All my life I have been plagued with a tendency to notice and sometimes dwell on the faults of others. It is not a good tendency and one which I pray that God will completely deliver me from. I think He is making progress, for which I am grateful. He has allowed me to live with a very godly woman who always seems to find the best and give the benefit of the doubt. Her example constantly witnesses to a better way of doing things. I need to be like Rose.
I suspect many reading this know what I am referring to. What does the Bible say on the subject? Will it keep us out of heaven? Read on and learn more.—Dan
Romans 15:1-3 (KJV) "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me."
Ephesians 4:29-32 (KJV) "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
Galatians 5:19-23 (NKJV) "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."
"I feel an intense interest regarding every faultfinder; for I know that a quarrelsome disposition will never find entrance into the city of God. Quarrel with yourself, but with no one else; and then be converted. Confess your sins right here where you are, before you return to your homes. With words of confession, humble your hearts before God. Manurscript Releases, vol. 7, p. 271.2
When you are tempted to speak unadvisedly, be on guard. If some one else approaches you with words of criticism regarding one of God’s children, turn a deaf ear to every such word. If you are spoken to harshly, never retaliate. Utter not a word. When under provocation, remember that “silence is eloquence.” Silence is the greatest rebuke that you can possibly give a faultfinder or one whose temper is irritated. Keep your eye fixed on Jesus. Keep your eye on the One who never finds fault with you, only to lay before you perils from which He would deliver you."—Manuscript 95, 1906, 8-12, 14-17. (“Lesson from Romans 15,” October 20, 1906.) Manurscript Releases, vol. 7, p. 271.3}
These are sobering words that are not to be forgotten. Amidst the difficult things to read in these paragraphs, did you notice that we are to keep our eyes on One "who never finds fault with [us], only to lay before [us] the perils from which He would deliver [us].
Hm... wonder how our lives might be if we related to others in the same way.—Dan
"Lessons from the Fifteenth of Romans" Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, p. 360-383
"Love to God and Man," Review and Herald, September 13, 1906 & September 20, 1906