| Sermon #165 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's
eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 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? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see
clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. MAT 7:3-5.
The teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ clearly reveals the pharisaical hypocrisy that
is in the heart of man by nature. When He says, "Thou hypocrite," He is saying
you are judging your brother with a beam of self-righteousness in your own eye. That is
sinning against Jesus' command, "Judge not." The beam of self-righteousness
which is in the eye by nature is a hypocritical, self-righteous, pharisaical beam. It is a
violent violation of His command, "Judge not."
This beam of self-righteousness most often leads to judging vocally. When a person
passes judgment upon a brother, he condemns something he sees in the other person.
Television has slain its thousands, and the telephone has slain its ten- thousands. People
all too often use the phone to ask others if they have heard the latest about whoever is
the current victim; then they vocalize their judgment of the person. It is so dangerous,
and probably none of us can exclude ourselves from this sin.
In visiting with one of my children this last week, I made mention of an incident to
illustrate a point we were discussing. Five minutes later I called her back to ask her not
to take it that I was trying to bring disrespect to another. I begged her to blot that out
and not to relay the comment that was used unwittingly to bring about a wrong impression
of another person. I had used the telephone; my heart smote me, and I had to call to
correct the problem. It is so easy to think we have all the answers. It is hypocrisy; it
is judging our fellow man.
When God judges a man, He weighs their actions by the motive of their heart. The reason
why God alone can be the judge is that He alone knows and understands every motive and
thought. Hannah's prayer in 1-SA 2:3 says, "Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let
not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him
actions are weighed." Every action is weighed in the balances by the Lord with full
knowledge of every thought and intent of the heart. Every motive is brought forth. So it
is very important that we understand when we judge someone for the small thing we see in
them, we are not noticing the larger beam that is in our own eye. It is an arrogant
behavior when such judgment comes out of the mouth, and the Lord is a God of knowledge; He
knows.
If we are walking humbly before the Lord when we do these things, the Holy Spirit
convinces us that it is sin. The conviction of that sin immediately strikes us. Then
sometimes a second phone call is needed to ask for forgiveness and the blotting out of our
foolishness. We must be aware of the arrogance of using our mouth to judge others.
Our text says in MAT 7:3, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy
brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Jesus is
asking us why we do these things. There is only one obvious answer; we are lacking
self-knowledge. We did not see that beam in our own eye, but we can readily see the mote
in another's eye. If the Lord would give us a little self-knowledge, a glimpse of light
into our own heart, we would see that our evil speculation and thoughts far surpass the
fault we see in our brother. If we saw ourselves first, we would not have a thing to talk
about.
This word beholdest comes from the Greek word blepo which is a strong
word for beholding. Blepo means beholding vividly, intently or earnestly. It means
we are straining to see it, searching it out. It is making it our business and prove that
mote is there. That is meddling in other people's business.
Jesus is asking us why we strain to find the smallest fault in our brother, without
seeing the greater fault in ourselves. Often we have evil imaginations of what a person's
motive was; we can get quite excited about it. One deep struggle I had involved something
my daughter and I had discussed. As I lay in bed, Old Satan really cultivated that one.
Then I came to myself; I pleaded with the Lord to give me the Spirit of Christ, give me
what I need, and put Satan to flight. He opened my eyes to see the beam in my own eye. The
next morning the issue had to be resolved, and it happened without the struggle Satan had
promoted. The motives of the other person seemed to be much more honorable than I had
thought, and not one hard word was spoken. I believe the Lord granted me the grace to come
in the Spirit of Christ in that matter.
It is so important that we understand a little of our own heart, that we bring matters
before the Lord to ask that Satan be put to flight. It is important to ask the Lord to
clean up our corrupt attitude that we may see the best in the other person. Then we are
willing to give them the benefit of the doubt; the response we receive from them is like
an echo. If we are speaking in a friendly tone, their reply will be likewise. Suddenly we
find the judgment is completely different from our original one because we judged
differently. We can see that it was only a mote in their eye; the beam was in our eye.
The Lord is teaching us that we strain at the smallest things in our brother, but we do
not see the huge ones in ourselves as in MAT 23:24 says, "Ye blind guides, which
strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel." A gnat is a very small insect, so small it
often cannot be seen unless it is in a sunbeam.
If we have learned to see the beam in our own eye, we will not see anything so small as
the mote in our brother's eye. We won't be able to see it because we will know that our
motives need to be cleaned up. "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart
bringeth forth good things [If we have a little self-knowledge, we begin to see the good
in a man rather than the evil]: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth
evil things," MAT 12:35.
Here is a true story which makes the point at issue. A man we will call Ed was talking
with a lady we will call Nell. Ed was talking about a man we will call Sam. Ed was very
critical about Sam; after Nell had listened she asked, "But wouldn't you say Sam is
honest? In spite of all these things you said, wouldn't you say he is honest?" Ed
admitted that Sam was honest. The next day Nell was talking to Sam who was very critical
of Ed. After all was said Nell replied, "There is one thing about Ed, at least he
goes around telling people that you are honest."
"Oh, I don't believe that."
"Yes, he told me yesterday that one thing he had to say about you was, `the man is
honest.'" Sam had not realized that Ed was out speaking good of him, so he made a
comment for Ed's honor. Of course, Nell went right back to Ed to tell him that Sam said
something good about him. Two weeks later they were friends.
The point is that a good person brings forth good things from his heart, but the evil
person brings forth evil things out of his evil heart. If our hearts are evil, we will
bring forth evil things about our neighbour. "And the tongue is a fire, a world of
iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth
on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell," JAM 3:6.
Our text speaks of being critical of our brother, straining to see the mote in our
brother while overlooking the beam in our own eye. We are not to strain to find something
wrong with our brother, but out of the good treasure of the heart, look for the good
things in your fellow man. Appreciate those things. The word mote means a small
spot, i.e., a small particle of dust you can see floating in a beam of sunlight or one of
the smallest objects. By comparison, in the eyes of the Lord, the sin of being critical is
a far greater sin than any you can find in your brother.
The comparison Jesus makes in our text is that of a very small sliver compared with a
beam, i.e., a large piece of timber or the largest piece of wood. The beam is like the
timber used in building; it is compared to the smallest particle of wood dust. That is
quite a comparison.
Jesus asks, "Why beholdest thou...," i.e., why do you strain to find the
smallest fault in your brother? Is it not because you lack self-knowledge?" Isn't it
hypocrisy? Isn't it a hypocritical beam of self-righteousness that is blinding your eyes?
It is pharisaical hypocrisy to overlook your own fault while looking for fault in your
brother. "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I
am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican,"
LUK 18:11. Let's look at the distinction between two people. The Pharisee saw all the
little motes in the eyes of others. He didn't see the hypocritical self-righteousness in
his own life.
Such a lack of self-knowledge and confession of our own sins hinders our prayers. We
will never have a right prayer before the Lord with such a beam in our eye. Look what the
Pharisee said in LUK 18:12-14, "I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I
possess." Now see the distinction between him and the publican in V:13, "And the
publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote
upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." The publican didn't see the
mote in the Pharisee's eye, only the beam in his own eye. He saw himself and would not so
much as lift his eyes to heaven. Rather he saw himself as a sinner in need of mercy.
Jesus says in V:14, "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather
than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted." Do you see the hindrance in our prayers when there is a
lack of self-knowledge? When we pray with a haughty, arrogant spirit, we are praying
"thus" with ourselves.
The publican went to his house justified. What does that mean? That means the Lord
heard his prayer for mercy. The publican had self-knowledge; he saw his own deplorable
condition. He prayed that the Lord would take care of the beam in his own eye. Therefore,
he went home acquitted.
Those who are judgmental and critical of their brother are those whom Jesus describes
in REV 3:17, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need
of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind,
and naked." It is a lack of self-knowledge; no person that is busy talking about his
neighbour, bringing up evil from the evil treasure of his own heart, understands his own
heart. It is a hypocritical, self-righteous beam.
The Lord tells us He will not hear our prayers when we are walking in violation of the
second table of the law, i.e., to love and promote our neighbour. ISA 1:15 says, "And
when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many
prayers, I will not hear [WHY?]: your hands are full of blood." The Lord looks upon
persons as murderers when they lack love for their fellow man because their heart is
filled with bitterness, envy, and murder. It is passing judgment upon them when one looks
for the smallest fault in them.
We are called upon to seek for righteous judgment under the second table of the law. In
ISA 1:16-17 we read, "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from
before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the
oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." We are to judge others as
worthy of mercy; we are to see their needy condition and have mercy on them. That is
righteousness.
When we do these things, God calls us to reason with Him. If we judge righteous
judgment and are of a forgiving spirit to our brother, He will forgive our greater
violations. The very next verse says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith
the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be
red like crimson, they shall be as wool," ISA 1:18.
The Lord is telling us that if we use righteous judgment of a forgiving spirit to our
brother, then He will forgive our transgressions. The Lord asks to reason with us, like a
man talks to a man. He comes down, condescends, to our level of reasoning. Listen to what
He says. He tells us He will forgive all our sins if we will only walk before Him judging
the fatherless and widow and the poor, judging them worthy of mercy. Also, we must extend
that mercy. We are to walk in humility, not looking to find something to criticize or
condemn. We are to plead for the person, not slander them.
ISA 1:19 says, "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the
land." Look at the way the Lord reasons with us. He will give us all the forgiveness
for our filthy heart if we will only be willing and obedient. People often do not realize
there are contingencies with God. The Lord will reward every one of us according to our
doing. We may not claim all of these blessings if we completely ignore what He tells us to
do. If we remain arrogant and hostile or pharisaical, we may not say the Lord will put
away our sins.
If we are critical and judgmental, we are unforgiving. While we are looking for the
mote in our brother's eye, the Lord will bring His displeasure upon us. "But if ye
refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the Sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath
spoken it," ISA 1:20. What does He mean, "ye shall be devoured with the
Sword"? The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and on the Day of Judgment, you
and I will be judged by the Word. We will be judged by whether or not we did as He
commanded. If not, that sword will devour us in the Day of Judgment.
Certainly that is sound reasoning and a strong contrast to eating the good of the land.
HEB 4:12-13 says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is
there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened
unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
Those who strain to find the mote in their brother violate the very spirit of both
tables of the law with a hypocritical pretense to defend that law. If there is love, we
are not straining to uncover another man's shame. What a grievous sin it is to be
straining, to be beholding, to uncover someone else's shame; it is a gross violation of
both tables of the law.
All the law and the gospel hang upon the very spirit of God's law of love. See how
observing this law of love is set forth by the gospel of Jesus as the most positive
evidence of salvation. The most powerful evidence of your salvation is that your
affections are set on things above, i.e., that you delight to do His will. "He that
hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me
shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him,"
JOH 14:21. Where are your affections? Do you delight to do His will? Is there a more
positive evidence of salvation than, "he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father,
and I will love him"? He will reveal Himself to those who keep His commandments. So
what are His commandments? "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I
have loved you," JOH 15:12.
So how did Jesus love His own? He covered their sins with His life's blood. How can we
say we love one-another as He loved us if we are straining to reveal another's sin. The
commandments of Jesus are the commandments of love: loving God above all and our neighbour
as ourselves. We are to cover the sins of others with love instead of trying to find a
mote in their eye.
What greater evidence can we find in Scripture of our eternal security than this love
for God and our brother? JOH 14:23 says, "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man
love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him." The person who loves the Lord will keep
His words with great delight.
It was through our Saviour's obedience to this law of love that He purchased our
salvation. In JOH 15:8-10 we read, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much
fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:
continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I
have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." That is so precious. If
we understand the law of love, we are not straining to uncover the faults of others. Their
motives are taken in the best possible light. We must question our motives. That is the
law of love.
Even if we have all spiritual gifts, but we lack charity, we have nothing. Charity is a
one-sided Christian love required in the law of love, It doesn't matter what gifts one has
or what experiences one claims, the Bible says you have nothing if you don't have charity.
1CO 13:1-3 says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not
charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift
of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow
all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not
charity, it profiteth me nothing."
Charity is seeing a person in the best possible light; it is mercy, forgiving,
one-sided love which is the love required under the first and second table of the law,
i.e., loving God above all and our neighbour as ourselves.
The exercise of this charity seeks to cover our brother's sin instead of straining to
uncover them. Let's look at the contrast between this hypocritical beam of
self-righteousness that we have in our eye by nature and the love there is under the
second table of the law. 1PE 4:8 says, "And above all things have fervent charity
among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." It is that love
whereby we cover their sins that is required under the second table of the law. It is like
the illustration of Ed, Sam, and Nell asking, "But do you know what that man says
about you? He says you are an honest person." It comes out of the good treasure of
the heart. We are to bring forth good things about others; we are to cover their sins.
We find the fruit of such charity in COL 3:12-14, "Put on therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a
quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things
put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." If you don't have charity, you
don't have anything. This brings the gospel very close to home doesn't it? What is
charity? It isn't looking for the mote in another's eye. This makes salvation come on
line, doesn't it? We could speak and boast of great gifts, speaking in the tongues of men
and angels of all the things we have done, but we have no charity if we are searching for
the mote in our brother's eye.
This bond of perfection, i.e., charity, so beautifully contrasts to straining to find
the smallest fault in our brother. "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity
envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself
unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in
iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth," 1CO 13:4-6.
Charity is always giving the other person the benefit of the doubt and does not rejoice
in babbling another's faults. Those truths we find in the Word of God are so precious.
Sometimes the Word of God is like a mirror which shows us the corruption of our own heart.
Can we be forgiven? Can we ask to be forgiven if we are unforgiving? Jesus said, "For
if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye
forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,"
MAT 6:14-15.
Straining at a gnat is only the revelation of the hatred that dwells in the heart. PRO
10:12 says, "Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins." When we
try to dig up something against another person in order to have something to talk about,
it stirs up strife. It has whenever I have done it; However, love covers all sins, even
those we find so hard to forgive. Love covers them all. Isn't that quite a contrast?
See how straining at the mote in thy brother's eye violates the law of love. "For
all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of
another," GAL 5:14-15.
The contrast between loving a brother, covering his sin, and straining to find fault is
also clearly revealed in 1JO 4:20-21. "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his
brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
love God whom he hath not seen? [It is a damning sin.] And this commandment have we from
him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
When we despise our brother with a hypocritical, judgmental spirit, we despise God. 1TH
4:8-9 says, "He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also
given unto us his Holy Spirit. But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write
unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." If the Lord has
given us that Spirit of Christ, we cannot despise our fellow man no matter what sin has
overcome him. The first urgent desire of our heart should be to restore such a person. GAL
6:1 says, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual,
restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted."
Those who strain to find fault with their brother reveal they hate him and are blinded
by this beam of a hypocritical spirit. 1JO 2:9-11 says, "He that saith he is in the
light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother
[and covers his brother's sins,] abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of
stumbling in him." You will not stumble if you do not cast stumbling blocks in front
of another person.
Love is the heartbeat of the life of Christ, "...which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory," COL 1:27. We must understand that charity abideth forever. Charity is the
Spirit of Christ, and love is the heartbeat of the law of the gospel. MAT 22:40 tells us
that "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." If we hate,
we are not of God; we are not covering our brother's faults. Love covers sin. Charity
boasts nothing and thinks no evil. That is quite heart searching.
Those who strain for gnats here and there, swallow the camel of the law of love. They
consume the heart of the second table of the law. Those who strain to find fault become
hardened into a hypocritical spirit which blinds the eyes to the law of love. The Lord
leaves them over to a hardening with a hypocritical spirit. Saul of Tarsus thought he was
doing God's service by finding fault with the brethren, but when Christ revealed His love,
Saul saw his blindness. 1JO 2:11 says, "But he that hateth his brother [straining to
find fault with him,] is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he
goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." It is the person who strains to
find faults in others that walks in darkness.
The Word of God teaches the exact opposite spirit in JAM 1:19- 22, "Wherefore, my
beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." Read
that again to see the wisdom in so few words. The judgmental person is just the opposite,
he is quick to speak and condemn, working wrath and discord. V:20 continues, "For the
wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and
superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to
save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own
selves."
You are a deceiver of your soul if you are not a doer of the Word; you are still in the
pit of condemnation. That means you have not been saved from anything. You have not been
saved from the power of sin if you are still walking with a slanderous hatred for others.
If you lack charity, you have nothing.
Most often if one who passes judgment would have spoken first to the person alone as
Jesus required in MAT 18:15; he would have found out why he was doing what he was doing,
and he could have "...restored such a one in the spirit of meekness." MAT 18:15
says, "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault
between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother."
