Psalms 19:12, “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.”
I've know numerous people in my life who felt like good Christians
simply because they were involved with a local church body. May I say,
going to church does not make you a good Christian. Certainly, attending
church is the most important ingredient in a believer's spiritual life
next to abiding in the Word of God and prayer.
Oftentimes a believer who is out of church will feel more conviction over their sins than a believer who regularly attends church. Why is that? It's because you can become blinded to your sins very easily in a church. It greatly depends upon the spirituality of your pastor and what he preaches. I've been in churches where the pastor didn't preach against sin. Naturally, there was much gossip in the church and stuck-up religious snobbery.
One of the most common signs of a carnal believer is a perpetual spirit of negativity toward other people. There are people that I don't like, but I make myself love them with God's unconditional love. I pray for them. I won't allow myself to focus upon negative thoughts about other people. It is human nature to dislike people who don't like us, or who mistreat us. It's our sinful pride. When a negative thought enters my mind about another person, I immediately pray for them. I remind myself that Jesus Christ died on the cross for that person as much as for me. All mankind are created in God's own image. I won't allow myself to hate, nor harbor hateful thoughts, toward another human being, for we are all the object of God's redeeming love which nailed Jesus to the cross for our sins. Whatever wrongs others have committed against me, I place them into God's omnipotent hands for judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Romans 12:19; Matthew 12:38; Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 7:1-5; James 4:12).
I have known immature believers who have something negative to say about many people, yet they fail to see their own sins and faults. They say things like, “I didn't like that man from the time I met him” or “I don't like her at all” or “I just don't trust him,” et cetera. I have learned as a Christian not to say such things, because it is a form of self-righteous hypocrisy, sinful judging and gossip. We ought never dislike someone because of who God made them; such as their skin color, personality or appearance. Americans are some of the most judgmental people in history. I here people often talking in public about other people they don't like. As Christians, God's love should be shed abroad in our heart toward all mankind. I try to live above the clouds spiritually, where the Sun of God is always shining and it never rains. Malachi 4:2, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.”
The truth is that we are all woeful sinners and when we are tempted to criticize, we ought to start with our self first! Immature and backslidden Christians always notice the sins and faults of other people before noticing their own sins and faults. Don't judge others because they sin differently than you do! Our churches will only become truly great when we stop saying “He has sinned” and “She has sinned” and we start saying “We have sinned!”
Dr. Jack Hyles makes a wonderful statement in his book titled, “JUSTICE”...
“Not liking someone. That is judging! God shows no favorites. We are to become conformed to the image of His Son. If you do not like someone, it is usually because you are prejudging them. This is what prejudice is. When you decide that you do not like something about someone, you have stepped outside of God's plan for justice because you are judging outside your area of responsibility.”
SOURCE: Pastor Jack Hyles, chapter 15, “The Most Common Form Of Injustice”; from the book “JUSTICE.”
I'm going to like you even if you don't like me. I am going to recognize you as an individual personality and creature made by almighty God in His very image. I am going to pray for your spiritual needs. I am going to see you for what you can be through the transforming power of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Jesus is precious!
