Judge yourself.
I make judgments every day. Will I drive down Snelling or Lexington? Which route has heavier traffic at this time of day? Which jeweler will I go to? Which purveyor has a proven reputation and which one is more “fly by night?” I even make judgments about where to get my oil changed-even within the same brand name- based on a judgment about the quality of workers at one store versus another.
The message this weekend is on making judgments - God calls us to judge ourselves. We are called to judge ourselves in passages like 2 Corinthians 13:5, Lamentations 3:40, and 1 Corinthians 11:27-31.
Why is this topic a foundational doctrine? The unadorned answer is this: we are to judge ourselves so that we’re not surprised on the day when God judges us by his perfect standard of right behavior.
Judgment is a skill, at times, incorrigible at other times but perfectly necessary and elemental in our human existence. Here is the rub - the malady - of this topic: we tend to judge others before we even consider judging ourselves. That is part of the reason I find it fascinating that God starts with us and prepares us for a life of judging self.
Imagine if we lived in a world that strictly adhered to this foundational ideal? There would be policemen making objective judgments on how to react in the case of a homicide or a traffic violation. Store clerks would be checking and re-checking their attitudes according to a higher standard of operation. Babysitters would be searching out their performance in order to give good and trustworthy care to the children of the parents who “trust them” to care for their progeny; such care might even limit their screen time with a friend for the sake of delivering gentle and watchful guardedness. If every citizen lived with strong, self-judging adeptness our world would be ten times closer to the utopian society we seek.
Alas, this must start with Christians. It is by the Spirit of God that we are even aware of our brokenness. We are not the standard; God is the right and perfect standard. When we judge others, it often relates to our own standard. But God will not be judging us by our criterion. He judges us by the gold standard: holy, perfect Jesus.
As believers in Jesus Christ, it is our duty to daily remember and ponder our need for Jesus. I’m not a believer because I’ve got it all figured out. I’m a believer because my engine is not running on all cylinders and Jesus is the mechanic. I’m a follower of Jesus inasmuch as I see my stray desires and faulty assumptions which would keep me locked in hell if Jesus had not offered to go there on my behalf. Jesus is the antidote to my sickness. Judging ourselves is how we get to this strong sense of need. My proposition is that many of us have gotten into this Christian existence, and even stay within this particular belief, by sincere recognition of abstract need within ourselves rather than specifics. So it is imperative that we go deeper. Let us explore the actual, tangible failing that is a part of our very self.
Here I would like to take the lead with the passage from James 4:8-10, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
This is a call to see what needs to be cleansed. We need purifying because we are NOT pure. Why is there a need for cleansing and purifying? Because we have sickness in our heart. Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”
What evil thought am I harboring today? Am I willing to face the truth that I really don’t want the best for all people? Lord have mercy on me, this is how I am a sinner!
Am I prone to steal and how does that exhibit itself in my daily interactions with my boss, the tax man, my accountant, etc.? Lord have mercy! I’m a sinful human being.
If my heart is the home of slander, how does that slander show itself in my actions toward someone I don’t like? Lord have mercy!
I’m positive that I have never murdered anyone, but if my heart is the seedbed of such actions, do my thoughts ever have hateful and harmful intent? Does anger ever fume in me? Have I ever considered someone else unworthy of my time? I have sinned; Lord have mercy!
Self examination is not easy. It’s not natural. It truly takes work. But this very hard work of self-examination, or self judgment, is the basis for a better relationship with God and even a better world (secondary benefit). Judging self is the basic requirement for a humble heart that desires Jesus’ forgiving act of love, granted to all who humble themselves in front of God.
Blessings to all of you as you judge yourself!