Matthew 7 Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. 2 For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you. 3 Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother’s eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the tiny particle out of your brother’s eye. AMPC
God wants to talk to us today about judging ourselves, lest we be judged by Him. Instead of using our energy to look around us and criticize others we are to look at ourselves and compare our conduct to the Word of God.
We are instructed to check our fruit and if we have none —do some revamping. Change things up because we will be judged according to our nature, not according to what we have decided on our own, but according to the Word.
You see, when we judge others we are for one —avoiding our own fault, and putting that energy into dissecting the faults of others. Looking at the spec in their eye —still never seeing the log in our own eye is energy used unwisely —and even wasteful. Wasteful and unwise because that energy is energy that could be used to better ourselves —being fit for the Kingdom of God.
That said, in criticizing others we compare ourselves to them, instead of comparing ourselves to Jesus. When our comparison is with man we will fail to become like Jesus, because we are comparing ourselves to those whom we criticized.
Our calling is to be like Jesus.
2 Corinthians 13: 5 Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected? AMPC
When our life is so wrapped up in the affairs of others we miss the whole point of being a Christian. Being like Christ should be our goal and will be impossible if we are focused on a man. Having fruit should be what we are examining ourselves for.
Even though —when we are more focused on the faults of others, when things don't turn for us, we lean toward blaming God. But if, if, we had been doing the very thing God requires, (examining ourselves) our time would have been well spent instead of unprofitable. Working toward our character to be like Him takes time— and produces much fruit. And, fruit produces successful living —in the Kingdom of God.
2 Peter 1:10 Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall.11 Thus there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. AMPC
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