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You can turn in your Bibles to 
Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7. This morning 
we looked at the woman which was a sinner that's converted 
by the grace of God. She comes to the Lord Jesus. 
She shows, demonstrates her love and her worship and adoration 
for Christ. And we meet with the judgmental 
attitude of the Pharisee. He both judges the woman and 
the Lord Christ. And so I thought we would develop 
that idea of judgmentalism. It's an unfortunate reality that 
judgmentalism is probably not confined to Pharisees in the 
first century. But judgmentalism can indeed 
infest our own souls, our own hearts. It can affect our relationships 
with wives, with husbands, with children, with parents. It can 
affect our relationships within the church. It's one of those 
subjects that we ought to often address and search our own hearts 
so that we do not fall prey to that mindset demonstrated by 
that Pharisee. His was a bit conspicuous, it 
wasn't so overt like, say, the Pharisee in Luke 18, that thank 
God that he wasn't like other men. thanked God that he wasn't 
like that tax collector there, so it can be somewhat hidden 
at times, other times it can be a lot more open and visibly 
demonstrated, but it's good for us to see what Scripture says 
concerning this and seek by the grace of God to guard our tongue, 
to guard our minds and our hearts. I love that Psalm, Psalm 141, 
that we began worship with. What does David say? Set a guard 
over my mouth. We need sentries, we need sentinels, 
we need armed guards watching diligently over our mouths so 
that we don't use them as a means by which we sin. Well, let's 
look at Matthew 7. I'll read the verses 1 to 12, 
but our focus is on 1 to 5 this evening. Judge not that you be 
not judged. For with what judgment you judge, 
you will be judged. And with the measure you use, 
it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck 
in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your 
own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 
let me remove the speck from your eye? And look, a plank is 
in your own eye. Hypocrite! First remove the plank 
from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the 
speck from your brother's eye. Do not give what is holy to the 
dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them 
under their feet and turn and tear you in pieces. Ask, and 
it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, 
and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. And he who seeks, finds. And 
to him who knocks, it will be opened. Or what man is there 
among you, who if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 
Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you 
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, 
how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things 
to those who ask Him? Therefore, whatever you want 
men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and 
the prophets. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
we thank you for the written word. We pray for the ministry 
of the Holy Spirit. We pray that he would help us 
to understand this passage, help us to apply this passage, and 
may you, by your grace, keep us from sinning the sin of this 
passage. Grant us the grace, God, to deal 
with people in a righteous way. Grant us the grace, God, in our 
families, and in our church, and wherever we find ourselves, 
to exercise self-control, and to exercise selflessness, and 
to judge with righteous judgment, not according to our own wicked 
and preconceived notions. We ask now that you would guide 
our study, and we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Amen. Well, as we look at chapter 7, 
verses 1 to 5, there is, as I said, a prohibition against judgmentalism. This is in the larger context 
of the Sermon on the Mount. The Lord Jesus went up, He sat 
down, and He began to speak authoritatively, declaratively. He spoke the truth 
as it concerned the kingdom of God Most High. So we might suggest 
that this is a kingdom ethic. This is the way we are to conduct 
ourselves as kingdom citizens. We say, by God's grace, we have 
entered into the kingdom. We say, by God's grace, we are 
washed in the blood of the Lamb. We say, by God's grace, we have 
believed on Him, we have repented from our sin. Well, we must live 
like that. We must live consistently, and 
that empowered by the Spirit, not suggesting that we can just 
dig down deep and do what God says concerning His kingdom. 
We need the Spirit every step of the way, but we need this 
written Word to define for us the conduct that we are to imitate, 
the conduct that we are to demonstrate with reference to life in God's 
kingdom. So this prohibition against judgmentalism, 
there are three particulars that we ought to notice. In the first 
place, there is a prohibition, verse 1. Secondly, some explanation 
in verse 2. And then thirdly, an illustration 
in verses 3 to 5. But note first the prohibition. 
