"I rebuke you!" and other fantasy tales

Some people like to pretend that God wants them to judge other people because they have quote: "discernment" and that it is their unfortunate responsibility to tell Christians and non-Christians alike when they are sinning.  It doesn't take you long when you are welcomed into the Christian tent to be the victim of a rebuking.  Something like this:

You are really excited about the new movie ______ .  You and a bunch of your friends have been eagerly anticipating it, and then, the night before the opening, one of your "Christian" pals says, "You know, there is a lot of (insert sin here) in that movie.  You really shouldn't watch it.  I'm only telling you because I don't want you to sin by supporting that Hollywood trash."  These are the same people that believe that Jesus would have been a Republican if he were alive today.

So you feel like crap and either you don't go to the movie or you feel like crap and DO go to the movie, all the time wondering if God will forgive you because you kinda enjoy the awesome storyline and character development and special effects.

I'll be honest.  I used to judge people pretty harshly.  Even though I myself was living a double life, I told the "harsh truths" to my friends that listened to secular music like AC/DC and watched "R" rated movies with naked people and ... *gasp!* drank alcohol.

I kinda think Jesus might have dug some AC/DC.

Anyway.

The point is simple: if you are taking it upon yourself to "rebuke" your brother or sister in Christ because you feel that they are sinning against God, what you are really doing is masturbating over the idea of playing God.  "Oh, man, if I were him, I'd be smiting those sinners! ... OOHH  BBBABY!"

It's alluring.  I'll give you that.  And it looks like what Paul was talking about in his 2nd letter to Timothy (3:16) when you take a verse of scripture to "back up" what you are judging your neighbor about.  But that's actually not the right model we're supposed to look at.  The right model is Christ, when people told him to stop sinning by "working" on the Sabbath (a BIG sin in that time) and he told them to shut up cuz they were being stupid.