By: Mike Kelly
Retired Pastor
Today we find ourselves entering into the last chapter of the Sermon on the Mount as found in Matt 5-7.
This entire study has been focused on understanding that as Believers, we live in an upside down world where the teachings and expectations of Jesus are almost totally antithetical to the world and its expectations.
Matt 7:1 reads “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” This verse is often quoted by people critical of Believers and, unfortunately, they are frequently right in their criticism.
It seems we like to judge others. And our judgements are often critical and unfavorable. It is interpreted that we are not to judge others but that is not correct. While we are not to judge the unbeliever, we have a responsibility to judge Believers.
Allow me to elaborate just a little on our prohibition against judging unbelievers. Those who have chosen to surrender to Christ have willingly taken on a new role as servant to the King and to His laws.
However, those who have not surrendered their lives and will to Christ operate under a different set of rules and a different ruler, Satan.
Romans 14:4 reads “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall…” Our response to the unholy is prayer not criticism.
This verse isn’t a prohibition against judging, but it is a warning to do it with a godly mindset. We are supposed to judge in certain situations.
John 8 tells about the woman caught in adultery and how the crowd was prepared to stone her until Jesus said: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”. (John 8:7)…
In other words, you may judge but only after you judge yourself to be pure and without sin. Humility would seem to be a prerequisite for judging.
John 7:24 explains how to judge correctly: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” Righteous judgment would be the same as God would judge that situation.
Even verse 2 expects us to judge but to judge graciously. “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
That verse ought to be tattooed on our hands so we can see it. “With the measure we use”…Do we have a critical spirit, are we eager to find faults in order to condemn others, are we suspicious of their motives…or are we grace-filled, generous, and understanding of human frailty?
What will our hearts show when we are called to judge others? Remember the last half of this verse “with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” While it is tempting to judge harshly, we must remember that if we do, we will also be judged harshly.
Our judging others must always be preceded by judging our own sin and motives. Look at how he says it in verses 4-5: “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”. Never judge without remembering our own sinfulness, and the ignorance and infirmities which may extenuate the sinfulness of others.
If we judge graciously, making proper allowances for the frailties of our fellow Believers, and if we are ready to forgive their faults, God will deal with us in the same kind manner; but if we judge harshly, and fail to account for others limitations, and show no mercy, no mercy will be shown to us; God will treat us as we deserve, and that is a very scary thought.
It’s the same idea carried over from the Lord’s Prayer :our forgiveness is based on how we forgive. It seems the same when addressing judging others; our judgments will be in the same manner as we judge others.
“Judge not” is not a prohibition against our responsibility to judge other believers, but it is a warning to do so as graciously as Christ would.
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Mike Kelly is the founding pastor of Bryan’s Grace Community Church (retired) and Board Chairman of Bryan’s Sanctuary Homeless Shelter and Williams County’s Compassion (free) Medical Clinic.