In Episode 6 of Peace Notes, we sat down with Errol Martin to unpack a critical conversation around people, judgment, and the challenges we face within the church. Centered around the story of the woman caught in adultery and Jonathan McReynolds’ song “People,” this episode tackled the real struggle of dealing with others while trying to live a Christ-centered life.
Errol shared how the woman caught in adultery was used as a pawn by the religious leaders—not because they cared about righteousness, but to trap Jesus. In the same way, Jonathan McReynolds’ song highlights how difficult it can be to deal with people who are quick to judge, even though they themselves are flawed. Both the story and the song drive home the idea that many people who criticize and condemn others often fail to see their own brokenness.
A significant part of the discussion focused on the reality inside the church, especially within the Adventist community. Errol touched on how the enemy uses people’s attitudes—coldness, gossip, judgmental spirits—to cast doubt on the true mission of God’s church. However, he made it clear: the issue isn’t with the church itself but with individuals inside the church. True maturity, he said, is learning to separate individuals’ actions from the mission and body of Christ. Instead of letting negative experiences define the church as a whole, we should see them as personal flaws that don’t diminish God’s truth.
The conversation also expanded into a broader point about humanity: how we often generalize groups of people based on the actions of a few. Whether in race, culture, or religion, it’s easy to lump people together and miss the individual hearts within them. Errol reminded us that Scripture teaches about the wheat and the tares growing together. Some people may appear to be churchgoers on the outside but still have hearts that aren’t fully surrendered. Yet, God advises us to leave the judgment to Him, trusting that in the time of harvest, He will reveal who truly belongs to Him.
As the conversation wrapped up, Errol pointed us back to Matthew 7:1-2 —”Judge not, lest you be judged.” Instead of focusing on other people’s shortcomings, we are called to focus on our own relationship with God. If we are truly working to align our lives with Christ, we’ll have no time or need to criticize others. Spiritual growth demands self-examination, not public judgment.
This episode of Peace Notes reminds us that while people can be complicated, frustrating, and even hurtful, our calling is to love them, reflect Christ, and keep our focus on our own walk with God.