Judging Others
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
One Day when Chuck Swindoll was preaching at a Christian camp.
On the first day, a man approached him and said how much he was looking forward to hearing Dr. Swindoll speak in person for the first time.
That evening, Swindoll noticed the man sitting near the front.
But only a few minutes into the message, the man was sound asleep. Swindoll thought to himself “Maybe the man’s tired.
After a long day’s drive, he can’t help himself.”
But the same thing happened for the next few nights.
Pastor Swindoll was getting exasperated.
“If this guy really wants to hear me preach, why does he keep falling asleep?”
On the last night, the man’s wife came up and apologized for her husband’s inattention to the messages.
She explained that he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the medication he was taking to ease the pain made him extremely sleepy.
But it was one of his life-long dreams to hear Dr. Swindoll speak before he died, and now he had fulfilled that goal.
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So, please turn your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.
We will conduct our study in Chapter 6 and focus on verses 37 through 42.
Our message this morning is titled, “Judging Others”
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This message today will focus on the next section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain...
Today we will discuss the subject of judging others.
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So, this morning we will cover three main points:
The Command...
The Parable...
And...
The Application.
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Heavenly Father...
Alpha and Omega...
Lord of Lords and King of Kings...
We adore You!
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Help us better understand and appreciate Your commands...
Help us to know You will and to trust it.
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Give us on this day our daily bread and all our daily needs...
For we know that You are the one true source of all our needs.
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Forgive our enemies for their attacks on us...
And forgive us for our shortcomings.
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Be with us in the storms of life...
And teach us all the lessons You want us to learn as we go through them.
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Thank You for loving Your enemies...
And thank You for being willing to send Your Son into this broken world for the benefit of Your saints.
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And it is in Jesus’s name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) The Command
1) The Command
Verses 37-38: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
One of the most commonly quoted phrases in Scripture is “Judge not”...
Yet most are taking this verse way out of context...
And most are just using this phrase to excuse the sinful life they are currently living.
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So, as always...
Let’s take a look at this phrase in the proper context...
Let’s take a look at what God has to say on the matter...
For it is His Words...
And only His opinion on the matter matters.
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The Reformation Study Bible has this clarifying note we need to consider in our study:
“Jesus elsewhere teaches that His disciples must sometimes judge what others do and that the character of a person’s heart can be recognized from the actions that flow from it.
What He warns against here is the hypocrisy of those who are quick to condemn others and slow to acknowledge their own guilt and the failure to show mercy.”
So, it is imperative to understand this correctly...
Jesus is in no way ruling out the legitimate use of discernment, church discipline, and law courts...
To come to that conclusion...
One would have to be blind to the rest of the context in this passage and ignore the rest of Scripture...
Yet, this passage is one of the most twisted and maligned by those who like to cherry pick verses from Scripture to justify their own sin...
And we as God’s followers cannot engage in or encourage this foolish practice.
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You see Church, what Jesus is doing here is admonishing His listeners to discontinue their tendency to criticize and find fault with others in a hypocritical manner.
As theologian Darrell L. Bock puts it:
“What is commanded is an attitude that is hesitant to condemn and quick to forgive.
What is prohibited is an arrogance that reacts with hostility to the worldly and morally lax, viewing such people as beyond God’s reach.”
Beloved, we never want to just condemn the guilt in someone and never seek to encourage them toward God...
If we are pointing out a sin in someone's life it needs to be for the purpose of lovingly pointing them towards God.
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If one just enjoys finding the fault in others...
Or if pointing out the shortcoming in others is something one finds bliss in...
Then that evil attitude needs to change immediately!
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Our heart needs to align with the truth found in Romans 14:9–13:
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Additionally, consider what it says in James 4:11–12:
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
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Also, this pertains to matters that are of opinions...
Do not judge or condemn others because they are not doing things “your way”...
Do not judge or condemn others because you feel your practices in worshipping God is superior to how they worship God...
That is not acceptable...
You and I have no right to impose our opinions and treat them like they are God’s laws...
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Remember, that is what Jesus constantly pointed out as a flaw in the Pharisees.
As Paul writes in Romans 14:1–4:
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.
3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
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Next, Jesus brings up the topic of forgiving others...
So, in addition to not judging others...
And not condemning others...
We are instructed to forgive others.
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The attitude of forgiveness is so vital in the life of the follower of Jesus Christ...
For if the Lord forgave you and I of so much...
How can we possibly refuse to forgive others for what they did to us.
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We must understand that no matter the crime in which someone may have committed against us...
It in no way will ever compare to the level of treason we committed against God!
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So, when God forgives us we have been forgiven of a multiple lifetimes of debt...
A debt we could never pay off on our own.
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As Jesus says in Matthew 6:14–15:
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus is making a clear point here...
If you refuse in your heart of hearts to forgive others...
