Compare Yourself to God's Word ONLY
We live in a world of comparisons. People compare one event to another. They compare this person with that person. Movement with movement. Idea with idea. Professions, religions, countries, leaders, all compared to each other, all the time.
And the worse one looks, the better the other looks.
The worse one religion looks, the others all look better.
When Islam and Catholicism hold around a billion followers each and one of those religions are made to look like terrorists, then Catholicism looks better to the world and appears to be the better choice.
And the worse our leaders look, the better other leaders look. Including the Pope for example.
Other words for comparisons are judgments and measurements.
I would say the world wastes 99% of the time comparing one thing with another instead of comparing things the correct way by comparing everything with what God says in the Bible.
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“But someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the written code. This person's praise is not from people but from God.” ~Romans 2:29
This is not "righteous judgment" that they practice in doing this (John 7:24). This is the exact type of judgment Jesus told us NOT to use.
"Judge not, that you be not judged." Or even better: “Don't condemn others, and God won't condemn you.” (CEV)
For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the huge piece of timber in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ while there is still a huge piece of timber in your own eye?
You hypocrite! First take the timber out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye. (Mathew 7:1-5)
“You hypocrites,” Jesus says. Judge YOURSELF FIRST through God's preserved writings. THEN, when you are obedient to God in that area, then you can help others in that area ("...in the spirit of meekness." Galatians 6:1)
“Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’
The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” ~Luke 18:9-14
Paul talks about this also in 2 Corinthians:
"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." 2 Corinthians 10:12
You're "not wise" Paul says to those who do this thing.
The very next verse Paul nullifies such judgments and measurements and comparisons and tells us,
"but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us."
We measure things with God's Word! And compare all things to God's Word!
"a measure to reach even unto you." 2 Corinthians 10:13
Paul said the gospel reached "unto" the Corinthians because Paul used God's Word as his judge. And that Judge, or measurement guideline is what pushed Paul to reach souls with the gospel. God's holy Spirit laboring mightily with and through the Apostle Paul.
And not only did the Apostle reach the Corinthians because of these righteous measurements he compared himself to. But he envisioned,
"To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you,"
Paul will go over and above even being great because he will not stop comparing himself to God's Word which teaches us to suffer all things and endure to the end...
"For it is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person the Lord commends." 2 Corinthians 10:18
And that goes for everyone else who commends another without using the proper comparisons and measurements. In other words, they're not using God's preserved writings to judge themselves or their neighbors. And therefore, the commendations are all null and void.
God is our King and His Word is our law. That's if you want to be part of God's kingdom and a member of God's family. If you do not follow after holiness, you will not see God (no matter who you or I think we are).
“Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” - Hebrews 12:14
Amen
Proverbs 8:11 “For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”
Nothing compares to God's Word. God's Word is the final law. God is the final Judge and everyone will be judged by this same Word of God that we all have access to.
“For God does not show favoritism.” (Romans 2:11)
and He "judges each person's work impartially," (1 Peter 1:17) "Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism." (Colossians 3:25)
“God will reward each one according to his works:” (A quotation from Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; a close approximation to Matt 16:27.)
Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
Romans 2:2 And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.
Romans 2:3 So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?
Now is the time to judge ourselves. While we still can. While there is a breath in our body. Every word and action will be judged by God. Read His Word and turn at His reproof (Proverbs 1:23) and turn our feet unto His testimonies (Psalm 119:59) And May God have mercy on us all in Jesus' Name Amen
Yours in Jesus the Christos, Tommy Richards
You can be saved!
God loves the people in the world so much that He came down to die for us. If God is opening your heart to His message and you feel convicted for your sins which have separated you from a holy God and you feel the need to be forgiven, then say this prayer. This is how I was powerfully converted to the Christ in 1997!
Say, "My Lord and my God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I believe Jesus the Christ died on the cross and shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of all my sins. I believe Jesus raised from the dead and ascended into heaven and is now on the right-hand side of God listening to this prayer. I open up the door of my heart and I invite You in, Lord Jesus. Thank you, God, for saving my soul and I vow to serve you with all my heart which is the first and greatest commandment. Amen."