Judge not that you be not judged. Now, this text, unfortunately, 
is oftentimes used as a weapon. When Christians speak out against 
any sort of evil, non-Christians show their biblical literacy 
by quoting Matthew 7.1 and throwing it in the faces of Christian 
people, saying, but you're not supposed to judge. You're not 
supposed to engage in judgment, because Jesus says that in Matthew 
7.1. I submit that this is a very 
abused text in our generation. But I don't 
think it's only been in our generation, for J.C. Ryle, writing in the 
1800s, said this concerning the abuse of Matthew 7.1. He said, the first portion of 
these verses is one of those passages of Scripture which we 
must be careful not to strain beyond its proper meaning. It 
is frequently abused and misapplied by the enemies of true religion. 
It is possible to press the words of the Bible so far that they 
yield not medicine, but poison. You see, if we took that interpretation 
that we are never, ever to exercise any sort of judgment whatsoever, 
it would put us in antithesis with the Bible itself. There 
are several instances where God's people are called to judge, and 
interestingly enough, in this very context. Notice in verse 
6, "...do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls 
before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn 
and tear you into pieces." Now that's an odd suggestion, recommendation, 
commandment by our Lord if He means we are universally forbidden 
from ever exercising judgment. Isn't there a degree of judgment 
involved in identifying who's a pig and who's a dog? Jesus 
isn't name-calling here. He's talking about the enemies 
of true religion. He's talking about the enemies of the cross 
of Christ. There comes a point in time in our evangelism. There 
comes a point in time in our lives. There comes a point in 
time where our own safety or the safety of others that we 
love comes into jeopardy, and we are not to give what is holy 
to the dogs. We are not to cast pearls before 
swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and 
tear you in pieces. That demands judgment. That demands 
discernment. That demands the exercise of 
identifying what a dog and a pig are and how we are not to deal 
with them. As well, we are called to judge 
in matters of doctrinal orthodoxy. Notice in verse 15, Beware of 
false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly 
they are ravenous wolves. It would be hoped that the church 
would practice this more diligently. We are to beware of false prophets. 
Doesn't that demand discernment? Doesn't that demand discrimination? 
Doesn't that demand a certain degree of judgment? So 7.1 cannot 
be a universal prohibition. As well, we are called to judge 
in matters of church discipline. If we continue in Matthew's Gospel, 
we get to Matthew chapter 18, where Jesus says, if your brother 
sins against you, go to him. If he hears you, if he repents, 
then you have won your brother. If he doesn't listen to you, 
then take two or three witnesses. If he doesn't listen to them, 
then tell it to the church. If he still refuses to hear the 
church, then let him be treated as a tax collector and as a heathen. 
That's judgment. That's discernment. That's discrimination. As well, in the New Testament, 
we are called to judge in matters concerning sins and the eldership. 
1 Timothy 5.19, there is a process, do not receive an accusation 
against an elder without two or three witnesses, but the very 
mandate itself identifies the reality that discernment, discrimination, 
and judgment are pronounced. As well, we are called to judge 
in civil disputes. In the Church, 1 Corinthians 
6, the Apostle Paul recognizes that the people of God have the 
collective wisdom to adjudicate in matters concerning the people 
in the body. As well, Romans 13. Society, 
government, civil rulers are to exercise judgment. Can a Christian 
never occupy a position of authority in civil government? Can a Christian, 
because of Matthew 7.1, not be a judge in a court? Can a Christian, 
in light of 7.1, not be a prosecuting attorney? Because after all, 
you're not supposed to judge. No, there is a lawful place for 
the exercising of judgment. It is not an unqualified and 
universal prohibition to never engage in judgment. It is rather 
a prohibition against a particular activity that we are all often 
prone to in dealing with our brothers and sisters in Jesus 
Christ. Calvin defines it thus, these 
words of Christ do not contain an absolute prohibition from 
judging. I hope everybody sees that, right? 
Matthew 7.1, I'm sure you've heard it. Judge not lest you 
be judged. If I were to say, hey, homosexuality is wrong. 
Well, who are you to judge? Abortion is wrong. Well, who 
are you to judge? The Bible says you're not supposed to judge. 
