Despising and judging

The penny dropped for me this week...

The weak Christian tends to judge the strong Christian. The strong Christian tends to despise the weak Christian. Ask yourself, "who do I despise?" "Who do I judge?"

I suspect most of us are a mixture of strong and weak, depending on the issue. Perhaps you despise the six-day creationists and judge those who don't regularly attend your small group... perhaps its something else.

I've been really helped to see that what Paul is so concerned about is eradicating from the church both despising and judging.

Paul reminds us we should "welcome" our brother and sister (v.1) because "God has welcomed him" (v.3). We are meant to imitate God in his grace... but not in his judgement. "We will all stand before the judgement seat of God" (v. 10), but that is precisely why Paul thinks we shouldn't judge our fellow believer. Having said that, Paul still sees judging having a role in church discipline, in particular if it is necessary (as a church leader) to excommunicate those "guilty of sexual immorality or greed...an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler" (1 Cor 5:11).

I once heard Tim Keller challenge those in his congregation that were self-righteous and those that were self-righteous about not being self-righteous. I need to hear both and give up both despising or judging and instead welcome all my brothers and sisters.