the Spirit of Judgmentalism
Today I'm troubled in my spirit by a Christian's ability to judge another Christian.One Christian who says to another - if you are not as confrontational in life, relationally, in witnessing... if you are more "passive" which is what I mean by non-confrontational then you are wrong, in sin and inferior.
One Christian who says to another - I know based on what I know of God, his word and your life that you did not hear correctly from God.
One Christian who says to another - you are so stepping on egg shells and no one's willing to call anything what it is, we'll just sweep it under the rug without regard to the hurt that has already been inflicted, the sorrow another heart feels. And that the soft spoken, submissive to the wrong people, "passive" person is inferior and worthy to be judged and condemned for not living a truly godly, whole-hearted life.
Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. ... You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. .... If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. - Romans 14:4, 10, 15-16 (NIV)
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor? - James 4:11 - 12 (NIV)
What does that word slander mean? To speak impiously, defame, rail on, revile, speak evil. Impiously? Lacking piety or reverence for a god; lacking due respect or dutifulness. Piety is a desire and willingness to perform religious duties. So basically without regard for the other person you hold them in distain and the basic tenants of Love and Grace are not applied to what you say. It is a misuse of freedom... even if you keep your mouth shut and these feelings, thoughts still rule in your heart it is the same.
It is an offensive odor and reeks in the spiritual realm.
Matthew 7:3-4 & Luke 6:41-42 speak to us of the danger we fall into by condemning another person when we ourselves are not clean, when we have problems just as big... stepping on egg shells, jealousy, despair, giving up, anger, bitterness, self-depreciation. Jesus said we have a plank ( a huge board) compared to our brother's speck.
Pray against the spirit of judgmentalism.
posted by miriam plowman @ 3:02 PM
1 Comments:
Miriam:
I've commented a few times on some of the blogs. Not long following your comment on Wade Burleson's latest, I added a citation of Romans 14:4.
I've even had Pastors (relatives of members) in my Sunday School class when we studied Romans 14. One that I recall .. not currently pastoring a church .. simply never realized that he did not understand that verse. I suspect that attitude is widespread across the SBC.
Despite that, that's where we're called to work. We're to speak the truth and leave others to God.
Faint not, ma'am. All is well.
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