Christian Profiling

Do you ever hear about those people who do this?

I've been thinking lately about this type of thing. Christian Profilers are the ones who hear about something another Christian does, believes, or even wears, and come to a conclusion about whether or not this brother or sister is truly saved.

I think in some measure, and at some level, we have all done it.

For example, on the one hand you have people who would say "she wears low-cut shirts...she's no Christian." while on the other hand you'd have "she believes in wearing long skirts all the time? What a legalist!" This is one example in multitudes.

Our problem is we look at people and form a judgment of them by what we see and hear.

What this idea of profiling comes down to, though, is really a matter of pride. We judge people because we think we are allowed.* We forget that judgment belongs to God alone, and we are on very slippery ground whenever we put a profile on another believer.

We forget that we are so limited. We can only see what is on the outside, the surface. We cannot look on the heart as God can.

1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”"

We cannot see the true state of anyone. Our hearts are deceitful; just as Samuel made a mistake, persuaded by what he saw, so we can be fooled by our perceptions. We might forsake fellowshipping with a true believer because they dress or act differently than we do, or we think they should; also, we might spend more time with someone who we thought was saved, who in reality is a "wolf in sheep's clothing". We are so limited. We are so blind.

But God is not blind. He sees what we cannot see. So we should leave judgment up to Him. We should stop profiling others, and welcome fellow believers regardless of whether or not they look or dress like we think they should.

God sometimes rejects what we think He should choose. But He knows better. It is not outward appearance that matters, but the inward state.

1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong..."

* Note: I made a distinction in the past between the type of judgment I'm talking about here, versus the judgment/accountability between believers. Found here.