We are most certainly supposed to judge in those matters. We 
are most certainly supposed to press the law of God Most High, 
not only in our private lives, but family and church and society. These words of Christ do not 
contain an absolute prohibition from judging, but are intended 
to cure a disease which appears to be natural to us all. We see 
how all flatter themselves, and every man passes a severe censure 
on others. This vice is attended by some 
strange enjoyment." In other words, the judgmental person 
that Jesus is condemning here is petty, is censorious, is fault-finding, 
is nitpicking, and there is, as Calvin says, some strange 
enjoyment to it. He says, for there is hardly 
any person who is not tickled with the desire of inquiring 
into other people's faults. Now, you might say, well, I know 
people like that. I know there are certain people 
like that. You have to admit, brethren, that that's probably 
in all of our hearts to some degree or other. Somebody were 
to come into church and say, Wow, I had a great week, everything 
was wonderful, and I got a promotion at work, and my wife made me 
eggs and brought it to me in bed. You'd probably start to 
zone out and just go elsewhere, because that's not really that 
interesting. But he happened to come in and say, You know, 
I got picked up in the park for engaging in some sort of immoral 
behavior. For whatever reason, that demands 
or grabs our attention. It's the same reason that on 
the news they don't show people that are faithful, people that 
work hard, people that do what they're supposed to do. They 
pay their taxes, they shovel their driveways of the snow. We're drawn to those things, 
unfortunately, which are base and which are dark, and that's 
what the prohibition has to do with. The meaning of the text 
specifically, it forbids a nitpicking, fault-finding, petty approach 
to our brother's shortcomings. As Calvin said, it is often attended 
by some strange enjoyment. Now, I must suggest at this point, 
if there's some strange enjoyment in our hearts concerning something 
wrong with our brothers and sisters, we need to get a handle on that. 
There ought not to be some strange enjoyment about such things. We ought to love our brethren. We ought to esteem our brethren. 
We ought to want to promote our brethren. We want to weep with 
those who weep. We want to rejoice with those 
who rejoice. We don't get mad at the guy who 
had a great week. Because we didn't have one. No, 
there ought not to be some strange enjoyment attached to this particular. This involves an utter disregard 
for that principle of love indicated in 1 Corinthians 13, 7. Love bears all things, believes 
all things, hopes all things, endures all things. You see, 
this nitpicking, fault-finding, petty, censorious attitude is 
contrary to 1 Corinthians 13, 7. As well, it's contrary to 
Colossians 3, 13. We are told there to bear with 
one another and forgiving one another. Royal again. He says, 
What our Lord means to condemn is a censorious and fault-finding 
spirit, a readiness to blame others for trifling offenses 
or matters of indifference, a habit of passing rash and hasty judgments, 
a disposition to magnify the errors and infirmities of our 
neighbors and make the worst of them. This is what our Lord 
forbids. It was common among the Pharisees. 
Grant Osborne adds, the key component here is the absence of love. You see, Jesus is not saying 
never exercise judgment, never exercise discernment, never exercise 
discrimination, but he is saying that when you do, with reference 
to the people around you, do it in a biblical way, do it in 
a godly way, don't do it in a way that is demonstrated by or displayed 
by these Pharisees. That man this morning in Luke 
chapter 7, isn't that pathetic? I hope that's not us. I hope 
we would never say this man, if he were a prophet, would know 
what manner of woman this is. She's a sinner. Guess what, Simon? We're all sinners. We're all 
in this boat together. We've all got problems. We've 
all offended God. We've all raised our fist at 
the Most High. We have all breached His commandments. 
We have all lacked conformity unto His law. We have transgressed 
it. We have done every evil thing 
under the sun. So it's not the case that we, 
with our sort of self-righteousness and our high-mindedness, look 
down upon others. That's what Christ is condemning 
in the passage. And note the reason for the prohibition. Notice specifically, that you 
be not judged. Now the judgment here is most 
likely God's judgment upon you. It's most likely the danger, 
the reality, that if you live a life like a Pharisee, if you 
live a life of nitpickiness, if you live a life of fault-findingness, 
then you are not going to do well at the throne of God Most 
High. Doesn't James tell us, So speak, 
and so do, as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 
For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. If you have shown no mercy, if 
you have not been kind, if you have not been a man, a woman, 
a boy or a girl of love, you're not going to find that at the 
throne. I saw an article recently posted 
on a blog with reference to pornography, and it was seven reasons you 
should not indulge in pornography. Now, I just skimmed the article. 
