Judging Ourselves

STOP CONDEMNING AND START PRAYING ONE FOR ANOTHER –

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16

Don’t you dare do anything BEFORE you pray for that person you want to pounce on. Do you know what Galatians 6:1-3 says? Read eat several times and internalize it prayerfully.

So you say you care for others? Do you? If so, why not begin with praying for them and not with condemning them. Where is your faith? Cannot God rescue them? Have they gone too far? Remember when some thought YOU had gone too far? Remember when you slipped? Is the Almighty not able to save to the uttermost? (Hebrews 7:24-25)

“Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” James 4:11-12

Here’s the verses preceding the above passage …. verses 8-9 – “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” (James 4:8-9) When we see ourselves for who WE really are – how evil we are when not abiding close with Christ – we then begin to realize our own GREAT need for God’s mercy and are then able to extend it to others in our hearts.

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32

Here’s more motivation from James –

“For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” James 2:13

May God bless us to be broken deeper and full of His love and mercy, even as we are so desperately in need of it ourselves.

The punishment of 1 Corinthians 5 was all for the purpose of divine restoration wasn’t it? God is trying to rescue and show mercy because He is not willing that ANY should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Praise God that previous fornicator repented and was restored like the prodigal son (2 Cor. 2). BUT do we rejoice and celebrate when that one blessed sinner/saint returns? Or, are we self-righteous pharisees like the elder brother? Lk 15 …..Lk 15 is a monumental chapter on the restorative love of God. The LORD bless us to pour over it and be changed by Him.

Not only were we ourselves utterly vile and corrupt in our sinning before being found and saved of Him, but we also – being now born again – are still in jeopardy of soul if we do not press into the LORD daily and perpetually, being filled with His enabling grace and Holy Ghost to cause the victory He alone can grant! (Romans 8:13-14)

Jesus says it would be better to be a whore than a self-righteous religionist. Matthew 21:31

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Instead of only pointing to the needs of others to repent and live right, perhaps the LORD desires His children to examine and judge their own hearts and lives. Consider this:

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

“But I (Paul) keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:27

Who are we to be judging? Others or ourselves?

“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” 1 Corinthians 11:31-32

Yes, those within the body or professing church are to be judged and yet, God limits whom He uses to bring that judgment (1 Corinthians 5:12). In fact, the LORD cannot and will not use us to help see others set free and restored if we are not staying before Him, crying out for Him to search OUR own hearts and to try and purge us (Psalms 139:23-24; 51:1-13). Do you know what Galatians 6:1-2 says? What about Matthew 7:1-6?

It may be wise to include ourselves as candidates to fall or justify our own pet sins and not just point to others. That’s what the self-righteous do, right? Luke 18:9-14. God knows our hearts and our own weaknesses and we must be forthright about them ourselves as David was (Ps. 38:18; 69:5; 51) Paul spoke as if he himself was capable of falling and losing out in the end (1 Corinthians 9:27) Father, we beg You to break us! – break me!

“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” Psalms 32:5

Are we so arrogant and prideful that we seek to hide that we ourselves have struggles, weaknesses, fear, and have fallen at times? Have we put up a front – a sham or house of cards? The LORD is going to tear down that smokescreen in order to begin to break us and build in us His character and truth (Jeremiah 1:10). Jesus, please make us real, honest, and truthful. We this moment denounce all the things of dishonesty and beg You to make us Your disciples of truth! (2 Corinthians 4:1-2)

The biblical truth is that you and I are candidates for eternal glory and eternal damnation and repent, get before and remain/abide before our LORD in brokenness and humility, momentarily relying upon the grace and mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ. That’s the picture taught to us in Holy Writ (Matthew 5:3, 6, 8). Being saved means that Christ reigns not us. We are nothing without Him. All we have is Jesus. Jesus is glorified and magnified, and we are utterly dependent upon Him (Matthew 18:3-4).

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. … 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Jude 1:21-25

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SafeGuard Your Soul

In 1987 the first Gospel tract was written and printed from what is now SafeGuardYourSoul. Since then Todd Tomasella has written and published over 25 Gospel tract titles with appr. 2 million tracts produced and distributed worldwide. All this started when a young man was saved and beginning to be brought to an end of himself. Todd is one who is deeply in touch with His own present need for divine mercy and called out by the Lord to help others to hear the soul-saving message of the Gospel. Today, the outreach has expanded to a books, discipleship pastoring, a regular email devotional, articles, study guides, audios, and cd series. The focus is in edifying Christ’s body and calling sinners to His glorious salvation. The four books currently in print are Deceivers & False Prophets Among Us, Lie of the Ages, I Die Daily, and Raised Up. “Moment with My Master” is the email devotional that is sent out 2-3 times weekly to a vast constituency. Sign up free at SafeGuardYourSoul.com