:2 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives (literally “heart”)”.

People are very good at justifying whatever they do.  Take some of the worst things that are done in the world: if you talk to the person who committed them, they will have “their side of the story” as to why it wasn’t really that bad, or how it was justified, etc.  Now, sometimes there is truth in “the other side” of a story,  – as Proverbs 18:17 says, “the first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him.”  We must always be ready to hear both sides before we make a judgment.  But no matter how “right” someone makes their case seem, their act is not necessarily vindicated by how THEY can justify it, but by what GOD says about it: “The Lord weighs the spirits.” 

We are not merely accountable to ourselves, for we can justify anything!  Homosexuals justify their lifestyle, and even appeal to scripture to do it!  Murderers will tell you why they “had” to do what they did.  Adulterers will justify their actions based on the faults of their spouse.  One who gets angry or curses will tell you why they just “had it up to here” and were justified in their response.  We are good at justifying everything we do.  My wife says “We have the gift of justification.”  But just because we can justify it to ourselves, does not mean that it is right.  As human beings, we are not accountable merely to ourselves. We are accountable to GOD!  HE will ultimately judge us.  But in the meantime, if you want to see what He thinks about what you are doing, you don’t have to look far to find it — it is revealed in the pages of the word of God.