Embracing Grace: Overcoming Judgmentalism in Our Lives
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound implications of judgmentalism and how it affects our relationships and spiritual lives. Drawing from James 4:11-12, we delved into why we are often quick to judge others and the reasons we should refrain from doing so. Judgmentalism stems from guilt and pride, as we often seek to excuse our own failures and feel superior to others. However, judging others is unloving, as it contradicts the Royal Law of loving our neighbors as ourselves. It is also God's job, not ours, to judge, and when we do so, we are essentially playing God. Furthermore, judgmentalism is unchristian, as it goes against the example set by Jesus, who came not to judge but to save.
To combat judgmentalism, we must remember several key truths. First, we are not the standard by which others should be judged. Second, we often lack the full story and do not know others' motivations. Third, we have our own blind spots that we cannot see. Fourth, we should listen first before making judgments. Fifth, we will be judged by the same standard we use to judge others. Finally, we must remember the grace God has shown us and extend that same grace to others.
By embracing these principles, we can become more merciful and less judgmental, reflecting the love and grace of Christ in our interactions with others. This transformation requires humility, self-awareness, and a commitment to living out the Royal Law in our daily lives.
Key Takeaways:
- Judgmentalism Stems from Guilt and Pride: We often judge others to excuse our own failures and feel superior. This behavior is rooted in guilt and pride, which distract us from our own shortcomings. Recognizing these motivations can help us address our judgmental tendencies. [07:13]
- Judging Others is Unloving and God's Job: Judging others contradicts the Royal Law of loving our neighbors as ourselves. It is God's role to judge, not ours, and when we judge, we are playing God. Embracing love over judgment aligns us with Christ's teachings. [12:30]
- We Lack Full Understanding and Motivation: We often judge without knowing the full story or others' motivations. This lack of understanding leads to unfair judgments. By acknowledging our limited perspective, we can approach others with empathy and grace. [21:14]
- Listen First and Avoid Hypocrisy: Listening before judging allows us to understand others better and avoid hypocrisy. We must be aware of our own blind spots and focus on self-evaluation rather than criticizing others. This approach fosters humility and growth. [28:44]
- Extend Grace as God Has Shown Us: Remembering the grace God has extended to us encourages us to be gracious to others. By living under grace rather than judgment, we reflect Christ's love and mercy, transforming our relationships and communities. [33:43]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:09] - Introduction to the Series
- [00:39] - Coping with Emotional Stress
- [01:39] - Recap of Previous Messages
- [03:06] - Personal and Interpersonal Stress
- [05:08] - The Issue of Judging Others
- [06:42] - Why We Judge Others
- [09:48] - The Role of Pride in Judgment
- [12:13] - Why We Should Not Judge
- [16:04] - Judging is Unchristian
- [18:06] - How to Be Less Judgmental
- [19:01] - Remembering Our Own Limitations
- [23:21] - The Importance of Self-Evaluation
- [28:44] - Listening Before Judging
- [33:43] - Embracing Grace Over Judgment
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- James 4:11-12
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Observation Questions:
1. According to James 4:11-12, what are the consequences of speaking against fellow believers? How does this relate to judging God's law? [06:05]
2. In the sermon, what reasons are given for why people are quick to judge others? [06:42]
3. How does the sermon describe the relationship between judgmentalism and the Royal Law of loving our neighbors as ourselves? [12:30]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the role of guilt and pride in judgmental behavior? [07:13]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon explain the concept of "playing God" when we judge others, and what are the implications of this behavior? [14:52]
2. The sermon mentions that judging others is unchristian. How does this align with the example set by Jesus, according to the sermon? [16:04]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of understanding others' motivations before making judgments? How does this relate to our own self-awareness? [21:14]
4. How does the sermon propose we can become less judgmental and more merciful in our interactions with others? [18:06]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent situation where you judged someone quickly. What steps can you take to ensure you listen first and understand the full story before making judgments in the future? [28:44]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of self-evaluation. What are some practical ways you can regularly assess your own blind spots and motivations? [23:21]
3. Consider a time when you felt judged by others. How did it affect your relationship with them, and how can this experience guide you in extending grace to others? [33:43]
4. The sermon highlights the role of pride in judgmentalism. Identify an area in your life where pride might be influencing your judgments. How can you address this to foster humility? [09:48]
5. How can you actively practice the Royal Law of loving your neighbor as yourself in your daily interactions, especially with those you find difficult to love? [12:30]
6. Think about a person in your life who you have judged harshly. What steps can you take to reconcile and show them the grace that God has shown you? [33:43]
7. The sermon suggests that we will be judged by the same standard we use to judge others. How does this perspective influence your approach to judging others, and what changes can you make to align more closely with Christ's teachings? [30:22]
Devotional
Day 1: Recognizing the Roots of Judgmentalism
Judgmentalism often arises from a place of guilt and pride. When we judge others, it is frequently an attempt to excuse our own failures and elevate ourselves above them. This behavior distracts us from addressing our own shortcomings and can lead to a cycle of negativity and self-righteousness. By understanding these motivations, we can begin to address our judgmental tendencies and seek a more compassionate approach to others. [07:13]
James 4:11-12 (ESV): "Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge."
Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you judged someone. What underlying feelings of guilt or pride might have influenced your judgment? How can you address these feelings to foster a more compassionate perspective?
