Judge not?

A common phrase in today's lingo is: "Don't Judge me. Only God can judge me." This type of thinking is most often stated because one is either completely ashamed by their actions or they acknowledge the fact that God is infinite and wise while we are finite and often foolish.

But the phrase "Only God can Judge me" should scare individuals if they do not have a relationship with him. Think about it for a moment. God is holy. You are not. God is wise. You are not. God is perfect. You are not. Without the sacrificial act of Jesus dying for our sins we would still be regarded as enemies of God. Once you have place your trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus it changes everything. You have now become a friend of God.

But does that give us the right to judge?

This is a tough subject to approach. And I am going to admit, I don't have all of the answers. But I think this is a topic that is worth wrestling with in today's culture.

We live in a day of Postmodernism. Historians have placed the start of this era and the death of modernism on Sept 11, 2001. Regardless of where you place the beginning of this time period, the fact remains that it is driven mostly by one distorted worldview of Relativism.

Relativism is the idea that there are no absolutes. (Stating that there are no absolutes kinda defeats its purpose yet this idea remains for the majority of people in the twenty-first century). Religions that teach there is exclusivism are rejected by the population as a whole. "How can you tell me what I ought to believe?"

This idea becomes even more scary when it is coupled in with morals. Moral Relativism is the concept that my morals and beliefs are private and each individual is entitled to his or her one belief system. One is allow to do and believe whatever he or she wants as long as it does not interfere with the freedom of another. (this is where the subject becomes very tough to interpret because how can you tell if it is really interfering with another's freedom.)

Yet, in the midst of Moral Relativism many in the Western world still believe in a "god." This God may or not be a real person but it brings many individuals much comfort to believe there is someone out there that has his or her best interest in mind. And he is the only one that can judge them.

Who is God? I believe that Jesus Christ is God. Why? He said he was. My case does not rest simply in the fact of that he claimed to be God for many have suffered psychological delusions of grander where they believe they are a divine being. I believe Jesus is God because he predicted his own death and resurrection and was right about it.

Jesus said, He is the way, the Truth, and the Life. And that people could only come to God through Him. He wasn't stopping people from coming to know God but allowing himself to be a bridge between our fallen humanity and the holiness of God.

So, with all that being said........ what about judging others. Did Jesus even speak on this topic? YES!

"Do not judge."- Jesus

He actually said those three words. Do NOT JUDGE. The problem for all of us who want to take this as a license to disobey God is Jesus didn't stop there!

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way that you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."- Jesus

These words were given by Jesus not because he wants you to avoid judging each other but because he wants you to be careful on how you judge.

Jesus says, Before you start going around acting like the Righteous Police and trying to get everyone to clean up their lives to take a deep breath and think about it. To examine oneself. What are your motives? Are you calling this person out because you generally care about their well being or are you doing it because you are in a bad mood, mad at them, or want to see them embarrassed?

If you are a Christian you have been set free from the bondage of sin. What does that mean? The thing (the plank) that you have been struggling with can be set free. Jesus died not just so you can go to heaven one day but so that you can be set free from your addictions and problems today. Allow him to take away your plank. To give you free sight. To set you free!

So, what's this judgement thing about?

Once you have become free you have the capacity to set other people free. As you walk in freedom you will have opportunitie to tell others how Jesus has set you free. As you remove the plank from your own eye you can tell others that God can remove the speck in their eye. You can tell them that He is not mad at them for their mistakes and shortcomings but does want to see them set free from the pain that their sin has caused.

It's okay to call other people out when they are doing something that is harmful to themselves and others. They might not thank you in the moment but looking back they will be glad you were a good friend and told them how them can be set free from the life they are living.

This needs to all be done in love. Jesus, God incarnate, held on the knowledge of the universe. Yet not everyone believed and trusted in what He had to say. Yet he knew when to speak and when not to. He showed us how knowledge empowered but love becomes the most powerful force in the universe.