How many among us think we are righteous? If we feel that way, then we
must ask ourselves if we have ever judged anyone. How can we be
righteous if we are not living in harmony with others?
I noticed
that many members leave the church when their pastor resigns and a new
pastor comes in. They haven't even met this poor lad and he is condemned
because he is new, even though he may have had many years of experience.
I wonder if we go to church for the pastor or to worship our Heavenly
Father? The new pastor is judged before he even shows up!
How
many among us would like to destroy prostitution homes? Where is love
when our purpose is to destroy? What about these prostitutes? Do we even
know how they ended up in this lifestyle? What about those who were
abused by their fathers? What about those who were abandoned by their
parents? Don't they have real needs as well? Most of these ladies of the
night have never experienced genuine love. Do they deserve to be
condemned?
How would we react if someone introduces us to his
third wife? Would we condemn him or would we open our arms wide? I have
a colleague who just married her third husband. What we don't know is
that her two former husbands both passed away.
Would we like to
know the view of Jesus about this? Here it is: "The woman replied, 'I
don't have a husband.' Jesus told her, 'You're right when you say that
you don't have a husband. You've had five husbands, and the man you have
now isn't your husband. You've told the truth'...Many Samaritans in
that city believed in Jesus because of the woman who said, 'He told me
everything I've ever done.'" (John 4:17-18, 39 GW) Remember that
Samaritans were considered underlings. They were not Israelites in the
eyes of the Pharisees, and they were considered sinners; yet did you
notice that Jesus never condemned her? Instead He gave her hope, and as
a result, she believed in Jesus and motivated many Samaritans to accept
Him as well.
Condemning people leads nowhere. It closes the doors
to forgiveness and leaves people wanting. Instead, Jesus led the
Samaritan woman to the flowing waters of the Holy Spirit. She didn't
even know that she was thirsting for our Heavenly Father, but Jesus led
her to the One who would fill her with genuine love.
We read the
news, and before we have all the facts, we condemn. We judge our kids,
we judge our spouse (which can easily end up in a loveless marriage). Is
this how the righteous honor our Heavenly Father?
What about
those who have hurt us? Do we have the right to condemn them as well?
Haven't we hurt people before? The problem with us is that we focus way
too much on ourselves, and this leads to a blurry image of reality. For
example, a colleague has been fired. Our first thoughts are: "I am glad
it was not me! This person probably made a big mistake!" But did he? Do
we have any proof?
Judging ended when Jesus came into our
neighborhood. Let's read this Bible verse, over and over again: "God
sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the
world." (John 3:17 GW) If Jesus, the only pure man in history, did not
come to condemn, why should we ignore him by condemning others? Are our
sins not as bad as those of other people? "We have all strayed like
sheep. Each one of us has turned to go his own way, and the LORD has
laid all our sins on him." (Isaiah 53:6 GW) Exactly. Jesus took all our
sins and left it on the cross. He paid with His life for our sins. All
of us. No one is exempted. We are forgiven for good! "Therefore there is
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin
and of death." (Romans 8:1-2 NASB) We are free from our guilt!
Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus!
If Jesus did not come to condemn,
why should we condemn?
If Jesus loved everyone genuinely, why
should we hate? Haven't we ourselves made a lot of blunders? Yet our
Father still loves us: "This is good and pleases God our Savior. He
wants all people to be saved and to learn the truth." (1 Timothy 2:3-4 GW) We either condemn like the Pharisees or we love genuinely like our
Savior. What's your choice?
Rob Chaffart
Guilty
Today's Bible Verse:
"Stop judging, and you will never be judged. Stop condemning, and
you will never be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke
6:37 GW)
Guilty!
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