Twisted scripture Matthew 7:1

One of the most misquoted verses in all the Bible. If our world is correct, then we are to let people live their lives as they wish without any resistance. But this is not the call of a Christian. Not only are we to preach the Gospel, which is contrary to our sinful nature, we are also to disciple one another. Discipleship brings with it accountability, sharpening of one another, and guidance. All the things our world calls judgement is what is essential of our growing as Christians alongside one another. Which means, our world has hijacked the word and redefined it. It is our job to understand what Jesus is commanding us here in light of the rest of Scripture.

Matthew 7:1

Matthew 7:1 (ESV)

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

If we are lucky people will quote verse 2 Matthew 7:1-2

Matthew 7:1–2 (ESV)

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.”

Verse 2 does offer us to important context. But it is never thrown out there with the purpose of context. When this verse is quoted, what they are really doing is attempting to make an argument from authority, for the purpose of supporting their choices without any accountability. “Who are you to judge me?” The answer? I am a nobody. A fellow sinner who makes his own mistakes. But if we take a moment to address this fictional interaction, what is happening? I will be the person who as “Judged” and you be the person who has replied with Matthew 7. I have addressed a sin or an action which is destructive, you reply with, “The Bible says not to judge, who are you to judge me?” What has just happened? You have just judged me about being judgmental. You have just commited the same wrong doing. You judges me for judging. How dare you! So we can go in a circle if you like. I can accuse you of judging me for judging you. making me wrong yet again in your eyes since I have judged you for judging me by judging you. On and on we can go until the day we die. We will read the entire context of Matthew 7:1 , but first, based upon our worlds redefinition of judgement, can we take a look at some of the judgmental things Jesus said?

Matthew 23:27-28

Matthew 23:27–28 ESV

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Woe to you is a warning of impending condemnation. Jesus is warning them that continuing on this same path with lead to eternal damnation due to their conduct. Pretty judgmental Jesus. Then he calls them white washed tombs. He says that on the outside you look holy and perfect but on the inside you are dead. This is offensive even today. To call someone beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside is still offensive.

When the disciples were on the road to Emmaus following the resurrection Jesus appears to them and they do not recognize him. Just before their eyes are opened Jesus says this, Luke 24:25

Luke 24:25 ESV

25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

John 8:44a

John 8:44

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.

We all have something we have said in the past which we are not proud of. We have all said something mean to someone else. But I am sure many of us did not call someone a child of satan. From the very mouth of Jesus, the who said, Judge not, it would appear by our cultures standards , Jesus is pretty judgmental. He is saying some judgmental stuff. Here is where our task lies: the truth is the truth no matter how it is taken. It is our responsibility to do our do diligence in communicating the truth with as much grace and love we can muster. We need to make sure we are above reproach when speaking the truth. Jesus rebuked people, Jesus taught people, Jesus said nothing apart from His desire for those listening to be saved.

Let’s go back to Matthew 7 and read the verse in its context. After that I would like to then hold it up to James 4 as we go deeper into understanding judgment in the life of a believer.

Matthew 7:1-5

Matthew 7:1–5 (ESV)

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.

Verse two gives us a very important warning. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. This warning essentially emphasizes our need to extend Grace. To be slow to judge. Now, what i mean by that is two-fold and one of the reasons is found in the next 3 verses. 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. An important point to make here is verse 5, “And then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” This is what is lost, we do not leave the speck in our brother’s eye. What kind of Discipleship leaves out our need for continuous repentance as believers? What kind of evangelism leaves out our need for a Savior? But this brings us to the second point, we cannot call other’s to repentance when repentance is not active in our lives first. We cannot call others to fight against sin when we have waived the white flag to our own. The first thing that must happen is a serious personal reflection. Our lives as Christians is to be marked with this prayer, “LORD search my heart and examine my life.” Under the Old Covenant the animal was laid on the altar in sacrifice to God. In Romans 12 Paul write exhorting Christians to offer their lives as living Sacrifices. In light of Matthew 7, we are to lay ourselves upon the altar on a regular basis. By doing so, we will be able to address the speck in another’s eye because A) we have humbly brought the plank in our eye to the LORD and B) we will understand what we are calling them to do as well. We will have lived what we are calling them to do. We will understand the fear, the frustration, the discouragement, and the joy of laying yourself on that altar. We will be able to speak with Grace and Mercy. This is all to be done because we are not to leave our brothers and sisters alone with anything in their eye. We must love people enough to tell them, “This is destructive behavior! This is pulling you away from God.” I cannot call you a brother or sister, if you would leave me to my sin. To be OK with someone walking away from God is no brother. To leave people alone and left to be damned because you do not want to be called judgmental, is not loving.

b. This action that our world has deemed the unforgivable sin, to judge, has been redefined. Like Inigo Montoya to Vizzini, “You keep using that word. I do not think it mean what you think it means.” I think James 4 will help us to gain more understanding of Judgement. James 4:11-12

James 4:11–12 (ESV)

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

I believe it is clear that the context within James is the relationship between two individuals who are in Christ, Brothers or sisters. What I find most interesting are some of the verses leading up to verse 11. James 4:1-4

James 4:1–4 (ESV)

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

It would appear that James is being judgmental. “You adulterous people” in verse 4 and then in verse 8 he calls the readers “sinners” and double-minded.” Now in verse 11 he calls them brother’s. He then goes on to say, “Who are you to judge your neighbor.” I believe the point James makes here will help us understand what Jesus said in Matthew 7. When I read James 4 I had to examine my own heart because I know the post that God has called me to as a Pastor, is t refute false teaching. Taking the example of Paul and John who named names. They warned people to avoid false teachers and then they named them. To say, “Avoid these men!” If that is what we are to do and as a Pastor, I am required to to do so, how can I without Judgement? We can’t. No one can.

c. But here is where James brings clarity. Its is not judgment as a whole which is condemned. Its judgement and. Let me explain. James writes of judgement and slander. This is why I had to examine my own heart because to call someone a false teacher who is not is slander. James says in verse 11, “Do not speak evil against.” This word in the Greek is kat-al-al-eh'-o which is also translated? Slander. It means, to speak against one, to criminate, traduce. To lie about someone. To lie, accuse a brother of something is sin. It is not the judgement itself, it is the judgement and. It is what follows the and which defines the judgement.

That may sound a little confusing. It is not the judgement which makes it a sin it is what follows the and. Judgement and slander. Judgement and pride. Judgement and envy.

Going back to Matthew 7 Jesus helps us understand this as well. Matthew 7:15-20

Matthew 7:15–20 ESV

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Jesus warns against false prophets, how are we do discern? We are to judge their fruit. We are to examine their lives, their teaching and judge whether or not they are with us. To judge with slander is wrong. To judge with discernment is Biblical. To judge with Grace. Too judge with mercy. We have talked about this before Acts 17:10-11

Acts 17:10–11 ESV

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

What did they do? They judged Paul with discernment and they were praised! These people were not condemned for judging Paul because what follows the and determines the judgement. To use discernment and judge a teacher, judge a sin, or to judge the fruit is not wrong. Now it must be done to ourselves first. We have to work on that plank first, remember. But we cannot exist as a family without judging. We cannot exist in this world at all without judging. You who are members here became members because you judged our church. You judged with discernment and came to the conclusion this is the church you want to call home, to call a family. You were not wrong is doing that. You did not sin in doing that. if you do not do that, you have sinned. To not test. To not judge what is being taught. To go about your Christian faith with hands up and not hands on, you are in the wrong. To go about the your walk with your hands off, you cannot say you love me or anyone else. You do not love me enough to confront me? You do not love me enough to warn me of a destructive behavior? But our world take the opposite approach. To be hands on. To be involved. To care for someone else and their life is judgment and therefore evil. If that is the case then, my wife hates me. My Elder’s hate me. My own mother and father hate me. Because they have taken an interest in my life and how I conduct myself. Do you see how foolish that sounds? How can I, as your Pastor, say I love you and not be hands on? A Pastor who will not address sin, who will not disciple, who will not hold accountable those he is responsible for cannot dare say he loves his flock. Love drives us into the fray, not away from it. Loves calls to step in, not flee. Love leads us to confront and have those uncomfortable conversations. But it is done with the discerning judgement. It is done first by examining ourselves first. Inviting God the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and our lives. It begins with laying ourselves on the altar. When we are putting ourselves to death every single day. When we are dying to ourselves day in and day out then we can approach a brother and with sincere Grace and Love address them.

b. This is what Jesus warns us of in Matthew 7. Do you know why? To judge with slander, to judge with envy, to judge with strife is to do what James says, which is to reject the Law of God. The Law that is good. We reject it, we reject Christ when we do that. because only Christ can judge with perfect judgement. Only Christ can do so completely above reproach and only He is worthy of such a job. He has no “and.” Our judgement must be followed with discernment and grace because we are sinful creature. Only Christ can Judge and that be it. Because He is Love. Because He is Mercy. Jesus clearly is warning us, know your place dear child. You are not the judge of the wicked and the righteous. Your hands carry filthy rags of righteousness. You have no place to simply judge and be in the right. You cannot condemn a single person because you stand condemned in your own righteousness.

c. This is why, what follows the “and” keeps us in check. We do not forget who we are. We are one sinner approaching another sinner about their sin, which we are not above. We have our own sin. We have our own fight. To treat a brother or sister as some arbiter of their sin and relationship with God is dangerously wrong. I would argue, it is evil. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 ESV

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Dear brother and sister, don’t you ever forget your washing. Don’t you ever forget that you were made clean by the Work of Jesus Christ alone. You did not earn any of your salvation. Don’t you ever forget where God found you. By our own righteousness, God should have left us in the ditch he found us in. When we were enemies of God He desired to make you a son or a daughter. Don’t you every forget the washing you are still going through. Don’t your forget the fire that refines you in the LORD. You and I did not deserve what we were given. The gift of our salvation, which was bought by the blood of God Himself, was a gift given to us. A Stiff-necked, rebellious, adulterous people. Don’t you forget, He wanted you, even when you did not want Him.

To forget this, will make you someone who is self-righteous. You will become someone unfit for discipleship. You will even disqualify yourself for the prize which is for the children of God, because you have rejected Christ as judge and have placed yourself in his judgement seat. Go to your brother, go to your sister, and go to the unrepentant world because you love them. Go because you have judged their fruit with discernment and mercy. Go because you love them. Dear brother’s and sisters, do not forget where Christ found you and where He keeps finding you, as He keep rescuing you from the clutches of sin in your life. We cannot forget, because we cannot forget Him. Who He is. Our Savior, our rescuer, Our Great High Priest, Our redeemer, Our mediator, Our Father, and Our God.