In the last several days I’ve received some great questions and observations. Here’s a couple that many of us seem to think about:
“Can you really assess without assigning? Don’t they go hand in hand?”
“When is it okay to put people in their place? I know there have to be instances where this is okay.”
“When we put someone in their place for wrongdoing does God judge us for doing so?”
“If we as humans don’t sometimes put people in their place aren’t we just going to have a society run amuck?”
“Putting people in their place is necessary. How do you put someone in their place without assigning judgment?”
“Is there a loving ‘Jesus-way’ to assess and assign? ”
“I try to speak kind words but come on… I am not Jesus.”
Some of the people who have written are individuals who are part of our church family and have walked through some particular points of study. I want to list them briefly as a background since we have not had the opportunity to examine these in our daily devotional path:
- Truth – (John 8:32) – Truth is not being right… it’s about being free.
- Grace (Romans 5:20) – Grace is the force that pushes back against the force of sin and makes our world bigger!
- Mercy (James 2:13) – Mercy is the force that refuses to validate or substantiate the identity that the force of sin would give us… on any level.
So… that being said… here we go in response to some great questions by some really great people! (Listen for scripture playing in the background of the following litany)
First: Yes! We absolutely confront sin (most often in conflict of some sort) and we are to speak. We are called to live truth and declare/speak truth that sets free… the truth that comes to me to set me free is the same truth that will flow through me to others as well. Only truth does that.
Next: Mercy says “No!” to the identities and destructive potential of any given behavior. Yes… we speak it to others.
Next: Grace pushes back the boundaries of dysfunctional behavior to make our place of health and wholeness a bigger place! Yes we speak it!
Yes! Yes! Yes! We absolutely… speak the truth… and refuse to join in destructive behavior… and push back against sin through grace.
BUT — our goal is to assess where truth is not being heard… to assess where mercy is being ignored… to assess where grace is being missed… to assess and bring truth that frees… mercy that refuses… and grace that grows.
Our goal is not to put people in their place… but to make their place a bigger place!
Truth, mercy, and grace are not just about being nice in some sort of syrupy religious behavior… that’s artificial. As believers in Christ, we do NOT avoid conflict… we face conflict head-on… truth, mercy and grace insist on it.
But all those efforts are not to put people in their place, but to see people free from the small place we often choose for ourselves. I want their place to be a bigger place!
Hope that helps.
Soon we will look at an example of this with Jesus and one of his disciples in John chapter 14. Thanks for the questions and comments.
Don’t give in… don’t let go!
Pastor Tom Sterbens
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2 users commented in " Mercy Chronicles — Q&A "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackJust love this stuff. I am one who has been priviledged to have Pastor Tom as a person who speaks into my life, through devotions; email; or vocal, for quite some time. I have never forgotten his message on this very topic many years ago when he and his family were here in Fort Myers, FL. I work in a secular setting with college students. Students whose identities are confused, and at times antagonistic toward one who has faith in Jesus. I often remember this message when students ask basic life questions. Or make statements that make me want to rear back and say, “Look buddy, or buddette, you have it all wrong!” However, in doing so it only reinforces within their minds that they are right about believers in Christ. That such people are hypocrits who judge. I have always struggled with judgment, but with posts like this reminding me it gets easier and easier everyday to see that truth is meant to love and care for not harm and be declared right. Judging does not mean making a person feel wrong, low, defeated, or crushed. It means, loving, caring, showing, and encouraging. I now find myself when in such a situation of assessment asking the Lord, quietly in my heart, what needs to be addressed here, Lord. What do YOU want them to know?
Blessings,
Kim
So, I have been contemplating the insight about judgment. As I pondered, I began to ask myself where this spirit of assignment comes from. As I talked with the Lord, I sensed Him tell me, “Pride.”
Pastor Tom, could it be said that pride and assignment (judgment) go together? Meaning, as human beings, we assign judgment due to our pride in needing to be declared right?
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