Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

I had never thought about the fact that projection was so clearly described in the Bible. In recent years the habit of politicians accusing each other of doing the very things they themselves are doing has been very prominent, but the practice is as old as mankind. A person who lies a lot is going to be very distrustful of others, for example. It’s not that we aren’t to be discerning. That can leave us open to all sorts of tricks and traps. However, any time we find ourselves parti­cularly irritated by someone’s behavior, we need to examine ourselves honestly to see if our reaction isn’t because of projection. Another thing to remember is that when the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, He does so very specifically, whereas the devil’s accusations tend to be blanket. After all, the name, Satan, means, “the accuser.” That applies to us and to others. The Holy Spirit will say, “That behavior doesn’t please God,” whereas the devil will say, “You are no good,” or, “He is no good.” Every human being is created in the image of God, (Genesis 1:27) however many mistakes or sins they may have committed, and God “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) God is absolutely holy and righteous and so cannot excuse sin, but His love for us is so great that He sent His Son to take the penalty for our sins. (John 3:16) We’ve got to keep remembering that for ourselves and in relation to others, and walk in repentance and gratitude.

I had such an issue with spiritual pride that I’m quick to recognize it in others, but I cannot do so in condemnation, because I remember what an extreme example of it I was. It was very interesting, almost surprising, to hear one of the speakers in Sunday’s 40^th Anniversary Celebration list humility as one of my good points! I guess God has really been working on me all these years. I can only thank Him, because I could never have made such a change in my own strength. I need to accept people as they are, while encouraging them to become as God wants them to be, because that’s exactly what God has done for me, and I’m to be a channel of His grace.

Father, thank You indeed for Your grace. I’m very hard to shock, because I know what I’m capable of! Help me be an effective tool in Your hands to open people’s eyes to You, so that they may repent and believe for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!