THE SPLINTER AND THE LOG

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used an exaggerated hyperbole to shed light on people's duplicity ... blind to their own faults while keenly focusing on the weaknesses in others.

How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? You hypocrite! First, remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye (Matthew 7:4-5)

Decrying another's sinful behavior while ignoring, minimizing, or excusing our own is pharisaical by nature. This lesson played out in dramatic fashion when vain 'religion' encountered divine 'mercy' ...  

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap in order to have a basis for accusing Him. (John 8:3-6)

Christ would not fall prey to their fiendish scheme ... 

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again, He stooped down and wrote on the ground. (John 8:7-8)

'Self-righteousness' failed ... 

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:9-11)

Those in liberal belief systems go to the opposite extreme when it comes to warning the lost of sin's consequences. They use the following passage to justify 'winking at' immorality ... 

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2)

Not only do they not share the Gospel message with 'unbelievers', they refuse to come to the aid of 'believers' who stumble ... 

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)

All ungodliness is cause for concern, whether it be in ourselves or in others. If we hope to help someone, we must honestly face up to our own sins and confess them. 

We are to first take the plank out of our own eye.