LIES THAT MANY BELIEVE, Part 4:  "IT IS ALWAYS WRONG TO JUDGE"

"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." - John 7:24

I am convinced that the most quoted verse of the Bible is Matthew 7:1, where Jesus said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged."  Although that verse is the most quoted verse, it is also the most misinterpreted & misapplied verse of the Bible.  When the verse is quoted, it is normally used in this context:  "You can't judge me or anyone else.  The Bible says, 'Judge not, that ye be not judged.'"  Those who quote the verse believe it means, "It is always wrong to judge people." 

As we continue examining lies that many believe, we must examine the popular lie, "It is always wrong to judge."  Going back to Matthew 7:1, Jesus DID say, "Judge not, that ye be not judged."  However, like all Scripture, it needs to be understood properly, which can only be done when we read the verse IN CONTEXT.  As we read Matthew 7:1-5, it is clear that what Jesus is saying is to avoid hypocritical judgment.  Jesus is NOT teaching that it is ALWAYS wrong to judge, but it is wrong to judge hypocritically.  Look carefully at the context:

"1Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

If you read the passage carefully, it is obvious that Jesus is teaching that hypocritical judgment is wrong and is harshly condemned.  In the passage, Jesus is not teaching that it is wrong to get a speck out of your brother's eye.  Instead, He is teaching that it is wrong to condemn the speck in your brother's eye if you have a beam in your own eye.  Obviously, Jesus is NOT teaching that it is always wrong to judge. 

That being said let me share some things we can judge ... and some things we shouldn't judge.  First of all, let's look at some things we should judge.

1.         WE SHOULD JUDGE SIN

Clearly, we should judge sin.  Our understanding of right and wrong is illuminated by the truth of Scripture.  God gave us a moral law, by which we can discern what is right & what is wrong.  For instance, we know that lying is wrong.  We know that is stealing is wrong.  We know that murder is wrong.  We know that adultery is wrong.  We have the insight to judge right and wrong, which should motivate us to make right decisions.  The laws of our land are based upon a judgment that some things are right and others are wrong.

2.         WE SHOULD JUDGE OUR OWN SINS

Secondly, we should judge our own sins.  Some of our sins are obvious and immediately should be judged as wrong, which should lead us to repentance.  At other times, God uses the mirror of His Word to show us sins that we tend to overlook or condone.  Again, this should lead us to repentance.  When it comes to judging, most of our time and effort should be focused on ourselves.  We are ultimately responsible for our own lives, not the lives of others.  We are more aware of our own faults and flaws than anyone else's.  I have found that when I focus on my own sins, I have little time to deal with the sins of others.

3.         WE SHOULD JUDGE THE OBVIOUS SINS OF OTHERS

If we should never judge the obvious sins of others, that would make us ineligible to serve on jury duty.  In fact, no one could serve as a judge in our judicial system.  We would have anarchy in our land if we were not permitted to judge the obvious sins of others.  Is it wrong to judge a man who kills his neighbor in cold blood?  Is it wrong to condemn a man who rapes a woman?  Is it wrong to judge and condemn a man who abuses children?  I think all of us would condemn such sins --- and it would not be wrong to render such judgment.  Jesus said that we should judge a righteous judgment. 

4.         WE SHOULD JUDGE FALSE TEACHING

Many Christians hesitate to judge or criticize false teaching, yet the Bible clearly does so.  Read this challenge from the Apostle Paul:  "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8-9).  How can we be silent when polished TV preachers proclaim unbiblical doctrine and misrepresent Biblical Christianity?   It is time for the true believers to declare these false teachers to be heretics --- because they are.

We've looked at four things we can judge, yet there are some things we should not judge.

1.         WE SHOULD NOT JUDGE THE MOTIVES OF OTHERS

We may have the right to judge the actions of others, but we cannot judge the motives of others.  Sometimes people do wrong things, but had intentions of doing right.  There are times we are tempted to question the motives of others.  However, we cannot look at the hearts of others.  We should refuse to judge the motives of others. 

2.         WE SHOULD NOT JUDGE SUPERFICIALLY

Sometimes it is easy to rush to judgment without knowing all of the facts.  It is easy to take sides on an issue when you only hear one side of the issue.  We should not judge superficially.  There are times we need to hear facts from several sides before judging a situation.

3.         WE SHOULD NOT JUDGE HYPOCRITICALLY

As we've already seen, Jesus clearly condemns those who judge hypocritically.  Get your own life cleaned up before you start pointing out the dirt you see in the lives of others.

We've looked at some things we should judge ... and some things we should not judge. 

Let me close by telling you the obvious:  God has the right & obligation to judge everyone.  Every person will ultimately stand before Him.  Perhaps you arrogantly tell others, "Only God can judge me."  You may think that is a good way to tell others to stay of your business.  While it is true that God will bring final judgment, that thought shouldn't comfort you, instead, it should bother you.  God's judgment will be strict, swift and severe.  God will not judge you by your standards, but His.  He will not grade you on the curve.  You will not be judged in comparison to others.  You will be judged by His high and Holy standard.  God can & will judge people --- including you.  Instead of rebuking others, you need to get ready to meet the final Judge.  

Prepare to meet thy God.