A PARAPHRASE OF MATTHEW 7:1-5!
Do not judge others and you will not be judged. For with the standard you judge others, you yourself shall be judged: and with the harshness that you judge others, you yourself will receive the same harshness from God. And why do you focus upon the tiny splinter in your brother's eye, but ignore the huge chunk of wood in your own eye? Or, why tell your brother your have come to remove the tiny splinter in his eye, and you ignore the huge chunk of wood in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the huge chunk of wood out of your own eye, and then, seeing clearly, you will not only realize how small his splinter is, but that, if you are capable of removing such a huge chunk of wood from your own eye, surely he is capable of removing the tiny splinter out of his own eye! He does not need your help! He answers to God and not to you!
According to the Apostle Paul, even the greatest Christians have areas in their lives that keep them humble; that reveal they have yet to become Christ-like. Notice the present tense verbs in his description of the battle he was having with sin:
A PARAPHRASE OF ROMANS 7:14-25!
For we know that the Law, God's standard for holiness, is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would do, that I don't do: but what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I do not want to do, I acknowledge that God's standard of holiness is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but the sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing: for the will to do good is present with me; yet I find myself unable to do it. For the good that I want to do, I do not do it: but the evil which I do not want to do, that I do. Now if I do that which I do not want to do, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a reality, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man; that is, in my spirit, but I see another law in my humanity, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that is in me. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this sinful human nature? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind, I serve the Law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
FOR BELIEVERS STRUGGLING WITH SIN,
THE APOSTLE JOHN OFFERED THIS REMEDY.
NOTE THAT IT IS ALSO PRESENT TENSE.
A PARAPHRASE OF 1 JOHN 1:8-10!
If we say that we do not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the God's truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we do not sin, we are calling God a liar, and His Word is not in us.
THERE IS GOOD NEWS FOR BELIEVERS WHO SIN!
IT IS TEMPORARY!
A PARAPHRASE OF 1 JOHN 3:1-2!
Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God: therefore the world does not understand us, because it did not understand Jesus. Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it while it does not yet appear what we shall be like, we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
MARANATHA - COME LORD JESUS!
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