Luke 6:39-42 ESV

He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

Who are the blind, spiritually speaking? They are not those without any knowledge or understanding, for we read in Romans 1:18-32 that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (humans), who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them, so they are without excuse. But because they worshiped the created instead of the creator, God gave them over to the lusts of their flesh.

So, they can even be pastors of church congregations and teachers of the Scriptures and writers of devotions and leaders within the church who know the truth, and who know the Scriptures, but who ignore the Scriptures when it comes to putting them into practice. And they may even plead ignorance because they know that what they are doing is wrong but they want to continue to do wrong and to not do right. And so they will act as if they did not know when they did know, and many have known a very long time.

So, they live as though they are without knowledge when that is a lie, and so they create their own image of their own god and of their own Jesus and of their own gospel, and that is what they follow and not the truth of the Scriptures. But some of them may be those who are teaching the Scriptures to others and who are trying to lead others to do what they themselves are not doing. And they are also those who are condemning others for lesser offenses than what they are committing themselves.

And sometimes they are those who are still “struggling” (regularly giving in to the flesh) who think they are able to help others who are also “struggling” with sinful addiction (sinful practices), and so they are like the blind trying to lead the blind. And yes, it seems to generally result in both of them falling into a pit. And I am not saying that we have to be absolutely perfect people before we can ever help someone else, but we should not be addicted to sin and still deliberately doing what we know is evil.

Now, we have many people who think all judging is wrong, but all judging is not wrong. It is wrong to judge others falsely, and hypocritically, and unfairly, and by our own selves, and by our culture and traditions, etc. But we read in 1 Corinthians 5 that we, as followers of Christ, are to judge the church. And the Bible teaches that, as followers of Christ, we are to exhort one another so we are not led into sin, and we are to speak the truth in love to one another so we don’t follow false teaching, so not all judging is wrong.

For, what does it teach here? It teaches that we are not to judge hypocritically. We aren’t to try to take the speck out of our brother’s or sister’s eye while we have a log in our own. We aren’t to correct a fellow Christian over a minor offense if we are living in deliberate and habitual sin, in sinful addiction, knowingly, willfully, repeatedly doing what we know is evil and wicked and hateful and mean and dishonest and adulterous, etc. That is just so wrong!

So, what does it say? That we shouldn’t judge the sins of others? No! It says we first need to get that log out of our own eye so that we can see clearly to help our brother or sister in Christ get the log out of their eyes. So first off we need to make certain that we are not deliberately and habitually sinning against God, that our consciences are clear of all wrongdoing, and that we are not holding on to any pet sins. We need to be fully repentant and now walking in the ways of our Lord, and then we can help another.

And the reason that many do not see the log that is in their own eye is not that it is not largely visible. It is that they ignore the log in their own eye and they justify it and rationalize it and minimize it so that they can keep living in sin without guilt and so they can excuse away the log that is in their eye by calling it something it isn’t, by calling it much less than what it is. And so when the truth is presented to them, they just walk away and willfully forget what they look like in the mirror (see James 1:22-25).

So, we need to be people who are honest with ourselves and who don’t deliberately and habitually sin against God and other humans. We need to be people who want to change, and who are seekers of truth and not deniers of truth, and who are submissive to Christ as Lord and whose lives are surrendered to the Lord to do his will. For if we just go on making excuses for why we can’t change, then we don’t really want to change. For Jesus already provided the way out. We just have to take it!

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg
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