By: Scott Adkins, Sling ‘n Stone Ministry
Carter County Times
How many times have any of y’all witnessed to a sinner, only for that person to protest: “Don’t judge me,” or “Judge not that ye be not judged,” (Matthew 7:1) – the latter being the only scripture sinners seem to know? Ever find yourself struggling to answer their protest?
To answer their protest, we must understand their protest. “Don’t judge me,” presents nothing more than gaslighting. What’s gaslighting? Gaslighting happens when the guilty answers an accusation by accusing the truth-teller.
Gaslighting gives sinners an earthly escape hatch to avoid facing their sin. Jesus explained: “Every one that practices evil hates the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). Gaslighting presents no new ploy. Sinners even gaslit Jesus.
To that evil end, the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by, “the prince of the devils” (Matthew 12:24). How did Jesus deal with the Pharisees’ gaslighting Him? The same way Jesus dealt with all lies: He spoke truth (Matthew 4:3-10; 12:25-37). Hence, Jesus gave us the example to follow (I Peter 2:21) – to “walk as He walked” (I John 2:6).
To that holy end, we must speak truth to gaslighting sinners. Here’s how. Start by gently reminding the gaslighter that we’re only reminding them what God says. They will invariably respond, “I’ve read the Bible,” or something akin to that. And now, God has them right where He wants them. Why? James 1:22 makes plain God does not want Bible readers; God wants Bible doers. Tell them that because that’s truth. Another truth – by reading, but not doing, the Bible, they lie to themselves. Worse still by not doing the Bible, they deny its truth. In denying the truth, they judge themselves unworthy of eternal life (Acts 13:26). Tell them that. So, in the end, you’re not judging them. They’re judging themselves, and that’s the truth. The truth is they’d be better off to never have read the Bible at all than to have read it and not done it. Tell them that.
Expect them to either walk away or explode in rage. That’s okay, y’all. Jesus spoke truth, and sinners tried to stone Him (John 10:31). Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:24-25 that we, His servants, are not above Him, and that if sinners gaslit and cursed Him, they’ll gaslight and curse us also. When they do, rejoice! You’re then in the best of company; the sinless Son of God (Matthew 5:11-12).
But attitude is key here. We must “in meekness instruct those that oppose themselves” (II Timothy 2:24). That said, don’t fear sinners, their gaslighting, or their rage (Matthew 10:28). As did the Apostles, pray the Lord grant you all boldness to speak His Word (Acts 4:29), and He will do exactly that, just as He immediately did for them (Acts 4:31). Why? Because The Lord is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), and because giving us the kingdom remains our, “Father’s good pleasure” (Luke 12:32).