I can't vouch for every jot and tittle of it, but the first one 
was striking. The first reason why you should 
not indulge in pornography. Indulging in pornography will 
send you to hell. It's a pretty candid way to treat 
that particular subject, isn't it? You get the gist, you get 
the drift, you get the understanding. A man or a woman who engages 
in a regular indulgement in pornography unrepentantly is in danger of 
hellfire. Well, if we look at our passage 
and we understand what Jesus is saying, we might also suggest 
that this thing condemned by Christ, this self-righteous attitude, 
this judgmentalism, Do not indulge in it because you will end up 
in hell. This is something that the people 
of God need to take to heart. We are quick to judge pornography, 
and rightly so, but we're not always so quick to judge judgmentalism. As I mentioned this morning, 
we condemn the crack dealers and we condemn the prostitutes, 
but we don't condemn ourselves for what Bridges calls respectable 
sins. Not Charles Bridges, the author 
of Proverbs, but Jerry Bridges, who recently passed and went 
to be with the Lord. It's a book called Respectable 
Sins. The idea behind the book is that 
within the life of the Church, there are respectable sins. Not really, but at least theoretically. We preach against abortion. We 
preach against sodomy. We preach against euthanasia. 
And, well, we should, but our self-righteousness, our gossip, 
our slander, our judgmentalism are sins that don't seem to be 
so severe. They're sins that don't seem 
to be so grievous to God. Well, Christ on the mount certainly 
dealt with this particular sin. Do not be judgmental. Do not 
be pharisaical. Do not be nitpicky. Do not be 
censorious. Do not be a fault finder. Do 
not go against 1 Corinthians 13, 7 and Colossians 3. Bear 
with one another. Be ready to forgive one another. Don't always be so quick to pounce 
upon a person, but rather exercise love. This is the point of our 
Savior's words in this very passage. Now, note in the second place 
the explanation that He gives. Prohibition, verse 1, judge not 
that you be not judged. Secondly, the explanation. For 
with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with 
the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." The 
idea being that if we judge persons according to our whims, according 
to our feelings, according to our standards, according to what 
we conceive is the best way to operate, then we will find ourselves 
at the bar of God in a very bad situation. We will understand 
what James meant when he said, Judgment is without mercy to 
the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 
Christ spoke elsewhere concerning the righteousness of judgment. 
We are to exercise judgment, as I hope we've already demonstrated, 
but in John 7, 24, he says, Do not judge according to appearance, 
but judge with righteous judgment. You know, if somebody flings 
7-1 in your face, fling 7-24 from John back in there. So I'm 
just kidding. You don't want to get in a flinging 
match. But the Christ who prohibits in 7.1 in Matthew's Gospel is 
the Christ who defines how we are to judge in John 7.24. For 
with what judgment you judge, you will be judged. And the measure 
you use, it will be measured back to you. If you engage in 
life as a petty person, if you engage in life as a merciless 
person, if you engage in life as a fault-finding person, then 
you will stand before the throne of God and have to give an account 
for such things. Mercy, charity, love, graciousness, 
kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, the fruits of the 
Spirit. Those are the sorts of things that ought to characterize 
our interpersonal relationships, certainly in our churches, but 
in our homes. Brethren, isn't this what Solomon 
spoke to concerning the man who'd rather, you know, it's better 
for him to live in the wilderness or better live on his rooftop 
than with a nagging woman? Probably that woman was nitpicky. 
Probably that woman was fault-finding. Probably nothing that man ever 
did was good enough for her. That's a wretched and a terrible 
way to live. And Christ condemns it, and Christ 
says, don't do it. You are kingdom citizens. You 
have received grace. You have received mercy. You 
know what the love of God is all about. You are to exercise 
discernment, discrimination, judgment, all those things, but 
you're supposed to do it in a proper way. Do not judge according to 
appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. And then notice, thirdly 
and finally, the illustration that Christ uses. The illustration, 
the speck and the plank, verses 3 to 5. Now, sometimes people 
object to humor in preaching. I don't think there's a place 
for telling jokes in the pulpit, but I don't think the pulpit 
ought to be devoid of humor. A woman once came to C.H. Spurgeon 
and said, Mr. Spurgeon, in your preaching you 
say many funny things, and this was a complaint on her part. 
