July 16

Read: Romans 14:10-13

Let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of a brother (Romans 14:13, R.S.V.).

Humanity In Others

The man who tries to serve God and to live according to a standard of holiness is always in danger from the temptation to criticize others. He is keenly aware of God’s will, and is eager for men everywhere to live by it.

God has standards for His people, and He too is eager for men to know and to live by those standards — but He has not set us up as judges. Our job is to be examples of the holy life and to be witnesses to the grace of God which He has given to us.

It is really one of our own human limitations — one of our infirmities — that makes it necessary for God to excuse us from being judges. We simply cannot know the motives of a fellow Christian. There are failures in the spiritual life which originate in carnality, but there are other shortcomings which arise from human infirmity even after a man has been sanctified wholly. To distinguish between these requires knowledge higher than ours.

In a fine passage in Christian Perfection, where he draws a bit of irony from the Book of Job, Mr. Wesley writes: “Can we pronounce, in all cases, how far infirmity reaches? what may, and what may not, be resolved into it? what may in all circumstances, and what may not, consist with perfect love? Can we precisely determine how it will influence the look, the gesture, the tone of voice? If we can, doubtless we are the men, and wisdom shall die with us.”

Prayer For The Sanctified

Lord Jesus, help me always to remember that Paul was preaching holiness also when he wrote, “Let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”