Judge Not Yourself

Paul speaking about the call on his life writes, "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself." (I Corinthians 4:3, NIV). There was a freedom Paul learned in Christ of not judging himself. He understood God is the righteous judge of the heart.

In the court of law, circumstantial evidence and facts is presented to established beyond reasonable doubt a person's guilt or innocence. After the verdict is read questions of justice may remain because some things at the time may be unknown or hidden. One time I sat on a jury panel to determine if a man borrowed or stole his girl friend's car. Did the relationship imply he was at liberty to use it though she expressly said he was not to take her car? It was a question that made for a lot of debate.

Beloved, man will always judge by appearance. Samuel did this when looking at the sons of Jesse for King Saul's replacement but God chose David who was not present at the time (I Samuel 16:7). Likewise when choosing two apostles they prayed, "Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen" (Acts 1:24, KJV).

Any human measure of judging oneself will fall short of God's perfect justice. God knows every intent of the heart.

To be your own judge and jury makes for a very frustrating self imposed bondage. You have a wicked thought so you go into overdrive. You may recite Scriptures to take it into captivity. You may even confess you enjoyed the tantalizing thought. You make promises to God to think better and holy thoughts. When we judge our own hearts we rely on human wisdom to judge what we perceive is wrong and make a judgement call to what is required to make it right. However, God knows what is at the root of our sins and failures and only He can remedy the problem.

When we judge ourselves we in turn will judge others often with greater severity and harshness. We will compare our failures to that of another as being greater and more grievous. There is little room for understanding, compassion and mercy.

Beloved, we need to rest in God's work of justification. We are made right and clean in God's eyes through the blood of Jesus. Yes, we will fail and sin but there is mercy extended to those who truly repent and turn from their sins. Let God have the final say regarding the matters of our heart. This means surrender the desire to have the control to be judge and jury. There is a freedom from the labor of making yourself right in the eyes of God when we understand God has the power to change us into something we could never be in our own strength. (I Corinthians 6:11)