How often do I point the finger at others: “Change your ways!”? How much more often do I neglect the correction of my own? It’s easy to critique others’ righteousness, but excruciating to examine mine. It’s simple to exhort others with well-crafted words, but difficult to lead with an exemplary life.
I can be quite Pharisaical in my proverbial finger-pointing, and I seem to know pretty well what others ought to be thinking, doing, and saying. But how well do I SHOW them by example? While I have great expectations for others about their sin, my own sin, if I’m careless, quietly goes unchecked.
“If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The LORD will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb 10:26-31)
“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1Pet4:17-18).
Thankfully, the Holy Author make it absolutely clear in scripture that true salvation is permanent and nothing can be done to abrogate His work in us. However, faith apart from action (obedience to His word included) is dead faith, and I dread standing before God Almighty after having reviled and defiled His grace myriad times and ways.
May God have mercy on those who do not know Jesus Christ; and may God have mercy on me for what I’ve done after having benefited from such a great grace. I cannot answer for others at the final judgment; only for me.
And judgment begins with me...
