As Galatians 3:26 says, “... in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.” It is clearly written that not only are we children of God but that we are to love one another as God has loved us (John 13:34). Why then do we - in public and private spaces, online and in the real world, to people’s faces and behind their backs - make judgmental and critical comments? Why do we listen and abide by these words and actions when we inherently know that they are not only detrimental to us as individuals but to the body of Christ? Have we become so societally indoctrinated that we accept these harmful thoughts and actions without so much as a by-your-leave? These comments, often grounded as they are in misunderstandings and assumptions, tear people and communities apart. They render individuals emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually wounded, and they create immense division everywhere they appear, which is ultimately everywhere - even in (and sometimes especially in) churches and religious settings.
Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” We have clear instructions repeatedly strewn throughout the Bible that guide us in Christian living, and yet, we as humans are naturally sinful and do inevitably make mistakes. That is an unfortunate truth about humanity. However, the fact that we are naturally sinful does not mean that we ought to accept or relish in the presence of judgmental language and actions in our lives. Instead, just as we strive to do when we sin in other ways, we should repent and ask for forgiveness. Moving forward, we then need to continue trying to be more faithful, compassionate, accepting, and gracious. For as children of God, we will make mistakes as we seek to become more spiritually mature - just as children do in their process of becoming adults. God, our Heavenly Father, will redirect our steps and make certain our way; as it says in Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Of utmost importance is the knowledge that just as a parent does for a child, God too will forgive us our sins and mistakes as we strive to come to know Him and His will for our lives; in fact, He has already done so through His only son, Jesus Christ. We are not to sin for the sake of sinning simply because we know the grace of God, but instead, we are to move forward confident in God’s presence and forgiveness as we simultaneously grow closer to God each day in our walk with Him.
As Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Not only has God forgiven us, but God seeks for us to model this behavior with others. We are then not only called to show love as God has loved us but we are to forgive as God has forgiven us. All of us have likely at one time or another been the one to say or think something judgmental or critical about someone else. Likewise, we each have probably also been the one that something judgmental or critical has been said about. Ultimately, what we are called to do in response to this is as such: to repent of such sinful behavior with a truly remorseful heart and to likewise forgive those who sin against us.
We are the body of Christ and are on this journey toward spiritual maturity together. We all make mistakes, we are all sinful, and we all need to practice forgiveness, acceptance, and the immense power of love. As Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. . .” These are the things to celebrate in our lives through richly incorporating them into our actions and thoughts. Although only but a portion of what is identified as the acts of the flesh, Paul also points out in Galatians that hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy are all of an opposing nature to those of the Spirit and are to be avoided. For “since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other (Galatians 5:25-26).”
By Meredith Bond, 2018
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