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From Now On: Seeing Through the Cross

How do we stop looking at people—especially those who claim to be believers—and not measure them by their behavior or beliefs?

That question has been stirring in me lately. I see it all the time: the temptation to assess someone’s faith based on how they act, what they say, or where they fall short. And yet, something in me resists that instinct.

Then I came across a verse that stopped me in my tracks:

“So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh.”
(2 Corinthians 5:16)

There it is. That’s the pivot point. That’s the dividing line between the Old and New Covenant. Between the law and grace. Between what we see, and what God sees.

The Kingdom Grows Differently

Jesus always described the Kingdom in quiet, internal ways.
It’s a seed planted in soil. It’s leaven hidden in dough.
It’s not flashy. It doesn’t demand immediate results. It starts in the heart—the soil God sows into—and grows over time, often unseen.

“The Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

Which means we might not see the fullness of someone’s transformation yet. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. The seed is working. The leaven is spreading. We’re just not the ones who get to rush it.

Tradition vs Transformation

Jesus warned that:

“The tradition of men makes the word of God of no effect.” (Mark 7:13)

Sometimes our harshest judgments, our strongest assumptions, and our “Christian expectations” come from tradition, not the Spirit. Like the idea that our job is to confront sin. I’m not saying sin doesn’t matter—but think about Jesus.

Even well-meaning believers can mix tradition and Scripture without realizing it, shaping a lens that sees people through behavior rather than grace.

I’ve looked through the Gospels, and I don’t see Jesus constantly confronting sin in individuals. What I see is Him confronting accusers. I see Him healing, restoring, feeding, forgiving.

And then there’s that moment with the woman caught in adultery. She was caught in the act, humiliated and exposed. The religious leaders wanted confrontation, condemnation, blood.

Jesus, who only does what He sees the Father do, DID NOT condemn her.
He didn’t make her confess.
He didn’t shame her.

He covered her with His words.
He protected her from her accusers.
And when everyone walked away, He said:

“Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

Not go and sin no more, so I won’t condemn you.
No. It was “Neither do I condemn you”—and that grace became the starting point of her freedom.

The Only Confrontation Jesus Made Was the Cross

Jesus did confront sin—but not with pointed fingers. He confronted it with nails in His hands. He confronted it by becoming sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

“Christ Jesus and Him crucified.”
That’s what Paul preached. That’s what he fixed his eyes on.
And it’s the only way to see others rightly.

He didn’t pick up a stone.
He picked up a cross.

A New Way of Seeing

If we try to measure people by their actions, we’ll always fall into judgment, discouragement, or disappointment.
But Paul says:

“From now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.” (2 Corinthians 5:16)

From now on, we stop measuring by:

  • Performance

  • Behavior

  • Appearance

  • Reputation

And we start measuring by the cross.

The cross says: God is working in them, even if we can’t see it.
The cross says: They are not their worst moment.
The cross says: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” (Philippians 1:6)

Let the Seed Grow

So when I’m tempted to judge a fellow believer, I remind myself:

  • The Kingdom starts like a seed.

  • The seed is in the soil of their heart.

  • I may not see fruit yet, but that’s not my role anyway.

My job isn’t to confront, condemn, or compare.
My job is to trust the seed. To trust the Spirit.
To keep my eyes on Christ Jesus and Him crucified—and to see others through the lens of that love.

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