Let’s cut right to the heart of the matter. We all hate to be judged, but are usually fairly comfortable dishing it out. We hate the hypocrisy of people who judge others for doing what they are guilty of themselves. We resist acknowledging that anyone has the “high moral ground” that allows them to judge us. We have all been hurt by someone who misjudged us. Our post-modern society condemns (judges) everyone who passes judgment. Go figure. The core problem is that we are all rebellious creatures. We want to be independent and not accountable to anyone but ourselves.
It all began when Adam and Eve elected to try to be unaccountable to God, but their rebellion against their Creator brought his judgment upon them for their betrayal of the One who loved and cared for them the most. Their attempt to escape God’s righteous judgment brought his judgment down on their heads. That is the way judgment works. As Jesus put it:
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Matthew 7:1-2 (NLT)
Before their fall, our first parents lived in a judgment free world. Imagine such a place. All they had to do was fellowship with God and do what he said. There was no need to discern between good and evil or make complicated ethical decisions. Everything was simple as long as Adam and Eve listened to God. Believe it or not, for those who have put their faith in Christ, it is still that simple. It certainly was for Jesus when he walked this earth. Consider his words.
I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 5:30 (NASB)
Jesus listened to what his Father told him; therefore, he always judged people and situations correctly. This is what Adam and Eve were supposed to do, but failed. Jesus came as the Second Adam to set things right (1 Corinthians 15:45). He had no selfish personal agenda that clouded his judgment . But he did judge sin, people, and situations. He had to, and so must we. If we operate as he did, listening to God in every matter, we can judge properly, too. Not judging people and situations correctly is naive and can destroy us.
Everyone has to properly evaluate things every day. The key is to do it properly, in a way that is constructive, without condemning anyone, even though we may have to denounce their behavior.
Jesus gave us a great example in John Chapter 8, when he showed mercy to an adulterous woman, while commanding her to “sin no more.” Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13), without minimizing the seriousness of sin. Unfortunately, some of us so identify with our sin that we find it impossible to accept someone pointing out our sin, without feeling condemned by them. This is extremely unfortunate and sabotages our ability to acknowledge our sin, repent, and find mercy, forgiveness, and freedom.
Anytime we express a judgment against a sinful behavior, we must be extremely careful to acknowledge that we are just as much a sinner as anyone. We must seek to come across as sinners who need mercy who want other sinners to receive the same mercy. Otherwise, we may repel the very people we hope to reach because of the stench of our hypocrisy.
Church leaders have a special responsibility to evaluate people’s actions and words and render proper judgments. They do this to protect the church from harm. If they fail to do this, they will answer to our Lord, the Chief Shepherd. In the church setting, every member has a responsibility to confront unrepentant sin, without becoming self-righteous or condemning. It is part of what it means to be a disciple.
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Galatians 6:1-3 (NLT)
To conclude, we are to refrain from condemnatory judgments against one another, especially regarding motives; while, at the same time, we all, and especially church leaders, are commanded to make discriminating functional judgments against those whose unrepentant sinful ways threaten to harm God’s people or lead them astray. In every case, however, the long-term good of the person or persons being so judged must always remain in view. Our hope is always that such judgments will provoke the offender to repent and be reinstated to the church and live according to God’s truth. (To read more on the purpose of church discipline, click there.) We must never judge those outside the church (1 Corinthians 5:12), but we must judge their sinful behavior in order to call them to repentance. If they choose to identify with their sin and become offended at us, we cannot help that
Love must infuse every proper judgment and motivate every refusal to judge incorrectly.
If we fail to properly judge, people will get hurt. If we judge properly, sometimes people get hurt, and sometimes it comes back to bite us, because none of us are without fault. The important thing is for each of us to operate in wisdom, courage, faith, and love as led by the Holy Spirit in conformity to the teachings of the Bible. Beyond that, we must trust the Lord for the results. May He have mercy on us all!
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13 (ESV)
