Do you ever get the feeling these days that if you tried to help someone you love escape from sin, you might be accused of judging that person? You are not alone if you feel this way. It is a dominant mentality in our culture today. If you or someone you know has been duped by the psychobabble of our modern age, here is an important insight for you my friend: "Better is open rebuke than hidden love." (Proverbs 27:5)
You most likely were not taught this in school, and perhaps not even at home. There are churches today which are even moving in the opposite direction. In the name of "love," some pastors now rarely use the word "sin." They believe it will damage the self-image of the person. The Bible doesn't say that Christians need to have a good self-image. Instead, God wants to build up what I would call our "Christ-image" as believers, where our entire life is now expressed in Him. (see 2 Cor. 3:18)
To judge others is to look down on them and to think that you are a superior person. Judging others is a sin. To love a family member or friend enough to tell them the truth about their sin is an act of compassion, as long as it is done in humility and pure love. Who among us doesn't need to hear the truth when we have strayed off the path and become entangled in sin?
Picture this scenario. You see someone you love who is living in deliberate and persistent sin. You easily recognize it because you have been there yourself with your own issues. You want to help, but you are not sure what to do. And you have been brainwashed to think you would be judging that person to point out why that particular behavior is wrong in God's eyes. People everywhere are in chains to sin, and yet most of us who are in a position to help are severely limited by the straightjacket wrapped around us through our false understanding of "judging."
The Bible teaches that we as sinners need to be told when we have gone off the rails. We need tough love from someone who is not arrogant and who cares deeply about our well-being. We need someone to love us enough to tell us the truth....and not just to tickle our itching ears. That itch within us is coming from self....not from the needs of our soul. Our soul is dying to hear the truth about our problem areas, as well as the remedy which is found at the cross.
"Hidden love" as seen in the passage above is a sentimental feeling usually found in someone who is battling insecurity. This insecurity often develops from the psychology they have been spoon-fed to build up their self-image. They don't feel good about themselves unless someone flatters them, and they honestly believe that love does not get too specific about sin. They are afraid to damage the other person's self-image and afraid of being seen as judgmental. It is all based on the misguided effort to build up self….rather than the reality of sin, grace, and the cross. Read more
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