Self-Righteous Hypocrites

There is a line from a song by Reba McEntire that goes something like this, "in this world there's a lot of self-righteous hypocrites that call me bad". I've been accused of being such on many occasions recently. It seems as though those pointing the finger at me are, in reality, the self-righteous hypocrites.

"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

"Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye." -- Luke 6:41-42

As members of the Lord's true church we will inevitably face persecution and unrighteous judgment just for being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Elder Holland made this clear a couple of years ago:

"With admiration and encouragement for everyone who will need to remain steadfast in these latter days, I say to all and especially the youth of the Church that if you haven’t already, you will one day find yourself called upon to defend your faith or perhaps even endure some personal abuse simply because you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." -- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, The Cost And Blessings of Discipleship, April 2014

People don't like being called to repentance -- history has proven that many times.  As Elder Holland points out, people seem to confuse or misunderstand the difference between forgiving sin and condoning it.

"Jesus clearly understood what many in our modern culture seem to forget: that there is a crucial difference between the commandment to forgive sin (which He had an infinite capacity to do) and the warning against condoning it (which He never ever did even once)." -- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, The Cost And Blessings of Discipleship, April 2014

In the world we live in if you do not condone (accept, tolerate and even welcome) sin, you are not Christlike and are being judgmental and not forgiving. And therefore are a judgmental self-righteous hypocrite.  That's what the world teaches. 

Well, guess what!  They are wrong.  Sin should not be tolerated, accepted, or condoned. Christ himself did not tolerate, accept, or condone sin.  In fact He called sinners to repentance. So being Christlike does not equate to condoning sin.  Christ taught us to judge righteously. 

"And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit."  --Doctrine and Covenants 11:12

"Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward..." -- Alma 41:14

All judgments aren't bad.  We can and should judge righteously.

We can love our fellow man and forgive him when he wrongs us --without accepting and tolerating his bad choices and sins. 

Not condoning sins and even calling people to repentance is not being judgmental, hypocritical or self-righteous.  It is being Christlike.

That's my two cents.