Two brothers had terrorized a small town for decades. They were unfaithful to their wives, abusive to their children, and dishonest in business. The younger brother died unexpectedly. The surviving brother went to the pastor of the local church. “I’d like you to conduct my brother’s funeral,” he said, “but it’s important to me that, during the service, you tell everyone my brother was a saint.”
“But he was far from that,” the pastor countered.
The wealthy brother pulled out his checkbook. “Reverend, I’m prepared to give $100,000 to your church. All I’m asking is that you publicly state that my brother was a saint.”
On the day of the funeral, the pastor began his eulogy, saying, “Everyone here knows that the deceased was a wicked man, a womanizer, and a drunk. He terrorized his employees and cheated on his taxes.” Then he paused. “But as evil and sinful as this man was, compared to his older brother, he was a saint! (Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, IL, Leadership, Vol. 16, no.4).
I don’t care who you are, when you compare yourself to some people, you can come off looking like a saint.
That’s especially true if you’ve been in the church for some time. After all, you’re not like your pagan neighbors, who sleep in on Sundays, throw wild parties, and curse like drunken sailors. You’re better than a lot of people, or so you think, and that makes you feel good about yourself, but does that actually help you?
The ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, said, “Know thyself.” For such knowledge is the foundation for wisdom and essential for living a meaningful life. So, how do you get to know yourself? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Romans 2, Romans 2, where the Bible tells us how.
Romans 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things (ESV).
The word “judge” means to distinguish or to separate, and that’s what people often do. They separate or distinguish the good people from the bad, and they usually put themselves in the “good” group even if they do some of the same things the so-called “bad” people do. Well, that just doesn’t fly with God.
Romans 2:2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things (ESV).
Literally, the judgement of God is according to truth. So, if you want to know yourself, you must…
RIGHTLY JUDGE YOURSELF.
That is, judge yourself according to the truth. Stop separating yourself from the “bad” people in your mind, and realize that you’re just as bad as those you judge.
It’s funny. Even criminals look down on other criminals.
According to the First Things blog, several years ago, a 64-year-old man in the city of Jaén, Spain, reported a home burglary. The victim, who happened to coach a youth soccer team, listed several electronic appliances as stolen.
Days later, police received an anonymous call from a payphone. It was the burglar, informing them that he had left three video recordings in a brown envelope under a parked car. Apparently, the stolen recordings were evidence that the soccer coach was also a criminal. The thief included a note stating that he wanted the police to do their job and “put that (blankety blank) in prison for life.” Nine days after the burglary, the police arrested the soccer coach.
Betsy Howard, the author of the blog, says, “There is a well-worn adage that evangelism is one beggar telling another where to find bread. (But) so often, I live out my Christian faith more like a criminal telling the cops where to find the crooks. This should not be (Betsy Howard, “One Crook Telling the Cops Where to Find the Other Crook,” First Things, 12-21-13; www.Preaching Today.com).
One sinner should not distinguish himself or herself from another sinner. No! You must judge yourself rightly, i.e., according to the truth. So, what does that look like? How do you judge yourself rightly?
Well, that begins when you examine your own deeds. Take a hard look at what you do, not just at what you say.
Romans 2:3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? (ESV)
Of course not!
Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (ESV)
God would rather you change your ways than judge you! So don’t presume on His kindness. Don’t take advantage of His patience or slowness to punish. Instead, change your ways before it is eternally too late.
Romans 2:5-11 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality (ESV).
God is an impartial judge, who judges everyone according to their deeds. God will ultimately inflict tribulation and distress on those who do evil, but He will ultimately grant glory, honor, and peace to those who do good. It’s your deeds that determine your destiny, not your doctrine.
Romans 2:12-13 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified—or declared righteous (ESV).
You can sit in church every Sunday hearing God’s Word. But only if you DO God’s Word will God call you righteous and give you eternal life.
So, if you want to judge yourself rightly, like God does, examine your own deeds, not those of your neighbor. Take a hard look at what you DO, not just at what you SAY you believe. In other words, “face the music!”
It’s an old expression that originated in Japan. According to legend, a man in the imperial orchestra could not read or play a note of music. Even so, he demanded that the conductor give him a place in the orchestra, because he was a person of great influence and wealth and wanted to “perform” before the emperor.
