To Judge or Not To Judge
Jason W Hill
The Gospel of Matthew • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Handout
Handout
Text: Matthew 7:1-6
Main Point/FCF:
Application:
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
What is the general principle that Jesus is trying to communicate in Matthew 7:1-5?
What does Jesus mean by “judge”? Are we not supposed to form opinions about other people’s actions?
Under what circumstances are we supposed to “take the speck out of [our] brother’s eye?”
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 7
Jesus does not forbid all evaluation or even judgment of others, for ultimately the one who feels grieved and humbled over his own sin can help remove the “speck” from others. What Jesus does rule out is pride that views oneself as better than others (cf.
Why do you think Jesus uses the metaphor of dogs and pigs in this passage?
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 7
Believers are to be merciful, forgiving, and slow to judge (7:1–5), yet they should wisely discern the true character of people and not indefinitely continue proclaiming the gospel to those who adamantly reject it, so that they can move on and proclaim the gospel to others (cf. 10:14; also
Biblical teaching on judging
Biblical teaching on judging
Read these passages and meditate on what God’s word tells us about judging in each one:
Read these passages and meditate on what God’s word tells us about judging in each one:
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience?
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?
31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.
30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
Case studies: To judge or not to judge?
Case studies: To judge or not to judge?
In each case, note whether the Bible commands or forbids us to judge. Also, what cautions would we need to exercise in each case? What Scriptures apply?
You notice a fellow believer buying wine at the grocery store.
A fellow church member confides in you that her husband often gets drunk and treats her poorly.
Your neighbor, not a church-goer, often throws boisterous parties where people get drunk.
You invite a fellow church member to come watch the game at your house after church. The church member declines, saying that he observes the Sabbath on Sundays and refrains from watching TV on that day.
You have a disagreement with a fellow church member over the specifics of immigration policy.
A deacon is found to be having an illicit affair with another church member.
A known transgender individual, not a church-goer, shows up at church on Sunday.
After coming several weeks, the transgender person asks to join the church.
A visiting preacher preaches that “everyone goes to heaven, because God is love.”
A friend tells you that he doesn’t believe in church because church people are judgy and Jesus accepted everyone.
A friend declares to you one day that God told him in a dream that it was ok to leave his wife.
A local media outlet asks you for your church’s official stance on homosexuality.
How does the analogy of the speck and the log illustrate the concept of self-reflection before judging others?
What practical steps can we take to ensure that we do not misjudge others while maintaining accountability?
How can we apply the message of not giving what is holy to dogs in our interactions with those who may not appreciate or understand our faith?
