Only One Judge Who Knows the Truth

     At the age of 23, I made a commitment to Christ that would radically change the course of my life.

I had gone to church, been confirmed and was active in my youth group, but it wasn’t until I was in graduate school that I really made Christ the Lord of my life.  This commitment was serious and real for me.  My worldview changed and I saw everything in life from a different perspective.  My sins were forgiven by God’s grace and for that I am thankful.  That is why all this hullabaloo over the SCOTUS nomination has troubled me.  People hurling accusations, labeling others and rushing to judgement has not produced answers.  Instead it has divided us even more.  Why?  The Bible has the answer.

     Romans 3:23 tells us:  “...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Then earlier in the chapter vs. 10-18, we read:  “...as it is written:  ‘None is righteous no not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.  Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.  The venom of asps is under their lips.  Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.  Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known, There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”  In these passages, the Apostle Paul makes it perfectly clear that there is no one who is not a sinner in the eyes of God.  With this in mind, why are people quick to point the finger of accusation at others?  Are they somehow exempt from sin themselves?  Not according to God’s Word.

     This past week, I watched as two people were examined by our Senate Judiciary Committee , and the entire hearing made my heart break.  Here was a man accused of a crime he says he did not commit.  His name, reputation and livelihood are threatened by an unsubstantiated accusation.  Likewise, here was a woman who looked disturbed and perhaps was attacked at some point in her life but had only vague recollections.  So where is the truth?  Only God knows for certain and I am praying diligently for answers as I hate injustice for anyone.  Yet there were people out there certain he was guilty just by accusation alone.

      As I looked at the circus going on in the committee hearing, I wondered to myself if anyone there ever thought about what Jesus said to the woman who had been caught in there very act of adultery.

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7b).  Those that had brought the woman to Jesus thought they would trap him because the Law of Moses said she should be stoned.  However, after Jesus said that, they all walked away.  He told the woman that He did not condemn her and that she should go and sin no more.  What a different approach!  Jesus was perfect but we are not.  Therefore, who are we to judge someone else’s heart?

     This past week on Twitter was rather brutal to say the least.  I rarely do much tweeting but I was interested in the news so I went on.  I engaged in several conversations being as civil as I could be and was called a “fool”, unchristian, and ignorant.  Of course, none of these people know me personally nor my character.  How can they be so quick to judge me?  Disagreeing does not need to include name calling which is the lowest form of argumentation.  But the heart of the matter is that we are not to judge one another.

     In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us these wise words of instruction:  “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 a 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” (Matthew 7:1-7).

How careful we need to be in what we say to one another and how we respond when disagreements arise.

     Since we live in a day and time of vile language, false accusations and political correctness, we need to think on these things.  Only God can judge a man or woman’s heart and I believe He will reveal truth.  If we have a relationship with Him, we then can have a healthy relationship to one another through Christ.  Without the Lord in our lives our relationships can be rocky at best and toxic at their worst.
     Let us strive to remember a few important things:  Only God can change a heart, attitude or beliefs, we cannot.  We must remember that even as Christians we still carry the flesh around with us and we can fall into sin.  Therefore, we need to be careful not to judge others or name call.  It does not improve relationships.  Along with King David, my prayer is that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart may be acceptable in the sight of the Lord.  Won't you join me in this prayer?
Selah!