The conductor agreed to let him sit in the second row of the orchestra and gave him a flute. Then, during every concert, he raised his instrument, puckered his lips, and moved his fingers. He went through all the motions of playing but never made a sound.
He pretended to play for two years. Then a new conductor took over. He told the orchestra, “I want to audition each of you individually.” So, one by one, they performed in the conductor’s presence. When it was the fake flutist’s turn, he pretended to be sick. The conductor ordered a doctor to examine him, who declared that the man perfectly well. Only then did the man shamefully confess that he was a fake. He was unable to “face the music” (Bible Illustrator, 9/1987.21).
There will come a day when you stand before God and “face the music,” so to speak. You won’t be able to fake it then. So, before then, examine your own deeds and ask yourself, “Am I a real Christian? Am I a real doer of God’s Word?” or “Am I just faking it?” If you want to judge yourself rightly, first, examine your own deeds.
Then examine your own heart. Don’t just look at what you do on the surface. Look deep within at the motives and intentions of your soul, and consider why you do what you do. For you may do good things but with ulterior motives.
Romans 2:14-16 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus (ESV).
Even your pagan neighbors have a conscience, which accuses or excuses them for what they do. So God will judge every person, not only by his or her surface deeds, but also by the secrets in their hearts. So, what does your heart tell you? You may be doing good things on the surface, but why do you do what you do?
In a recent issue of Christianity Today, author Jen Wilkin writes:
Earlier this year, my husband and I spent two weeks with an apparent narcissist named Charlotte. From the moment we stepped into her space, it was all about her. She demanded our full attention day and night. Forget rational arguments or the needs of others; it was The Charlotte Show 24/7. She thought only of herself and demanded loudly and often that her needs be met. Our schedules bowed to her every whim. She uttered not a word of gratitude during the entire 14 days.
And we didn’t mind one bit. Because all 7 pounds and 15 ounces of her was doing exactly what she should. Our newest grandchild’s age-appropriate focus is to declare, “Me, right now!” Any time she is tired, hungry, or needs a clean diaper. Babies self-advocate as a survival instinct. They understand only the immediate need (Jen Wilkin, “Train Up a Child to Serve and Wait,” Christianity Today, December 2023, p. 28; www.Preaching Today.com).
Sady to say, many adults act like babies on the inside. Oh, they may have changed their outward behavior, because they have learned that pretending to be nice gets them more of what they want, but that’s just the problem. On the inside, they are just as self-seeking and demanding as they were when they were infants. They may do good deeds but with ulterior motives.
How about you? Why do you do what you do? If you want to know yourself, examine your own deeds and examine your own heart. That is, rightly judge yourself, and then…
SIMPLY HUMBLE YOURSELF.
Lower your own assessment of yourself, and realize that you are not as good as you think you are.
Romans 2:17-21a But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? (ESV)
They boasted in their ability to know and teach God’s law, but they failed to keep it themselves. They are like teachers who fail their own exams. My dear friends, if you teach the God’s Word, but don’t keep it, you are not as smart as you think you are.
So, teach yourself before you teach others, because God discredits what you merely know if it’s not working in your life.
Every year hundreds of thousands of people from around the world head to Pamplona, Spain, in mid-July, to take part in the running of the bulls. Between 50 and 100 people are injured every year during the run, with 16 people losing their lives since 1911 when the organizers started to keep records.
Bill Hillman, a Chicago-based journalist, is an expert on the event. He even co-authored a book subtitled “How to survive the bulls of Pamplona.” But on July 3, 2014, just knowing about bull running, even knowing enough to write an instruction manual on bull running, wasn't enough. A 1,320-pound fighting bull named Brevito lagged behind the pack just before entering the city's bull ring at the end of a rain-slicked run in the annual festival. At the opportune time, Brevito gored Hillman in the right thigh and a 35-year-old Spanish man in the chest. Both men recovered, but the co-author of Hillman's book 's told The New York Times, “We will probably need to update the book” (“Straggling bull gores Pamplona survival guide author,” The West Australian, 7-9-14; www.PreachingToday.com).