And he said, Woman, if you knew how much I held back, you'd be 
proud of me. You can't read a Spurgeon sermon 
or a lecture without laughing. I mean, one of the most excellent 
things in print, dealing with the subject of depression, outside 
of the Bible, is Spurgeon's The Minister's Fainting Fits. Now, 
while it's called The Minister's, it is applicable to each and 
every one of us. But in that, you'll go from, 
you know, the hilltop of sadness and gloom, or probably the valley, 
and then you're laughing, because he just says funny stuff. Christ 
said some funny stuff, brethren. He wasn't a stuffed shirt. He 
spoke the language of his day. Now, he wasn't vulgar, he wasn't 
godless, he wasn't unholy, he didn't sin, but just think about 
it. You've got this log sticking 
out of your eye, and you're going after to police the speck in 
your brother's eye. That's funny. The picture that 
it suggests, it's like what Jesus does in Matthew 23. They strain 
out the gnats and they swallow the camel. There was a kid, had 
to be standing there, that laughed out loud at that particular time. 
They would have texted back then, he said something, LOL, because 
it was funny. Think about it, he uses these 
sort of illustrations to highlight the wickedness of this manner 
of life. Look at what he says in verse 
3. And why do you look at the speck 
in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your 
own eye? He says, or how can you say to 
your brother, let me remove the speck from your eye, and look, 
a plank is in your own eye. Hypocrite! First remove the plank 
from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the 
speck from your brother's eye. Now, this type of fault finding 
takes effort on the part of the judge. I think we have to appreciate 
this. This fellow's got a plank hanging 
out of his eye, and he's going after the speck in his brother's 
eye. That takes effort, brethren, just to navigate that plank so 
that you don't bang it against a wall and try to find the speck. 
Who's got that kind of time? The people condemned in this 
passage. Fault-finding, nitpicky, censorious people that always 
go after the faults of others. Just back it down. Listen to 
Solomon, Proverbs 4. Keep your heart with all diligence, 
for out of it spring the issues of life. Don't you love the fact 
that God, through Solomon, told us to keep our own hearts? He 
didn't tell us to keep everybody else's heart. He didn't tell 
us to be the RCMP of people's hearts in Chilliwack. He didn't 
tell us to go knocking on people's doors to look for specs. Just 
mind your business. Mind your ways. This type of 
fault-finding is a betrayal of that law of liberty that James 
speaks of. So speak and so do as those who 
will be judged by the law of liberty. This type of fault finding 
is a rejection of biblical procedure. You've got this plank, he's got 
this speck. You are not to go after those 
sorts of things. Now, in some instances, and as 
Christ continues, deal with the plank, then go after the speck. The remedy of the brother is 
in view. You ought to want to help and 
to correct, but Christ is dealing with the procedure that is used. 
Deal with your issue, get your house in order, then you'll be 
better poised to deal with the specks in other people's eyes. 
Because happiness, joy, harmony, charity, love, all those things 
are in view. And this type of fault-finding 
is a failure to come to grips with one's own shortcomings, 
failures, and sins. You do see the ridiculousness 
of this. I've got a log hanging out of 
my eye, and I go over to Dawn and say, you've got this speck 
in your eye. What's her first response? You've got a log hanging 
out of your eye. Isn't it? Now, beware of this. I mean, 
that's an issue, too. Somebody comes to correct you, 
reprove you, rebuke you in the name of Christ. They want to 
do so lovingly and righteously. Well, what about you? You've 
got all these issues. Yeah, yeah, I do have all these 
issues, but insofar as I'm trying, I've withdrawn this log so that 
we can deal with the speck. Let's not be hyper-defensive 
when people try to correct us. Praise God if there's people 
in your life that are honest enough to tell you what's what. 
If you don't have anybody in your life that's honest, you 
don't have a wife or a husband that will actually say, you're 
acting like a fool, then you're in trouble. Brethren, we're not 
at the place where we ought to just float to heaven without 
any help whatsoever from anybody else. The point is, procedurally, 
tend to the plank that's in your eye before you go and do spec 
surgery on your brother. John Stott says, we have a fatal 
tendency to exaggerate the faults of others and minimize the gravity 
of our own. In Lewis's screw tape letters, 
he has this letter 3. Screw tape to wormwood. Aggravate 
that most useful human characteristic, the horror and neglect of the 
obvious. You must bring him to a condition 
in which he can practice self-examination for an hour without discovering 
any of those facts about himself which are perfectly clear to 
anyone who has ever lived in the same house with him or worked 
in the same office. Let him examine himself for an 
hour. He's not going to be able to discern what everybody around 
him already sees. This type of fault finding may 
as well be a means of hiding one's own sin. Remember that 
planks and specks come from the same place. Note the indictment that is pronounced 
here in our text. Verse 5, Jesus says, hypocrite. 
