Everything in the world around us wants to give us a measuring stick, and tell us that we are capable to pass judgement. In fact, not only that we are capable, but that we have the right to do so. This was the result of the fall of man. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they made the choice to do as they pleased. As a result, from that point forward man has believed we have the right and the ability to choose right from wrong. This belief system has allowed for us to justify the ambiguity that exists in everything from our reasoning to our laws.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
- Genesis 3:6-11
When their eyes were opened they decided that it was a bad thing that they were naked, and that they should cover themselves up. This was not a bad thing, for this was how God had made them. It was through their own reasoning that they came to this conclusion. Then, based on their own discernment and the consequential shame, they decided it was prudent to hide them self from God. Notice what God says to them. "Who told you that you were naked?" God is asking them, "Who told you that this is a bad thing."
It is this belief that we have the right to decide right from wrong that separates us from God. We so easily look at a situation, or a person, and pass judgement. We want people to "measure up" to what we think they should be, or maybe what the world says they should be. Know this though my friends. Whatever we judge in another, KNOW that it is in us as well. The reason why we judge is because we desire to minimize that which is in our self.
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
- Romans 2:1
Who do we think we are anyways to be able to judge another? Are we really so delusional to think that we are better than they? If we do find our selves judging another, let us take that as a huge red flag that we should examine our own life for that thing we see in others. We are fools if we think we have any leg to stand on in comparing our self to another person.
Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
- Romans 14:4
Judgement belongs only to God, and Jesus is ready to judge the living and the dead. Let us not put our self in the place of God, less we be put to shame for our conceit.
You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’
- Deuteronomy 1:17
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
- 2 Timothy 4:1
Let us give a perfect example of how the judgement of our own discernment is not the same as God's. Let us discuss a man who committed adultery with a married woman, while he was also married. God's says this is evil, and to not do it.
You shall not commit adultery.
- Deuteronomy 5:18
In fact, He says that to even look at a woman with lust is adultery, and that we should go to ANY extent to keep our self from sinning in such a grievous manner. He continues to state that if we divorce our wife for any other reason than sexual immorality, that we are causing her to commit adultery. God is so very clear about the importance and sanctity of marriage.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
- Matthew 5:27-32
In fact, God says that He hates divorce and that we are not to do it. He allowed for divorce only because our hearts are so hardened and selfish that often we cannot endure in love to see through our commitment.
“For the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
- Malachi 2:16
And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”
He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
- Matthew 19:4-9
It is from these principles that the traditional wedding vows are derived. In our world we live in today, most people would not consider this to be that big of a deal. We have strayed from God and do what feels good and right in our own eyes. Our judgement is so very different from God's in this aspect.
Let us continue to discuss the same man, who then proceeded to kill the woman's husband to conceal his sin. In today's world this would be considered murder in the first degree, punishable by the death sentence or life in prison. There is no disagreement about whether murder is wrong. As God says it is, so far, so do we. Granted this can change with time and circumstances, as is painfully evident in Nazi Germany in the 1940's and in other nations even today. We can justify the murder of another human however we like, but that doesn't make it right. This man did horrible things by any standard.
If we were to look at this man, though his adultery would not cause many people to blush now days, the homicide just might raise an eyebrow, maybe. We would all find it very easy to look at such a man, judge him and say that he is trash. It would be so easy for us to say that such a man has no right to even talk about God. This man did so when told of himself in a parable by the prophet Nathan. King David responded to such a man with great anger.
So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
- 2 Samuel 12:5
The thing is though... God called this man a man after His own heart. It was not, obviously, because the man did no wrong, but it was because of his repentant heart. When King David was confronted with his sin, he was deeply remorseful and repented. He desired to do what was right, and to please God. He desired to do what God wanted him to do. He accepted that he wasn't perfect, admitted what he had done, and turned from his sin completely and did what was within his ability to make it right.
And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’
- Acts 13:22
God does not expect us to be perfect, but to be repentant. He wants us to desire to do His will. He wants us to acknowledge our sins, confess our sins, and then to turn completely from them. If we judge based on what we see and perceive, then we might be missing something amazing that God is doing. Not only is it not our place to judge, but Jesus says that if we would give up that right that we would have no sin.
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
- John 9:41
We should let God be God, and leave the judging to Him, lest we our self fall into judgement. That person we are so quick to judge may be a chosen vessel by the Lord. He may be doing a great work in thier life, that He may be glorified. We do not know what God is doing. Ananias was faced with a similar situation. Saul, who was killing Christians, was in need of healing. God told Ananias to go to Saul, but Ananias said that he was a murderer. God said He had plans for Saul though, and that Ananias was to go to him.
Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
- Acts 9:13-15
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
- Isaiah 55:8-9
Let us only be concerned with where we stand before God. It is NEVER too late for us to turn to the Lord. He stands, ready to forgive, with the price for our sin already being paid in full. He will take us from where we are, and help us make right the wrongs we have done.
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
- 1 John 2:2
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
- Revelation 3:20
Let us turn to God! Let us confess our sins, and ask God to heal us. The forgiveness is already there, but we must humble our selves before Him. We must own up to the things which we have done, and we must desire to turn from our old ways entirely. Without turning to God, we stand under His wrath, abiding in the curses. If we will only come to Him, He promises to heal us.
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
- John 3:36
Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
- Hosea 6:1
It is NEVER too late!! NOBODY is too far gone! Let us not be fools and condemn someone else based on what we see. We have no idea what God is doing in someone's life, or even what He may have planned in our life.
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