Judging

Introduction

The Sermon on the Mount has presented us with surpassing righteousness. If we are not careful, judgementalness will follow

Matthew 7:1–6 (NIV)

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

The Tension

Jesus calls us to not be judgmental

This is certainly a tendency that we all have

BUT We are also called to exercise discernment

Judgement is required to apply verse 6

Judgement is required to deal with sin

Matthew 18:15 “15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”

Judgement is required protect the church

1 Corinthians 5:5 “5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.”

Judgement is required to defend the gospel

Galatians 1:8 “8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!”

Judgement is required to evaluate teaching

1 John 4:1 “1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Jesus commands us to exercise judgement

John 7:24 “24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

To sum up, the command to judge not is not a requirement to be blind, but rather a plea to be generous. (Stott)

Have a Gracious View of Others

Matthew 7:1–2 NIV

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

When we are quick to judge we should expect God to be quick to judge us

Parable of the unmerciful servant (Mt 18)

How do we want God to judge us then?

Gracious rather than demanding

Constructive rather than destructive

One difference between godly discernment and an ungodly judgmental attitude is the objective of the attitude – build up or tear down?

God does practice punitive justice and we should sometimes as well, but, in general, our relationships should be characterized by the pursuit of reconciliation

Have an Accurate View of Yourself

Matthew 7:3–5 NIV

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

A Correction of your Perspective – See your sin’s significance

Size of the Grand Canyon

A proper view of my own flaws will fuel a gracious approach to other’s flaws

A Correction of your Priorities – Deal with your sin first to gain clarity

Hypocrisy reveals our heart

Hypocrisy clouds our vision

Hypocrisy undermines our effectiveness

Have a Realistic View of Others

Matthew 7:6 NIV

6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

The rest of the Bible talks much about corrective judgement, but the Sermon on the Mount skips to addressing cases where the one facing judgment is severely hostile.

There comes a point in time where it is righteous to move on from conflict due to someone’s hardness of heart

Proverbs 9:8 “8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.”

Matthew 10:14–15 “14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”

1 Corinthians 5:9–11 “9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.”

How do we know?

Start from a point of humility

We are aware that apart from Christ we are a pig/dog

The one we are dealing with rejects correction

Particularly in these verses there is a gospel rejection at play

Our motive is constructive

The wrong we are addressing is deliberate

Why does it matter?

The sacredness of the gospel message

The emphasis is not on “cutting toxic people from my life” but on not profaning our priceless message

"As the ministers of the Gospel, and those who are called to the office of teaching, cannot distinguish between the children of God and swine, it is their duty to present the doctrine of salvation indiscriminately to all. […] The remedy of salvation must be refused to none, till they have rejected it so basely when offered to them, as to make it evident that they are reprobate and self-condemned. (Calvin)

Review

Have a Gracious View of Others

Have an Accurate View of Yourself

Have a Realistic View of Others