Question: A Christian friend of mine was trying to
justify a sin he was doing, when I told him no amount of justification can make
a sin ok, he accused me of judging him and said I was sinning by judging
him. Am I in the wrong? No, not
unless you are being a hypocrite or not speaking the truth in love.
“But speaking the truth in love…” Ephesians 4:15 “Let him
know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save
a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:20
The bible forbids hypocritical judgment of another.
There is such a thing as right or “righteous judgment!”
Whenever I begin to pass judgment on another the Lord
reminds me of this verse
“For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and
with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matthew 7:2
We expect false accusations from the world, but
sometimes even fellow believers can speak foolishly and may falsely accuse us
of having wrong motives about what we are doing for the Lord. This is exactly the kind of judgment
the scriptures condemn. We are not to judge a
persons motive by our own subjective opinions. We cannot see into another
person’s heart. We are to make right judgments and the only way we can do that
is to apply the scriptures to the actions or deeds of another person. “…
judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24 When it comes to judging, we are to be fruit inspectors not
heart surgeons.
The scriptures also tell us to disqualify
ourselves from making a judgment about someone if we have a beam in our own
eye.
“Judge
not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be
judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And
why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not
the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me
pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt
thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” Matthew 7:1-5
Once we have the beam out of our own eye
we can lovingly go and be a help to our fellow believers who are caught in some
kind of sin.
“...then
shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” Matthew
7:5
Here is how we ought to go.
“And
the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to
teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God
peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;” 2
Timothy 2:24-25
If you see your brother failing in some way, pray about it first,
then go, come alongside your brother, put your arm around his shoulder and say
“I love you brother, is there anything I can do to be a help to you?”
What if you or I are the target of false accusations, false judgment?
Years ago, one dear old brother told me to use the occasion of a false
accusation as an opportunity to examine and make sure of my own motives before
the Lord and thank Him that but for the grace of God it could be true. The Lord
knows our heart and it is to Him we must answer concerning our motives, He is
the one we serve.
I pity the poor soul who feels a need to project upon another
his or her own insecurity and his or her own sin of pride. It is not only
wrong, it is dishonoring to the Lord.
A believer needs to tread carefully in seeking to be a help to
others. Those who decide to become
accusers of their brethren need to be reminded who they are aiding.
“And I
heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and
the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our
brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
Revelation 12:20
We all need to be more like Barnabas. In this day and age we all need
encouragement. We are all fellow travelers on this sometimes-lonely path
through this world’s wilderness scene.
With the Lords help and by His grace we can all be a bit more like Barnabas
and always seek to be an encourager and consoler to the Lords people wherever
we may find them. To be ready to
give a helping hand and an arm around the shoulder to one who has stumbled. “Let him know, that he which
converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death,
and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:20
“And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas,
(which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and
of the country of Cyprus,”
Acts 4:36
“And David was greatly distressed;
for the people spake of stoning him…but David encouraged himself in the LORD
his God.” 1 Samuel 30:6
Pray on it, examine your own motives and go in love
and seek to help your brother keeping these words in mind. “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be
gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that
oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth;” 2 Timothy 2:24-25
S.L.
