How can we judge when we are of the same body?

(This is what I wrote to share and speak during devotional time at CBS today)

As we approach Easter and the celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead, I am challenged to really think about what His resurrection means to me personally.  Because he died on the cross our sins are forgiven and we have eternal life.  Because he died in our stead, our slates are wiped clean and we are deemed righteous in the sight of God.  Because he has risen we have hope everlasting.  We know that he has overcome death and the same victory is ours too.Christ's resurrection means that He is ALIVE now IN us.  Let that truth sink in.   Right now in this room, Christ is ALIVE inside of us!  These are the truths that we believe and stand by, but have they really penetrated our hearts and how do we apply them to our lives?

On application I think can be seen in 1 Corinthians 12.  The Apostle Paul talks a lot about how we are all members of Christ's body.  Because He is alive in us, it means that right now in this room, we are his hands, his feet, his eyes, his ears, his nose, his mouth. . .   We are his beating heart, his lungs. . .  If you reach out to the person sitting next to you, you are touching not just a sister in Christ, but a part of Christ himself!  Christ is the head.  He will lead and guide us in the tasks we need to do, and the ways we should go.   And just as the body has different parts that have various functions, all serving a vital role in keeping the body alive and well, so too it is for us.   We all have different spiritual gifts that are bestowed to us by God and are a manifestation of the Spirit in us.  We all have our different roles to play, yet we are all of the same body -- that is the Church -- which is the body of Christ on earth.  Just as the body cannot function optimally without all of its' parts, so too it is for us.  We all are vital and essential.  We all matter.  None of us are more or less than the other.

I have been meditating on 1 Corinthians 12 the past couple of days, and it has pierced my heart and convicted me of judgment I did not even know lurking in my heart.  It has led me to a richer understanding of what we are learning in Romans 14 (and have touched on a bit in Romans 12).    Since we all have been uniquely created and gifted by God for his divine purposes, how can we ever presume to judge one another?  Paul writes:

 ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Judgment of one another divides the church body.  By placing ourselves superior, we make others inferior.   Paul is saying that the people that we judge as weaker, or less noble, are actually equally important!  In fact, he is telling us that instead of judging others for whatever reasons, we should encourage them, lift them up, exhort them, edify them, and treat them with special honor.  And those that we might deem more strong or honorable, we should not give any special treatment to.  Why?  I think to humble them -- to humble ourselves.  A truly humble person would not have it in them to judge because they recognize that any good in them is from the Lord, and He alone gets the glory.  

By judging others we can also become obstacles or stumbling blocks to their faith.  Instead of judgment we should have mutual concern for one another.  That means we are sensitive to each other and where we each are in our faith walks.  Spiritual maturity is a process and it takes a lifetime.  In Christ we have freedom.  Yet, it often takes spiritual maturity before we can wisely and confidently embrace our freedom.  So we should not judge a fellow Christian who has not fully embraced their freedom in Christ.  They just don't have all the tools yet to understand.   If anything, they might benefit from us taking time to disciple them.   Moreover, we should not flaunt our own freedom in front of their faces especially if it will cause them distress or harm.  For example, knowing full well our brother or sister in Christ struggles with alcoholism, how can we in good conscience drink in front of them?   That would go against Jesus' commandment to love one another.  We would be injuring a part of our own body! 

We need to realize that if one part of the body suffers, every part suffers.  We as a body will not be able to function optimally.  So how do we avoid judgment and becoming stumbling blocks for one another?  The answer is love.  But this type of love we cannot attain on our own.  We have to tap into the power within us --  which is Christ ALIVE in us.  We ask Him to show us how to have empathy and compassion for those members who are struggling.  We ask him to break our hearts, make them more open and soft so that truly we can say that when one member hurts, we too feel the pain.  Our hearts should ache for one another in suffering and rejoice with one another in triumph.  Because when we love like that and feel for each other like that -- there is undeniable and unconquerable power and strength!  That would be true unity in Christ -- unity as the church body of our resurrected Savior -- each abiding in the vine.  There would be no room for judgment or strife.  I think these same truths apply to our unbelieving friends and family too.  If our hearts truly break for them, and we seek He who is IN us to give us wisdom and discernment, our words and actions will reflect Christ.  The Spirit will in his perfect timing and will draw that person to Him. 

I want to end by challenging you with the lyrics of this Casting Crowns song that is so pertienent:

Jesus Friend of sinners we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus friend of sinners the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

Oh Jesus friend of sinners 
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy 
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks yours