thankful

I am thankful that God's word is sharper than a double edged sword.  I got pierced with conviction this morning at Women's Bible Study.  

We finished the third chapter of 1 Corinthians and started into the fourth.  We touched on the subject of judging others.  Two years ago when we started through Matthew, and studied that big section about judging, Cindy put it just the same way she did today... We are to judge the fruit of man into reconciliation NOT condemnation.  If we have the heart of Jesus, we would see someone in sin and grieve over them.  We would want to see them made right for their well being.  We would want to help them through prayer or counsel (if so led) to see them reconciled to God.  On the contrast, if we see another man (or woman's) sin and puff our chest out, (at least in our heart) look down upon them or maybe even gossip about their wrongs, we are not displaying Jesus' heart on the matter.  Instead, we are judging into condemnation and diving head first into sin ourselves.  

Ouch.  It was a good check for me if I'm going to be inspecting someone else's fruit.  I like how she prayed at the end that in our minds and hearts, we wouldn't be smashing and destroying someone else's fruit because of a little bruise or imperfection, but that we would be praying for that fruit to be used and made into a beautiful apple pie!  Just gotta love that Cindy!  :)

On the same subject of judging, a few days ago I heard someone make a comparison between our sin and a tree.  (I'm probably going to mess it up a little...)  She said that some people may have "bigger sins" just like there are bigger and smaller branches on trees, but if the tree is headed for destruction, as all sinners are (the wages of sin is death) it doesn't matter if there are big or small branches they're all going down.  It levels the playing field and makes it so that nobody can boast.  We're all sinners.  It is only by God's grace that He reaches down and saves us from being destroyed.