Do Not Judge

I began this series by noting that the Bible has the command, “do not be afraid” over 100 times. It seems that we as sinful human beings have a default bent towards fear that comes as a result of our fallen sinful nature. And so, over and over again, the Bible tells us that we do not need to react in fear or live in fear.

sin produces bitter fruit with bitter results — fear leads to hate, fear takes away hope, fear takes away love, fear takes away peace

On the other side of that, we also talk quite a bit as Christians about spiritual fruit, that the Holy Spirit produces in us features of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Sin produces its own fruit as well, bitter fruit that does not come from the Holy Spirit; fruit such as fear, anger, envy, and so on. These bitter fruits produce their own results as well. It stands to reason, then, that fear of other people eventually leads to hatred of other people—fear leads to hate. Wars have begun because of fear. Destruction happens because of fear. Fear takes away hope. Fear takes away love. Fear takes away peace. It is no wonder that the Bible tells us over and over again to rid ourselves of fear. It gets in the way of the good spiritual fruit of the Holy Spirit.

I bring it up and talk about it because this election season in particular seems to be appealing to fear as a primary motivator. And I would argue that we see evidence of that on all sides of the political spectrum. And what I hope we can see is that bad things happen—bitter fruit is produced—and sin results when we as human beings are acting in fear and making decisions based upon our fears. It is not the way that the gospel calls us to be.

what are the features and patterns which contribute towards fear?

Today I want us to dive just a bit deeper into the issue by considering for just a little bit where fear comes from. It is one thing for us to sit here today, noting that the Bible tells us not to be afraid, and then—I guess—just simply try our best to not be afraid. It is easy to say the words, but maybe not so easy to actually do. I wonder, then, what the Bible has to say to us about the things which contribute towards fear in the first place. Are there any particular features or patterns which cause people to gravitate more quickly towards fear? Perhaps if we can identify patterns which contribute towards fear, we can take some positive steps in actually avoiding the pitfalls of fear itself.

Paul points towards the gospel as an alternative to judgmental behavior, which then becomes a remedy for fear

This is not meant to be a psychological study or a self-help class or a TED talk. I am not here today to give some kind of exhaustive list of features and patterns which produce fear. I am just going to point to one example we see in scripture, noting the way in which the Bible incorporates the gospel as a primary response. This example comes from one of the apostle Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth. And even though the words “judge” or “judgment” are never mentioned in this passage, I think we will be able to see the ways in which Paul points towards the gospel as an alternative to judgmental behavior, which then becomes a remedy for fear.

2 Corinthians 4:1–9 (NIV)

2 Corinthians 4:1–9 NIV

1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

The two letters we have in the New Testament from Paul to the church in Corinth are rather long. Apparently the Corinthians were a pretty messed up church because Paul has plenty to say to them about the ways they should be correcting their behavior. I sometimes wonder why anyone would want to name their church “Corinth Church” because the Corinthians are not exactly held out as a shining example of what a church should be. But then again, maybe it is an act of humility. It is an acknowledgement that we are pretty messed up people too.

Among the many problem that existed in the Corinthian church, Paul calls out their judgmental behavior at various points. For example, he notes the way in which they show unjust judgment whenever they celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.

judgement and the sacrament in 1 Corinthians 11

1 Corinthians 11:17–22 (NIV)

1 Corinthians 11:17–22 NIV

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!

the people of God struggled with arguments and division because of the ways in which they would judge one another

There is division among the people of the church because there are some who judge themselves as more worthy to go ahead and take the sacrament ahead of others, leaving nothing left for those they judge to be unworthy. In other sections of his letters—1 Corinthians 7 for example—Paul admonishes the Jewish Christians who judge the gentile converts as unworthy because the gentile men are not circumcised as the Old Testament commands. And the list can go on concerning the ways in which the people of God struggled with arguments and division because of the ways in which they would judge one another.

one of the ways I can step back from holding fear towards others is to also step back from holding judgment towards others

I want us to recognize the ways in which judgment and fear are connected. One of the ways in which we as followers of Jesus can step back from being people who hold fear towards others is to also step back from being people who hold judgment towards others. That is not to say that judgment is the root cause of all fear; I am simply giving us a place to begin considering one of the patterns that contributes towards fear. And one gospel-centered response we see in scripture.

a judgmental person always insist on being right no matter what

Let’s start with a little self-introspection. Where does judgmentalism come from? What causes a person to be judgmental in the first place? We see the symptoms; we know what it looks like. A person who is judgmental always insist on being right no matter what. A person who is judgmental cannot stand losing an argument or losing at all. And so, it necessarily stands to reason that people who always insist on being right no matter what will bump up against people who think differently, and instantly label them as being wrong no matter what. In order for me to always be right, it means that there are other people who are always wrong. And just like that, we have judgment.

