Category Archives: Judgment
Are you a Christian Cannibal?
Sometimes Christians resort to what I would call Christian cannibalism. It’s where we, as fellow believers, tend to eat our own . . . symbolically speaking.
It’s what happens when we talk about another believer in a critical, judgmental way. It’s where we “throw someone under the bus” when they sin in a way that offends us. It’s when we gossip about other believers. It’s when we are offended with someone and we talk maliciously about them to other people.
Paul talked about this in Galatians 5:13-15:
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 15But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. (NASB)
Labels are for Cans and Clothes, Not People
Soren Kierkegaard stated, “When you label me, you negate me.” I love this statement. We humans sure to tend to want to label people. We want to categorize people. It seems that we love to group people into boxes.
The problem with labeling people is that we are wrong about them the majority of the time. A label is so restrictive and can be very destructive. Labeling someone causes us to stop seeing them as an individual because it lumps them in with others of the same label. It puts people into a box that limits them to that label.
Often times, once someone is labeled something it’s hard to overcome that label. 
For example, a convicted felon has a hard time overcoming that label. A drug addict has a hard time overcoming the label of addict. The label list is endless.
What if the Adulterous Woman in John 8 was Transgender?
I love the story of the adulterous woman found in John chapter 8 of the Bible. It is a magnificent picture of God’s scandalous grace.
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (NASB)
We don’t think much about adultery these days because it has become so prevalent in our society. It’s not against the law anymore (except in the military). Unfortunately it happens more than it should, even within the Church. But in Jesus’ time, under the Mosaic Law, it was a capital offense, punishable by death. It was not taken as lightly as it is today.
Recognizing God’s Grace in Others
I love the fact that God will use any body. I love the fact that He shows kindness to evil and righteous men. He sends the rain upon the just and the unjust. Sometimes, though, we don’t always recognize God’s work in the lives of other people. Sometimes, we don’t want to recognize God’s grace in the lives of others.
God has a really good way of messing with our theology, and jumping up out of our boxes!
We tend to be so judgemental. We often look upon external circumstances and situations, while God looks upon the hearts of men. We often judge others by their actions and yet we ourselves want to be judged by our intentions. We want grace but are not always so eager to give grace.
Throwing Stones at Jesus
One of my favorite Bible stories is found in John 8. It’s about the women who was caught in adultery by the religious leaders. They were testing Jesus to see how He would respond to this clear violation of the Law. The Law was clear that adulterers were to be stoned.
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, ” He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, ” I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:1-11, NASB)
I see a lot of parallels with this first century story and our lives today. There are still many religious people today that are ready to cast stones at people who sin differently than they do, or who might see things from a different perspective.
Jesus Gave the World the Right to Judge Christians
Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn the world. He didn’t give his followers the right to judge or condemn the world either. Yet one would think that American Christians (I write from this perspective because I am one) have this notion that it’s our job to judge the world telling them how bad they are. It seems like we have this idea that we must defend the Bible and God by telling the world how much God is against them.
This is an unbiblical idea.
It is not the way that God set things up.
It’s not how Jesus lived.
Jesus actually gave the world the right to judge Christians.
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