How can we move past those personal issues which seem to always repeat themselves? How can we stop going around in circles? The Christian walk should not be one of occasional successes and repeated failures. We should be able to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Heb. 12:1). As long as we live in these physical bodies we will struggle against sin, but we need not be overcome by it. There are several keys to victory; they all lead to the death and life of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If we understand and follow these principles, we will develop our spiritual senses to discern between good and evil and with practice come to maturity (Heb. 5:14). In this article, I will discuss one of the habits that affects too many of us, and we know it not.
Essentially, we obtain victory over sin through repentance and faith. As we received Christ, we continue to walk in Him (Col. 2:6,7). Repentance puts us on the right path, and faith gives us access to grace which is the power to walk in the Way. It is not enough to have faith. We need to use that faith in obedience to the commandment of love, because we will all be judged by this law, which is the law of liberty (Jas. 2:12). We need mercy and grace. The enemy knows this so he will do whatever he can to keep us from obtaining them. Now, before we move on in this discussion, please pray that God will show you how it could apply to you.
There are things like unforgiveness or willfully sinning that will hinder our ability to obtain mercy and grace, but that is not what this article is about. What I am referring to is certainly a sinful pattern, but it is not normally one we are aware of committing. To obtain victory over it, we need to get discernment. I have often said that the missing link to victory is discernment. We cannot repent and believe if we do not know what to repent of. For this reason, we need to hear the truth that will set us free (Jn. 8:32). We also need to be convinced by the Holy Spirit that this is truth (Jn. 16:8).
The issue I speak of is “judging ourselves”. In one sense, we are encouraged to judge ourselves. Paul said: “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.” (1Cor. 11:31). The meaning of the word “judge” here is “to discern” or “to examine”. We should allow God to search our hearts for any “wicked ways” (Ps. 139:23,24). But there is another way the word “judge” is used, which has to do with passing judgment. “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.” (1Cor. 4:3,4). For most of us, it is not “a small thing” to be judged by others. It affects us more than we want it to. We all know that God is our judge, not other people, so why does it still affect us? The reason is because we judge others and we judge ourselves. Jesus told us: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matt. 7:1,2). The measure we should use is stated in the beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (Matt. 5:7). We should learn not to judge others, and we should learn to not judge ourselves.
One day I overheard one of my colleagues berating himself because of some mistake he had made. I have even caught myself doing the same thing on occasion; maybe not as intensely, but certainly more than I ought to. We only do such things because we want to stop making mistakes. Coaches, teachers, or parents may have used similar words to motivate us, and we may even have done the same, but we need to renew our minds in this area. Let us not forget the scripture that says the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God (Jas. 2:20). Being angry with others, or ourselves, is a reaction that comes out of judgment. Rather than forgiving, we try first to punish because we want to change behaviour. When we have authority over someone, we need to apply discipline to correct wrong behaviour, but we should not do that unless it falls within our sphere of delegated authority. And even when we must apply discipline, it should not be with the anger of man.
So, what it comes down to is whether we have authority to judge ourselves or not. Paul said that he would not judge himself because the Lord is his judge. Maybe the best way to understand this concept is to read James’ instructions on not judging others with the emphasis on us because the underlying principle is the same. “Do not speak evil of yourself, brethren. He who speaks evil of himself and judges himself, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy. Who are you to judge yourself?” (Jas.4:11,12. Italics mine.) We should be merciful to ourselves in the same way that we should be merciful to our brothers. That does not leave us without guilt if we have sinned, but we will not change our behaviour by punishing ourselves. Sorrow that leads to repentance is not condemnation. It is a healthy response to the truth that sets us free. We come to “the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16).
If we come short of the grace of the God in this area, it is because we still think our own way is more effective. But the practice is sinful, and it will produce a harvest of death. It is sinful because it is rooted in pride. We have the right to discern, but not to pass judgment. Unless we become convinced of this, we will not give up the habit. Is it better for us to receive mercy or punishment? If we receive punishment every time we do something wrong, we will subconsciously avoid admitting wrong. If, on the other hand, we give ourselves over to God as the Judge and we obtain mercy when we deserve punishment, we will yield to His goodness and it will lead us to repentance (Ro. 2:4). There are times when He may need to discipline us, but as we come to know His love, we will find that His discipline is better than our judgment.
Highway in the Wilderness 