If the sermon were stopped in the middle, everything would be all right. As the revelation of God's character make the sinner aware of his guilt and his need to be saved the preacher, suddenly, puts "poison" in his contents.
The criticism of human evil started. Many of Bible verses were cited, which are judging formalism and lawlessness of the apostate churches. The believers who were present with head movements showed approval for the contents of the sermon. Already formed face lines of old believers, by its look showed that poison is a part of everyday meals of their spiritual food.
The spirit of judgment is one of the ways by which many people try to calm their impure conscience. In the light of somebody else's sins they feel more correct than in the light of God's face. To raise themselves more, they have to humiliate others.
All judgments that are stated on the account of other people and other churches could be correct and in a very subtle way given to the sinner as a excuse for his tendency to judge others. Doing bad things relaxes a human being only psychically, but spiritually it humiliates him more, for man is changing into what he is looking at.
The one who judges discovers that his idea about God is very low. If his idea about God was elevated he would have felt himself sinful in the light of His face, and then would not criticize others. We are all sinful enough that Jesus must have died on the Cross of Calvary to give us salvation.
"Do not judge, because we are all sinners." (Shakespeare)
When the spirit of criticism appears in the sermon or in human consciousness, it destroys awareness of the sinner to be saved in Jesus Christ.
Those who judge the others think that God harbor a judgement to everyone, because they did not manage to reconcile with God by their righteousness. They impute to the others their impure conscience, asking of them to do the same as they do. When the others do not behave in accordance to their expectations, then they are judging them. To show this spirit and actions, Jesus said:
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged." (Matthew 7:1)
"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." (Romans 14:10-13)
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |