Matthew 7:1-12
1 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.
Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking
7 “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them-this is the Law and the Prophets.
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Related Text:
John 16:24
Romans 14:1-13
1 Corinthians 5
James 4:1-3
1 John 3:21-22
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Here Come The Judge
The word hypocrite means to “act out the part of a character in a play”. In ancient times, actors covered their faces with masks representing the characters that they were playing.
Today, a hypocrite is known as one who covers or hides his real self and “acts” like different person, often depending on people or places that the person finds himself surrounded by. Obviously, this person would be referred to as fake.
Anyone can fool an “audience”, but God isn’t fooled. God wrote the ultimate script, He created all of the characters, and He knows everything about the play. He has plans for your life. But we have to be willing to follow His lead, and leave our old life behind. We must remember that when we became followers of Jesus Christ, we no longer live, but Christ lives in us.
God created you just as He wants you to be. If you wear a mask to every place you go, always hiding who you are, ask God for the strength to remove it and be a shining light for Him.
And just a note about judging others. We have a similar plan of action to avoid this trap as what we went over yesterday about praying instead of worrying. Basically, instead of looking at others and judging them, begin to pray for them for the things that you initially wanted to be judgmental about. MOTIVE IS VERY IMPORTANT HERE. We all know that person who prays for peoples mistakes and bad habits just so they can gossip to others about it. Or the person who tells you they are praying for you just so they can make you feel lower than them (like they never struggle with any temptation). Do not be these types of people. Instead, just replace your judgments and harsh thoughts with prayers. Most of the time, the person you are praying for doesn’t even need to know. Done properly, this practice will probably change us more than the person we are lifting up before God.