Now, this is a word that is used concerning the unbelievers in 
Matthew's Gospel. Matthew 6, 2, 5, and 16. But it's not confined to them. 
There are times when the people of God engage in hypocrisy. There 
are times when the people of God swing their planks in an 
attempt to try and get the specks out of the eyes of others. Spurgeon 
says Jesus is gentle, but he calls that man a hypocrite who 
fusses about small things in others and pays no attention 
to great matters at home in his own person. And then note finally, 
with reference to this illustration, he gives an exhortation in verse 
5. First remove the plank from your 
own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from 
your brother's eyes. Now there's two ways we can go 
here. Does that mean we have to be devoid of any sin whatsoever? I'm a plankless man, so I'm coming 
after your speck. No, that's probably not what's 
in view. What's in view is the thing condemned 
in this very passage. Lloyd-Jones explains it this 
way. If you really do want to help others, and again, that's 
the end view. It's not good that a brother 
has a speck in his eye. And you all know what that's 
like. You get something in your eye, it's quite irritating, isn't 
it? It's nice to get that speck out. Well, spiritually speaking, 
you got a speck in your life, it's nice to rid yourself of 
it. It's nice to have a brother who comes along and helps you. 
You know, your wife, your husband might, you know, put their finger 
on your eye and pull out the shard or the whatever that's 
in there. It's good to have that assistance. The end game in view 
is to help your brethren, but there's a proper procedure in 
helping your brethren. Lloyd-Jones says, if you really 
do want to help others and to help to rid them of these blemishes 
and faults and frailties and imperfections, first of all, 
realize that your spirit and your whole attitude has been 
wrong. If you are doing what this passage condemns, if you're 
fault-finding, if you're nitpicky, if you're petty, if you're censorious, 
the first method of speck removal is to realize that you've been 
wrong in the way you've gone about it. Deal with the plank. Deplank yourself and then you 
can help him. He says this spirit of judging 
and hyper-criticism and censoriousness that is in you is really like 
a beam contrasted with a little mote in the other person's eye. 
France comments, while it is possible that the critic here 
is to be understood as aware of his own failings but concealing 
them, it is more likely that he is criticized for failing 
to apply the same standards to himself that he applies to others 
and thus being unaware of the inconsistency of his behavior. Brethren, the reality is that 
in our interpersonal relationships, people are going to sin against 
us. People are going to do things against us that are wrong or 
inaccurate or unkind or untoward. They might not do something against 
us, but they do something against God, and we, because we love 
them, want to go to them. We need to check our spirits, 
we need to guard our hearts, and we need to imbibe the ethic 
of the kingdom, and we need to do so in a manner that is consistent 
with the law of God Most High. We do not judge according to 
appearance, but we judge with righteous judgment. We do not 
judge devoid of love, and kindness, and gentleness, and all those 
things that are evidenced by the people of God throughout 
history. We are to imbibe the ethic that Jesus enjoins upon 
us in this particular passage. In conclusion, the first place, 
the manifestation of this particular sin. We've already covered this. 
Pettiness. Pettiness. There's a sense, brethren, 
we can't fix the world. In case you haven't realized 
that, you cannot fix the world. I'm getting to the point where 
if people aren't actually assaulting me, I'm okay with that. Maybe 
I'm lowering the bar to some degree, but if they're not hurting 
me and putting knives in me, then I'm okay with that. It's 
a pettiness that oftentimes settles upon the hearts of God's people. We're not the police. We're not 
God's police. We've got to leave room for the 
Holy Spirit of God. And again, brethren, I'm not 
saying we don't go to brethren. We do go to brethren. We go in 
the way that Jesus specifies. But pettiness. As well, fault 
finding. It's tough to live under that 
kind of regime, that everything you do is wrong. Again, I gotta 
think that man who'd rather live on the rooftop or he'd rather 
live in the wilderness has a wife that's condemned by this particular 
text. Then it can be husbands, too, 
that are this way to their wives. As well, being hypercritical. 
