Monday, May 19, 2014

Mercy Triumphs over Judgment




How do we really know why somebody has committed a certain sin? Do we really know what is inside a person’s heart? Do we know how the enemy may have set a trap for them, and because they were weak in a moment they fell into the trap?


If we believe we could never fall into sin we are fooling ourselves. If we look at those in sin and judge them without mercy we are being unmerciful and prideful. Judgment without mercy produces pride and haughtiness. Judgment of sin should be left to God. If you have thought,” Oh, I could never commit that sin,” then be careful you are entering into judgment. It is easy to judge because we believe we are better, and are more on top of things, even mores spiritual.
 
How do we really know what someone else goes through?
Mercy Triumphs over Judgement 
We all have areas where temptation is strong and habits are hard to conqueror. These weaknesses give the devil a foothold. All believers still sin but are working towards gaining victory over sin. We are all a work in progress and all are being purified and cleansed. If someone’s sin gets exposed be merciful instead of judging. Don’t speak condemning words over them. Chose instead to intercede for them in prayer.

One sin is not greater than the others. Sin is sin, they are not categorized as one being greater than the other. Homosexuality is not the greatest of sins. There is hope and redemption for this bondage as well as for lust and pornography. How do you know what God is doing in a person’s life or what stage they are in in the purification process? We only see with our physical eyes, but we don’t always see with our spiritual eyes. And because we are not God, we don’t know everything that God is doing in a person’s life.

Why are the homeless judged? How do we know they all “choose” to be there and that is it assumed they are addicts? Do we really know their full story and how they got in their situation? Why do we judge prostitutes or addicts with no mercy? How do we know their backgrounds and how they got into the situations that they are in? We can all say we would never do that (whatever lifestyle/sin), but unless you have walked a mile in someone else’s shoes you really can’t say for sure. Don’t assume all gang members are hardened criminals and will always be that way. There are reasons gang members turn to another “family” and commit crimes. There is hope and redemption for the gang-banger, the prostitute, the addict, the chronic worrier, the fault-finder, the one who judges without mercy, the legalistic/religious, and the sexually immoral. Sin is sin, but let us take care of our own sins before we begin to judge other’s for the “horrible sin” they are committing. In God’s eyes He does not classify our sins, He sees sin as sin.


Therefore you are inexcusably, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same thing. But we know the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
Romans 2:1-3


Whenever we find ourselves feeling justifiably angry about someone’s sin, we should be careful. We need to speak out against t sin, but we must do so in a spirit of HUMILITY.  Often the sins we notice most clearly in others are the ones that have taken root in us. All of us whether we have been murderers, sexually immoral, upright citizens, or idol worshippers must depend totally on God’s grace. We all have sinned repeatedly, and there is no way apart from Christ to be saved from sin’s consequences.



So remember the next time we want to stand in judgment of others- Mercy Triumphs over Judgment.

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