If there is even one person in your life that you just can’t forgive for the wrongs they have done to you...
Then it is proof...
It is evident...
That you never experienced God’s forgiveness in your life...
For anyone who has experienced God’s grace...
Anyone who has experienced God’s mercy...
Anyone who has experienced God’s forgiveness...
No longer has bitterness in their heart and can’t hold grudges against anyone else.
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Jesus put it in simple terms...
If you do not forgive then you are not forgiven yourself!
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However, if you do forgive others...
I mean truly with all genuineness forgive others...
Then that is the good fruit of a forgiven life.
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So, as Mark 11:25–26 says:
25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
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Likewise consider this truth recorded in the Gospel of Matthew...
Consider this truth found in Jesus’ response to the question of how often we are to forgive others...
Consider Matthew 18:21–35 which says:
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’
27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’
29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’
30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.
32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
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This truth about forgiveness was not only found in the Gospel acounts...
We see that the apostles continued to likewise proclaim this truth.
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Take for instance what Colossians 3:13 says:
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
And witness this vital truth found in Ephesians 4:32:
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
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Next, Jesus says, “Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
What exactly does this mean?
In our Western 21st century culture this may not be as immediately clear as to someone in the Middle East in the 1st century...
As Jesus preached this...
His audience would have easily understood what He was talking about...
So, let’s look a little deeper at this and consider the cultural context.
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The Faithlife Study Bible has this to say about verse 38 of our passage:
“This saying describes a generous (or good) measuring process.
[That is why our passage says the phrase ‘good measure’.]
First, an ingredient—such as barley—is placed into a measuring jar or basket and compacted to maximize space.
[That is why our passage says the phrase ‘pressed down.’]
Next, the jar or basket is shaken, causing the ingredient to shift down into any open spaces.
[That is the reason for the phrase ‘shaken together.’]
The measuring continues until the jar or basket is overflowing.
[That is the reason for the phrase ‘running over.’]
Its contents are then dumped into the lap of the recipient, into the fold of the outer garment that was used to transport goods.
[That is the reason for the phrase ‘will be put into your lap.’]
Such generosity would come to those who themselves were generous.”
So, here these words express God’s promise that He will generously reward His disciple’s gracious actions toward others when they are loving and merciful towards them.
This is the kind of generous rewards on can expect in the life to come for those who do not judge hypocritically...
This is the kind of generous rewards on can expect in the life to come for those who do not condemn others and understand that only God has the power to condemn...
And this is the kind of generous rewards on can expect in the life to come for those who will forgive other despite what has been done to them.
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As Matthew 7:2 says:
2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
In this life...
The way that you and I judge, condemn, and forgive others will be the same measure that you and I experience from God.
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So, let us learn from our Master how we are to treat others...
Let us model our life after how Jesus both taught and lived...
For we will imitate the one we follow...
And this takes us to our next point.
2) The Parable
2) The Parable
Verses 39-40: He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
The point of this parable is to communicate the truth that all that a faulty or false teacher can produce is faulty and false disciples that are in his own image...
If you are following a person who judges and condemns others...
Then you will follow suit.
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If you are following someone refuses to forgives others and is filled with hate...
Then you will follow suit.
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When one is fully trained in the ways of their teacher they will be like their master...
If your master is a faulty or false teacher then you will suffer...
For you both will walk right into trouble.
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Yet, if Jesus is who you follow...
Then you will be like Christ in your thought and actions.
So, if one would presume to correct or rebuke others’ of their defects...
If they are a follower of Christ they will first deal with their own sins and shortcomings.
They will not act as hypocrites.
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The warning about following blind guides is found throughout Scripture...
Consider what it says in Matthew 15:14:
14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
The word “pit” being used in this verse and our passage is not merely a ditch...
Jesus is warning of falling into a deep pit and a mammoth of a hole...
So, the blind guides and their followers walk into a terrible disaster....
This is what happens when you ignore the perfect guide...
Jesus Christ!
As the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament on Luke says:
“The spiritual process requires care as to where we are going and whom we are following.
Simply put, the point is this:
Since [one has been warned] about judging—and the blind person is no guide—there is no authority except Jesus.”
And
Pastor John MacArthur puts it like this:
“The spiritual principle is obvious:
Those who follow leaders who do not know the way to God’s kingdom will never get there.
Instead, they will all fall into the pit of hell.”
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So, learn from the warning Jesus gave to the religious elite...
Jesus called out the Pharisees for their wicked actions...
Jesus called out the Pharisees for leading others into the same pits they were walking into...
Matthew 23:24-26 says:
24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
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Who you follow is who you will act like...
As Matthew 10:24 says:
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
You see Beloved, in the first century...
With limited access to libraries and books...
For the most part a pupil or student was not able to rise above his teacher...
For a disciple depended on the knowledge of the teacher...
