Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. 1 Corinthians 4:5
Some of us are “blessed” with the so called gift of “discernment.” This is the ability to examine the actions of others (see preceding verses 3 and 4) and render a judgement on those actions. We’re the ones who suspect the motives of everyone and tell us why someone did what they did, or, foretell what someone’s up to. Where would we be without these folks? In their absence, all would be hidden in the darkness and we wouldn’t be enlightened. But here’s the flaw, no one but God can see into the deep recesses of a man’s heart and soul, and it is better that way. That’s why the counsel is “to not go on passing judgment.” After all, only the Lord is capable of seeing in there, and now’s not the time to disclose the good and the bad. (i.e., judgment seat of Christ, 1 Corinthians 3:13)
While we should refrain from conducting these examinations, we should lay bare our souls for cross examination as did Paul. He was unafraid to be scrutinized, because he was confident nothing bad would be found, or that only good would be exposed. He was an open book.
There’s an often used phrase in our conversations, “I’ll be honest with you.” This seems to beg the question if heretofore you weren’t. If we can pull this off with the Lord’s power, we should be proudly confident in saying, “in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.” 2 Corinthians 1:12
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