Hebrews 4:11-13
11 Therefore let’s make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we must answer.
How often we hear this refrain today, "only God can judge me." It is intended to deflect criticism and to tell people to butt out of our business, but very few people seem to understand the gravity of the words that they are saying.
This is understandable for an unbeliever, after all, they do not believe in God and therefore, they do not comprehend the peril that such a statement puts their eternal soul in. Yet for a believer, what an unabridgedly catastrophic sentiment.
You see, when someone uses this phrase, they are deflecting their anger about God's judgement onto a person. After all, I can be mad at a person. I can argue with a person. I can make an emotional argument to a person. I cannot do these with the Word of God.
So that is where we find our believers who use this statement. They are living contrary to the Word of God, they know it, and rather than accept the Godly counsel of others who are attempting to help them live the Holy life, they throw up this smoke screen so that they can continue living comfortably in their sin.
That is why, when they are reminded of the sinfulness of their behavior, they react so vitriolically. They are not actually mad at the person, they are mad at God, yet they are taking it out on the person standing in front of them.
When they snarl, "Don't judge me," or, "Only God can judge me," at you, they are not, in fact, snarling it at you, they are doing so in the face of God Himself. This fact alone should scare them eternally, but it does not, because they are determined not to give up whatever sinful behavior they have decided to embrace.
It is true, and as true believers, we do in fact believe that ONLY God can judge you, however, He already has, and that judgement is found in the pages of the Bible. You are already guilty, the judgement has already happened, and what you are really upset about is that you disagree with God about your sin.
God is the sole, only, and complete arbiter of "Right and Wrong," and we get absolutely no say in it. All we can do is help on another along this path called, "holiness."
Do not push away helping hands, particularly with the idea that they are judging you, because they are not, that already happened. They are simply trying to help.
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