Unlimited: Stop Passing Judgment
Oct 12, 2023 374
Therefore let us stop passing judgmenton one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister (Romans 14:13).
The church in Rome hadn’t quite understood the Gospel. That’s why judging and condemning one another were key problems that they had. They focused on the days they considered holy and on what they ate, but it can be on any one of the many different non-essential issues on which Christians have focused throughout history.
If we are honest with ourselves, we need to acknowledge that we all continually pass judgment on others. We do it as a matter of course, as a basic coping mechanism of life. Our parents taught us to do it early in our lives, and our education, our friends, and our society continually reinforce it. The technical word for this is “categorisation.” We sort and classify everything in the world around us, in order to understand it.
When we pass judgment on another, we are working against Christ, and placing obstacles in the way of salvation for others.
There is, of course, a very important place for the discernment of right and wrong in our lives. Some Christians point to Bible verses that talk about this as the justification for their pointing out the sins of others and condemning them. However, understanding right from wrong, and judging and condemning others, are two very different things.
When we pass judgment on another, we are working against Christ, and placing obstacles in the way of salvation for others. We need to “make up” our minds not to do it.
Spiritual Application
Can you think of someone in your life for whom you were an obstacle to salvation because of your judgmental attitude? It could be a friend, someone you know from your church, or even your own son or daughter. Have you repented? Have you tried to make amends?
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