Who am I to Judge

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

““Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;”

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

John 8:2  Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst  they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.  Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”  This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.  And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.  Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Isaiah 1:16    Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,  learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.  “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Ezekiel 18:30    “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.  Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?  For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”

It is easy to judge others isn’t it?  We see the outward sins of others and make judgement.  Yet we to often look on the outside and make these judgements forgetting it is what is in the heart, mind and soul (the unseen) condemns or frees a person.  Scripture is clear in stating that only God knows the heart, mind, soul and intent of man and is the One who judges in truth and righteousness.

Fountain Opened

Zechariah 13:1  “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

Psalms 51:2     Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

Psalms 51:7     Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Isaiah 1:16    Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,  learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.  “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Ezekiel 36:25     I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

John 1:29     The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1 Corinthians 6:11    And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Titus 3:5    he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

1 John 1:7    But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Our hope is built on promises from God.  The hope of forgiveness, complete cleansing from sin, salvation, and eternal life.  This is offered to all and God, not wishing any to perish, gave the promise of eternal life to all who would believe in the complete cleansing through the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Peter in light of the grace and mercy from God through Christ, and seeing that all of this world will pass away, asked a question “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness”  How should our lives be lived out this side of eternity?  Are we to be complacent and lukewarm in our commitment to this great act of Love?  Being lukewarm and complacent manifests in a life that seldom speaks of Christ, lacks confidence in being cleansed, thinks about performing acts of goodness to overshadow the sin in their life,  loses sight of promises of God, does not have contentment/peace, seldom sees God’s hand at work in their life, rarely hears the whispers of God, lacks confidence in God’s purpose and plan for their life.  This all can hit home to anyone but the good thing is, if God is convicting your heart there is the promise “if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us”  This means it is gone forever to never be remembered again.  Believing and knowing without doubt is hard if the promises of God are not in your life.  Satan is a liar and will speak lies into our lives. You’re not good enough, you’re to far gone, there is no hope for you, or on the other hand you are good enough, you are to busy, you are doing enough, compare yourself with others, blah, blah, blah.    These struggles are common when our lives are more committed to this world, what it has to offer, and the cares surrounded by it.  Know that your sin is forgiven by the work of Christ, repent from whatever it is that is holding you back from committing to humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him.  Make time to spend in His word with the purpose of knowing Him.  Listen for His whispers of leading.  Today is the day you can commit to Him and ask Him to open His word to your heart and mind.