So where does this leave us? Where do we fall on this pendulum of Christian thought? Is there a happy median between killing people or looking down on people and just ignoring people's sin b/c we don't want to judge? Absolutely there is! We have spent generations learning and being taught that God doesn't want us to stand up for ourselves, and we were taught wrong. Now a word of warning before you re-read that last sentence and begin judging; God is the supreme Judge and when He returns He'll definitely be doing the judging for everything.
So we've been taught that we just sit in our happy little church buildings and when someone says something just keep our mouths shut because if we say anything then we're being judgmental and God teaches us not to. Here is the verse from Matthew that is often misused for this.
Do Not Judge Others
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others.[a] The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.[b]
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye[c] when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend,[d] ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy.[e] Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
So it clearly says that we shouldn't Judge but it also says you'll be treated the way you treat others...it says the standard you use to judge will be applied to you. So what if God is saying not to mistreat people for what they are doing! That changes a few things doesn't it? What if our idea of judging isn't the same as what we think? Seems that God wants us to treat others well. This idea leads right into Jesus talking about the greatest commandment in Matthew 22. If God wants us to love above all else, maybe treating others by talking to them about sin is love. God seems very clear that we should deal with our own sin before helping someone else with theirs.
So lets rethink Judgment. What if our idea of judgment isn't correct and it's more about treatment of the person with their sin than deciding and condemning the person for it. It's a good thought and worth the rethink!
God Rocks, JW
