We Judge

Romans 2:1-4
You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God's judgment when you do the same things? Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (NLT)

It is easy to read this and other letters about Paul's adventures in the first century and think of it as just that. They are interesting reads and tell us about what was happening way back then. But why it is there? Why were these letters included in the New Testament for us to read thousands of years later? Was it for a history lesson? I do not think so.

I look at each book in the New Testament as a word to me. Those words were placed there for me to read and they are to have an effect on how I live my life. They are words of encouragement and words of correction. What we see in them depends on where we are in our walk with Christ. Since each day we are one step further along, those same words can take on an entirely different meaning. Words read before now jump out at us like a blinking neon sign.

Read the first sentence again. We judge and love to listen to others judging. How many of us spend time during the day listening to the news or talk radio? What is that but judgment or news that lends itself to us judging those being reported about? We condemn others without know them or the facts. We depend on what others tell us on television news stations.

We have been taught to judge. The competition in life places us on the winning or loosing side. We judge people in politics taking sides even after the election is over. And yet the next sentence tells us our sin of judging is just as bad as what we are agreeing to condemn another for.

Sin is sin and God does not like sin. Only He can judge and it is up to Him to inflict punishment on those who do such things. So judging another because of what they do is as bad in His eyes as the sin we were judging!

It is hard for us as human beings not to sin. Remember the first Adam. He was born without sin and yet he fell into temptation and sinned. In fact, it is impossible for us not to sin. Thank God that He sent His Son Jesus to show us the way to eternal life. Thank Jesus for taking all our sins to the cross that day and freeing us from that bondage. We were forgiven at the cross and continue to be forgiven thanks to that one act.

God is love. He is wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient with each of us. And we are to show His love in all we do including how we view others. We are to look past their sin to the child of God inside and love them. We are to love the person not their sin. We are to be Jesus to those around us wherever the Holy Spirit leads us to go.