Day 2: Embracing Love Over Judgment
Judging others contradicts the Royal Law of loving our neighbors as ourselves. It is not our role to judge; that responsibility belongs to God. When we judge, we are essentially playing God, which misaligns us with Christ's teachings. Embracing love over judgment allows us to align with the example set by Jesus, who came not to judge but to save. [12:30]
Matthew 7:1-2 (ESV): "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."
Reflection: Consider someone you have judged harshly. How can you shift your perspective to see them through the lens of love and grace, as Christ sees you?
Day 3: Understanding Beyond Appearances
We often judge without knowing the full story or others' motivations. This lack of understanding can lead to unfair judgments and strained relationships. By acknowledging our limited perspective, we can approach others with empathy and grace, recognizing that everyone has their own struggles and stories. [21:14]
1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV): "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'"
Reflection: Think of a time when you judged someone without knowing their full story. How can you practice empathy and seek to understand their perspective before forming an opinion?
Day 4: Listening Before Judging
Listening before judging allows us to understand others better and avoid hypocrisy. We must be aware of our own blind spots and focus on self-evaluation rather than criticizing others. This approach fosters humility and personal growth, helping us to build stronger, more understanding relationships. [28:44]
Proverbs 18:13 (ESV): "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."
Reflection: Identify a situation where you can practice active listening today. How can you ensure you truly understand the other person's perspective before forming a judgment?
Day 5: Extending Grace as We Have Received
Remembering the grace God has extended to us encourages us to be gracious to others. By living under grace rather than judgment, we reflect Christ's love and mercy, transforming our relationships and communities. This requires a conscious effort to extend the same grace we have received to those around us. [33:43]
Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV): "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
Reflection: Reflect on the grace God has shown you in your life. How can you intentionally extend that grace to someone in your life today, especially someone you find difficult to love?
Quotes
"Brothers and sisters, never say bad things about each other. Anytime you speak against fellow believers or you judge and you bad mouth them, you judge and condemn God's law. And when you judge God's law, you aren't keeping it yourself. Instead, you set yourself up, you set yourself up as the judge. Remember, God is the only true law giver and judge and He alone has the authority to save or destroy. So then who are you and what gives you the right to pass judgment on others?" [00:05:51]
"Well, in that passage that I just read, James says there are two reasons why we tend to be judgmental of others. And the first one is guilt, our own guilt. Write this down. We want to excuse our own failures. We want to excuse our own failures. When Adam, who was the first man who sinned, he did two things. He excused his own sin and he accused Eve of being the cause of his sin." [00:07:07]
"Now the worst form of pride is religious pride, spiritual pride. The Bible calls this, the sin of self righteousness. You see real Christlike faith, makes you more humble, it makes you more gentle, but self righteous faith makes you more arrogant and more stubborn and more critical and more judgmental. And you know people like that. And you know you've been guilty of it yourself." [00:10:24]
"First he says judging others is unloving. It's unloving. You, you can't love somebody and judge them at the same time. It's the opposite. Judging is the opposite of Jesus' great commandment, which James calls the Royal law. The great commandment is the Royal law. Love your neighbor as yourself. You can't do that. You can't act loving towards somebody while you're judging them at the same time." [00:12:19]
"Remember, God is the only true law giver and judge. He alone has the authority to save or destroy. So then James says, 'So then who are you? And what gives you the right to pass judge on others?' Now, I want you to write this down because this is the whole message in the sentence. Anytime I judge other people, I'm playing God, I'm playing God." [00:14:17]
"Now, remember James is writing to Christian believers. And he says in that verse, this verse on judgmentalism, 'My brothers and sisters,' he calls them my brothers and sisters. Christians are supposed to be like Christ. Well, we can't be like Jesus when we're judging others, because John 3:17 says this, 'God did not send His son into the world to judge. God did not send His son into the world to judge the world guilty but to save the world through Him.'" [00:16:06]
"Number one, if I wanna be less judgmental, if I wanna be more merciful, I want to not break the Royal law of love your neighbor as yourself, number one, remember I'm not the standard. That will help you a whole lot. Remember, I'm not the standard but when I set myself up as a standard, then I get judgmental." [00:18:50]
"Remember, I never, listen, I never know anyone's motivation. Anytime you judge somebody's motivation, that's just dumb. Why? Because you don't know your own motivation much of the time. So much of the time, I can't even understand why I do what I do. We don't know why we do what we do so much of the time." [00:21:00]
"Remember, I have blind spots that I can't see. Now, we all have blind spots in our lives. And the fact that they're called blind spots means I can't see 'em. Okay, you can see my blind spots, but I can't. I can see your blind spots, but you can't. Okay, we can't see your own blind spots. That's why we need each other." [00:23:22]
"Number five, the Bible says, remember to listen first. You can't be judgmental if you're truly trying to listen compassionately, honestly, sincerely, fairly. How many times in this series have we quoted that verse in James chapter one, 'Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.' Listen first before you judge." [00:28:22]
"Remember, I'll be judged by the standard I use. Oh, oh, that's a good reason to not be judgmental. I'm gonna be judged by the standard I use. Jesus said this very clearly, Matthew chapter 7:1-2, he said this, 'Do not judge others, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged. And with the same measure you use, you will be measured.'" [00:30:25]
"Remember how God has shown me His grace, okay. If I got what I deserved, I wouldn't even be standing here. You wouldn't even be taking your next breath. Remember God has shown me and shown you grace and mercy. Couple of weeks back, remember we looked at James 2:13 with that phrase, mercy triumphs over judgment. And that whole message was about mercy." [00:33:31]
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