Judging and discerning

Portal of the Church of Pilgrims, in Washington, DC, with a LGBT banner. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having an opinionated blog like this one really opens you up to other people’s strong opinions when they disagree with you. It’s all part of the fun really.

In particular because of the content, which often touches sensitive topics like abortion, pornography and homosexuality, people can, and have, ended up feeling like this is a soapbox for judgmentalism.

And perhaps it is.

But perhaps there’s a fine line between judgmentalism and discernment, and the real challenge is to determine where that line sits.

A while ago now I posted one of my most visited posts about homosexuality. I probably communicated there better than on other occasions how it’s important to say when sin is sin while at the same time accepting people as they are and offering infinite grace to people who actively embrace sin.

So judging in the form of discernment is important and good, but judging in the form of judgmentalism is bad, and a sign of deep-rooted pride. So, without feeling judged, why not ask yourself the following questions which I’m plagiarising from Chris Simpson to see if you’re more judgmental than discerning:

1. Do you find it difficult to forgive others quickly?
2. Are you quick to judge others but slow to take criticism yourself?
3. Do you tend to blame others more than you take responsibility yourself?
4. Do you often feel judged by others?

If they made you feel more condemned than convicted, here’s a lovely summary of the difference between judgmentalism and discernment from a self-proclaimed Reformed Baptist:

Without love it’s only a hair’s width.

Thank God it’s all of grace.

All sins are the same..?

I’ve quite happily gone through my Christian life thinking that a sin is a sin is a sin; there’s no degree of ‘worse’ sins because it’s all just sin, with perhaps two exceptions:
1. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the only unforgiveable sin
2. Sexual sin is considered worse because it invariably means including another in your sin.

However R. T. Kendall says this: ‘Some sins are undoubtedly worse than others’. I’ve realised this; all sin is sin, an abomination to God and importantly is against Him. We’ve all done it.
But some of us have sinned more, and it’s certainly been different. The Bible tells us that punishment in hell will be proportionate to the sin we commit, so yes indeed some sins are ‘worse’.

Just a thought for a Friday afternoon.

How can God be love if He made me knowing I’m going to hell?

This question was asked by a non-Christian yesterday, and is probably asked most days by someone: ‘if God is love, and if God knows everything and created everyone, then that means He created some in the full knowledge that they would suffer in hell for eternity. That doesn’t sound very loving.’

I would like to suggest that this actually proves God’s love more than anything, but we’re looking at it the wrong way. Here’s what it looks like from God’s perspective – I’m going to call a generic non-Christian Dave:

GOD: I love the concept of Dave, know he is destined for hell, but still want to give him my grace; I know he’d like it, even though he’s too foolish to admit it. Out of love I will create him so he can enjoy my creation despite the fact that he deserves not even that. I know he won’t choose me but surely at least giving him the chance is more loving than never giving him a chance.

God does not create non-Christians so that they go to hell, He creates them out of love so that they enjoy at least a little of His grace on this earth.