Do Not Judge... The Wrong Way

Matthew 7:1-6

There are some famous verses, from the Bible, that are floating around out there around us. There are verses that are used by Christians and non-Christian. There are Scriptures used by people in this world in the way that Satan uses them...

There are those who twist them, take them out of context and make them mean something they were never intended to mean.

Satan used Scripture to try to tempt Jesus to sin. We may use verses to do the same, or to justify our sin.

But there is a verse floating around out there, around us today, that is used to shut us up… and it is more popular than John 3:16.

What is that: Matthew 7:1 - Do not Judge… Do not judge me… Judge not!. Only God can judge me… so judge not!

What is this text teaching us? How do we think about this and live this out in the way Jesus desires for us to?

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This First Thing I want us to do is to identify what this does not mean:

Jesus is not telling us to not evaluate people. Jesus is not saying, “Do not use wisdom, and let everyone cheat you and walk all over you; don’t learn from dealings, or from business failures.”

I am going to need a doctor, a lawyer, a pastor, a spouse, a business partner, a friend, and so on… And we are going to watch them… We are going to ask questions, get some back ground information… Do some research… Ask around...

And then… make a … Judgement Call.

This is good. This is right. We should do this. We need to be wise. Be good stewards. Make wise and good judgement calls.

Also… If you keep reading this chapter… This same chapter…

You are called to help brothers with their specks/sins… Jesus is going to command you to not give what is holy to dogs… Do not throw your pearls before swine (the pigs).

What does this mean?

You are going to have to make a judgement call. You are not to keep giving the message of the Gospel, and the truths of God to people who mock it, ridicule it, and constantly reject it...

They are unclean/unbelievers… They are not ready. So we move on. We make judgement calls.

Move on down to verses 15-23 - “You will know the tree by it’s fruit.” We are looking at false prophets, false teachers/preachers, and or false Christians.

Believers act this way. Unbelievers act that way. Good trees bear good fruit. Bad trees bear bad fruit.

You will know a false prophet/preacher/teacher/false Christian… By what they do.

So… what do we do?

We watch their lives, as fruit inspectors… and make righteous judgment calls… As Jesus commands us to do.

Jesus commands us to examine ourselves and others. The Lord commands us to confront one another in their sins. The Lord calls us to call people to repent of their sins and to trust in Christ...

The Lord commands us to disciple and to baptize the nations. And what does that involve? Teaching people that they are sinners; we tell them what sin is… and that they sin...

And along the way… You are going to hear this verse being thrown at you: “Judge Not! Do not judge me! Only God can judge me! Stop judging me!”

This will knock us back on our heals, if we do not know how to understand this text. What will our response be?

Our response: God has judged, and God will judge. This is what God has said, and this is what God will do. This is not my judgement upon you. This is what the Word of God says… And I beg you to repent… Before the day when you are judged by Almighty God, because then, it will be too late...

This is not my judgement… or our judgement...

And if they keep on, tell them this: “Twist not Scripture, lest you be like the devil!”

“Ok, you told us what it doesn’t mean… So, what does it mean?”

The key verse to help us interpret this section is found in Verse 12: In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

What is this called? The Golden Rule. This governs our relationships with other people.

How are we to treat people? Well, how do you want to be treated…? “Please don’t be harsh with me!”

Number One, Do Not Be Harsh with People

Listen: You are either a sinner with the Savior, or you are a sinner who has not received the Savior. We are all sinners in need. We have all fallen short of the glory of God and all need to be forgiven and justified...

The Law levels everyone. The Cross levels everyone. You are not better. No one is Good as defined by God. No one is Holy. No one has a chance without Jesus...

So why are you so harsh and so critical? So why are you unmerciful? Why are you so harsh with your judgments?

The scribes and Pharisees were like this. They exalted themselves. They looked down on everyone else. They added to the Law and placed heavy burdens for people to carry without lifting a finger to help them...

There are people in this world, around us today, that will condemn people to hell… for wearing certain clothing. There are those who will say that if you don’t use the King James Bible, you are going to hell… If you have a tattoo, if you have a glass of wine, if we are caught in a weak moment and say a curse word… put up a Christmas tree...

If you cut grass or fish on Sunday...

“You are obviously not saved, and you are going to hell!”

In the Bible: “You eat meat - You are not saved. You are not circumcised - You are hell-bound.”

No… this is not an exaggeration...

But others of us go in this direction:

“You are living in sin, and I despise you… Homosexual, porn addict, drug addict, drunkard, you make me sick; you are beyond saving, beyond healing, and beyond help...”

Or it may be like this:

“You are raising your hands in worship… and you just want to be seen, because I know what’s in your heart. I know your motives. I know why you gave that money… I know why you said this or that… because I know your heart; I know your intentions; I know your motives...”

Or maybe... “Look at your clothes… Do you smell you… You went to that school… Your family is that family… You are no good...”

Untrue judgement is wrong. Using your own judgments without God’s truth… is wrong.

Superficial judgement is wrong. Making judgments by mere appearances, without the facts… is wrong.

Hypocritical/self-righteous judgement, condemning as if your are superior… while you yourself do the same things… is wrong.

