I am often amazed by the self righteousness of people in general, especially by self-proclaimed followers of Jesus Christ. (I know that this might come across as offensive, but it is something we are all guilty of from time to time - myself included.)
The reason I wanted to write this is to share what God has been showing me and breaking my heart over in the church. God first began to open my eyes as I was around a large number of Christians (I won't mention where, out of respect for my fellow sinners). What God started showing me was how often we as Christians put on a show of great spiritual maturity followed by our ramblings of our sinful life while constantly condemning others for their ungodly behavior.
I recently was told that a group of people would put on a front and say how they were Christians though they didn't live it. (These are generally the type of comments I ignore.) The reason I share this is because two days later I heard this same person talking about the male stripper at the party she was recently at.
I have also recently overheard one lady condemning another lady for sleeping around, then had her talk to me about her boyfriend that lives with her. I have heard many Christians verbally attack homosexuality, yet they think it is just natural for men to lust after women and see nothing wrong with pornography.
As I think about this I am drawn to 1 John 1:5-10, "This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."
So often we like to come across like we somehow have got it all together. We want to spend our time looking at what other people are doing rather than looking at ourselves. I know that it sounds like I am doing that very thing right now, but just today I found myself getting upset because someone made a mistake and I just wouldn't let it go. I was letting it boil inside, I was angry and in my anger I was sinning because I wasn't forgiving the lady who made me mad even though she apologized. (Forgive me, Lord.)
Very few of us would ever "claim" to be without sin in our words, our attitudes say it clearly. We start looking at others as if our thoughts, our actions, our calling, our social class, our educational level, our moral fiber... is the standard that other people can't live up to. When the truth is that it is God's character that we can't live up to.
Everyday, in some way I fail to live up to God's perfect standard. Everyday, I fail to live by God's design and I sin in thought and deed. And trust me I would love to say it happens only once per day, but that would be a lie. All to often I feel like Paul as he in Romans 7:19, "For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want."
It is for this reason that Jesus taught in Matthew 7:1-5, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."
Jesus wanted us to focus on the sin in our own life before we start pointing the finger at others. When we do this we will be more honest, more transparent, more accepting, more loving, and more humble in our interaction with other people. We will also experience a greater dependency on Jesus. Our eyes will be on the cross not on other people's struggles. Maybe it is time that we shift our perspective.
It is on the cross that Jesus paid the price for our sins. The ones we committed before accepting Him as our savior, the ones we will still commit, and even the ones we are committing now. Jesus died for them all and conquered the grave that you and I might have a new life through Him.
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17
