Have you ever found yourself being judgmental toward someone or their situation? Have you ever excused your own wrong actions because you understood your intentions, but struggled to extend that same grace to others? The truth is, we’re all guilty of judging others while being lenient on ourselves. How often do we hear (or say), “That wasn’t what I meant,” or “I didn’t mean to do that”?
At times, we act as though our hearts are pure. For sure, we genuinely desire them to be! Hopefully, we seek God’s help in cultivating pure hearts and rightly motivated words and actions. But the reality is, we still fall short, and more often than we’d care to admit. God’s Word sets a high standard, teaching us how to walk in righteousness. Trying to meet it in our own strength is impossible. Only through God’s grace can we truly get it right. And let’s be honest: we all need His help, every day.
Righteousness is a gift from God, not something we can earn. It’s His righteousness imputed to us through faith in Jesus Christ. We’re saved not because we’re good enough, but because Jesus lived a sinless life, then died a sinner’s death to take our punishment upon Himself. When we accept Him as our Savior and receive His forgiveness, we also receive His righteousness as a gift. Romans 4:7-8 (NIV) reminds us: “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”
Through faith in what Jesus accomplished, God sees us as washed and pure. While He calls us to repent sincerely and strive toward transformation, becoming more Christ-like is a lifelong journey. As 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT) says: “...And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.” Our faith and our pursuit of transformation are the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work within us—a journey that continues until we stand with Him in eternity. Until then, we are covered by the robe of righteousness provided through Jesus' sacrifice.
Picture putting on a white robe: no matter what’s underneath, the robe is all that’s visible. Jesus has provided us with a robe of righteousness, covering our sins so that, in God’s eyes, we appear righteous. Isaiah foresaw this gift and declared in Isaiah 61:10 (NLT): “I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness...” This robe doesn’t erase our flaws, but it does cover them in God’s sight—and it’s a reminder that others are also covered by His grace when they believe.Knowing this, we should strive to be agents of mercy and grace, not judgment and condemnation. Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, and we shouldn’t walk through life condemning others. Instead, we’re called to share His love and the good news of eternal life and transformation.
Think about it: who would you rather be around? Someone who judges you harshly, or someone who, aware of their own flaws and the forgiveness they’ve received, extends mercy and acceptance to others?Jesus addressed this in Matthew 7:1-5 (NLT): "Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.”
Removing the log in our own eye means recognizing our own flaws and remembering that we’re all in need of God’s grace. Rather than judging, let’s focus on the robe of righteousness that covers us—and others who believe. Share the mercy and love of God with those around you. Be transparent about your flaws, and let them see the transformative power of His grace working in you.Today, choose to be a light. Let others experience God’s love and mercy through you. Yes, you may already be a Christian, but adopting this heart attitude will help you reflect Christ even more and make you a better person. Be merciful, be gracious, and let His love shine through you!
Psalms 32:1 (NLT) "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!
In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt
