Last week we began to address one way we can judge by appearances that can be wrong. I shared a prophetic experience I had years ago in which I was shown a man of God who was accomplishing many things for the Lord. I was then shown a man who appeared to be homeless walking down the street. His name was Angelo. As he walked, a little kitten got in his way, and he roughly thrust it aside with his foot. The Lord then asked me which of these two men I thought He was most pleased with. Of course, I thought it was the one doing such great things for Him. However, the Lord replied that He was most pleased with Angelo, because he had used all of the grace apportioned to him to restrain himself, merely thrusting the kitten out of his way. The one doing so many things for the Lord was only using part of what had been apportioned to him.
This consideration, that people may be doing the best they can with the portion they have been given, can be important as we appraise others and their actions. Yet it can also be a delusion if not used rightly. For example, suppose Angelo had been entrusted with more than the other man, and the other had been using all he had been entrusted with? The point is, we must not judge by appearances.
For another example, the Pharisees were the greatest enemies of the Lord when He came. Even so, the Lord asked the Father to forgive those who crucified Him because they did not know what they were doing. Suppose these Pharisees had not been given much to overcome the strict religious system they were brought up in, which is why the Lord wanted them forgiven. Or suppose they had been given much to overcome it and had chosen not to walk in the grace provided them, yet the love of God is so great that He wanted them forgiven anyway?
We are called to judge actions or behavior, but not necessarily motives. Personally, I think we can cross into very dangerous territory when we think we are wise or discerning enough to judge other people’s motives, if we do not have clear evidence of those motives and we are merely speculating or presuming. For this reason, we must keep in mind that we do not war against flesh and blood and that we oppose sin, while seeking to set all men free from its grip, regardless of whether we think they deserve this grace or not.
Many things will get sorted out on Judgment Day as each heart is revealed. But I have yet to meet anyone, even the most spiritual ones I’ve known, who I considered able to accurately judge the hearts and motives of others. Those who thought they were wise or discerning enough to do this seemed prone toward a severity that would extend little grace to others, and that is contrary to the way Jesus walked.
Because we are told we will reap what we sow, if we want to receive mercy, we need to sow it every chance we get. If we want to receive grace, we need to sow grace every chance we get. However, this does not mean we overlook sin. In fact, the grace of God is extended when, in true repentance, we acknowledge our failures, calling them the sin that they are, owning them, and not blame-shifting.
The Lord does not forgive excuses, but sin that is repented of. For this reason, sin must be made plain. Repentance needed to be preached to prepare the way for the Lord, and repentance is required before we can receive His salvation. We must stand against what the Word of God clearly reveals to be sin, but we don’t need to judge the reasons behind the sin. In all things, we stand against the sin with the purpose of setting the captives free from it.
