Logs

It seems like I hear a lot of Christians judging others in our world and in our churches. I believe

this is just a distraction from the enemy. This judgment comes from a fleshly attitude about life itself. Matthew 7: 1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. ² For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. ³ “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? ⁴ How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘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.

When I break this apart, some truths definitely speak out to me, and since I have been judged before by some people, it hits home for me to not do any judging, but to do more loving. Not acceptance of sinful people, but not circumventing God's grace either. When I judge, I am trying to believe in my mind that I am like God, and better than other Christians or lost people as well. There is only one God, and I am not Him. Jesus says this in the most clear terms possible, where He says, Matthew 7: 1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. ² For you will be treated as you treat others. You are not treating someone very well when you judge them, lost or saved! We must look at all people through the lens of Jesus, and it will improve our vision as we see them. I have a problem with staring, and I remember my dad was the same way, as well as my brother. I am trying to figure things out when I look at a person, such as whether they are attractive, whether their hygiene is good, or what their family heritage is. I have come to a realization that I do judge others in various ways, and I need to cease.

I have made this a habit, and God has been convicting me at my core of this one thing, and He gave me victory over it just today. Also, I believe God showed me what the log Jesus is speaking about really is, and the log is my judgment. When I dealt with my "log," I was changed, and as G.I. Joe says, "Knowing is half the battle!" When scripture shows us something, we have to decide, "Am I going to let this part of the law be dealt with, and I can say, 'I dealt with it!" It may surprise you that I have sin in my life I need to deal with, but I can assure you this is almost a moment-by-moment thing, and it is part of the asking, seeking, and knocking process Jesus told us to do. You will also notice that Jesus shares that He is the completion of the Law of Moses, and that our relationship with Him leads us to a more righteous life that is possible through the righteousness of God that we take on when we are born again.

There is always a little hesitation to love as Jesus loves because when I see evil, I feel I must "call it out", but I see that I can still pray for and love the person I see doing wrong because they are someone Jesus died for anyway. Examples: Jesus loved Mary Magdalene, a prostitute, and Jesus loved Matthew, who was a hated tax collector. Paul loved all the religious leaders who were not living as they should, and it did not distract him from his mission of sharing the gospel to all who would listen. In Colossians, Paul writes the following: Colossians 2: ⁶ And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. ⁷ Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. ⁸ Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. ⁹ For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. ¹⁰ So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

When God changes us from the inside out, we are different than the world in every area, so find the logs in your life and let Jesus cut them down and dig deeper roots in the real truth, the Word of God.

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your Word in my heart, so I will not sin against you.

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren