What is "judging" all about?

Can a Christian rightly judge a persons actions, lifestyle, or beliefs?

Matthew 7:1–6 (CSB)

1 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.

2 For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use.

3 Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye?

4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of

n your own eye?

5 Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.

6 Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

This command that Jesus gave is one of the most misunderstood commands in all of scripture. This misapplication has been used to justify and allow sin. It has been used to control and manipulate believers from speaking out against evil and preaching the truth.

Many believers are frozen in their tracks when someone says to them “only God can judge”. What if I were to show you today from the Word of God with 100% certainty this is not how Jesus intended us or the world to use this command?

A Misunderstood Command

How do we know this is not what Jesus intended?

#1 John 7:24 we see Jesus’ instruction to “judge” according to righteousness

John 7:24 (CSB)

24 Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”

#2 I Corinthians 5:1-12 - We see Paul’s sharp criticism of a church that will not Judge sin.

1 Corinthians 5:1–12 CSB

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated among the Gentiles—a man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief and remove from your congregation the one who did this? 3 Even though I am absent in the body, I am present in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who has been doing such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world. 11 But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside?

# 4 Gal. 6:1 - We are to confront sin out of love and concern.

Galatians 6:1 CSB

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.

# 5 Matthew 7:5- There is no condemnation of helping a brother confront his sin but rather the hypocrisy of not judging ones self.

Matthew 7:5 CSB

5 Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.

We see both a judgement against sin, but also against the unrepentant sinner.

Trans: So then what did Jesus mean when he said “Judge not ?”

Obviously, we can see from Jesus and Paul’s own words that this command is not a blanket statement meaning that we cannot speak out against evil and evil people.

The first thing we must remember is the sermon on the mount was meant to transform the heart. We must also remember the religious leaders of the day did everything in there power to lift themselves above the everyday people through condemnation this is still part of that sermon. Jesus is preaching to change sinful hearts no merely sinful actions.

So when we approach this command we must remember Jesus is shooting the arrow of His word straight at the heart.

Jesus is not instructing us against making righteous judgments but rather he is condemning Judgement with impure intentions, hypocritical and prejudicial judgement. Judgement that is not based on the reality of scripture, but is malicious and fault finding in nature. He is condemning the type of people that find fault with everything for the sake of their own pride.

Matthew 7:3 CSB

3 Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye?

Have you every been around a person who has something negative to say about everything. They don’t like the music. They don’t like the preaching, the preacher, The worship leaders haircut, the outreach events, the new chairs in the Sunday School room or anything else that doesn’t meet their ridiculously high standards.

This type of person has plenty of criticism, but lacks any real spiritual discernment.

This was how the religious leaders of that day often behaved. They were critical of anyone and everything that didn’t live up to their expectations. Yet they failed to apply the same method of criticism to themselves.

For if they had, they would have seen their own fault-finding nature and would have repented of their pride.

Matthew 7:6 CSB

6 Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

To be called a pig or a dog was one of the biggest insults a jewish person could be given. You know sometimes we’ve invented a Jesus that was never harsh in His rebuke. Here we see again the example of a harsh rebuke.

1 Peter 5:5–6 CSB

5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time,

Proverbs 9:8 CSB

8 Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke the wise, and he will love you.