First of all, let me point out that IF one were HOLY, they would NEVER look down on another, NOR would they even think about how good they were in comparison to others, because such is NOT aligned with HOLINESS, and besides that NO ONE on Earth is HOLY, although there are those being MADE HOLY BY HIS HOLINESS!!!
NOT one person on this planet has existed err free, or sin free, or without doing something wrong, somewhere, sometime, and so, WHO is more worthy than anyone else???
CHRIST JESUS taught much on this subject, but one of the most profound lessons was when a Woman was about to be stoned for adultery, and HE asked those ready to stone her, who was without sin, and if there was one such person, they should be the first to cast their stone! Each walked away, (JOHN 8) and well, the moral of the lesson is that NONE is without sin, and therefore, NONE is able to claim superiority concerning sin!!!
We are to leave judging TO THE FATHER, our LORD *GOD*, for ONLY HE IS WORTHY to judge! Throughout time, people have always taken it upon themselves to determine another person's worthiness, even to the point of ruining someone's very existence, all the way through to killing them, and quite often, they were wrong in their judgement, and certainly, in their ASSUMED superiority which gave them the gall to harm another!!!
We must judge ourselves, and judge of our own acts, but not make our word a law to everybody. We must not judge rashly, nor pass judgment upon our brother without any ground. We must not make the worst of people. Here is a promise, If you forgive, your heavenly Father will also forgive. We must forgive, as we hope to be forgiven. Those who desire to find mercy with God, must show mercy to their brethren.
Christ came into the world as the great Peace-maker, not only to reconcile us to God, but one to another. Christians should not judge or despise one another, because both the one and the other must shortly give an account. A believing regard to the judgment of the great day, would silence rash judgings. Let every man search his own heart and life; he that is strict in judging and humbling himself, will not be apt to judge and despise his brother. We must take heed of saying or doing things which may cause others to stumble or to fall. The one signifies a lesser, the other a greater degree of offence; that which may be an occasion of grief or of guilt to our brother. He who has the Spirit of Christ in him, will love those whom Christ loved so as to die for them. Injuries done to Christians, are done to Christ; but most of all, the entangling them in guilt: wounding their consciences, is wounding him. We should be very tender of doing any thing that may occasion stumbling to others, though it may be innocent in itself. And if we must not endanger other men's souls, how much should we take care not to destroy our own! Let Christians beware of approaching the brink of evil, or the appearance of it, though many do this in public matters, for which perhaps they plead plausibly. Men cannot thus sin against their brethren, without offending Christ, and endangering their own souls.
We have been raised judging people, and we think it is our right, but it really isn't UNLESS we are perfect in righteousness, and HOLINESS, which NONE of us are! People are SO used to judging others that bullying has become a normal in our societies, and IS a VERY dangerous trap to fall into! Those who go so far as to ruin someone, or to cause them harm, or to cause them to sin, or even worse WILL pay in some way, whether now, or when they stand before THE LORD *GOD*!!!
LOVE does NOT destroy another; instead it aids in building UP others, because LOVE KNOWS that we ARE all in the same boat! You see, when we judge someone, especially wrongly, we are NOT acting in LOVE, and therefore, are NOT acting in THE LORD, which means what? We are acting in the world, the flesh, the carnal, troubled being, thereby PROVING our lack of worth in determining the worth of anyone else!!!
AWARENESS of how often, and how readily we judge others, or do anything against THE LORD, SEES us becoming more conscientious, and existing in ways which REFLECT HIM, and HONOUR HIM, as well as being beneficial to others, be that in inspiration, direct, or indirect guidance, and so forth!!!
We CAN stay the way the world taught us, but it is NOT our TRUTH, or REALITY, and IF we CHOOSE to remain of the world, then that will determine the fate of our souls! Free will IS a GIFT of *GOD*, yet it is NOT one to be unwise in, that is, being taken in the wrong context, wasted, or used for the self, but SURELY WILL be used in assessing our final destiny!!!
Creatures of habit, often wrong-minded ones, acquired by way of deception, we FORGET that we HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY to develop habits of right-mindedness! Habits which are grounded in *GOD*, in LOVE, in HOPE, in PEACE, in SELFLESSNESS, in COMPASSION, in KINDNESS, in ALL which is GOOD, and WHOLESOME! BECAUSE we were reared contrary to such, we DO have a struggle, notably so, at the onset of altering our ways, thoughts, actions, and reactions, but BY *GOD* WE CAN win such battles IF we want to!!!
The negatives we exist in ARE the roots of the woes we experience in this realm, and like ANY roots, ARE manageable, THROUGH effort, knowledge, understanding, and desire FOR a better existence!!!
*GOD* FORGIVES us though we are not deserving, and so, HE COMMANDS that we forgive others as HE forgives us (MATTHEW 5, 6, 18; EPHESIANS 4; COLOSSIANS 3 & more)! Hence, this INCLUDES NOT judging others, or placing the self in greater importance than others! ALL SCRIPTURE IS entwined in relevance to the other, but the CORE IS LOVE, from which flows freely, EVERYTHING honourable, virtuous, and just!!!
God's children are growing, as long as they are in this world; and the Christian's growth tends to the glory of Christ. The more a man finds himself drawn out to improve in his station, and according to his measure, all that he has received, to the spiritual good of others, he may the more certainly believe that he has the grace of sincere love and charity rooted in his heart.
Certainly, we WILL stumble in renewing our beings, though we DON'T stop! We don't waver, we don't cave in, we don't quit; we just keep on keepin' on IN THE LORD *GOD*, ALWAYS BELIEVING IN HIM, AND OUR REALITY which IS FAR GREATER than this world would have us to know!!!
Our erring ways are products of darkness, but WHEN we CHOOSE THE LORD AS our SAVIOUR, our *GOD*, we, THROUGH CONVERSION BECOME PROOF OF THE LIGHT, *GOD*, thus all which is GOOD! Let us PRAY to stay the course, and to LEARN from our EXEMPLAR, CHRIST JESUS! Let us REMAIN IN HIM IN MORE than professing HIM; let us remain in HIM IN SPIRIT, and TRUTH, meaning, stepping farther, and farther OUT of the world, and INTO THE KINGDOM!!!
LWINSOR © 2016
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS
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