Based on Romans 2:1-16 (New King James Version)
“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”
I heard this once in a movie I saw some years ago and it was well engraved in me (obviously), “Why is the only real source of power—without it you are powerless.” There are many things that people do out of custom. They are people that just react. Others think, but only up to a certain point. And there is a select group of people that do things with premeditated intentions, for better or for worse. However, what God cares about the most is the “why” they do or do not do things. And moreover, God bases everything on the why or the intention.
One of the things that is most commonly applied today to understand the why or the intention of people is psychology. Psychology, as a field of study related to the self-conscience started in 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt founded the first laboratory dedicated exclusively for the study of psychology in Leipzig, Germany. Wundt was the first to refer to himself as a psychologist. This so-called science is relatively new, but many, even professing Christians, so called experts in the Scriptures, and theologians not only study psychology, but they have intimately intertwined it with the things of God. Having studied some psychology myself as a basic studies requirement in college, I was able to understand certain aspects that do not agree with Biblical principles. And this mainly involved free will and the responsibility for our actions.
Yes, it is true that our environment can influence our decisions together with our experiences, but it is not entirely the reason why a person does or does not do something; what defines the “why” or the “intention” of a person. There is a big Biblical problem with something that takes away the responsibility for someone’s actions. In the majority of times, it is very convenient to blame someone or something so that there is no feeling of remorse or guilt, for starters. Many excuses can be made. In the fall of man at the garden of Eden, we can see the first example: Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, and the serpent had no one else left to blame. It is possible for there to be mental problems, but in the majority of cases, the majority of people can exercise their free will to do or not to do something, even those atrocities that are attributed to mental problems. People today should assume the reality of their responsibility, and should not blame Satan so much, others, etc.
Now, what does this have to do with today’s passage? Paul teaches regarding judgment relating to what the Lord said: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5. It’s important to see if there is hypocrisy, and judgment with condemning, but even beyond that, what is the reason they are doing it, or not doing it? For example, there are people that say that they don’t like to judge anyone, not necessarily because they’re good people, or because they have a high level of forgiveness, but rather, they hypocritically don’t do it so their own evil does not come into the light. Most of the time, there is always a very different reason to the act itself. The Lord says this regarding deceit: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10.
One of the things that each person should do is study themselves, study the reason for why they do things (the why). The Lord warns in this manner: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. The Word also says this: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. So, even though someone may do incredible things, they don’t always do them for the right reasons, or, they don’t do the good God desires; when a good intention is joined to a good action. And the only way the two can meet is when God is really loved (first), and when a neighbor is loved (second). Otherwise, a true good intention cannot exist, and the why is just a wrong covered by an apparent good action. Whatever a person does, what matters the most is the intent of the heart, if that intention is focused on God. So then, is the work of your heart good or evil? If it is evil and you wish to change it, you can choose to change it in Christ. Lord bless! John