Don’t you think? When what you teach doesn’t work for you, even if it’s the Bible, then you probably need to learn the lesson yourself. So, teach yourself first, because God disregards what you merely know if it’s not working in your life.
Then do what you teach. Practice what you preach, because God discredits your talk if it doesn’t match your walk.
Romans 2:21b-24 While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (ESV).
When you preach the Word, but don’t keep it yourself, your actions cause some to blaspheme God, or to slander His reputation.
Sheldon Van Auken, in his book Severe Mercy, put it well when he said, “The best argument for Christianity is Christians—their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians—when they’re self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they’re narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.”
You give God a bad name when you don’t practice what you preach.
Francesca Gino of Harvard Business School, a leader in the field of behavioral science, and co-author of dozens of papers in peer-reviewed journals, has been charged with falsifying data.
In a 2012 paper Gino and her collaborators reported that “asking people who fill out tax or insurance documents to attest to the truth of their responses at the top of the document, rather than at the bottom, significantly increased the accuracy of the information they provided.” After that, other scholars cited her paper hundreds of times.
Then, 11 years later (2023), three behavioral scientists analyzed Dr. Gino’s data. They discovered that she had tampered with some of the data points, which changed the results.
Harvard then placed Gino on administrative leave (Noam Scheiber, “Harvard Scholar Who Studies Honesty Is Accused of Fabricating Findings,” The New York Times, 6/24/23; www.PreachingToday.com).
Imagine, writing a paper on honesty based on fabricated findings. It discredited anything she had to say. In the same way, when your walk fails to match your talk, you only discredit yourself.
So, don’t evaluate yourself by what you know or say. Evaluate yourself by what you do. Teach yourself, because God discredits what you merely know. Then do what you teach, because God discredits what you merely say.
Finally, do what you teach from the heart. Obey God with pure motives, because God discredits what you merely show.
Romans 2:25-29 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God (ESV).
Ancient Jewish men thought God admired them, because they were circumcised, because they participated in a religious ritual when they were 8 days old. In the same way, many people today think God admires them, because they were baptized as an infant, or because they went through confirmation, or walked an aisle, or prayed a prayer.
Nothing could be further from the truth. God discredits mere religious activity and admires only a heart that loves Him. “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
When Desirae Kelly woke at 5 am, she knew something was off. Kelly felt an unsettling fluttering sensation in her right ear, but initially dismissed it, thinking it was the comforter on her bed. She only sought medical attention after her fiancé persuaded her to see a doctor.
Sitting in the clinic's waiting room, Kelly felt the mysterious movement again, this time accompanied by pain near her eardrum. By this point Kelly thought it was earwax. The nurse, however, made a startling revelation. There was something in her ear, and it was moving.
The nurse treated Kelly's ear by irrigating it with water, which prompted a black object to fall onto her sweater. To her horror, it was a live spider, about the size of a nickel. Fortunately, there was no damage to her eardrum, and no medication was required to prevent infection.
However, despite the reassurance that her ear was free of spider remnants or eggs, the incident left a lasting impact on Kelly. Every night since the traumatic event, she has worn earplugs, unable to shake the uneasy and violating feeling of a spider crawling out of her ear (David Moye, “Missouri Woman Understandably Freaked Out By Nickel-Sized Spider Stuck In Her Ear,” Huffington Post, 11-1-12; www.PreachingToday.com).
Worse than anything that might get into your ear is the evil that gets into your heart. The sad fact is this: there is evil in every person’s heart. It’s like Jerimah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
So, what can you do when you realize that you’re not as good as you think you are? What can you do when you realize that you’re just as bad as the neighbor you judge?
You do the only thing you can do. Ask God to remove the evil in your own heart and to change you from the inside out. Pray like David did in Psalm 139: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24).
Dear friend, if you want to live a meaningful life, then KNOW YOURSELF. That means rightly judge yourself and simply humble yourself by examining not only what you say and do; examine your own heart. Then surrender your life to Christ, who died for you and rose again. Trust Him to change your heart so you can be the person God truly admires.
Make this your prayer today:
Change my heart O God;
Make it ever true.
Change my heart O God;
May I be like You (Eddie Espinosa).
