Rejoice in Your Own Salvation

It might be normal to look at others and judge them as worthy or not of salvation. It isn’t good, but it might be normal. We spend too much of our time focusing on the lives of others we forget to look in the mirror. If we did, we might not be so quick to judge others.

In his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul is saying something (and as always he says it much better) that I say all the time. We have no clue what is going on in the lives of others. How can we possibly sit in judgment against them? Here’s what Saint Paul has to say.

Brethren, to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written. “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So each of us shall give account of himself to God. Then let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean. If your brother is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit; he who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Romans 14.9-18

The point for us is not that we shouldn’t look at behavior and recognize sin. If we do not recognize sin, we risk committing the same sin. The point of judgment is to remember we are as ignorant of their struggles as they are of our struggle. We have more to worry about than they.

Our Lord had something similar to say when His Disciples were ‘so proud’ that demons were subject to them. Instead of rejoicing in the power God had granted them over the demons, they should rejoice that God had ‘let them’ into heaven themselves. Here is the passage.

At that time, a crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people came to Jesus from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all. And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal, and He said to them: “He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you: but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

Luke 6:17-19,9:1-2,10:16-21

It is only when we can see the grace and mercy that God has for us, that we can have mercy and show grace toward others. If God ‘can let us in’, He would ‘let anyone’ in should be our motto.

It isn’t that we shouldn’t help others find Christ. In fact, we are called by God directly to do so. We help them by showing them the grace God has for us as an example of His love. We should never assume our sin is ‘less than their sin’ since we don’t know their hearts or their struggle.

Here’s a simple test. When you look at someone’s life ask yourself, “How much does that person really know about my inner struggle and temptation?” The same is normally true in reverse. We know only what others choose to reveal to us.

Their secrets are their secrets. Our secrets are between us and God. That is how we know ‘just how much’ love and grace God has. If He can love us, He can love them too. Once we can focus on how thankful we are to God for our salvation, then we can share that joy with others.

Joy doesn’t come from books or blogs. Joy comes from knowing God. Knowing God comes from experiencing His love. Experiencing His love comes from allowing ourselves to look in the mirror and invite Him into our lives. In the Church we call this communion with God.

Now that you have been reminded of the grace God has shown you, remember that sense of joy the next time you look at the lives of others. Your joy in God might be the only reason they ever consider looking in the mirror themselves and invite God in.