Great News

Here’s some great news!
For now, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! Romans 8:1
 
Now that is great news!
Great news that there is no condemnation – God isn’t sitting over us in judgement of our sins, that has been paid for by Jesus – His son. God paid the ultimate sacrifice of covering our sins by the blood of His son so we would no longer be condemned by them.

The Accuser’s voice are lies. You’ve been forgiven.

Our world we live in is very broken and cries out for something solid and true. We live in a world that beckons people up to the edge of the precipice of sin and mocks and scorns when people go over the edge.
It is a shame on the wider church body that we have the reputation for being judgemental. It’s fair to say that the church as a whole over represents being  judgmental, not that being judgemental has gone Olympic, but sadly we’d probably place well.

 In Matthew 7 Jesus says this:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “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? 4 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? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
 
‘Do not judge or you too will be judged’. This isn’t an invitation to get in first on the Judgement line.
Do not judge – It’s a command. Being judgemental doesn’t belong in the life of a believer.
When we are judgemental it feeds an inner smugness – that is a spirit of religiousness a feeling of superiority that we are better. Let’s name it for what it really is – pride.
Jesus gives great advice on correcting one another when he says ‘remove the plank from our own eye’. In essence he is saying, evaluate yourself with sober judgement, before you correct or bring an eye of criticism or judgement, then do it how you’d want to be treated.
Jesus was never cynical or judgemental. In fact, even people that were caught in sin, He didn’t condemn them. He is loving and forgave them and gave them instruction to leave their sin. Jesus embodied God’s love for the world and people, no matter how broken they were.
‘Do I know the full story’ is the question judgemental people fail to ask before a conclusion or judgement is reached. They dress their critical comment up in as prettier ‘Christianese’ as their conscience will allow to shift their guilt and pass judgement like a gavel of truth reaching its verdict. The result is death.
When we allow an attitude of cynical, criticism or judgement to live in our hearts we deny the life of Christ to live in us.
The church needs to stop the back biting, the wounding intent and repent of its reputation of judgmentalism and make the change to actually allowing the life of Christ to bring forth the fruit in keeping with the Spirit.
I don’t believe it’s enough or right to continue on with a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude or accepting the unacceptable when we are reminded by Paul to the Philippians to:
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
 
We are saved and continue to be saved as we relinquish areas of strongholds in our lives.
You’re worth half an hour this week to honestly evaluate yourself and your attitudes, to ask Jesus to reveal an area that you need to surrender to Him.
His Holy Spirit is ready to help you in the most difficult of areas. Let’s commit to being transformed by the renewing of our minds.
 
Dave Maharey