Psalm 109:31: Judging Souls

Psalm 109 is David’s anguished cry to the Lord as others hurl false accusations against him and treat him with contempt.  I have read this psalm many times, regarding it as a warning not to engage in the gossip mill, to be certain of the facts rather than making assumptions, and to run to our Father’s throne instead of seeking our own vengeance and vindication when we’re on the receiving end of unfair blows. But today, when I read the very last verse, God showed me yet another facet. A picture emerged from the perspective of God’s children being wrongly judged by their own brothers and sisters in Christ.

This judging of others’ souls has regrettably become rather pervasive, insidious, and caustic within Christian circles. It has somehow become acceptable, commonplace, comfortable for us to appraise other people’s salvation rather than pay attention to working out our own (Philippians 2:12). We hold up arbitrary bars of holiness that others must clear…checklists they must complete…litmus tests they must pass before they can prove to us that they are truly among the redeemed. Oh, what shaky ground that is, my friends.  Do we realize that when we try to judge eternal destinies, we are taking authority on ourselves that the Lord has not granted to us? (James 4:12; Romans 14:4; John 5:22-23,26-27,30; Acts 17:31; Matthew 13:24-30,36-43). We can be so quick to judge, but we are not omniscient (1 Samuel 16:7).  We only see externals. We do not have all the facts. Our verdicts can be dead wrong, and if we are wrong, we end up numbered among those bearing false witness against our neighbor. I encourage you to read Psalm 109 in that light.

Every single one of us struggles with sin (1 John 1:8; Galatians 5:13-26), but God’s Word moved me today to especially consider those whose sin struggles are worn on their sleeve for all to see and tsk-tsk at. (Oh, to be among those fortunate enough to have sin entanglements that aren’t as readily accessible to public scrutiny, hey?)  Instead of receiving mercy and grace and help from the family of God in the midst of their battle, these often receive haughty condemnation. They suffer under the false accusation that because they do thus-and-such, it *proves* that they really aren’t saved at all.

My mind shifted to Pastor Mark’s testimony.  He trusted Jesus as his Savior at a young age, but he came to struggle mightily in a sinful pattern of addictions. Anyone looking at him during those years of flagrantly running in the wrong direction could have judged him (and very likely did) as being unsaved, even though he professed to trust Jesus for his salvation. Now on the other side of those struggles, he can testify to the fact that God’s children do wrestle with life in this fallen world, and a sinful lifestyle is not necessarily an indication that a person is unsaved, but an indication that they are struggling and need help. We have to remember that the assurance of our salvation is rooted solely in God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promise, not in our own performance as Christians (John 6:47; 10:28-30; John 3:16-17; Hebrews 10:23; 2 Timothy 2:13).

Yes, it is certainly possible that those who claim to be Christians, yet live their lives in a worldly way, are unbelievers.  It is also possible that those who appear to walk the walk and talk the talk actually have no saving faith in Jesus at all; they look good on the outside, but inside they could be full of “dead men’s bones” (Matthew 23:27; 2 Corinthians 11:14-15; Matthew 7:22-23).  Furthermore, it is possible (and perhaps it is quite often the case) that those who profess to trust Jesus as their Savior, yet don’t satisfy our expected level of holiness or meet our preconceived benchmarks, are genuine born-again believers who are struggling in the flesh  — they are sealed in Christ forever by the Holy Spirit despite their prodigal wanderings (1 Corinthians 3:1-3,16; Hebrews 5:12-14; Luke 15:11-32).

We need to leave the judging in God’s wheelhouse lest we end up “clothed with dishonor” and “covered with our own shame as a robe” (Psalm 109:28-29).  It’s devastating to be misunderstood, alienated, and attacked. God “stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul” (Psalm 109:31). Job’s friends certainly found that out. Let’s instead be a Church family who circles around the struggling and strengthens them, rather than beating one another while we’re down.  There are enough church fellowships with marble-statue-Christians in the pews who are afraid of sharing their own struggles lest they be judged and condemned (c.f. Luke 18:9-14).  Let’s be a haven for the hurting. An oasis of grace and encouragement (Hebrews 3:13; Philippians 2:1-12; Ephesians 4).  We need one another too much to be trying to hide behind fig leaves.  Let’s keep opening God’s Word to plumb the truth about our salvation and more fully understand our position and possessions in Christ. The truth sets us free.  Let’s walk alongside one another and “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).  Let’s not hesitate to put on hearts of compassion and get our hands dirty in the trenches.  Let’s be real with one another, love one another through our struggles, and sit at Jesus’ feet together to soak up His counsel and receive His grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).  Grace does not give anyone license to sin. Rather, grace gives us the freedom to really live (1 Timothy 6:19). Let’s extend grace to others just as our Father lavishes it on us. As the enemy attempts to divide and conquer, let’s close ranks and keep the poison of legalism and judgmentalism outside our doors.