Judging Others is a Slippery Slope

“Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Matthew 7

This passage may be one of the most misunderstood texts in the Bible. You frequently hear people that are caught in adultery, or some other sin, try to use this passage to defend themselves.  Going to the other extreme, many judgmental and legalistic Christians pretend it does not exist.

Jesus is not saying that we can’t call sin “sin”. He is not saying that we cannot hold others accountable for their sin. That view point would pretty much contradict the entire Bible. Galatians 6 instructs us that we are to even to go those stuck in sin and try to gently restore them. (Gal 6:1)

So what is this passage teaching about judging others?  Let’s look at three things Jesus instructs us on when it comes to judging others:

1.      Take care of your own relationship with God. “First take the log out of your own eye.” No one ever commits their lives to Christ without having many areas in  which they need to grow. The top priority for all disciples of Jesus is to examine their own lives in light of scripture, and then change as necessary to conform their lives to Christ.

2.      Avoid hypocrisy.  The most judgmental Christians are often the ones that are stuck in perpetual immaturity. They have confessed Christ for years but don’t have much to show for it. These people often like to find flaws in others to make themselves feel better about their own relationship, or lack thereof, with Christ.  

3.      If you are to judge, remember that the same standard of judgment you use on others is going to be applied to you. That means if you judge someone by external appearances, for example, you are going to have to stand next to that same measuring stick. If you judge the inside by the outside, then you will be measured in the same way.

Judgment is a slippery slope, and it is hard to engage in it without taking a fall yourself.  Going outside of what is obvious sin and judging by external appearance is bound to come back to you.  

Why Christians should “Save Saeed”

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

³ As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.⁴ Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Acts 9:1-3

Before the Apostle Paul was the Apostle Paul he was Saul of Tarsus. Saul was so zealous for Judaism that he dedicated his life to stamping out “any who were of the Way” (Christians). This meant he subjected those professing faith in Christ to beating, imprisonment and even death.   

Saul actually became a convert to Christianity, when in dramatic fashion; he encountered the living risen Lord Jesus.  Notice that Jesus said to him “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Jesus didn’t say “why are you persecuting My followers?”, but “why are you persecuting Me?” According to Jesus, when His people are persecuted, He is being persecuted.

As Christians we should not be indifferent to the persecution of believers around the world. Not only are our brothers and sisters in Christ suffering, but Christ is being persecuted. When we stand for the persecuted we are taking a stand for Christ. “³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matt. 25)

One of the many persecuted Christians in the world today is a man named Saeed Abedini. Saeed is an Iranian American pastor imprisoned in Iran for sharing his faith in Christ. Saeed has been in prison since September of 2012. According to Fox News, last January he was sentenced to “eight years in prison for threatening the national security of Iran through his leadership in Christian house churches.”[1]  Because of his faith in Christ, Saeed has endured numerous life-threatening beatings while imprisoned.

How can you stand for Saeed? Commit to praying for Saeed’s strengthening while in prison. Pray for his release. Take part in a prayer vigil that Saeed’s wife, Nagmeh, is organizing on September 26^th. You can also go to savesaeed.org to sign a petition for Saeed’s release, or write him a letter in prison.

Remember, what we do for the least of our brethren we do for Jesus.

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[1]  http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/27/iran-sentences-american-pastor-saeed-abedini-to-8-years-in-prison/#ixzz2aR2VIA7g

Redeeming Time

¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

I believe that the Lord is coming back in my lifetime. If you snicker at that thought, recognize that no matter what, your time on earth is limited. The Lord may not come back in your lifetime, but your lifespan has an end. One day you will stand before the Lord. Not only is our time on earth limited, but it’s moving by very quickly. We’ve all had the feeling that time is slipping away. Seems like just yesterday I was twenty. For some of you it seems like you were just forty but now you are sixty. Time goes by and we can’t get it back.

The Bible tells us to not take our time on earth for granted and to make the most of the time we have. The wisdom of the world tells us to be preoccupied with making money and finding ways to use it on our selfish desires. God’s wisdom tells us to look for ways to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. Life, although short, is full of opportunities to serve God. Make the best use of the precious time you have -- reach out to the lost, encourage believers, and worship God.

Contemplate this: When we spend our time living for ourselves, we know that time is running out -- time is our enemy. When our time runs out, the party is over.  However, when we spend our time living for the coming Kingdom, time is our friend. The more time passes by, the closer we are to our heavenly reward which will last forever.

Saved For Works Not By Works

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Eph. 2:8-10

We are not saved by works. No amount of works we can do will earn our salvation with God. We are saved because we trust in what Jesus did on the cross for us.

