Pali mwambi womwe umati, "Ngati akuwoneka ngati bakha, akuyenda ngati bakha, ndi quator ngati bakha, ndiye kuti ndi bakha." Kulingalira uku sikuli kwatsopano. Yesu anati, "Mudzawazindikira ndi zipatso zawo." Ndiponso, mu Mateyu 12:35-37: “Munthu wabwino atulutsa zabwino m’chuma chabwino cha mtima wake; ndipo ndi mawu ako udzatsutsidwa.” Onani apa kuti Yehova akuti, “inu” m’lingaliro lakuti Iye akulankhula kwa ife aliyense payekha osati kuweruza aliyense.” Mawu a Ambuye kuti achotse zisonkhezero zovulaza (zotupitsa) m’miyoyo yathu, ndipo monga momwedi zilili zofunika, kwa onse amene akuyesetsa kuchita chifuniro cha Mulungu chotero, m’pofunika kuti tisiyanitse pakati pa kuweruza zipatso ndi kuweruza, kupeza cholakwa ndi kudzudzula mtima wa wina ndi mnzake. Zolinga Yehova anatipatsa ife zitsanzo zambiri ndi malangizo okhudza mmene tiyenera kuyenda motsatira Mzimu…ndipo chosowa ndi kukhala ndi mtima wodzichepetsa umene sudzudzula kapena kutengera makhalidwe oipa tchimo, osati wochimwayo.” Pa nthawi yomweyi, monga taonera pamwambapa, Mulungu amatipatsa Mawu ake kuti tizisiyanitsa chabwino ndi choipa ( Ahebri 5:14 ), kapena kuti chosiyana ndi chifuniro chake,  chonde werengani fanizo limene Yesu anapereka la munthu wochimwa , monga aliyense wa ife ( Aroma 3:9-10 ) amene anapempha modzichepetsa chikhululukiro nachokapo atalungamitsidwa, machimo ake sanaŵerengedwe kwa iye, pamene munthu wina, wochimwa, amene anadziona kukhala wolungama, sanalungamitsidwe Fanizo la Mfarisi ndi Wamisonkho amene anapemphera mu Luka 18:10 likukhazikika pa kufunikira kwa mphatso ya uzimu ya kudzichepetsa (Agalatiya 5:22-23) monga momwe tingalandire chisomo cha Mulungu pamene tikuyandikira Iye kupyolera mwa Mwana wake. , popeza “Mulungu akaniza odzikuza, koma apatsa chisomo odzichepetsa” ( 1 Petro 5:5 ).

Mofanana ndi wamisonkho wa m’fanizo ili pamwambali amene anadzichepetsa pamaso pa Mulungu, akazi amene anasambitsa mapazi a Yesu ndi tsitsi ndi misozi anachitiranso chimodzimodzi. Yesu sanatsutse kuti iye anali wochimwa, koma anauza Simoni, Mfarisi, pa Luka 7:47 : “Machimo ake amene ali ambiri akhululukidwa; pakuti anakonda kwambiri; koma kwa iye amene wakhululukidwa pang’ono, yemweyo akonda pang’ono.” Mawuwa ndi ofunika kuwaika mumtima mwawo, chifukwa amafotokoza kugwirizana kwabwino pakati pa kukhululuka, ndi kukhululukidwa. Mofanana ndi Wokhometsa msonkho, mkazi ameneyu anadziŵa kuti anali wochimwa, ndipo anasonyeza chikondi chake kwa Yehova amene sanabwere “kudzawononga,” monga momwe anauzira Yakobo ndi Yohane, “koma kudzapulumutsa.” ( Luka 9:56 ) “Mulungu ndiye Chikondi.” .” Ndipo apa Yesu anasonyeza kufanana kwake ndi Atate wathu wakumwamba mwa kuchitira chifundo anthu odzichepetsa nthaŵi zonse monga mmene zilili m’zitsanzo ziwirizi. Atate wa Kumwamba adzakhululukira inunso. M’nkhani yofanana nayo pa Mateyu 18:21 timaŵerenga kuti, “Ndipo Petro anadza kwa Iye, nati, Ambuye, mbale wanga adzandilakwira kangati, ndipo ndidzamkhululukira kufikira kasanu ndi kawiri? Yankho limene Yesu anapereka m’vesi lotsatirali n’lodabwitsa ndipo likusonyeza mmene Mulungu amatikondera kwambiri, monga mmene Yesu ananenera kuti: “Sindinena kwa iwe kufikira kasanu ndi kawiri, koma kufikira makumi asanu ndi awiri kubwerezedwa kasanu ndi kawiri. Apa Ambuye akutilangiza kuti tizichitira chifundo nthawi zonse, monganso Iye ali wachifundo…..kukhululukira wolakwira wobwerezabwereza ndi kulapa mobwerezabwereza zolakwa zomwezo?” Pokhala ndi yankho lodziwikiratu, tiyeni tikumbukire zomwe Iye akuchenjeza pa Mateyu 6:15, “Koma ngati simukhululukira anthu zolakwa zawo, Atate wanu wa Kumwamba sadzakhululukira zolakwa zanu.” Mwachiwonekere chikondi chimaposa chiweruzo, ndipo kudzichepetsa kumatithandiza kuika ena pamwamba pa ife kaamba ka mphotho yokulirapo imene imachokera ku kumvera (Yohane 14:23) Tsopano dzifunseni nokha funso, “Kodi ife tidzidalira tokha ndi kukhala otsimikiza za ife tokha monga chidziwitso chathu? ndi kuzindikira kumakula?” Ndikhulupirira kuti yankho lake ndi “AYI”; kuti chosiyanacho ndi chowonadi, chidziŵitso chachikulu ndi kumvetsetsa ziyenera kutipangitsa kukhala odzichepetsa kwambiri, monga momwe Yesu mwiniyo anadzichepetsera, pakuti pamene tikukula m’chiyamikiro cha Ulemerero wa Mulungu, kufunika kwathu kuyenera kucheperachepera. ( Luka 12:48 ) Ndipo monga momwe Malemba amaphunzitsira, pamene tiphunzira zambiri ndi kumvetsa kwathu kwakukulu, m’pamenenso tidzafunikira zambiri kwa ife. , tiyenera kukhala odzichepetsadi, kuyang’ana kwa Yehova nthaŵi zonse kaamba ka chidziŵitso chokulirapo, njira yosatha, ngakhale yamuyaya. Kwa mbuye wake wa iye yekha adzaimirira kapena kugwa (Aroma 14:4).

