Judgment

Can we judge others?

Seems to me that one of the areas where we fail today as Christians, is that we are lacking in our judgment of others. And when we do judge we judge according to areas that we have no right, and call it righteous. How can we protect our families if we don't judge, and in the same measure, ourselves. Today the world has spiraled downward into chaos where people that are confessing Christians are convicted of abuse and murder, and we have entered into a new age of apostasy. We can call this lack of discernment, or ignoring the Holy Spirit; but the bottom line is still that we misinterpret the scripture to exclude judging others.

Matthew 7:1-2
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Very seldom do I hear verses 1 and 2 coupled together. And never verses 3-6 added to it. All that is harped on is that we are not to judge others, period. But how do we make it through life without judging others. We have to be careful in the judgment, because when we judge others we will be judged in like manner. If I judge someone as a false teacher, I will be judged according to my teachings. If I judge someone as an adulterer, I will be judged likewise. Whatever criteria and standards I set in my judging, will be the criteria and standards I will be judged. We have to be careful in our judging, but to say that we are not to judge; would be to not follow the scriptures.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

I order to hold this verse to be true and useful we must judge. For every point made in this verse we must judge others according to doctrine, teachings and actions. But this holds only for judgment on the inside and not the outside. We are to be careful about judging those that are without and our dealings with them, but this judgment concerns things of God. We can't judge an unbeliever the same as we do a believer because they do not have the Holy Spirit within. Our dealing with the world should be to spread the Gospel message to a dying people.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

We know we can judge an unbeliever by world standards. But we can't always say that a Christian has no place to judge an unbeliever according to a righteous judgment. When an unbeliever moves into the realm of spirituality, they open themselves to a spiritual judgment. Today there are more "religions" that call themselves Christians and deny many of the essential doctrines of Christianity. Without naming names I believe a few have popped into your heads. They deny the deity of Christ, His death and some His resurrection. They add to the work of the Cross and the sacrifice for sins. Some have pointed to Christ being a state of being and deny his coming back. And these are here today. We have certain criteria, according to the word of God, that makes us believers and unbelievers. Even though they confess they still, according to their statements and their beliefs, are not Christians. Am I judging? yes, according to the word of God. Should we judge these unbelievers according to the standards set forth by the Bible? yes. Why?  because they put themselves in that position and to protect others. And not only do we judge them but we are to expose them.

Most of the time when you hear the words "do not judge" it should be a flag that someone needs to. Many people that are involved in questionable ministries use that term repeatedly. And many of these have even concocted their own sayings and condemn anyone that try to compare their teachings to scripture. We have even seen them pray openly and through letters that the people and their families that judge them die. This is how serious people get when you judge them... About 17 miles from where I live is a small town. Inside this town is a "ministry" that seems to be following some of the most infamous cults of our time. One of the things that Tony Alamo harps on is that its not mans place to judge him. That anyone that judges him is subject to the wrath of his god. That what he teaches may not be backed up in scripture, because he has a direct line to God. Alamo says that he shouldn't be judged for the child abuse, the beatings, the imprisonment or the torture of the kids and adults in his compound. And the worse part is that many Christians have not judged him according to biblical standards and still refuse to do so because they have been convinced that judging is prideful.

We are to judge others, as mentioned above, to hold them accountable for their actions. To keep them from error, and to be sure that the word of God is preserved. But we can't judge people according to their salvation, their motives (unless voiced), their sincerity or their appearance. But we can judge according to their works, their teachings, what they confess, their actions. We shall know them by their fruits.

Matthew 7:15-20
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

We are to judge according to what we know, what we see, not by what we have heard from others. And to judge we must, if we are to protect what we hold most dear. Before we judge others, according to their teachings, we have to know that they are teaching falsely. This involves a certain level of maturity, immature Christians must go to someone that they know is grounded in doctrine and ask, before they are judged and confronted. Many times we remember the verse (Matt. 7) and the condemnation that seems to go with it and refuse to judge them, not only does that allow them to continue but also brings us in as partakers of their wrong doing.

2 John 7-11
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

When we first heard the Gospel, we judged it. When we first looked at a bible, we judged it. When we first hear a preacher, we judge him. When we first read a text, we judge it. In our lives we judge everything every day. Judgment is good and beneficial to our lives as Christians, but we have to judge by a standard set by the scriptures and not by our own views. Then we find ourselves in sin and in danger of a harsh judgment. I would rather be judged according to God's standards instead of some of mine, but alas I know I have failed and will be judged according to some of the things I have judged others for.

We do not judge anyone unto condemnation, but for correction, rebuke and instruction. These things should be done in love, with the goal in mind for the furtherance of the Gospel of Christ, and to bring others into maturity.