You could find people who are already pure, but more likely you will come across people who are gems in the rough and are just having some corners knocked off and polished in the process. It's Boot camp, a toughening and purifying process in preparation for Zion. This is because, Zion will not particularly be a cake walk. It might be hard, with continuing challenges. Building the temple of God in our personal lives, can be similar to building the pyramids of Egypt -- a lot of hard work with blood, sweat, and tears along the way, and prayers for deliverance.
So, how can you judge a person's character? A character is understood by time in getting to know a person, as well as what the Holy Spirit confirms to you. The Lord said, to be wise as a serpent, but harmless as a dove, Matthew 10:16. Verse 19 also says to speak by the Holy Spirit, and so I will add, discern by the Spirit also.
Most people tend to judge on outward appearances and outward words. 1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
This is a cautionary and teaching statement from the Lord to the prophet Samuel. Yes, a prophet still needed to be reminded to see how the Lord sees in relation to the heart and the inner man. This applies to all human beings because we live in a fallen world and are subject to error until the last day of our mortal lives.
People have a strong tendency to judge based upon looks and clothing, talents, titles, reputation, possessions, jobs, achievements, affiliations, place of residence, education, and the list goes on. Although these things can tell you something about a person, they are not the final determination in how good a person is, how Zion-worthy he or she is. A person may have a lot of "outward" polish in their lives, and serve others, but that service might be motivated by a deep character flaw in their heart or mind-- a desire to be lifted up in the eyes of others, salvation "points" with God (rather than a sincere and loving concern for others) and to have wealth, or to hide something much more wrong. Jesus Christ indicated in Matthew 10, that even some of the religious people, the congregations themselves, would persecute and kill the believers. Look at history and you will know that not all religious people have passed the heavenly test.
The scriptures say that Jesus was a sinless lamb. Without guile. How many people over the centuries have praised his name and yet if they had lived back in the early years of the first Century A.D. would've rejected him had they known him at the time? Luke 9:58 (or Matthew 8:20) Jesus said that animals had a place to go, but he had no place to lay his head. Yes, Jesus was homeless at the time. Luke 7:34 said, The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber [drunkard], a friend of publicans [tax collectors] and sinners!
So yes, probably there were lots of days when Jesus had any of the following: Dirty feet, dirty clothes, unkempt hair, some body odor from travelling in the sun and sweating, and he just wasn't stylish, or seemed tired. He was the King of the Jews by birth, a royal heir, but didn't have the life of a prince. He also suffered from the gossip of others and the intrigues of evil men who finally killed him.
Isaiah 53: 2-3 says, For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
John 4:44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.
Another blog post could be just about how the poor are treated. In this instance, I want to highlight that Jesus suffered a reputation problem -- some dearly loved him and others despised him because he had a controversial message for his day, he spoke wherever he felt called, whether it was the temple or the local pub, and although he was a Rabbi, Jesus didn't look stylish and for the most part didn't have friends in high places.
When you have time, compare Luke 14, Matthew 22, and Matthew 25. It references a great Supper, and a wedding. Who will come?
Those who are willing and those who are prepared.
Learn how to judge righteous judgment when it comes to people, their character and their motives.
Appearances can say a lot -- appearances can be a true indicator, but they can mislead too. Some down and out people have hearts of gold, others are drug [substance] abusers or abusers of whatever their vice or crutch is. Some polished and well-off people are wonderful, and others are not wonderful. You have to learn how to judge people. It takes wisdom (learned by experience) and an ear keen to the Holy Spirit.