Koma mosiyana ndi bakha woperekedwa m’mawu otsegulira amene aikidwa m’njira yake yakuthupi, munthu, wolengedwa m’chifaniziro cha Mulungu ( Genesis 1:27 ), akhoza kupitirira thupi ndi kuyenda motsatira mzimu, ngati chikhumbo cha mtima wake chiri kuyenda nawo. Mulungu. Komabe, choyamba ayenera kudzichepetsa pansi pa dzanja lamphamvu la Mulungu, ndi kusonyeza chikondi chake kwa Mulungu mwa kusunga malamulo Ake. Pamenepo mphatso zauzimu zidzawala (Agalatiya 5:22-23). Bwerani; tiyeni tiyende pamodzi mu Mzimu wa chikondi cha Mulungu! 

There is an adage that goes something like this, "If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck." This reasoning is far from new. Jesus said, "You shall know them by their fruit." And again, in Matthew 12:35-37: “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things…For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." Note here that the Lord says, "you" in that He is speaking to us individually not judging anybody.  Yet the thought clearly is that we should be discerning, and use the wisdom contained in the Lord’s Word to keep harmful influences (leaven) out of our lives, and just as important, from all those striving to do God’s will.

So, it is necessary that we distinguish between judging fruitage and judging, finding fault and condemning another’s heart and motives. The Lord gave us many examples and instruction concerning how we are to walk after the Spirit...and needful is having a humble heart that does not condemn or personalize bad behavior.  This spirit is embodied in that old expression, “Hate the sin, not the sinner.”  At the same time as noted above, God gives us His Word that we should discern between that which is good and that which is evil (Hebrew 5:14), or contrary to His will. 

Please read the parable that Jesus gave of a sinner, like every one of us (Romans 3:9-10), who humbly sought forgiveness and went away justified, his sins not imputed to him, while another man, also a sinner, who saw himself as righteous, was not justified.  This parable of the Pharisee and Publican who prayed given in Luke 18:10 is centered on the importance of the spiritual gift of humility (Galatians 5:22-23) as the only condition by which we can receive God's grace when approaching Him through His Son, since "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5).

Like the Publican in the above parable who humbled himself before God, so did the women who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair and tears.  Jesus didn’t dispute that she was a sinner, but told Simon, the Pharisee, in Luke 7:47: “Her sins which are many are forgiven; for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”  This is a statement to take to heart, for it states a positive correlation between forgiving, and being forgiven.  Like the Publican, this woman knew she was a sinner, and demonstrated her love for the Lord who came “not to destroy," as He told James and John, “but to save” (Luke 9:56). “God is Love.” And here Jesus demonstrated His likeness to our Heavenly Father by always showing mercy to the humble; all those seeking mercy as in these two examples.  Also remember what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:14, “For if we forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”  In a related matter in Matthew 18:21 we read, “Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Till seven times?”  The answer Jesus gave in the verse that follows is amazing and demonstrates how GREATLY God loves us, even as sinners.  Jesus said, “I say not to you until seven times, but until seventy times seven.”  Here the Lord is instructing us to always and continually show mercy, just as He is merciful…..to forgive the repeating and repenting offender over and over again.  Now I ask, “How often do we go to the Lord to ask forgiveness for the same offenses?”  Given the obvious answer, let us remember what He warns in Matthew 6:15, “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.” Clearly love transcends judgment, and humility enables us to put others above ourselves for that greater reward that comes from obedience (John 14:23).

Now ask yourself the question, “Should we become more self-confident and sure of ourselves as our knowledge and understanding grow?” I believe the answer is “NO”; that the opposite is true. Greater knowledge and understanding should make us much humbler, even as Jesus Himself was humble, for as we grow in appreciation of the Glory of God, our own significance should greatly diminish against that understanding.  And as the Scriptures teach, the more we learn and the greater our understanding, the more will be required of us (Luke 12:48). With God's ways always far greater than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), we should be truly humble, looking always to the Lord for greater understanding, an unending, even eternal process.  We should also always keep in mind that those we interact with are the Lord's children, giving us no right to interfere by judging them. To his own master he will stand or fall (Romans 14:4).

But unlike the duck given in the opening adage that is set in his fleshly course, man, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), can transcend the flesh and walk after the Spirit, if his heart’s desire is to walk with God. However, first he must humble himself under the mighty hand of God, and demonstrate his love for God by keeping His commandments. Then spiritual gifts will shine forth (Galatians 5:22-23). Come; let us walk together in the Spirit of God’s love!

J. DiCesare  ©CDMI