In our nation’s capital, Washington DC, exists a department known as the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, or simplified to NIST. Within
that organization is the Office of Weights and Measures. Maintained in that
office are the “standards” by which all of our weights and measures are compared
so we can know that whatever measure is laid alongside, if it matches up, it’s
true and righteous. If it doesn’t meet the standard by which it’s measured,
it’s rejected. It’s not a true measure.
There are, in my humble opinion, many verses in the Bible that are
misunderstood or misapplied but none probably more so than the one cited above
from Matt. 7:1. It’s also my opinion that the reason for most of the
misunderstood and misapplied passages from the Bible is directly due to a lack
of knowledge of that Book which directly relates to a lack of study of it.
This is a major problem in the “religious” world today. Actually, it’s
been a major problem for a few thousand years and I know this because the
Prophet Hosea warned the “religious” people of his day about it when he said
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge....(Hos. 4:6). The
word “for” in that warning means “because of.” It doesn’t
appear that things have changed very much since then either.
Why I classify this as a “major” problem is simply because a lot of
well-meaning yet misinformed “religious” people today will preach something
falsely to others that will just breed more ignorance of God’s Word. Such is
the case with the above verse. They cite that verse to try and tell others that
we “can’t be judgmental.” Or, the Bible says “we’re not to judge others” and
base their teaching on that one verse. Let’s take a few moments here today and
dispel that false belief.
If one reads Mark 4:24 there is a statement recorded there that says for us
to “take heed...what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you.”
What that’s referring to is our standard of measurement. I’ve observed, and
probably you have also, that many people judge the actions (or non-actions) of
others by the wrong standards, to wit: themselves. In other words, they’re
using themselves, or maybe even other persons, as the standard of measurement as
to what’s right or wrong. This is not a scriptural standard for comparison for
Christians to use.
Now I grant you that there are a lot of fine, upstanding and righteous
people that we can look towards as role models such as the example set by Paul
when he said in 1Cor. 11:1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
(ESV) He’s saying that you can follow his example as long as he is following
Christ. So then, who is the real, or ultimate, example Paul’s saying for us to
follow? Jesus Christ.
Again let me refer you to something said by the apostle Paul that speaks
directly to someone “measuring” others or themselves by the wrong
standards. In 2Cor. 10:12 he writes: “For we dare not make ourselves of the
number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves; but they,
measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves,
are not wise.”
We too have, parabolically-speaking, an office of “weights and measures”
located in our Christian “capital” A “standard” by which we can compare, or
judge, ourselves. Heb. 12:2 reads “Looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.” Our
“standard” our “measure” - Jesus in heaven at “the right hand of
God.”
As to the “measuring” of ourselves in the church, in our Christian duties,
we can turn again to some more inspired words of Paul seen in Eph. 4:13:
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ.”
Yes, there are many Christians that we can look to as examples of followers
of Christ, but we cannot compare ourselves to them as “standards.” The only
“standard” which a Christian can compare themselves to as a “measuring”
device is the one given us in the above verse: “the measure of the fullness
of Christ.”
You know, it bothers me when I hear someone in the church say that “so and
so” is not doing as much as they should be doing. That’s making a judgment call
usually based upon the comparison with the actions (non-actions) of other
members. That is probably true only because that same judgment applies to each
and every one of us. I simply can’t imagine a Christian doing too much “for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (Eph.
4:12)
No, when you hear such statements made you can be sure of two things: (1)
they are using the wrong “measuring stick” and (2) they probably do not have all
the information with which to even make a comparison. None of us knows what the
circumstances are in another person’s life that may determine what they are
capable of either doing or not doing. There is a well-known phrase that
applies if I, or anyone else, is guilty of making these uninformed
“measurings.” What we’re doing is “jumping to conclusions.”
But, going back and addressing my original point that many misunderstand
the meaning of Matt. 7:1, let me emphasize that it does not preclude us from
making judgments of other people. We cannot judge them as God judges them
simply because we don’t have that authority. But, we can judge their actions
and thereby know whether we ought to associate with them. Whether our
association would be detrimental to the cause of Christ or not.
If we were to believe that Matt. 7:1 is telling us that we are not to
“judge others” then why would we read in John 7:24: “Judge not according to
the appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” And, with the thought
that whatever “measuring stick” we choose, to us it will be that by which we’ll
be “measured.”
Ron Covey
No comments:
Post a Comment