Written by Catherine Marshall (1914-1983), an American author.
Over coffee in our living room, David du Plessis, a minister formerly of South Africa said, “For a long time I was puzzled about what “loosing” and “binding” meant. Then I found out: it means that by hanging onto my judgment of another, I can bind them to the very conditions I’d like to see changed. By our unforgiveness, we stand between the other person and the Holy Spirit’s work in convicting them and then helping them. By stepping out of the way through releasing somebody from our judgment, we’re not necessarily saying “they are right and I am wrong.” Forgiveness means, “They can be as wrong as wrong can be, but I’ll not be the judge.” Forgiveness means that I’m no longer binding a certain person on earth. It means withholding judgment. “How I wish, “ David continued, “that I’d been taught that from the beginning. My whole Christian life would have been different. Judge, judge – there are not more judgmental people in the world than Christians. When the Lord made me face up to that, He told me “you’re not forgiving. You’re a public prosecutor, judging everybody in sight. And I want you to be a public defender – not a public prosecutor.”
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [ Matthew 7:2]
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