On Sunday night we were looking at Matthew 7:1-6 and exploring Jesus command not to judge others, we saw particularly how it was a command and reminder to watch our hearts. Judgementalism is the result of pride or thoughts of being more spiritual than others, rather than having the gospel hearted attitude Jesus expounds in 5v3-14 of being poor in spirit, mourning sin, meekness, desiring righteousness, mercy, purity of heart and pursuit of peace. Being judgemental flies in the face of each of those; it presupposes that I have arrived whereas someone else has not, it asserts my spiritual superiority over someone else, it is critical not merciful, it is smugly self righteous not seeking God's righteousness, it is a failure to mourn our sin instead replacing it with comfort that we don't struggle with so and so's sins. I want to just explore some possible ways we judge others:
1. Applying a passage to someone else
We've all done it, you read some thing in the bible and immediately think this is for so and so, in fact we may even text it to them to encourage them. Nothing wrong with that except if we apply it to them and fail to apply it to ourselves. We may find ourselves doing the same with bible teaching we hear, we sit and listen to it and feel this is just what _____ needs to hear right now. Neatly skipping over the application to our own hearts and lives. Jesus warns us that if we do so we are hypocrites.
2. Weighing others love for Jesus
Have you ever found yourself assessing how much someone else loves Jesus? Distinctively we do so by assuming that the way they will show their passion for Jesus and love for the gospel will be exactly the same way we do so. If we are quick to discuss things we others we will think that is the distinctive of a passion and love for Jesus. If we are reflective and prayerful as a natural response then we will assume that true love for Jesus will be shown that way. When others don't respond to the gospel as we would do we may find ourselves questioning their love for Jesus and their passion for the gospel. But we need to recognise this for the judgemental attitude it really is.
3. Assigning motives
Man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart, so goes a song on a CD our boys have. And yet though we know this truth in its Davidic context we are quick to forget it in our dealings with others, instead assigning motives to their every action and reaction. The question is how often are those motives generous and gracious and how often are they harsh and critical? We look at the outside God knows that persons heart, that is why God is judge and we are not.
4. Grading sin
We all know theologically that all sin is equal, all sin is an offence to God. But if asked you right now to name the three worst sins what would you say? What is your instinctive reaction? If I asked you if there are sins which you find hard to forgive, what would your answer be? Do we use those sins as a barometer of someones spirituality? Jesus warns us not to.
There are lots more ways we are tempted to be judgemental of our brothers and sisters, to point the finger and pass judgement, but each time we find ourselves doing so it ought to remind us that sin lurks in our hearts. It ought to drive me back to God in prayer and to his provision of forgiveness in his Son.
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