Jesus Over Everything: Uncomplicating the Daily Struggle to Put Jesus First

by Lisa Whittle

2. We justify judgment with our Bible. This is the worst misuse of the Word, but I dare say we’ve all done it a time or two. The most dangerous person in the world is the one who is schooled in Scripture and slices people with it. The Bible sharply convicts as a sword, but it is never to be used as a weapon. In human hands with a human motive, it can be deadly and detrimental to the actual gospel. Even the most astute theologians do not agree on all things, and even as we use the Bible as our personal compass, we stay in accountability with Jesus as we run our individual races. Jesus is clear on judging in Matthew 7:1–5, yet even in that clear stance, only God knows the hearts and minds of people and where we personally fall. It’s true that Jesus did say we can draw conclusions from the fruit we see (vv. 15–20), but putting ourselves in the judge’s seat reserved for God is not a wise plan. He is fully capable of the job many of us try to do on a daily basis.