I believe one of the most prominent problems plaguing Christianity today is the congregants willingness to roll over and recieve abuse no matter the cost. Political Correctness has for some time gripped this great nation in a strangle hold. Every year new terms are coined to discribe what many consider to be hate-mongering. Terms like Islamaphobe, homophobe and misogynist are used time and again to silence criticism on difficult issues. This has become so rampant that anytime one group disagrees with the "PC" crowd they must by virtue of that disagreement fall into one of the many "ism" categories. But why does this mentality persist within the Christian community? Let me begin by giving an example of what I mean.
I am sure if you are a Christian who has at any time spoke out against iniquity of any kind you have been met by people claiming Christ, genuine or not, who have quoted this verse at you in that condescending tone parents use with children.
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Sounds pretty cut and dry. Doesn't it? But a little context goes a looooong way. Let's see what fits around this verse.
Mat 7:1 ¶ Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Notice anything? Allow me to highlight the operative verse here.
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
In dealing with people who push Mat 7:1 as the whole thrust of Jesus' message you may want to remind them of verse 5. Jesus clearly states that if you are in a condition to help another in their struggle with sin you may do so. Jesus was condemning hypocritical judgement. A good example would be Ted Haggard. A well known mega-church pastor who spoke out against homosexuality yet was discovered to have been indulging in that very sin. But is all judgement bad? I will appeal to scripture on this one too.
Jhn 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Ah. You see. There is a qualifiying statement. In today's vernacular we would call this discernment. We use it every day. Parents constantly judge in order to make good decisions for their children. Is it wrong for a parent to forbid his child from associating with other children he would deem a bad influence? The irony of all of this is those who so often quote Mat 7:1 behave as if Jesus did not spend much of his own ministry bringing judgement and blistering denunciations down on the unrighteous of His day.
Mat 6:2 Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 15:7 [Ye] hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 16:3 And in the morning, [It will be] foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O [ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not [discern] the signs of the times?
Mat 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, [ye] hypocrites?
Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Mat 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men's] bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Mat 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mar 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from me.
Luk 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over [them] are not aware [of them].
Luk 12:56 [Ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
And those are just the verses dealing with hypocrites. Some of you may be thinking to yourselves, "Yes but that is Jesus. He can judge. Not anyone else." Well someone should have told John, Peter, Paul, Jude, and James.
2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
1Cr 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Jo 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jam 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.
There are many more examples of such "judgements". Quality of character is a main theme of the Bible and a most prominent one of the New Testament. We are exhorted time and again in the epistles to be godly and upright. To deal with iniquity when it crops up among us and earnestly contend for the faith. But many have exhalted the merciful and forgiving nature of our Lord to such degrees that His Holiness and Justice have been overcast in its' shadow. What favor are you granting someone by allowing them to continue in sin unwarned? So onward Christian soldiers. Pick up the spiritual weapons God has given us and use them to destroy the sin that is in our own lives and ferret out those who would quiet our opposition to that sin.
This has become of greater concern to me as more and more people claiming Christ wish me to keep quiet in my criticism of Islam. I have heard on numerous occasions people claiming Christ using the same sophomoric arguments as muslims to quiet such criticism. They cite the crusades and inquisitions as if they do not realize those actions are not condoned in any part of scripture. As Christians we are told to bring all thought into the obedience of Christ. To pull down all vain thoughts and ideologies that stand in the way of a true knowledge of God. Scripture and a godly example are tools that Christ gave us to do this. Now it is more important than ever to be vigilant, ever on the look out for sin in the camp and to deal with it swiftly. And you can usually start with those who quote Mat 7:1 when you speak out against sin. Most of the times it is those same ones who use it as a shield for their own sin.
God bless
