Moving this
I was originally typing this as a response to a thread on Tara's journal and then decided it was preachy and I felt bad leaving it there. So instead I moved it here. :)
Why shouldn't we judge anyone else? If this was in anyway directed at me then I never said that. I don't think that we should hate people. Hate actions yes, people no. That doesn't mean we shouldn't judge them.
I agree that we should judge people as human beings, as persons, as who they are. How could one possibly separate the two. Hitler was responsible for the deaths of 6-8 million jews. That's disgusting. Can we argue truthfully that he was not a disgusting human being? Stalin killed more than Hitler did. Isn't he just as revolting in everyway? How can we say "well he just did a horrible thing" and not also say "he was a horrible person"?
But then look at me. I've lied. I've stolen. According to Christ I've murdered and committed adultery in my heart. I've coveted. I've broken every single one of the ten commandments. I'm a horrible human being. I'm saying that completely honestly, not sarcastic at all. I've done nothing to give myself value, to be worthy of anything. Above all men I am the chief of sinners. From my standpoint I would say that Hitler and Stalin were both worse than me and did worse things than me. I judge them based on that as lower than I am. Yet if in their position perhaps I would have done the exact same things. But for the grace of God people could think back on me in the same way they think of those two dictators. I don't think that I do some mix of good and bad things all the time. I think that I consistently and without fail do bad things. Even the few good things that I do are completely without merit because I do them from selfish and bad motives. I do judge people for what they do, for who they are, and then I judge myself and find them no worse. I judge myself as completely sinful, lacking any righteousness of my own. I rest upon an attoning sacrifice which took the filthy rags of my attempts at righteousness and clothed me with the perfect life of the One Man who ever lived without sin. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
"My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole! Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord oh my soul!" -Horatio Gates Spafford
Gotta put these song lyrics up here cause I think they're perfect for the post:
"In Christ alone, my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song. This Cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love! What depths of peace! When fears are stilled, when strivings cease. My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ, I stand.
"In Christ alone, who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe. This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones He came to save. Till on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied! For every sin, on Him was lain, here in the death of Christ I live.
"There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain. Then bursting forth in Glorious Day, up from the grave He rose again! And as He stands in victory, sin's curse has lost its grip on me. For I am His, and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.
"No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand. Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ, I'll stand."
Why shouldn't we judge anyone else? If this was in anyway directed at me then I never said that. I don't think that we should hate people. Hate actions yes, people no. That doesn't mean we shouldn't judge them.
I agree that we should judge people as human beings, as persons, as who they are. How could one possibly separate the two. Hitler was responsible for the deaths of 6-8 million jews. That's disgusting. Can we argue truthfully that he was not a disgusting human being? Stalin killed more than Hitler did. Isn't he just as revolting in everyway? How can we say "well he just did a horrible thing" and not also say "he was a horrible person"?
But then look at me. I've lied. I've stolen. According to Christ I've murdered and committed adultery in my heart. I've coveted. I've broken every single one of the ten commandments. I'm a horrible human being. I'm saying that completely honestly, not sarcastic at all. I've done nothing to give myself value, to be worthy of anything. Above all men I am the chief of sinners. From my standpoint I would say that Hitler and Stalin were both worse than me and did worse things than me. I judge them based on that as lower than I am. Yet if in their position perhaps I would have done the exact same things. But for the grace of God people could think back on me in the same way they think of those two dictators. I don't think that I do some mix of good and bad things all the time. I think that I consistently and without fail do bad things. Even the few good things that I do are completely without merit because I do them from selfish and bad motives. I do judge people for what they do, for who they are, and then I judge myself and find them no worse. I judge myself as completely sinful, lacking any righteousness of my own. I rest upon an attoning sacrifice which took the filthy rags of my attempts at righteousness and clothed me with the perfect life of the One Man who ever lived without sin. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
"My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole! Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord oh my soul!" -Horatio Gates Spafford
Gotta put these song lyrics up here cause I think they're perfect for the post:
"In Christ alone, my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song. This Cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love! What depths of peace! When fears are stilled, when strivings cease. My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ, I stand.
"In Christ alone, who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe. This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones He came to save. Till on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied! For every sin, on Him was lain, here in the death of Christ I live.
"There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain. Then bursting forth in Glorious Day, up from the grave He rose again! And as He stands in victory, sin's curse has lost its grip on me. For I am His, and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.
"No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand. Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ, I'll stand."