Whenever Christians express disapproval of something the
Bible calls a sin, they will be reprimanded with the favorite words of those who are otherwise ignorant of the Bible: “Judge not” (Matt.
7:1).
According to Jesus, it is not judging, but judgmentalism that
is wrong. Opposed to a judgmentalism stemming from a sense of moral
superiority, Jesus said, “First
remove the beam from your own eye; then you can see clearly to remove the
speck from your brother’s eye.” In other words, don’t be hypocritical; judge
yourself first.
Judgmentalism is wrong, but moral judgments are not (the Bible is replete with them). For Biblically-centered believers, explaining what the Bible calls 'sin' is part of the job description, especially given the degree of biblical illiteracy and moral ambiguity in our secular culture. So the next time you are accused of violating the “judge not” rule, turn it into a teaching moment, explaining the difference. But, don't forget to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).
Judgmentalism is wrong, but moral judgments are not (the Bible is replete with them). For Biblically-centered believers, explaining what the Bible calls 'sin' is part of the job description, especially given the degree of biblical illiteracy and moral ambiguity in our secular culture. So the next time you are accused of violating the “judge not” rule, turn it into a teaching moment, explaining the difference. But, don't forget to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).
No comments:
Post a Comment