Judge Not

Judge Not

Read: John 3:16-18

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned.”

John 3:18

“Grace is what the New Testament is all about.”

—J. I. Packer

IN WORD One of the hardest truths for Christians to grasp is that we who believe in Him are not condemned. We generally have no trouble telling an unbeliever this wonderful truth. Our difficulty most often comes in applying it to fellow believers. How prone we are to notice others’ sins, and even to hold those sins against them! The grace we proclaim to the world is unconditional, just as God has said. But the grace we proclaim to Christian brothers and sisters seems awfully conditional sometimes, depending on how well they embody biblical truth as we see it.

We actually enjoy hearing the testimonies of those who lived in gross rebellion, only to encounter Christ and be radically transformed. Praise God for those testimonies! They are trophies of God’s grace, and we are right to rejoice in their radical conversions. But we often shun those who struggle with sin after professing Christ, as though sanctification were an instantaneous event. We forget that grace is ongoing. Sin is so deeply embedded in us that the vestiges of it will be manifested frequently for the rest of our lives. Or, as is often said, we all walk with a limp.

IN DEED The good news of the gospel is simply this— there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Our sins were buried with Him long ago. This is a wonderful truth we claim for ourselves; do we apply it to others? We are often like hospital patients in post-op, pointing out each other’s scars. Or members of a recovery group who see everyone’s dysfunction but our own. Have we forgotten? We are all dysfunctional, though recovering; all scarred, but healed; all buried, but raised up. No sins are held against us in this resurrection. Any other “gospel” is not good news. Ask God to give you a ministry of grace.