The Struggle is Real But So Is My God
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1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
This is a verse that most Christians, and even non-Christians, have heard before. The meaning is obvious: don’t be a hypocrite. Don’t point out someone else’s flaws when you yourself have much more glaring ones.
Imagine that a student failed a test, but then went over to another student, who aced the test missing only one question, and began criticizing him for missing it. It would be ridiculous. How likely is it that the student who made the A would even consider listening to the student who made the F? Not likely at all.
But as Christians, we act a lot like that F student sometimes. There are quite a few planks in our eyes, but there’s no lack of condemnation and judgement to be found on our lips. Often, nonbelievers are turned away because of the harsh judgement they perceive from Christians. Even worse, many Christians are often discouraged and pushed away because “religious” people berate them for their specks of sawdust.
The ironic thing about this whole metaphor is that often, the plank in our eye has totally destroyed our ability to see it. Usually, the plank is pride. Pride convinces us that we’re right, that we’re better, and that they deserve condemnation. Pride blinds us to our own faults and makes us hyperaware of the faults of others. It was this sin that Jesus so often condemned in the Pharisees.
Who are you in this situation? Do you have a speck in your eye, or do you have a plank? Are you a good person with a few faults, or do you have major issues to work though?
If you answered that you’re the speck, there’s a good chance that you’re the plank. You see, all of us have sins and struggles that we have to work through. However, for those who can acknowledge the weight of their sin and their desperate need for a savior, Christ gives grace upon grace. For those who think their sin is minor and their need for help is minimal, this message is for you. We are all sinners. We all have a plank in our eye at one time or another. That’s ok. What isn’t ok is to live your life oblivious to it, thinking it doesn’t exist, never seeking help.
Ask God to humble you today. Ask God to show you your planks and your specks. Ask him for his mercy and grace to remove them and to help others to see and remove theirs in kindness and love as well.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We All Sin if You are saved if you know the Lord you should strive for Holiness but that is something we will not achieve in this Life
But we should consider ourselves the worst Sinner We Know
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
It was Johnathan Edwards Who Said, “I regard myself as the Worst sinner alive , I have come to realized how self deceived I have been in my Spiritual Progress, How hateful is a proud man how vile am I when i look at others as though I am better that they, what a foolish, silly, miserable blind , deceived poor worm am I”
Many of us are self deceived in our walk with the Lord we see all the faults in others we look at them we say man they made bad decisions or Im glad Im not them Ect. But all the while we fill our hearts full of Pride Self Righteousness and walk around with Planks in our eyes
This is the main driving force that keeps the unbeliever from coming to church
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
We Need not to strive to be like another christian but that of Christ
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
WE each Struggle within ourselves some more than others some have been walking With God and God has begun the Sanctification process with them , However even they have and share in the same struggle who do you think is held to a higher accountability the Toddler who accidentally took a candy from the gas station or the 40 year old man who sneaks a beer when the cashier isnt looking, The same is true with us We ought to be worrying towards being more like christ striving to Love Him to keep his commandments to honor the Grace given , So dont you get to the Point where you look at others and think well at least im not that bad for outside of Gods grace we are all despritly wicked and you are no better because it is only by Gods grace we are save least any man shall boast. Let God be the judge we can warn our brothers our sisters but before we do we ought to examine ourselves to see if we are being true to the scriptures
40 Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the Lord;
Examine , Search out our hearts see if there be any wicked way within us Look at what paul wrote when he has done this very thing
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Charles Spurgeon Struggles with the Spiritual warfare too , it grieved him greatly,He said that he often lost sleep thinking about how the ten commandments were saying to him you have broken me, There has not been a day that I have not committed such gross sins against God that I often have wished that i would not have been born that to stand in disappointment to my Saviour.
However Spurgeon Believed and we too must believe that God is in the business of New beginnings that there is no Sin Greater Than Christs desire to forgive it. No Conscience is too stained that God cant make it white as snow, Spurgeon held to
34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
WE all struggle we all war Flesh against our Spirits But we serve a mighty God one Who has overcome this World Overcome our Sin overcome our disappointment and by His blood can wash you as white as snow
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Look not at those around you to see how you should be how a christian should act how not to act look to Christ alone For he is the perfecter do you dare be trying to remove a speck from other people when you have been in denial about the plank in your Eye, Lets get down to business with God lets lay those plank lets lay those speck at the feet of Jesus Let him be the one to remove them to forgive them to remember them no more
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.