Judgementalness

Matthew 7:1-6 is one of those passages of Scripture that people like to pull out when they don't want you involved in their business, specifically Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, so that you won't be judged." I've seen tattoos that say "Only God can judge me". Cries of "Who are you to judge me?" or "You're being so judgmental!" are heard when people think that you are treating their choices unfairly.

So what does it mean to judge? According to Jesus, when you become a judge over other people then you have set yourself up in a position of authority above them. If you've ever been in a court of law, you know that it is the judge who has the final say on how the law is interpreted and applied. If you are found guilty then you will be punished. If you are not guilty, your name will be cleared. When Jesus told us not to judge others He was warning us against forming our own opinions about others and then holding it against them. There are lots of things that are not addressed specifically in Scripture - social drinking, smoking, dancing, interracial relationships - yet many followers of Christ are quick to form an opinion on these things and judge accordingly.

How, then, can you correct someone? If I see a brother looking at pornography, cheating on his wife, abusing alcohol or drugs, or making other destructive decisions, then when I must confront him. In these instances I am not judging him, I'm loving him. Jesus' words were so often spoken to those who were lost, so we must remember that although their sin is not excused by God, they also don't operate by the same worldview that a follower of Christ does. Should we correct an unbeliever who is living in such a way that is destructive not only to himself but to others? We absolutely should, but it must be done in love and for the purposes of God being glorified and the lost person exposed to the gospel.

Keep in mind that when we judge other people we are basing our judgments on what we perceive to be what right or wrong and not necessarily what we know them to be. If I make an assumption about you and then judge you according to that assumption, what if my assumption is wrong? Then I certainly have unfairly judged you in a way that Jesus warned against. I have also probably done so behind your back in a cowardly way. This is the time to pull the beam out of my own eye so that I can take the speck out of yours, if there truly is one there.

There is a fine line between confronting with love and judging. Judging in a critical manner denies us the opportunity to speak grace into the lives of those who need it. While we must never condone or ignore sin around us, we almost must be careful not to cast our pearls before pigs so that we forever lose that opportunity to share the precious gospel with those who are dying to receive it.