Who Made You Judge?

Romans 2:1
Therefore, you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

It is amazing how people can judge a book by its cover or form an opinion from excerpts of your life. We live in a “Paparazzi” infected world where each person has their own camera and gavels and with our limited evidence and opinions, we have made people guilty who are innocent out of our own insecurities. We judge people by laws we don’t keep ourselves. We hold people to higher standards that we don’t even attempt to reach all because something we see in the other person strikes a cord of discomfort in our own fractured self image.

Paul says that people like this are inexcusable. He said when you judge someone else for whatever reason you have already condemned yourself. The more people put their mouths on someone else the more they condemn themselves. What you condemn in a person is really a reflection of something fractured in yourself.

The key point of this scripture is when Paul says, “For you who judge practice the same things!” Paul asks them in verse 21 “You therefore who teach another, do you teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, Do not commit adultery, Do you commit adultery?

This hypocrisy must stop! When we find ourselves joining the lynch mobs of the ill informed opinionated masses we should back up and look at ourselves and ask, what is it about the person that has me ready to condemn them? Is there anything in me that could stand to be condemned?

It’s like Jesus when they caught the woman in the act of adultery and dragged her in front of Jesus. Jesus wrote in the dirt. I think he was writing the sins of every man in that room. The mob said, “According to the law this woman deserves to die, what do you say?” Jesus said, “He who is without sin cast the first stone.” They all left from the youngest to the oldest. Jesus said to the woman, “Is there anyone left to condemn you?” She said, “NO my Lord.” He said, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

Its not the cover you should judge and not one excerpt from a person’s life but the full content of their character.

Verse 29 but he is a (Christian) who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

Dear God, you are the only one who can judge me. You know my heart and my intentions. May the words of those who judge me be turned against them. If you find anything in me that’s wrong take it away and forgive me. Thank you for not condemning me but instead you saved me from the hands of blood thirsty men. Thank you for the blood of Jesus that covers me and washes away my condemnation.

In Jesus Name.
Amen.