Brimstone: The Art and Act of Holy Nonjudgment

by Hugh Halter

God’s ten laws were turned into thousands of laws, and His simple judgments got replaced by confusing human judgments that grew harsher and harsher. People were not only bad at keeping commandments; they were even worse at helping others keep them.

People aren’t good; we’re sinful, and sin makes most of our judgments wrong. The world is torn apart through dissention, wars, and even church issues because of wrong judgments.

You don’t need to live under the pressure of having to fix the world’s problems, or even the problems of the neighbor next door.

This is a very unique point about how we are to relate to people who are screwing up their lives or the lives of others. We may have enough knowledge to make a correct judgment over them, but if we take our cues from Jesus, we will realize we don’t need to impose our judgment. Eventually every sin will be uncovered, and in time people will confront their sin all on their own. If we judge them, our condemnation might make them flee back into the dark, but if we stand in God’s light without condemnation, He may use us to encourage others to come out of the dark.

The simplest definition of self-righteousness is thinking that your sins are not as bad as someone else’s.

the gospel of Jesus is about gentle persuasion through respected friendships, not violent confrontation with enemies.

People with Jesus’s whimsical holiness don’t gasp when someone curses. They don’t avoid a group of people, a place, or a party because someone might get out of hand. They inhabit dark places with the intention of protecting and redeeming, befriending and befuddling people with acceptance and love. They win the lost because they’re the only ones who hang out with the lost.

God is always at work in a person’s life.