Paul brilliantly anticipates that he would have an “amen corner” for his strong views on sexual immorality, gossiping, and the various other “hot button” sins listed in Romans 1:16-32. He anticipates an amen from the faithful elder sitting on the front row with his three-piece suit on. A “you betta preach” from the third-generation church member seated by the window on the left side of the church wearing her big church hat. And a loud and stern “Preach Paul” from the casually dressed young brother in the back right corner with ministry aspirations.
But their response would be rooted in self-righteousness. For in their mind, Paul is not talking about them. No way. They are saved, sanctified, holy-ghost-filled, and fire-baptized. He cannot be talking about them. They are tithers who faithfully attend every Sunday and Mid-Week service. There is no way that they would engage in such spiritually immature and heinous acts.
But Paul knows that what we proclaim is not always who we are. He understands that although we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we have our “pet sins” that we like to condemn people for.
So he says that everyone who passes judgment is without excuse. For in the matter in which you judge someone else, you condemn yourself: for you who judge practice the same things. (Romans 2:1)
We tend to look in our brothers’ mirror and belittle, demean, and condemn them when we should be looking in our mirror, identifying our sins and repenting.
Jesus describes our judgmental mindsets via a parable.
Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner! (Luke 18:10–14 )
Jesus is more direct in His Sermon on the Mount.
Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye! (Matthew 7:1-5)
Ouch. If you have a membership to the “self-righteous amen corner” we encourage you to cancel it and pursue sanctification (spiritual cleansing).
Let’s take the log out of our eyes. Let’s humble ourselves. Let’s search the scripture and find a verse to help us overcome our sins. Let’s submit ourselves to God, resist the devil, and watch Him flee. (James 4:7) Let’s fall on our knees and ask the Father for mercy. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us endure the sin that so easily besets us before we tactfully start addressing the sin of our brother. (Hebrews 12)