“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (Matt. 7:3)
Many, if not most Christians are well versed in the first part of this verse, not so much in Matthew 7:5, once that beam, that big log is out of your eye, then you can help your brother in Christ with the speck in his. It has to do with helping people when taken in context, but far too many have determined, wrongly, that Jesus was only inferring one point, do not judge anyone.
That is the way of many Evangelical churches today, never judging, never reproving or correcting in love can only lead to one inevitable end, a lack of love for that person. These churches have become a “mind your own business” place, and when this sickness takes over the church, no one can bear the burdens of another in this regard. How could you? For that burden may be a sin that keeps returning, one that person has dealt with perhaps for a very long time, and if they mention it to you in the hopes that you will be able to assist them, to stand with them, to carry that burden with them, then even in the smallest sense you must correct them, and therefore, at least in the minds of those we are speaking about here, you have judged them.
If you are suffering from being extremely overweight, you do not go to a support group where everyone is overweight. You start an exercise program, you begin to seriously start paying attention to what you put in your body, you set a course, and you steer towards the goal. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
The Word of God is what changes a man, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) The one who stands behind the pulpit is there to assist you in the proper Spiritual discernment and application of the Word of God in your life, as well as those in the congregation who are mature in their faith. They have lost the weight, they no longer have that particular beam in their eye. That is how the Lord works, He places a group of people together, the assembly of believers in the local church, who can rely on each other, who can help each other, because one of them has a speck in their eye, as another once did, but it has been removed by the mercy of the Lord, and so they can now see clearly to help their brother or sister, they are no longer hypocrites.
I fear this knowledge may be too late in coming for most churches though, that “never offend because it would seem judgmental” mentality has become far too ingrained in them, and so they can no longer grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, for they will not fulfill Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” because they fear that sword may turn upon them and cut them also.
Reproving and correcting is always done in love, with the sole intent that that brother or sister can be freed from the bondage of that speck that is keeping them from seeing clearly. And I would ask that you realize something else here, something that I fear most miss completely, that speck grew into a beam, it stayed there and festered, because no one stepped up and said, “My brother, I once had that same speck in my eyes, please, let me help you.”
Until these people understand the truth of this verse, many, if not most churches are going to continue to have people in them that are afraid of judging with righteous judgment, and unless that happens, the great falling away is going to grow exponentially faster as the days go by.