Thursday, July 17, 2014

Marsha's Musings: Let's Deal With Others in Mercy, Not Judgement (James 2:12-13 NKJV)

So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:12-13 NKJV)

This really speaks to legalism.  Those who would make up standards of self-righteousness and try to hold others to their standard of self-righteousness do not speak or do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.  They forget that they too have broken the law of God just as much as the one they are judging without mercy.  

Now there are those who cry out, "Judge not that you be not judged!"  When it comes to self-righteousness, yes, judge not that you be not judged.  Don't be holding others to your Pharisaical standard of self-righteousness.  But this is not talking about throwing discernment out the window.  When it comes to matters of doctrinal truth, we are supposed to be discerning and judging things against the truth of God's word.  

When it comes to life-style choices that are contrary to the teaching of the Bible, we are to judge those things according to Scripture to be wrong.  When it comes to choices concerning life or death at either end of the spectrum of life, we are to judge according to Scripture as to what is right and what is wrong.  When it comes to church doctrine, we are to compare all teaching to the teaching of the Bible and judge whether it is in agreement with the Bible or not.

Back to the issue at hand, it's okay if you have certain standards that you live by that between you and God you believe to be His will for your life, but it's not okay to hold those standards up to others and insist that they are not in the will of God if they don't abide by your same standard of righteousness.  God deals with different people in different ways.  Let's not try to be the Holy Spirit for other people.  Let's deal with others in mercy and let God deal with them in the way He sees fit.  They need our prayers more than they need our judgement.


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