And a teacher cannot impart knowledge that he or she does not possess...
So, and limitations and errors that was part of the curriculum for a teacher...
It would inevitably be mirrored in their students...
So, if a teacher did not understand the truth of God, neither would his followers...
So, picking the right teacher was vital!
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Just look at what Jesus says in John 13:16–17:
16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Since a disciple will be like the teacher they choose to follow...
And since they will produce disciples after their own kind...
It is imperative that they must be sure that they are following the correct teacher!
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The New International Commentary on the New Testament on Luke says:
“He emphasizes the folly of an attempt by one who is himself still blind to act as a guide to others, and the disastrous consequences of following a blind leader.
Because a pupil is dependent upon the guidance given to him by his master, he must see to it that he chooses the right master.
For this reason the hearers must leave their old leaders and masters (the Pharisees and scribes) who are blind and lead them to the precipice.
In verses 47–49 [of Luke] the Saviour teaches that they must choose Him as their leader and teacher.
Then, and only then, will all be well with them, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
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Follow Jesus!
Follow His ways!
Follow His standard in regards to judging others!
And this takes us to our third and final point.
3) The Application
3) The Application
Verses 41-42: Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
So, let’s start by painting a clear picture of what is being talked about here...
There is a major contrast between the speck and the log...
The speck,is a small flake of wood, chaff, straw, or saw dust...
And the log is like the wood used in the a building’s floor, roof, or a huge support beam...
So, the difference is outrageous!
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In fact, this is an example of Jesus using a hyperbole...
Which is an extravagant exaggeration...
To make His important point.
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Jesus is making a point of showing that one should be self-critical and look at their own spiritual shortcomings first before ever thinking about being critical of others.
In other words...
Don’t patronize others with your expert advice if you have not dealt with your own problems first!
Don’t criticize someone for getting their shoes wet by stepping in a puddle while you are swimming in your Sunday best in an ocean!
Don’t complain that someone broke the tip of your pencil while you pour paint thinner on a Vincent van Gogh!
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What we are called to do is to take care of our own problems first...
Then and only then can we see better to deal sensitively with someone else’s problem.
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As Romans 2:1-3 says:
1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.
3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?
Notice again the warning of judging others of the things you yourself practice...
This is a warning about hypocritical judgment!
This is not saying we are not to rebuke and correct others as that would be a contradiction of what is commanded in other parts of Scripture...
And we know there are no contradictions in God’s Word.
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This is made clear by look at passages like Luke 17:3-4 that says:
3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,
4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
So, not all judgments are ruled out by what Jesus is saying...
That is why Jesus clearly points out that He is only referring to judging with hypocrisy.
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In fact, our passage Jesus explicitly says that after you deal with the log in your own eye you are at required to deal with the speck in your brother’s eye...
If “judge not” meant what some think in means by never rebuking or correcting others...
Then Jesus would not have said what He said...
Jesus would not give instruction deal with the sin in other’s life.
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We are not commanded never to judge...
We are commanded to judge rightly!
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As Jesus says in John 7:24:
24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
And in Galatians 6:1 Paul says:
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
That seems pretty clear...
So, let us not depend on the world for their hermeneutics...
Let us not depend on the world for their interpretation of God’s Word...
Let Jesus interpret His own words...
Let the Bible interpret the Bible...
For if we just stop the destructive practice of constantly cherry picking Bible verses to serve our selfish needs...
We can see what God is really saying in His Word...
You really don’t need to be a seminarian or scholar to get it...
You don’t need a Master of Divinity or a PhD in Theology to see the clear teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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The only requirement is that you approach His Word with humility and surrender to the truth contained in the God-breathed text.
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
So, as this message comes to a close...
I would like to share this that I came across in my study this week:
There is a story of a man who while riding on a bus was greatly disturbed at a young boy who was running up and down the aisle of the bus screaming and laughing at the top of his lungs, while the young boy’s Dad just sat idly by.
The man could not believe that someone would be so rude and inconsiderate, of the other people around him.
He then began to notice other unflattering things about the man.
His hair was unkempt so he was probably homeless, and his eyes were bloodshot, so he had to be an alcoholic.
Finally not able to take anymore of the child this man went and approached the dad and demanded that he get control of his young son.
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The dad seeming to be shaken from a trance apologized to the man and told him that the boy’s mom, his wife, had just died at the hospital after struggling all night and he was trying to think of a way to break the news to the boy.
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As believers and followers of Jesus Christ we are to practice right judgement...
We are not to be hypocrites when we point out the sin in the life of others...
First we must check if our house is in order before we even begin to mention the mess in somebody else’s home.
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Rebuking and correcting others is needed...
But we have to approach this with gentleness and with God’s standards.
For with the measure you and I use it will be measured back to you and I.
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To God be all the glory.
Amen.
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