Hypercritical. As Steve mentioned this morning, 
it's easier to complain about political leaders than it is 
to pray for political leaders. Yep, guilty, right here. I need 
that admonition all the time. I need that reminder all the 
time. I need 1 Timothy 2, you know, 
on my forehead, pray for kings and those who are in authority 
because it's easy to complain. They give us lots of reasons 
to make it easy to complain, to be sure, but that doesn't 
get us off the hook. But this hypercritical attitude 
or an excessive eagerness, you know, when you have to deal with 
somebody who's in sin, there's an excessive eagerness That's 
not really good. A person who's going to deal 
with sin effectively in the life of somebody else prays about 
it. They agonize about it. It's tough 
to go and say, Brother, you've got a speck in your eye and I 
want to try to help you get it out. If you're, you know, running 
to him to grab his back, just back it down. Excessive eagerness 
is not a good thing. Curiosity, peevishness. These are some of the words suggested 
by John Calvin. As well, we ought to appreciate 
the gravity of this particular sin. In a certain sense, it is 
an arrogant assertion of our authority over others. I don't 
mean that in some charismatic, Pentecostal, spiritual authority 
thing. I just mean we assume the role 
of lawgiver and we stand in judgment over brethren. That's not a good 
place to be. As well, it is certainly an expression 
of self-righteousness. I mean, going back to the illustration, 
if my plank is about to hit Dawn in the head when I go after her 
speck, she's going to say, what about the plank in your eye? 
My self-righteousness is such that it clouds my vision. I don't 
even see it. All I see are specs, and I'm 
on a mission. I'm SEAL Team 6 when it comes 
to specs. It doesn't matter, I've got a 
log hanging out of my eye. It is a demonstration of a lack 
of charity, and it is a practical denial of the doctrine of remaining 
corruption. at least to the reality of remaining 
corruption in our own hearts and lives. If you recognize that 
every one of God's people has remaining corruption except you, 
you've got big problems. You've got remaining corruption 
like the rest of us. Thirdly, the prevention of judgmentalism. Now, I didn't master these. This 
is my list of how I've mastered judgment. No, no, no. But just 
musing upon, reflecting upon certain scriptures, I think these 
can at least be helpful. Certainly not an exhaustive list. 
In the first place, seek the gracious influence of the Holy 
Spirit in your life. I mean, shouldn't that be where 
God's people start with every sin, with every issue, with every 
problem, with every trial? We ought to seek the gracious 
influence of the Holy Spirit. God, I want to be faithful to 
my wife. I want to be faithful to my husband. I want to be faithful 
in my church, and I want to deal with people righteously. I need 
the Spirit, because apart from the Spirit, I just make a mess 
of things. Apart from the wisdom of God from on high, I just ruin 
things, and I don't want to do that. Secondly, seek to apply 
biblical law to all matters of judgment. It's an amazing thing. Again, we see the law of God 
violate an abortion. We all condemn with reference 
to the sixth commandment. We see the law of God violated 
with reference to homosexuality, seventh commandment. But we don't 
see this violation of the law of God when it comes to our own 
practice. You've probably heard me say many, many times, and 
if it's becoming ad nauseum, I'm sorry. I don't know how else 
to say it, but Proverbs 18 is absolutely crucial. There are 
two passages in Proverbs 18 that every Christian ought to commit 
to memory. He who answers a matter before he hears it, it's sin 
or shame and folly to him. Do we ever do that? We hear one 
side of a story and we just flip out. Before we've heard the matter, 
before we've heard the situation, before we understand the facts 
of the case, imagine going to court and you're prosecutor, 
you're the defendant, and the prosecutor comes and sets forth 
his case, the judge slams down the hammer and says, that's it, 
we've heard enough. Wait a minute, what about my 
defense? What about the other side? And 
you know, how many times as Christians do we get one side of a story 
and we jump, we run, we fly to judgment? Proverbs 18, 17, the 
first to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes 
and examines him. I know that was you that robbed 
that bank. I'm alibied, man, I was in Hawaii 
on vacation. You just never know the scenario 
until you hear both sides. How many times are churches destroyed, 
not by a denial of the deity of Christ, though they can be 
destroyed by that, not by a denial of justification by faith, but 
because of gossip, because of slander, because of things that 
arise, and then persons give ear to one side of the story, 
and it causes a rift, and it ruptures, and it splits the people 
of God. We need to pursue humility and 
kill pride. A judgmental attitude is descriptive 
or demonstrative, rather, of pride, of arrogance. Who are 
you to stand in judgment over other persons according to your 
whims, according to your feelings, according to what you think? 
