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darkness, enlightened, experience, eyes of the heart, God's love, Jesus Christ, life, light, living water, love, sin, spiritual power, T.A. Sparks, The Holy Spirit, the woman at the well
This is not the Fountain of Living Water, it is just Lily’s favorite “water bowl” on the balconies 😉
(Photo by Susanne Schuberth)
It is not ours to judge anyone, even though everything might tell against them. We can merely see how people look like, what they do and how they behave. And if they talk a lot, we will come to know a certain part of their hearts too. However, it is God alone who knows the depths of our hearts, the WHY of what we did and, maybe, still do. Therefore, we must be cautious to not quickly say, “Oh, I know, I know, been there, done that, such kind of persons I have come to know so often!”
“Hmm…well,” another one might object, “I know what is right and what is wrong since it is written in the Bible.” Yes, of course, it is, and may I never forget how often I have sinned against God without caring about Him at all. However, I would also argue that everyone who has gained a deeper degree of self-knowledge will hardly judge others for those things he has seen in his own heart before. I would even go so far to say that perfect self-knowledge renders (unjust) judgment impossible. Or in other words (Jesus’),
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Mt 7:1-5 ESV)
Basically, in our dark places we are all the same. If we still see something “in” others, or “coming out of them”, of which we think we need to fight against, defend ourselves and prove that we are so different from them, we still have a log in our own eye that needs to be taken away. Not that we could ever do so on our own. No, it is God’s Holy Spirit that enlightens the dark places in our hearts so that we SEE we are truly all of the same fallen nature that does not want to do what God wants. We will always be unable to fulfill ALL of God’s commandments unless He has enabled us by pouring His Spirit’s love right into our very hearts (Rom 5:5).
T.A. Sparks as he described the scene between Jesus and the woman the well, explained why we cannot take those logs in the eyes of our brothers and sisters, much less of the unbelieving world, away, before we have received an immense amount of His Spirit. Here’s an excerpt of his writing.
You cannot give to others what you haven’t got in yourself. If rivers of Living Water are to flow out to others, then you must have it in yourself first.
This is a woman who had tried everything to find satisfaction and she was a disappointed woman and was disappointed with life.
[…]
Now, it seems to Him to be quite evident that all in that city knew about this woman. They all knew what a disappointed life that was and if a woman like that could find satisfaction, well we will all go and see where she got it. If a person like that can find what she needs, then there must be something in it. You see, she had a testimony because she had the Life within. She had great influence with others, others were able to look at her and say, “Well, you have got something and you have got what we need. Do tell us where we can get it!” That is the simple beginning of the Christian life.
You see, first of all, the woman received the well of Life within and then it began to flow like rivers out of her to others and they came into Life through her. This is first of all our experience, and then it is our service. They are two sides to one thing. You see, the one side of this is: He that believeth. Jesus used those words in both cases.
“He that believes” firstly has the well within and the same person shall have rivers of Living Water flowing from within. These are not two Christians. This is the same person and we have to ask ourselves this morning, “Is this true of me? First of all, can I say that I know what you mean when you talk about the well of water within, that I know what you mean when you speak about Living Water welling from within?”
I know the great change from the dead water of this world to the Living Water inside. Every Christian ought to be able to say, “I know what you mean, and I know that that is my experience.” But every Christian ought also to know the meaning of the second thing; it is not another Christian, it ought to be the same Christian that has rivers of Living Water flowing out of him so that other people are coming to find what they have found through you. These are Living Waters that should be going out from us to others. Wherever we go, we ought to leave Life behind us.
Read more here http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/003763.html
May we never forget that keeping only a part of “the Law”, i.e. not committing those sins we might perceive in others, does not make us righteous in the sight of God – ever.
“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (Js 2:8-13 ESV)
Once again, we see that all we need is LOVE, but only God’s Love, of course! 🙂
Entering the Promised Land 
Very true, Susanne. The older I get, the more I see the depths of depravity in my own heart. When Jesus challenged that murderous crowd that was all ready to stone that poor woman to death that had committed adultery, He said, “Let you who is without sin cast the first stone.” Then it says that beginning with the OLDEST even to the youngest they walked away. You see, it is a natural progression of gaining God’s wisdom and mercy that we see our own sinful selves more clearly in our old age than do the younger zealots who are quick to use the law to condemn others.
The law was given to us as a school master to keep us in check until grace and mercy comes into our lives IN Jesus Christ. It was not given for us use it on others to keep THEM in check! Paul wrote,
“But the scripture has consigned ALL under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Therefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ [immersed INTO Christ] have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:22-28 KJ2000 – emphasis added)
If we are ONE in Christ, we are also free of the law as we abide in His mercy and love by faith. Those who use the law to condemn others are demonstrating that they are not IN Christ.
God bless you my dear sister! Great blog and very timely. ⭐
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May God bless you too, Michael, both for your honest response and for your encouraging words! 🙂
Yes, ONESS given by God makes all the difference as we see after Pentecost. Luke wrote,
“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.” (Acts 4:32)
Every blessing to you,
Susanne 🐱
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It has always been a great challenge for me extending mercy to myself. This stems not from great humility, but rather from abuse. Harsh judgment of self is common among abuse victims. We absorbed the criticism we experienced as children. It makes the mercy Christ extends all the more astounding to us. But to become rivers of living water ourselves, to nourish others as Christ has nourished us, we first have to unlearn the impossible standards to which we were held. Until we can do that, our primary focus is inward on our desperate thirst. As I mature and grow more sensitive to my very real shortcomings, old demons stir. Patterns of thought about being worthless return — a downward spiral of hopelessness. I can only throw myself on Christ’s mercy at such times, relying on His promise to do the work of transforming my character. I suspect this is true for other victims, as well.
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Your comment made me so sad, dear Anna. 😦
I know it is more difficult for abuse victims to extend mercy to themselves and harsh judgment of self is something I do know, too. Also, feeling “worthless” in my own eyes is something I know rather well. Although I should know in my mind it must be nonsense and although I have experienced the love of God for so many years already, it seems those thought patterns are deeply engraved. May the Lord free us from those tormenting mind games Satan plays on us. Amen.
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Amen!
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Thank you for the blog, Susanne. The truth that mercy triumphs over judgment is so freeing.
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You’re very welcome, dear Pat! ❤ I am glad to hear from you again!! 🙂
Yes, I do agree it is so freeing that mercy triumphs over judgment.
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Yep–what you see is what you get–you see satan living in someone you see death–you see Christ you see life–there is no halfway.
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Oh yes, Ken!
May God help us to get there that we always only see HIM everywhere. What a LIFE that would be! 🙄
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Yes, Michael, that is so very true that we are heavily prone to judge in others what we do not want to see in ourselves because we hate it. This reminds of the second commandment that says we are to love others as ourselves and that we cannot state we love God whom we have not seen as long as there is any of our brothers and sisters we do not love (I think that might include our own self too).
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