15 The command “Do not judge.”
Matthew 7:1-5 (NLT)
1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
We cannot wonder about how God will judge us when we stand before him on that awesome day. We already know. Our own standards are the measure. Every Christian’s pitfall is pride. Many times our need to be right, rather than “doing what’s right” is our “undoing.” When I am tempted to judge, I always try to remember the attributes of love as defined by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV):
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
If I cannot respond to my neighbor within the perimeters of all these truthful characteristics of love, I have missed the mark and I have embarrassed my Lord’s name.
In our ignorance and evil, Jesus asked for our forgiveness from the Cross. He loved us to death. His standard is a simple choice – believe in Him.
