Be Charitable; Do Not Judge Harshly

I feel that older people need here a special warning. Many who read this message are older people. Your eyes are opened more than the eyes of many young people on the dangers of sex sins. Sometimes Christians who were licentious and vile in their early lives before they were saved, now think they see every kind of wickedness in young people who simply follow the easy but dangerous and wrong customs of the world, having never been taught what petting may lead to. Certainly petting and love-making are far more wicked when deliberately planned to lead to adultery than when ignorant young people, unwarned, do not mean more than good fellowship and friendly affection. Promiscuous petting among young people is still deadly dangerous and wrong, however innocent the intentions. But we do wrong to be bitter and accuse of wicked intentions those who, it may be, have never entertained the idea of adultery and would be surprised to know their danger.

Younger people, and those older people whose minds are defiled with a wicked past and wicked thoughts, must likewise be careful not to judge others. God sees the heart. Good doctors, often Christian men, may, having become accustomed to the care of women patients, operations and childbirth, find themselves discip­lined till they are not specially tempted by necessary contact with the opposite sex in professional duties. That would demand high ideals, a good conscience and a clean mind. Should we think evil of relatives embracing at parting? One of the most modest women I know, a remarkable, Spirit-filled soul winner, one night after long pleading and teaching won a man to Christ as his wife joined in the intreaty, and then hugged the man in joy when he was saved. It was unusual. In a younger woman, dealing with a stranger, the embrace would have been out of place. It might have been hurtful and would have, at least, been subject to un­favorable comment. But in that godly woman, so wholly given to soul winning, none present thought it anything but the natural reaction of joy over a sinner won after much pleading. I wanted to embrace him too. Age has a tendency to cool the passions of youth if people live cleanly. And when minds are pure and kept in holy restraint, people are kept more easily from sin.

1 have said the above lest polluted minds set out to make evil of every act by innocent people. If we ourselves are clean in heart we can help others to see the danger in promiscuous petting and necking, but we would sin greatly if we set out to judge the hearts of others, accusing them of intentions they may not have and of sins they may not have committed.

Oh, young people, let us so live that the blessed Spirit of God within us will not be grieved, so we will not be led into grievous sin nor tempt others to sin, and also so we may not cause others to be offended or to stumble and Christ's cause be hurt.

As a minister of Jesus Christ I send this message out with prayer that it may bless many.