Harsh judgments and criticism is this way is ungodly...

What’s our problem? Something is wrong with our spiritual outlook. Something is wrong with our hearts.

1 Corinthians 2:15 - The spiritual man judges all things properly... when what? When they are properly perceived.

We are called to see people through God. We see people through Christ. We see people through the Word of God, through the Gospel.

We are commanded to make judgement calls, but we are never called to be harsh.

Yes: Look at the fruit of people. Confront sin, confront disobedient Christians, and practice church discipline...

But check this out in Galatians...

Galatians 6:1 - If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you will not be tempted...

There it is: Christ wants us to confront; He wants us to help others; He wants us to help our brothers and our sisters, and not stay on the side-lines while they go off the cliff...

But this is how we help:

Have the right spiritual outlook. See them through God’s eyes, and you will see yourself and them the right way… and you will treat them the way you want to be treated.

- When you have the wrong view of God, you will have the wrong view of yourself and all others.

Listen Up:

a. You are not superior. We are all inferior to God, and we are all under His judgments.

- Philippians 2:3 - Count others more significant than yourselves. Look out for the interests of others. Have the mind of Christ… and serve the people. Lay down your life.

b. We are not above criticism and judgment. So don’t act like it.

*Christ points to 2 dangers in the lives of Christians who judge others harshly:

One - That the same level of judgement will come back on them.

*Your severity, your harshness will come back on you. It will be a boomerang effect.

-It may be in that very moment with the individual your are being harsh with, or it may be a discipline that God will bring later.

God is going to discipline you. It is not Karma… It is God’s discipline… It is God’s justice on display...

God is watching and God cares. Listen to this:

Proverbs 24:17-18 - Don’t laugh when your enemy falls; don’t let your heart be glad when he stumbles. Lest the Lord see it, and it displeases Him… and He turns away from His wrath from the enemy...

Your attitude, the way you treat people matters to the Lord, even the way you treat enemies...

The second danger is this:

Two: They will become blind to their own needs.

Self-Righteousness blinds us to our own sin.

This is the very nature of self-righteousness: Justify yourself and condemn everyone else.

And you play God, making judgments based on your own standards and wisdom.

And when we do this… we play God and deny the Gospel.

a. If we will look hard enough, long enough, we are going to find something that is not of God in them...

But... are you willing to spend that same energy and time examining your own lives…?

Can we not find faults, sins in our own life… Perhaps we are blinded today… If we cannot see our own sin...

“Well I am perfect, and I do not sin...”

Really? You have loved God perfectly and loved others perfectly every day and always???

All the good you should have done… you did??? Really??

If that is us… We have some blind spots. We can’t see the truth of our condition and situation.

We must have the right spiritual outlook. I am a sinner in need of a Savior every day. I am not superior; I am not above criticism and judgement...

Therefore… I cannot be harsh with anyone else.

And… lastly...

2. We are not the final judge. There will be some that will so far and say… “There is no hope for them. It is too late for them. They are beyond saving… They are apostates...”

How can we say that!

I do not know if it is too late for them. I do not know if they are too far gone, or too calloused… And you don’t know that either...

So don’t give up trying to help them God’s way, with Christ-like humility.

a. How dare we say, “It is too late for them; there is no hope for them; there is no way...”

May we never be found with such a condemning judgement.

Is God’s arm too short? Can God do the impossible or not?

Yes HE can!

So, do not be harsh with your final verdicts… keep praying, keep reaching… keep teaching...

And it they go to hell… may it be over our faithful bodies.

So, here we are:

We now know what this text is saying and what it is not saying. I now know how to think about our judgments and how to answer someone when they say, “Judge Not!.”

I understand that I must make judgment calls and that I am to inspect fruit, and confront sin...

I understand that I am to go out and to proclaim that all are in sin… but there is a way to do it Biblically...

4. And after hearing this… I understand that I have an eye problem. I have a spiritual outlook problem.

I want to help others… but after hearing this… I may come to understand that I have a log in my eye, a canoe in my eye...

I have not, and cannot approach them the right way because I can’t see myself and them rightly. I believe that I am superior. I believe that I am more significant. I cannot see my own sin… and I have not dealt with it… I don’t see people through the cross...

I cannot see rightly.

Got a Question for You:

Do we want to? Do we want have the right spiritual outlook? Do we want to see God as He is? Do we want to see ourselves and others through God’s eyes?

There is Good News today: We can, by God’s grace.

God can help us. Jesus can forgive us. The Holy Spirit can teach us… We can make progress today.

Now repent of your harshness, turn from your self-righteousness, and ask God to help you today.

All are in need. All are in the water… some are under the water and others have life-jackets...

God did not give you a life-jacket to yell at people under water. He did not give you a boat, an Ark… to be harsh with everyone who is drowning and dying in their sins...

The Gospel announces that everyone is under condemnation, bu that all may find grace, love, and forgiveness through the Savior…

Now look at those who are around you through the Gospel, through the Cross, through Christ… with humility...

And then we will be in the position to help them. Then we will be able to see them… the right way.

Do we need to confess some things today? Do we need to turn from our attitudes and harsh behavior?

There is a Savior for you today.

Pray.