Matthew 7:21-23
“Not
all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me
as ‘Lord,’ but still won’t get to heaven. For the decisive question is
whether they obey my Father in heaven. At the Judgment many will tell
me, ‘Lord, Lord, we told others about you and used your name to cast out
demons and to do many other great miracles.’ But I will reply, ‘You
have never been mine. Go away, for your deeds are evil.’
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
A
friend posted an aerial photo on Facebook of the home of a well-known
televangelist. Her caption was, “Room for a refugee or two? Too far out
of your comfort zone? I just can't relate to you, Mr. XYZ.” I get it…I
truly do. It’s hard for us to believe those who want to tell us what
God’s word says to those who are struggling, hurting and downtrodden,
while they live in “McMansions” and fly around the country on luxury
jets – all while calling on us to “give until it hurts” at the altars of
their churches.
Please open your heart and mind to what I am about to say. This is not for us to judge.
We don’t have to listen to these people or follow their teachings. We
do not have to attend the churches in which they lead. But we cannot
condemn them or make any judgments about how they conduct their own
lives. There are two reasons for this that come to mind, and I will try
to explain both of them.
The first is a no-brainer…Jesus tells
us not to judge others. It’s scriptural, and that should be all that we
need to know. But there is another thing to consider...we do not know
how God might be using this person. Almost two decades ago, I found
myself compelled to watch the teaching/preaching of a certain
televangelist. I began to study his sermons…to dig deeply into my Bible
and to discover what God had to say to me. I started watching other
televangelists and Bible scholars and reading their books and
commentaries.
I learned a lot about my relationship with God
and what the scriptures have to say…I was reawakened to the power and
presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I was also prayerfully cautious
to sift through what these people were saying and find God’s truth. I
did not buy what they were “selling” hook, line and sinker. And yes, I
was disappointed when some of them began to take an ugly
turn…to ask for millions of dollars for new jets…to be arrested for
domestic violence…to be investigated by the federal government for
alleged violations of “possible misuse of donations.”
But here’s
the thing…God used these people to speak to me – and to countless
others. And while they may have taken a wrong turn, haven’t we all?
Except for His grace, couldn’t others criticize us just as much for our
own hypocritical words and actions?
So what does this all mean
for us as faith-filled Christians? Are we to turn a blind eye to
hypocrites and those who claim the name of Jesus to support their own
selfish desires and agendas? For me, the answer is that we must let God
do the judging. And just as importantly, we must make sure that our
own thoughts, words and actions are above board at all times. We must
not fall into the devil’s trap of saying and doing one thing while
acting in another manner. We must be certain that we are about the
LORD’s business…and busy minding that instead of someone else’s.
We
must be careful about who we follow and remember that we are all mere
mortals…sinful, vulnerable, and capable of falling into the traps of the
devil at any given moment. We must make sure that we are truly “Godly”
in our daily living…and not merely giving others the appearance that we
are “religious.”
It’s time to check our words and actions to
see where we are truly showing up for Jesus…and where we are simply
making a show. I pray that God will use you and me to further His
kingdom…in spite of our own sins and shortcomings…and that He will grant
us wisdom and restraint to always reflect His teachings - and not our
own agendas. I also pray that God will grant me humility…that I may let
Him make the judgment on others - and render their verdict as He deems
appropriate.
©2015 Debbie Robus
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