However, the fact that we are not saved by works, does not mean that we are not to do them.  We are not saved by works, we are saved for works.  Jesus said “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:16)   Our good works demonstrate God’s workmanship. When we encounter the Living God, we don’t stay the same—we are forever changed. A tree that was once barren and dead is now alive and bearing good fruit. 

We do need to decide to “walk” in good works. Look for opportunities to serve others and demonstrate God’s love to them. God gives us chances every day to do good works. Pray that God will open your eyes to see the opportunities you have to carry out the good works He has prepared you to do. 

A Biblical Look at Same Sex Marriage

⁴ And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made  them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matt 19:4-6

Same Sex Marriage (SSM) is a hot topic today. Should people of the same sex be allowed to marry one another? Everyone has an opinion on the subject. Presidents, congressmen, rock stars, celebrities, talk show hosts and pastors all have something to say about Same Sex Marriage

I believe the Bible is God’s written Word and I believe it is God’s Word that should dictate our morals, ethics and behaviors. The Word of God is not silent on the subject of marriage.  I see at the very least two principles that can be drawn from God’s counsel about marriage and more specifically Same Sex Marriage.

1. Marriage is God’s institution. Marriage is not something that our society thought of. It is as old as humanity.  At the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, God instituted marriage. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.(Gen 2:24) So we must first remember that marriage is God’s institution, and defining it is not up to us or even the Supreme Court.  Marriage is God’s alone.  God created it, designed it and He gets to define it.  

2. God defines marriage as being between man and woman. “Have you not read that He who made  them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? It is pretty strait forward in the Bible.  Marriage is designed to be between man and woman. Anything other than that is simply outside of what God instituted.

If you disagree with me on this, I still love you. I believe what the Bible says about marriage, but I also believe that God has called me to love. The Bible teaches that we are to love even those who oppose us. Some would argue that by disagreeing with supporters of SSM, I am not being loving. However, I believe not only that God solely has the right to define marriage, but that His ways are the best for us. To be silent would display indifference and indifference is not love.

God’s Word tells us that marriage is a covenant between a man and woman. In holding to God’s Word, we are doing not only what honors God and what is best for our society, but also what is best for us as individuals. 

Trusting God to Meet Your Needs

²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?... ³¹ “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Matt 6:28, 31, 32

Believer, you have great value in the eyes of the Creator.  Jesus says so. Not only are you created in the image of God, but God gave His one and only Son to redeem you.  If God takes great care to feed the birds, that are neither created in His image nor redeemed by His Son, how much more do you think He will care for you?  Romans 8 says it this way “³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” God is in tune with your needs and will meet them.

Most Christians are aware that Jesus says we can trust our Heavenly Father to meet our needs; however, we still worry about having our basic needs met.  Here are two reasons we may do this:   First we refuse to take Jesus at His word. We think somehow the Word doesn’t apply to us or our specific need.  Jesus said it, but somehow we’re the exception. Another is doubt in the goodness of God. God’s goodness is the baseline for His provision for us. Good, loving fathers provide for their children. When we doubt that God will provide for us, we doubt His goodness.

The truth is that even if we believe God will meet our needs, we don’t want to be in a position to have to trust God for His provision. We’d rather have three years’ salary in the bank than have to trust God for our daily bread. That is unfortunate because the foundation of our relationship with the Lord is trust. We believe God, we trust God, but we don’t want to have to depend on Him.  However, the more we trust in God, the more we know Him, the closer we come to Him. “Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him” (James 2:5)

Don’t view having to trust God for your next meal, your mortgage payment, your health, your child’s care as something unfortunate. View it for what it really is--a chance to know your Heavenly Father in a deeper more intimate way. 

Much More to Life

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Matt. 6:25

When Jesus spoke these words 2000 years ago, His original audience was just worried about having food to sustain their lives and clothes to put on their back.  Most people reading this article today don’t worry about going to bed hungry or having something to wear, but worry  about eating at nice restaurants or having a closet full of fine clothes.  To put it another way, we worry about our standard of living not about living.

America is past the point of becoming a materialistic society, it is a materialistic society.  Today most Americans are immersed in materialism from birth--so much so that it seems normal to us.  Materialism drives our economy.

When Jesus asks the rhetorical question “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” the assumed answer is an obvious yes.  Life is much more than food and the body much more than clothes. Material things never satisfy the soul. You can have all the food you want and not be fulfilled. You can own many wardrobes full of clothes but your heart will not be content.

In Luke 10:38-42, Martha busied herself with much serving. Mary spent her time sitting at the Lord’s feet.  According to the Lord, Mary chose wisely. She chose what would not be taken away from her. Clothes fade and the pleasure of food is momentary, but a relationship with Jesus is truly satisfying and is eternal. 

Only in a real relationship with God will your heart truly be satisfied and content. Instead of pursuing material things, pursue spiritual things. Pursue Jesus.