Judging ourselves first

Behind the Lens: Clear Vision for Correcting Others

One of the hardest things to do is to correct ourselves before correcting others.

To apply the word of God to myself and then to others. It is nevertheless an order that must be obeyed if we are to preach Gods word correctly

1. Pause before Pronouncing

Matthew 7:1 ESV

“Judge not, that you be not judged.

Jesus is cautioning us to pause in a practice we are often guilty of doing. Judging harshly and too hastily. Here we see the importance of not judging others hastily or harshly. Jesus cautions us with the words, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." This is a call to self-evaluation and humility. Before addressing others' faults, consider your own imperfections first. Recognizing your flaws helps to build an empathetic heart, which changes the way we address the flaws of others. Rooted in grace rather than criticism. We develop relationships where constructive, compassionate dialogue replaces superficial and harmful judgment.

Galatians 6:1–2 ESV

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Jesus forbids an overly judgmental attitude rather than discernment itself. The distinction matters because the standard you use in judging others will be applied to you—this refers to God’s judgment

More specifically, Jesus prohibits the kind of judgment where a disciple arrogates to himself the divine prerogative of pronouncing another disciple false in their profession of faith. People cannot know with certainty another person’s heart or their motives, yet a censorious attitude presumes to do exactly that. To be censorious is to “presume arrogantly to anticipate the day of judgment, to usurp the prerogative of the divine Judge.”

The core prohibition targets spiritual arrogance and hypocrisy. Rather than requiring blindness, Matthew 7:1 is “a plea to be generous”—to extend what Augustine called “the charitable assumption,” interpreting ambiguous actions in the best light rather than the worst.

2. Mirror the Measure

Matthew 7:2 ESV

For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

The principle here is reciprocal: the standard of judgment you apply to others will be applied to you, and the measure you use will be measured back to you. (Matt 7:1–5) This operates on two levels—both human and divine.

On the human level, harsh judgment invites harsh judgment in return. If you scrutinize others severely, others will scrutinize you with equal severity. The reciprocity is built into relational dynamics—censorious people create defensive, hostile environments where they receive the same treatment they dish out.

More importantly, the statement points to God’s judgment. All believers will stand before God’s judgment seat (Rom 14:10–13), and the measure of mercy or harshness you’ve extended to others becomes the measure God applies to you. Judgment without mercy falls on those who show no mercy, while mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13) This echoes Jesus’s teaching that the merciful receive mercy. (Matt 5:7)

Romans 14:10–13 ESV

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; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

James 2:13 ESV

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Matthew 5:7 ESV

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

The verse establishes a sobering accountability: if you judge others harshly, you invite God to judge you with equal harshness. Conversely, if you extend grace and charitable interpretation to others, you position yourself to receive God’s grace. When you condemn another, you condemn yourself if you practice the same things (Rom 2:1–3)—a reality that should prompt humility before judging anyone.

Romans 2:1–3 ESV

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. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 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?

3. Speck versus Plank

Matthew 7:3 ESV

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?

The log and speck function as metaphors for moral faults—with the log representing grave, obvious sins and the speck representing minor, trivial shortcomings. The contrast isn’t merely about size but about the absurdity of priorities.

The imagery depicts someone so preoccupied with removing a tiny particle from another’s eye that they remain oblivious to a massive beam lodged in their own (Matt 7:3–5). This exaggeration serves a rhetorical purpose: it exposes the illogic of attempting to correct others while harboring far more serious moral failures yourself.

The log represents the kind of substantial, undeniable faults that should command your attention—pride, hypocrisy, lust, greed, or whatever major sin blinds your spiritual vision. The speck represents minor flaws, petty offenses, or small character weaknesses in others. The problem isn’t that the speck doesn’t matter; rather, your compromised moral position disqualifies you from addressing it. You cannot see clearly to help remove the speck until you’ve first removed the log from your own eye (Matt 7:3–5).

4. Check before Correct

Matthew 7:4 ESV

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?

Attempting to correct others without first addressing our own issues leads to hypocrisy and harm. Jesus challenges us with, "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?" This calls for self-awareness and personal growth, encouraging believers to engage in sincere correction that nurtures rather than wounds, reflecting Christ’s mission of redemption over rejection.

5. Clear to Care

Matthew 7:5 ESV

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.

The verse establishes that self-examination must precede correction of others. Once you remove the log from your own eye, you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matt 7:1–5) This clarity isn’t merely physical sight but moral and spiritual perception—the ability to discern accurately and judge fairly.

Matthew 7:5 ultimately teaches that spiritual maturity involves honest introspection before offering guidance to others—a reversal of natural human tendency to focus outward rather than inward.

1 Corinthians 11:31 ESV

But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.

Most of us are much sterner with others than we are in regard to ourselves; we make excuses for things in ourselves whilst we condemn in others things to which we are not naturally inclined.Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)

Jesus was talking about a self-righteous, condemning person who acts as judge, passing sentence on others, since he sees only the best in himself and the worst in everyone else.John F. MacArthur

It is a vital moment of truth when a man discovers that what he condemns most vehemently in others is that to which he is himself prone.Anonymous

Judgmentalism is an unwitting revelation of one’s own soul, because people rush to condemn their own sins in others.R. Kent Hughes