not all truth is relative, but neither is all truth exclusive to only me

There is an important distinction to make. This is not the same thing as saying that all truth is relative and that there really is no such thing as right and wrong. Judgment still has a proper place in our world because there is such a thing as right and wrong. Here is the distinction: when I place myself exclusively on the side of always having to be the one who is right no matter what, which means I also place other people exclusively on the side of always being wrong no matter what. That’s where judgment becomes more toxic than helpful. That is where judgment contributes to fear. This is the kind of judgment which results in the bitter fruit the apostle Paul brings up repeatedly in his letters to the Corinthians. This is the kind of judgement which ought to have no place in our lives. It is this kind of judgment that Jesus addresses in his Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus cautions about being judgmental in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 7)

Matthew 7:1–5 (NIV)

Matthew 7:1–5 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.

Paul has a gospel-centered response to judgmental fear

Now then, what is the remedy? I mentioned earlier that Paul gives the Corinthian people—and us—an alternative to living as judgmental people driven to fear. Take a look with me again at the passage for today.

2 Corinthians 4:4–6 (NIV)

2 Corinthians 4:4–6 NIV

4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

it is only Christ who makes us right with God!

Every single week I try to make reference to the gospel in every message I preach. And what do I always say every week as a reminder of that gospel message? It is at the cross of Jesus where all the guilt of our sin is taken away by Jesus. And it is at the cross of Jesus where you and I receive the perfect righteousness of Christ. Every week when we come before God in worship we acknowledge before God that we have nothing in ourselves that we can ever bring before God that will ever make us right with God on our own. And every week when we come before God is worship we are reminded that we do not need to bring anything before God to make ourselves right with God. And the reason is because it is Christ, and only Christ, who makes us right with God!

I cannot stand on my own righteousness, but instead I am covered with Christ’s righteousness

Bring it back to the topic of the day. In those moments when I feel the need to be the one who is right no matter what, let me instead be reminded that I cannot stand on a righteousness of my own, but instead I am covered in the righteousness of Christ. Do you see how Paul’s language in presenting the gospel in these verses points out this truth? Any time I take a posture of insisting that I am the one who is right, all I am really attempting to do is overshadow the truth of Christ’s righteousness with the sin of my own self-righteousness.

You do not need to be the one who is right because only Christ is the one who is right, and you are already covered in the righteousness of Christ. That means you do not need to be the one to judge anyone because only Christ is sufficient to be judge. Where does that leave us then? Paul is not quite done. Look at what comes next.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)

2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

A little context is helpful. Clay jars were common household objects in the time of Paul. They were used to hold any kind of household items or possessions. Clay jars were inexpensive and readily available; they did not have much value in and of themselves. Additionally, clay jars tended to be rather fragile and would crack rather easily. But that was okay because the jars themselves were not of high value.

cracked and imperfect vessels which had hardly any value of their own have become absolutely priceless because of what God has chosen to place inside: the righteousness of Christ

You see where Paul is going with this. You and I are like those clay jars; easily cracked and full of imperfections. And yet it is in these comparatively worthless vessels that God chooses to place an amazing treasure: the perfect righteousness of Christ. And now these cracked and imperfect vessels which had hardly any value of their own have become absolutely priceless because of what God has chosen to place inside. The righteousness of Christ.

a posture of humility allows me to accept (a) that I am just as broken and imperfect as others (b) that others have been given the same righteousness of Christ that I have been have given

Humility. That’s the proper response. Humility before God is a posture which declares and acknowledges that only in Christ am I made right. Humility is a posture which acknowledges that there are things in this world about which I am certainly wrong—how can I not be? After all I am just a cracked, broken, imperfect vessel. Humility demands I acknowledge that I cannot be the one who is right all the time—which means there are certainly times when I am also wrong.

live in such a way that others see plainly it is Christ who is your life, your light, your righteousness

Yet it is this same humility which acknowledges the righteousness I have is not my own. It is a righteousness that that has been freely given to me. It is a righteousness that is perfect in every way even though I am still cracked, broken, and imperfect. It is the righteousness of Christ himself. And it is also this same perfect righteousness of Christ which is given to every single other person who seeks God in faith and professes Christ as savior and Lord. Which means I am no more right or wrong in the eyes of God than any of you. And you are no more right or wrong in the eyes of God than me or anyone else here who is a follower of Jesus. So do not judge, and do not be afraid. Instead, live in such a way that others see plainly it is Christ who is your life, your light, your righteousness.