“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/

Read Romans 2:1-17,
Psalm 50
August 28

                                        “Are You A Pot?”

  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37 NIV

     Too many of us seem to enjoy and spend too much time worrying about those “kettles”.  When our fleshly critical and judgmental spirits take over, grace gets cast aside and we have a ball making ourselves look good by making others look bad.

     Many seem to have a need to feel that they are better than some one else.  Racial and Religious prejudice and discrimination spring from this root cause.  The victims of such prejudice often turn right around and practice the same thing against others they deem further down the economic, racial, or social ladder.  Sadly, some many pastors and many churches are the worst offenders.

     While we need to recognize and hate sin of all kinds, admonish our brothers and sisters in Christ in Christian love when their sinful behavior calls for it; we must be like Christ, who always hated the sin, but always loved the sinners, except the self-righteousness and hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

     Scripture teaches that we would be better off spending our time judging ourselves.  “But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.” (1 Corinthians 11:31 NIV)   Whether in taking communion, or in daily confession and repentance, we can save ourselves the pain and God the sorrow of having to discipline us more severely.

     Frankly, I cannot afford the luxury of judging, condemning, and not forgiving others.  I need all of the grace and mercy available to atone for my own sins, and I dare not forget our Lord’s admonishment: “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:15 NIV)

     Father, take away my critical spirit, and replace it with the grace that abounds even more than sin.    In Jesus’ name, Amen