OK, let’s stop right here and recognize we are all flawed. Every person on this earth is flawed. Every person makes mistakes. Some make more than others and when someone does make a mistake it is unfair and flat out wrong to judge them on that one mistake. Well, actually the mistakes happen to everyone but again to some more than others. Now, don’t stop at this point to take exception to what I have said. Read on and keep this thought in your mind and add it to the remainder of this blog.
I am astounded that there is so much self-righteousness coming out today. This is nothing new since mankind has had that self-righteous thing going on since the beginning. So it is kind of in our DNA you might say. A lost person or saved by grace. Bad people to good people. It is becoming almost impossible to go a day without seeing or hearing it.
Pause for a minute, reset and clear your head, your ears, and your eyes. Remember, this nonsense has been going on from the beginning of time. Why is this such an important point to consider? It is because of social media and technology. This is something we have talked about before. We simply get too much information too fast and too often and in order to make ourselves feel better we judge others. We always have but we do it so much faster today.
Come on folks, we have to do a better job as individuals if we ever expect to do better as a civilization. So some might say “ok pastor what do we do?” Well, first who is asking the question?
Are you someone who is saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ? You know for certain when you die you’re going to heaven? God says, “why should I let you in my Heaven?” and your response is I (you) have accepted Your free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus.
So, if you are saved then you, as do all of us who are saved, need to act like we are His. Yes, there are specific Scriptures to be used to encourage you and even pump you up. However, that is simply going to get you through the day. You need to commit daily to follow the Holy Spirit. Pray for wisdom (James 1:5), read His Word pragmatically, and as lead by Him. Worship Him daily. Remember Galatians 2:20 where Paul says- “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” So have you and He expects you to go and do likewise.
Now if you ask the question, “what do we do?”, but you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior, let me take you back to what I said recently in another blog. Paul said it in Romans 10:9-13
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, what I just showed you from God’s Word, is for you so you can today, right now, accept His free gift of eternal life. Listen, if you do accept Him today, please leave a comment and a means of contact. I would love to connect with you and help you in the next steps you should take. BTW, God bless and I look forward to hearing from you.
Now I hope we have leveled the playing field and we can talk about this problem we have which is that we all need to know, Jesus as our Savior and we all need to follow His example. Allow His Holy Spirit to guide us and correct us.
Payne Stewart was an awesome golfer and he died much sooner than most. He was charismatic and probably a little brash at times. As he grew older and as friends and peers poured into his life he accepted Jesus Christ. It was during a time of the “WWJD” (what would Jesus due era). He had the bracket that he wore with WWJD on it. He joined a church, he lived as a believer but he did it as a professional golfer.
Of course, I didn’t know him but I would imagine, as life has taught me, that he made some mistakes even after accepting Christ. Why do I say that, well because I have made mistakes since as a child I accepted Jesus Christ.
We need to do what is right and stop judging others. Don’t forget it is that self-righteous thing that gets us in trouble. Jesus even showed us how that works. Religious leaders find a woman in the act of adultery. Side bar-they were watching her? Man, that is stalking at the very least but that is for another day. So they bring her to Jesus. John 8:3-11
3 The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all.
4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
5 In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?”
6 They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger.
7 As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.”
8 Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground.
9 When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there.
10 He straightened up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she answered.
“Well, then,” Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.”]
Here is your take away from this today. Everybody and I mean everybody is capable of being self-righteous and judging. Don’t do it because you are not without sin. So you don‘t have the right.
This occurs in every part of life from the family, to the workplace, to the political arena, to the church. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the “a well everyone else is” thought. If everyone jumped out of a plane without a parachute would you? Man, I hope not.
A thought to ponder,
Elbert Nasworthy
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