall to judge them and see them as anything less than people created in his image, you speak against the law and judge it. You’re not keeping the law; you’re judging God’s law as not worth keeping.”

James then warns,

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you — who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:12)

In short, there is only one lawgiver and judge, and that’s not you.

So get off your high horse, and as James said in verse 10, humble yourself before the Lord. Stop acting and speaking as if you’re so much better than others. You’re not.

How about you? How does your faith express itself when it comes to dealing with people?

Do you sit on judgment on others, calling them no good? Calling them stupid? Wishing they were dead?

Or does it express itself with the love, mercy, and grace that God gave you?

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Job

Judging others

Job

The assault on Job and his character continues.

This time Zophar takes his shots, and he basically continues the line started by his friends.  Namely, that Job must have sinned and that God is punishing for him it.

And after a scathing reply mocking their wisdom and refuting the idea that he himself was ignorant of God’s power and wisdom, Job goes on to say,

But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God.

You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!  If only you would be altogether silent!  For you, that would be wisdom.

Hear now my argument; listen to the pleas of my lips.  Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?  Will you speak deceitfully for him?  Will you show him partiality?  Will you argue the case for God?

Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?

He would surely call you to account if you secretly showed partiality.  Would not his splendor terrify you?  Would not the dread of him fall on you?  (Job 13:3-11)

In other words, Job was saying, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.  You claim I’ve sinned when I haven’t.  I’d rather speak to God.  At least I know he’s fair.

How would you feel if God were to put you on trial?  How well could you stand up before him?”

And Job was right.  They were making baseless accusations against Job.  And if God had called them to the dock, they would not have stood at all.  We actually see this at the end of the book.

We would do well to remember the dangers of judging others.

Sometimes people do the same thing to others that Job’s friends did to him.  They’ll say things like “The reason you are sick and are not getting healed is because you don’t have enough faith.  If you had enough faith, God would heal you.”

Even worse are those that would say as Job’s friends did, “You must be hiding some secret sin.  That’s why you’re sick.”

But God will call to account all who judge others without basis.

Paul wrote,

You, then, why do you judge your brother?  Or why do you look down on your brother?  For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

It is written:  “‘As surely as I live, says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’ ”

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.  Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.

Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.  (Romans 14:10-13)

Paul, of course, is specifically talking about not judging people concerning disputable matters.  Paul does say in other passages, however, that if a person is clearly in sin, we are to confront them (I Corinthians 5).

But we have no business passing judgment on people, making blanket statements about their spiritual lives when we have no evidence of wrongdoing.

Because when we do, instead of helping our brother or sister, we put a stumbling block before them in their walk with God, just as Job’s friends did with him.  And God will call you to account for that.

How about you? Are you passing judgment on others without basis?

Jesus tells us,

Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.  (John 7:24)