Deacon's Diary

Deacon's Diary is a weekly feature that appears on the back side of the bulletin at the First Baptist Church of Avalon, Texas.

Trumped?

I had to think about it for a minute. Actually, I had to think about it for more like a couple of days. That's because my mind is not as fast as it used to be.

I'm talking about an interview I saw on a TV news program where I heard this guy quote from the Bible. This man's name is not important, so I won't mention it. But what is important is what this man stands for. What he is known for.
The guy I'm talking about is one the most antireligious zealots on the planet today. He is the author of a book that proclaims his antireligious views. Yet he felt compelled to quote from the Bible when challenged on some of his behavior.

The quote he used was from the book of Matthew, chapter 7, verse 1, where Jesus says: "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Although it took me a couple of days to realize it, this verse is probably the one most used by non-Christians. People who don't believe in the Bible dearly love quoting this verse. I've heard non-Christians use it before. And the way they say it, it's supposed to end the discussion. It's like they just played a trump card that you can't possibly beat.

It is more than obvious that this man doesn't have any regard for what that same Bible says about the wrongness of his behavior in the first place. And we all know that he does not read or study the Bible. Yet he knows somewhere in the Christian Scripture it says something about not judging others. And does that sure enough come in handy when challenged by any of those Christians.

The point of Matthew 7:1 about not judging others is that we should each guard against self-righteousness. We need to understand that we all are weak human beings and capable of the same wrong-doing we are condemning in others, and that we must constantly examine our own hearts, attitudes, and actions and compare our lives to the standards that God expects us to follow.

I am afraid this very important point is lost to those non-Christians that try to use Matthew 7, verse 1 as their trump card. And it is a reminder to all of us who are Christians how we need to be very careful not to make the mistake of taking Scripture out of context just to make a point. The points in the Bible are not ours to make, but they are God's way of pointing us in the right direction.

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