Who are You to Judge the Servant of Another?

Balance, my brothers.  Balance.

I find that most theological or ethical conundrums are solvable if we find the balance between extremes.

The modern social landscape is pervaded by subjectivism and emotionalism.  

"Only God can judge me!" we cry.  

"Don't judge me!" we insist.

Unfortunately, this kind of thinking has infiltrated the Church and can be heard from pulpits around the world.  Pastors no longer make definitive declarations of right and wrong, nor are they allowed to say anything negative.  They're not supposed to tell people how to live their lives.  To speak of sin is taboo.  Christian brethren are no longer willing to exhort or to be exhorted.

"Different strokes for different folks!" rules the day.

This is, undoubtedly, an unbiblical mindset.  The idea that true love ignores behavior that is perilous to a brother's soul is patently false.  Christians, as the body of Christ and coworkers in the Gospel, are to be willing to talk about sin.  We should be courageous enough to warn our brother about sin and humble enough to be warned about our own.  The Bible tells us to confess our sins to each other and to bear one another's burdens, and it even gives us a strategy for presenting a brother with his sin.

But...balance.

The Bible also says, "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?  It is before his own master that he stands or falls."

You should be willing to engage other people about their sin, but you are not Jesus.  You are not God.  You are a member of the body, but you are not the Head!  You do not possess the authority to judge the souls of your brethren!  It may be your job to warn and to edify, but it is not your calling to occupy the great white throne!  You, even if you are in a position of spiritual authority, are a brother, not a lord.  

You are not your brother's master!

Furthermore, you do not have the right to impose your preferences upon your brethren.  You have no right to hold people to a standard that you have unilaterally erected.  Many people who claim to confront sin in their brethren are merely confronting violations of their own arbitrary rules.  Like Pharisees they crucify anyone who oversteps their fences, all the while the weightier matters of the law are ignored.

Attitude is key here.

One's interaction with others should, no, must, always be defined by humility, and this is particularly important when exhortation is involved.  If a brother approaches us with sin, we must humbly embrace that rebuke.  Even if our brother is mistaken, we should still retain humility.  If we find it necessary (in other words, we shouldn't always be looking for opportunities, but should be willing) to rebuke a brother for sin, we must approach him with humility, respect, and tact.  

And...

Let us never forget that "Love covers a multitude of sins."  That truth is so important that the Bible says it twice!  Sometimes you just need to let stuff go!

So, my brethren, let us strive for that delicate balance.  Let our love be honest and our rebukes be humble.  Let us seek that organic, spirit-filled unity that members of a body ought to have.  Let us strike that harmony of graces that our Savior commended and demonstrated while He walked this Earth.