It should be a personal sharing of the problem; one might realize there is something
different between what I saw and thought and what you are doing and the reasons for it. We
may find out that we really do not have a quarrel at all. One should be swift to hear and
slow to speak. If we would obey Christ's procedure and commandments, there would be a lot
fewer problems in this world.
God's dear children need God's grace to be spared from these hypocritical sins; this
hypocrisy is in all of our hearts by nature. "My brethren, be not many masters,
knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all.
If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the
whole body," JAM 3:1-2.
We need to come before the Lord to be forgiven. We are not forgiven unless we forgive
others. David,the man after God's own heart raised up in judgment before he knew the man;
then Nathan said "Thou art the man."
The event is recorded in 2SA 12:5-6, "And David's anger was greatly kindled
against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth [He said this with an oath!],
the man that hath done this thing shall surely die [David passed judgment before he had
talked to the accused!]: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this
thing, and because he had no pity." Then Nathan revealed to David, "Thou art the
man."
It is only through grace and mercy that any one of us can stand justified before God's
bar. Often people sit around talking about everyone they think might have a fault. The
gossip is for the purpose of uncovering every fault possible. Can they put their hand in
their own bosom and take it out without being leprous? Who can come before the bar of God
and plead, "Not guilty"? However, if we see our own guilt, pray for God to
deliver us from it, and pray for the Spirit of Christ, then the Lord is faithful, and the
Spirit will convict us of our sin.
When we are walking in the Spirit with a heart that is tender for God's will, the Holy
Spirit gives us the conviction of sin. Then we can come to the Lord asking to be spared
from the power of this sin which lays within our hearts. The power of my own sin is so
strong and so ugly that the sin of my brother that I was trying to uncover is now so
small, I can't find it; the focus has now shifted to my condition.
2SA 12:13 tells what happened to David, "And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned
against the LORD. [It is so precious when the heart becomes honest before God.] And Nathan
said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." In other
words, because the Lord says in MAT 7:2, "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall
be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again," David
justly deserved to die, he had passed judgment that the man should die, not knowing the
man was himself. The Lord forgave him because David's first response was the acknowledging
of his sin against the Lord. He immediately repented.
This is the ebbing and flowing of our spiritual lives. We see the corruption that
constantly boils up in our hearts, but if we are walking tenderly before the Lord, the
Lord will faithfully send His Holy Spirit to convict us. In the court of our conscience we
stand guilty, and it sends us back to the throne, to the mercy seat saying, "Lord, I
have sinned. Lord, I have sinned! Forgive me. Lord, give me that Spirit of Christ and take
away hard thoughts. Lord, cleanse that filthy heart of mine." Then the Lord forgives,
and He delivers us from the power of that sin. See, now there is no judging left in us
against the other person. How could David judge another after he learned, "Thou art
the man."?
Who can plead innocent before God's bar, except those whose substitute pleads their
case. It is the only basis on which we can plead innocent. "If we say that we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If
we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little
children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin [Now this is
important], we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," 1JO
1:8-2:1.
This is the point of what we read about David. Who is our advocate with the Father? He
is our attorney, our legal representative; He is the one who will stand and argue our case
before the Father's bar of justice. All we can say, like David, is that "I have
sinned against the Lord." Our blessed Redeemer raises His right hand, and in the palm
of His hand He shows the Father the evidence that the penalty is paid. Jesus is our
advocate with the Father. That is our only hope.
Now we can come before the courts of heaven and our Counselor, our Advocate, can come
before the Father, and we are justified. Why? The penalty has been paid. We are forgiven.
Jesus Christ, the righteous, is our advocate. That is so precious when we understand this.
When we have the Spirit of Christ, we cannot see fault in our brother even if he has the
same beam in his eye at the moment because the beam in our eye blinds us to see it in his.
We absolutely cannot come before the Lord as Attorney Pro Se, i.e., we cannot come
there to plead our own case. We must come only with Christ Jesus as our advocate because
He pleads our case on the basis of His own merits. All we can do is say, "Guilty,
guilty, guilty." Jesus pleads that the penalty is paid, and the justice of God
demands acquittal. The justice of God cannot allow payment to be required twice.
God's Word tells us in ROM 14:13, "Let us not therefore judge one another any
more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in
his brother's way." Amen. |