I've decided that rather than post inconsistenly about nothing, I should post inconsistently about verses that I've read that I'm not good at living out. I don't think this will be hard, but I do think it will be productive. As this idea gets going, I hope that this becomes a place where I will be forced to remind myself of the Gospel, and that you will also be reminded.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."
Brian Frost says that this passage is quoted most often in our culture, but it is understood the least. This verse is not telling us to turn a blind eye towards unrighteousness, or sin that is present in peoples' lives, but rather to not judge the motives of peoples' actions. That responsibility belongs to the Lord.
Consider this verse, which happens to be my theme verse in life right now:
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you"
-Eph. 4:32
God, through Christ has forgiven me of all my sin. He didn't have to, but He did and now I have the opportunity to model that same forgiveness in relationships. So why do I still judge others' motives? Why would I think that God is pleased with my heart when people sin against me, and I say I forgive them, but I'm really holding onto that sin as a cause for thinking less of someone? Is that Christ-like forgiveness? Is that the way he looks at me? (Psalm 103)
Why would I think that it's OK to look at specks of dust in the eyes of others, when I have logs in mine? I think I need to be reminded of the Gospel.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Logging? Anyone?
Posted by alightonahill at 6:15 PM
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5 comments:
i'm also going to comment on this post because not many people comment on posts like this, not sure if it's due to the seriousness of the post or what, but anyway....it's nice to have truth to read every now and then. I think the more we realize the things we do and get more and more convicted, the more we will grow and learn. good post mikey.
The older I get, the more I see my hypocrisy. I used to think that people who didn't have much problem with sin in one particular area were the loudest critics of those who did have a problem with that sin. I still do, but also find that I hold others in contempt for the same things I do myself! YAH. Of course the Bible speaks to that very thing. We need to be humble. Patient. It's not rocket science. But it's just as hard.
we all went logging. We would like a new post now....another adventure please....thanks :)
a tree-ring dating taken from that picture shows that this post is approximately 25 million years old, give or take 24,999,999.99 years.
hahaha! that was funny Tommy, but totally right.....Mike...you are slacking, I think me, Tom and carrie are the only one's updating thier blogs lately, what's up with that?
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