A Critical Spirit
A Critical Spirit
Who are you to criticize another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able to make him stand. (Rom. 14:4)
Legalism and a Critical Tongue
The Pharisees saw themselves as morality police. They assumed the duty of correcting public and private morals. They judged others by their own rigorous standards—even stricter than the Bible’s. Jesus called them “blind guides” (Matt. 23:16). They were super-attuned to the tiniest faults in others—mere “specks” of sin—but couldn’t see the colossal errors in themselves—huge, vision-blocking “logs” (see Matt. 7:3–6).
The irony is that the Pharisees didn’t see themselves as legalistic, judgmental, or hypocritical. In their own eyes they were sincere followers of a righteous God. But to Jesus they were afflicted with terminal legalism. Legalism is invisible to the legalist, but there is one way to tell if you’ve got it.
Who Are You to Criticize?
A critical tongue is a sure sign of a legalistic heart. Paul asks, “Who are you to criticize?” (Rom. 14:4). Your true master is Jesus. You answer to Him, as do all your neighbors, friends, family, and even your enemies. They do not answer to you; they do not live to please you. So when you indulge the sins of the tongue—when you criticize, judge, backbite, or gossip—you usurp Jesus’ rightful place. You judge one of His servants, and you reinforce your own self-righteous pride. Every Christian ultimately answers to God alone. It’s time for us to bite our tongues and remember that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8).
Bottom Line
We need to remember that God is the righteous judge, and we’re not.