Historically, Christians have this horrible habit of judging people. We’re naturally inclined, it would seem, to try and determine who the “real believers” are. I’ve heard countless times from well-intentioned believers the remark that “I’m not even sure they’re really saved,” after seeing someone perform some undesirable action or ascribe to some strange belief. Brothers and sisters, this should not be.
The Parable of the Weeds, found in Matthew 13:24-30, tells the story of a farmer whose field is filled with both wheat and weeds. When his servants ask whether they should go into the field and pull up the weeds, he tells them not to:
…While you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.
Just as growing wheat looks very much like weeds, so young believers (and even mature ones at times!) can look very much like unbelievers. We are all born with a sinful nature, and that nature continues to war against our renewed hearts and minds even after we are saved. Christians still sin.
If you take it upon yourself to make judgements concerning who is or isn’t a Christian, you will most likely end up destroying true (although weak) believers in the process. God will perform sufficient and just judgement at the end of time. In the meantime, make it your goal to seek and to teach sound doctrine, so that the believers around you may grow to become more like Christ.
This is not to say that we ought not to condemn sin when we see it: indeed for those who claim to be in the church, we ought to gently and lovingly correct them (Galatians 6:1-5), but let us leave eternal judgement in the hands of the Eternal One to whom it truly belongs.