We need to judge with righteous judgment according to God's law. We need to understand the biblical 
doctrine of sin and how it is true of us. Remaining corruption. I know. We ought to know. We 
ought to be able to say, I know it's in me to make a false assessment. I know it's in me to be wrong. 
Right? Am I making sense? If you think 
that you're never wrong, or you're always right, you've got bigger 
problems than this passage addresses. Spurgeon said, instead of beholding 
with gratified gaze the small fault of another, we should act 
reasonably if we penitently consider the greater fault of ourselves. So that's understanding the doctrine 
of remaining corruption in us. But remember the doctrine of 
remaining corruption in others. Do we expect too much out of 
people? No, we ought to expect perfect, 
exact, entire, and perpetual obedience to the law. That's 
really what we ought to expect because that's what God commands. 
It's never been relaxed. It's never been reneged. It's 
never been pulled back. So on the one hand, we should 
expect that. But when we're dealing with blood-bought children of 
God, and we know their weaknesses, and we know their remaining corruptions, 
I'm not saying excuse their sins, I'm not saying pretend they don't 
sin, but I am saying exercise charity, compassion, love, kindness. You can rebuke someone and then 
hug them. You can rebuke someone and then 
go have coffee with them. You ought to be able to do this. This is what greases the wheels 
of the kingdom of God. Love, kindness, gentleness, graciousness, 
love to one another. We ought to value, esteem and 
love our brethren. Do you realize to one another 
we ought not to be judges and hypocrites? We ought to be brethren. 
This is absolutely crucial. And then interestingly enough, 
the final observation in terms of prevention is found in our 
passage. That golden rule in 7.12, Therefore, 
whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this 
is the law and the prophets. Right? Imagine if 7-12 was actually 
in practice in our homes, in our churches, in society. Imagine 
if people actually looked out for the well-being of others. 
I mean, it's a very simple rule. Whatever you want men to do to 
you, do also to them. You don't want them to swing 
their planks and to hit you in the side of the head while they 
fetch the speck out of your eye. Well, don't do that to them. 
You want them to deal with you in kindness, with charity, with 
love, with graciousness, then that's what you want to do with 
them. You see, it's a very simple rule, but it does require great 
grace, and it requires the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives 
of God's people. And certainly, finally, the way 
by which we get these things under control is at the cross. We don't get them under control 
at the cross. God gets it under control by means of the cross. 
In other words, what's the best death knell to self-righteousness 
in the heart of a person? It's the cross. It's the crucified 
Savior. It's the Lord of glory. It's 
the gospel. We understand the Gospel. If 
by the grace of God we believe the Gospel, if we have come to 
Christ, we have the ability, we have the empowerment by the 
Spirit to actually follow what God's Word says. And if you are 
not a believer here tonight, the only means by which self-righteousness 
will ever, ever vanish in your life is through the cross. You 
need Christ, you need His righteousness, you need that forgiveness. You 
are in sin and in rebellion against God Almighty. Pettiness and fault-finding 
and nitpicking and censoriousness might not be your issues particularly. But if we look at that law of 
God, idolatry, or blasphemy, or insubordination to authority, 
or Sabbath-breaking, or murder, or adultery, or theft, or lying, 
or covetousness, those things will find you out. The only remedy 
and the only hope for salvation is through Jesus Christ the Lord. Believe, and by God's grace, 
you will be saved. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You that Christ does 
Address such things in this Sermon on the Mount, and I pray that 
we'd have ears to hear and hearts to receive, and that the Word 
of God would have a positive effect, not only in our lives 
as individuals, but in our families and in our church. Help us, as 
the people of God here, to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit 
and the bond of peace, Keep us from these sorts of things that 
evidence a carnal heart rather than a spiritual heart. Give 
us grace, God, to put into practice these things so that we may honor 
you, that we may glorify you, and that we may legitimately 
show love for our brothers and our sisters. We have been saved 
to love God. We have been saved to love one 
another. Help us to do this, we pray, through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen.