*[[Mat 7:3-5]] KJV*
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first take the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
As with any good sermon, the "sermon on the mount" covers many topics as they relate to a single subject. The subject of Jesus sermon is spiritual maturity and the difference between how men view it by appearances of works and God looks to that which motivates the works.
In chapter six we looked at the way the flesh desires Gods blessings as proof of acceptance and benefit to self. In opposition to this idea we saw that Gods blessings come to us for the benefit of those around us; for the purpose of distribution not establishment of self but of others.
In chapter seven we come to the opposite side of that coin. Instead of receiving blessings we now deal with discernment and removal of that which is determined as being wrong.
In the same way that the carnal man considers self first and others very little; for Gods blessings.
He quickly turns God given discernment toward the wrong of others with little consideration of the wrong within self.
Jesus does not say we should ignore what is seen in others but rather that we must first learn how God removes the wrong from us.
The carnal man uses discernment as a rod to beat his fellow servants with many stripes; in the service of God of course. What he discerns in others is often the very thing that is hidden in him. Or perhaps, like I did for years, he can see where everybody faith is going wrong but wont see his own life is being destroyed by the flesh.
More times than not their discernment of others is correct... the splinter is there...but they have no answer for how to remove it.
Gods grace of discernment is to find the wrong in us not others.
To the end that we may bring what we have hidden in us and before God. He does not take the wrong away from us but we entrust it to the death of Messiah's cross that we may live in His life.
In Romans Paul said from faith to faith is the righteousness of Christ revealed in us.
Everything in us we close our eyes of discernment to and refuse to see is a part of our life that we have held back from God. All those who have believed, trusted, and relied on Christ for life will find that the Holy Spirit will show them where they fall short. Not so they will DO better so that they will trust him to live in that area of their life...that no part is held back.
So as we trust him to live in and through us more and more; the righteousness of Christ(which came from who he was not what he did)lives in us more and more.
It is in this way that his righteousness is revealed in us. When we have been through this maturing we will approach our brothers with humility and compassion. Not to tell them to do better but speak assurance to encourage and strengthen their faith.
Some things about growing up are hard. I wish I could say that as we see things in us that we cast them on the Lord and like scales from Paul's eyes those things simply fall away, some things may fall away that quick and simple, but other things are deeply entrenched.
What entrenches these things? The list is long but most common ones are; we receive something we perceive as good from it(respect of others or self), we are sure we can overcome it with more effort/prayer/study/faith/fasting, or we cant bring our self to believe it is a part of us( surely it is the devil causing it)
The way these are released to the Lord is comparable to Jacobs wrestling. This fight is between just you and him...It happens in the darkness....despite being tired, winded, and muscle cramps setting in after the first hour this fight has just begun...after an entire night of wrestling your body is pumping more acid than blood...every muscle screams in pain...the flesh surrendered hours ago only the will and heart has kept you fighting...you cant catch a breath...your mind is reeling from oxygen starvation...lungs burning in your chest...heart feeling like it will explode at any moment. Your opponent on the other hand is just as strong and powerful as he was when this fight began.
Then comes a point of decision..."let me go." Everything in your flesh screams yes give us rest...but from your spirit the words come...not until you bless me. God reaches down and with a sickening pop your hip is forever disjointed. You will never again trust in your own strength...for his strengths is made perfect in your weakness. You will never again walk without leaning on your wooden staff(the cross)...I am determined to know nothing in you but Christ and him crucified.
There is the old man of the flesh and the new man of the Spirit. No man can have two masters. Your life is generated by trust in man(including you) or by trust in God(not including you-since you are crucified with Christ).
Until you learn to be free of the world, the flesh, and all that stands in Gods way your discernment needs to be focused on you not others. Until you have an answer to remove a speck pointing it out is self righteousness. It is vile and putrid before God.
Rick Rosamond
A bond slave of Jesus
