We know that man judges by outward appearance, but the Lord
looks on the heart (1 Sam 16:7, John 7:24). So why are we so quick to trust our
own judgment in reference to other people?
It IS the Christian's job to judge by fruit those
within the church, but it is Christ's job to judge those without (1 Cor 5), so
why then do we chastise those without, while the pride of ourselves, those
within the Church, runs unbridled and unchecked?
When a brother falls, we are to restore him to fellowship, in all
meekness, and we are to bear each other's burdens, and so fulfill the law of
Christ (Gal 6). The Law of Christ being not so great a mystery, and neither
such a complicated one either... but that we should believe on the name of the
Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. (1 John
3:21-23) No brother was ever restored with a whip and a broom handle, therefore
pay heed to your slicing tongue.
We, as ambassadors of Christ and instruments of Grace, are called
to be many things in this temporal world. Among these things are light and
salt.
Light: The Lord is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John
1). We ought to regard and foster no darkness in our own walk, for how can a
light corrupted by darkness be a light at all? Bitter water and sweet cannot
mingle, for in the instance that it does, even the sweet water is corrupted and
becomes bitter itself (James 3). So ought we to have regard for our own
struggles, temptations, and shortcomings, and keep them ever present before us,
lest we fall into bitterness and temptation, corrupting the very Light that
Christ has called us to bear.
Salt makes a man thirsty. We are called to live in a way as to
whet the appetite of sinners and saints alike, and cause them to thirst after
the living God. In speech, we are called to let our speech be alway with grace,
seasoned with salt, that we may know how we ought to answer every man. There
are two parts to the way we are called to present ourselves in speech. Grace,
and salt. Our speech should work to make others' thirsty for the Lord. In
regards to Colossians 4:6, Matthew Henry so aptly puts it: "Let your
discourse be as becomes Christians - savory, discreet, seasonable. Thought it
be not always of grace, it must be always with grace. It must be in a Christian
manner, seasoned with salt. Grace is the salt which seasons our discourse,
makes it savory, and keeps it from corrupting." An accurate word spoken
without grace is just as unprofitable to the Kingdom as a witness never spoken
at all. Grace, the very heartbeat of the Gospel, ought to season our entire
beings and cover us, just as the waters of baptism covered our bodies on the
day of our public testimony. Every act, every word, and every thought ought to
be seeped in Grace, saturated in Grace. THIS is our biggest testimony, as
Christians. The grace in which we walk. Because, it is by grace alone that we
are enabled to come to the level ground at the cross. How foolish is it of us
to think that, as partakers of grace, we are somehow more pleasing to God. Our
works are but filthy rags, but in Grace, UNMERITED FAVOR, Christ is glorified.
Should we sin that grace may abound? God forbid. BUT, let us be cautioned, lest
we think so highly of ourselves that we are comfortable and tempted to forsake
grace for pride. This of which we are all inclined.
Here's the thing about Grace, about the unmerited favor of God:
The Ground is Level at the Cross.
Here's the thing about labels, and critical spirits, and the
prideful manner that leads us to so harshly and roughly ostracize and scald
those around us, both within and without the Church, but often times mostly
those without:
The Ground is Level at the Cross.
There are but two labels in this world that really matter, when it
comes down to the line: Lost, and Redeemed.
Those of us who are Redeemed, let us be careful not to let the
unmerited favor that has been so graciously bestowed upon us feed our ego, and
let us daily remember where we came from. Every single one of us has past sins
that would cripple us in humiliation if they were to be brought to light, so
let us treat sinners with humility, care, and compassion. Let us treat those
Lost, those without the Church, in a manner that glorifies God and exemplifies
His abundant grace, even when they aren't around to hear us, lest the Word of
God be blasphemed. Let us be careful not to elevate our filthy rags, those
works that we take so much pride in, over the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
They say that Every Saint has a Past, and Every Sinner has a Future, and that
rings more and more true as life goes on. God specializes in fixing broken
things. He delights in using broken, marred, distorted, and charred vessels. He
glories in the reshaping and remaking of dishonorable vessels, and fitting them
unto honor.
We ought to treat others' sins as we would desire for others to
treat ours. Not giving excuse, but acting discreetly, and compassionately, and
charitably. Charity is: "in a general sense, love, benevolence, good will;
that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow
men, and to do them good." We know that we can speak with the power and
truth of God, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have faith
enough to move mountains, and relinquish our worldly goods in their entirety to
feed the poor, and even deliver ourselves up to be martyred, but if we have not
charity, all of our works are meaningless, and it all amounts to nothingness.
In 1 Peter 4 we are called to have fervent charity among ourselves: for charity
shall cover the multitude of sins. Charity, or that love and goodwill toward
men, does not make excuse for sin, but it does cover them. It covers sins. It
covers shortcomings and misgivings and ignorance. It does not write them on a
sheet and run them up the flagpole to air, it covers them.
The sinner is inclined to be of softer heart toward those who
would humbly cover their sins, rather than toward those who would flagrantly
and with gross disregard take a broom handle to their ignorant backs in front
of the community of witnesses in order to feed their own pride and arrogance.
Therefore, Charity glorifies God in ways that fire and brimstone cannot. Fire
and Brimstone is God's job. He is the only righteous judge of those without the
Church. Charity does not displace fire and brimstone, but even as God is
longsuffering and is staying His hand of judgment ‘til the appointed time, so
should we ought to stay our own hand and tongue. It is BECAUSE of fire and
brimstone that we love so fervently. It is BECAUSE of fire and brimstone that
we weep over the souls of the Lost. Brother, Sister, if you have failed to weep
and pray for the lost and backslidden, then don't you dare raise your voice in
judgment against them! Ever mindful of the power and the glory and the
righteousness of God, we go forth in love and COVER sins. Brethren, we are
called to Grace. Making no excuse for sin, but rather covering sin with charity
as the precious Blood of Christ covers us even now.
The Ground is Level at the Cross.
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly,
seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in
iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things." 1 Cor 13:4-7
