You are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.                                                                                                                    –Galatians 5:15

When we become members of a church, we will soon begin to see sin in other Christians’ lives. This will especially be the case if we are committed to living a holy life and applying the moral law of God to our personal lives.

I am not a “non-judgmentalist”; see the Appendix in my book The Gospel of Jesus Christ. I take a view of the Scriptures on “judging” much more moderately than a lot of evangelicals, more in keeping with Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, and the Puritans. But at the opposite end of the judging issue, I don’t want to support a view of judging that basically turns me into a “judgmental” or condemning, mean-spirited person. If I am in a church, I want people to view me as an example of holiness, but just as much an example of love, care, compassion, sincere patience, and appreciation of others. I am against sin in all forms, but I am also against hate.

If am in a church, and I see the pastor and his staff are good, and they preach holiness and love, and the presence of God and spiritual gifts are in operation, I want to take judging at a much slower rate, than I would in other churches.

1 Corinthians 14 is still in effect; we need to judge and evaluate the prophets. But I also need to judge myself for my own immoralities of the heart (Galatians 6:4). I am not perfect; and I look at this and that person, and I see immoralities abounding in the church. I still want and definitely need to preach BOLDLY against sin. But then the issue of human psychology comes into play. I do not want to SHATTER PEOPLE’S PSYCHES; abuse their minds, make things harder on them than they already are. “Restoring such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). God help me!!

Sin is so great in the personal lives of church people. But this does not mean I should bite, devour, or tear others down just because I can see their sins. Even unbelievers can see some sins in others. To be different, I need to approach this issue with holy love. Maximum holiness and maximum love, which plays itself out in mercy and grace, private intercession and patience. Our prayers in private should be specific, first for our own sins, and then for the sins of others:

Lord God, in Jesus’ Name I pray
That You would transform the heart of _____
To not be _____ and to not do _____.
By Your Holy Spirit show them this is wrong
May Christ be formed in _____
Just as I pray Christ be formed in me. Amen.