Misconceptions Clarified XIX: Judge Not?
Welcome again to Misconceptions Clarified XIX where this episode will breakdown the popular phrase “do not judge” that is so often quoted within Christian circles. Notice that when this phrase is mentioned, it is done to dissuade people from coming to any conclusions regarding their actions or lifestyle that stands contrary to the moral standards of God outlined in Scripture. For instance, if someone is drinking too much alcohol and they know they are drinking too much, they would typically say to those that are witnessing their over-consumption, “don’t judge me,” or they may also say, “only God can judge me” to deflect from being held accountable for their immoral actions. The do-not-judge-me phrase is the default response that cautions people to refrain from making any moral inferences of their actions granting them a highway of all sorts of indulgences without having to deal with any traffic of culpability. The do-not-judge-me movement has afforded many a license to sin and has silenced many within the body of Christ from opposing a culture saturated in wickedness and immorality. And notice, that any time the phrase to not judge is mentioned, it’s always mentioned under the breath of wrongdoing. No one who is intentionally doing the right thing ever says, “do not judge me.” It’s only those who know in their hearts that they are doing something wrong who use this default response.
Not only that, but those who know they are in the wrong have often tried to justify their guilt by misapplying certain verses of Scripture in order to avoid accountability. The sad part about it is that many believers have come to believe their misinterpretation of certain passages that speak about judging the actions of others, and now many believers are fearful of speaking out against the ungodliness that has swept over the nation because they don’t want to be judged by God or by their peers for judging someone else’s actions. But is it true that God will judge those who judge others? Is it true what the Scripture says in Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” Well, first and foremost, it is a rule of thumb to never isolate scripture from the overall passage itself, which is where most of the biblical misconceptions derive from. In Matthew 7:1 Jesus wasn’t saying that his disciples could not judge at all, but that they shouldn’t judge hypocritically. In Matthew 7 verse 3, Jesus asks, “why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” In other words, Jesus is cautioning his disciples from judging someone else’s sin while they haven’t checked their own sin. It does not say that they were to avoid judging entirely the actions of those that are morally right or morally wrong. Another passage that is often misquoted is 1 Corinthians 4:15 where Paul says, “Do not judge,” but ignore the second half of that verse that says, “before the appointed time.” Again, this verse of Scripture is not to be interpreted to mean that people cannot make general judgments on what is right or what is wrong, but Paul was cautioning the church at Corinth to not judge the true nature of his apostleship before the appointed time.
CWM has made it abundantly clear regarding the magnitude of interpreting Scripture within its context and to always ask the question, “What message did the Holy Spirit intent to communicate through the writers of Scripture during their particular context?” Many biblical misconceptions are born out of a negligence of dividing the word of truth correctly and interpreting the Word of God with a twenty-first century lens as if the Bible is a modern-day book written originally in the English language. Wrong! “The Bible was written over a period of roughly 2,000 years by 40 different authors from three continents, who wrote in three different languages,” one of them not being English.[1] So, it’s important that we understand the genre of scripture, avoid isolating certain verses in the Bible away from its context, and stop believing the perverted gospel of Satan that has deceived many into thinking that people cannot judge. In fact, in the Gospel of John 7:14-24 when Jesus was being accused of being demon-possessed for healing on the Sabbath, He tells them to do what? To “stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” In other words, when people judge, don’t judge a book by the cover alone, but judge according to the actual content contained in the book and ensure that you are not guilty of the same sin before you cast the first stone.
This idea that we are not to judge unless we are judged is a misconception that still needs to be clarified today. It is important to clarify that disciples are not to judge a person’s eternal destiny since Jesus is the only one who has access to the Book of Life. However, believers can admonish other fellow believers to repent from their sins so that they won’t be judged by the One whom we must all make an account. James 5:19-20 says, “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sin.” The doctrine of “do-not-judge” circumvents holding other believers accountable to God and His Word. Paul says in Galatians 6:1, “Brothers and Sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” But, if believers are to abide by the misunderstanding of do-not-judge-me, how can they restore that person from their sin without first judging that sin as sin according to the Word of God? Additionally, how can believers know them by their fruit, or test every spirit with the spirit without being able to make judgments? It’s not possible! When a child does something wrong, doesn’t a parent judge their bad choice? Well, at least that’s what parents did in the past when their children did something wrong. In the post-postmodern era in America, the misconception of do-not-judge has now influenced many households to allow their children to express themselves however they want without being judged right or wrong for their actions, which is playing right into the hands of the enemy. Satan subtly casts doubt on the word of God by doing what he did in the very beginning with Adam and Eve when he asked the question, “Did God really say that you cannot eat from any tree in the garden?” Unfortunately, Satan whispers the same doubt in today’s modern ears when he asks, “Did God really say we should judge anybody? Surely if you judge somebody you are going to be judged yourself, so don’t do it!” That’s how the enemy works, and we need to always go back to the Word of God and know it in its entirety so that believers are not deceived by the serpent’s cunning.
Even Paul goes as far as to say in 1 Corinthians 6:2, “Do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you know that we will judge Angels? How much more the things of this life?” Now, this passage is dealing with disputes and legal matters within the church. Believers are to be ultimately concerned with matters pertaining to the body of Christ, not what unbelievers do, why? Because as the Scripture says in John 3:18, “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Those who don’t believe in Jesus, those who do not live according to the Word of God, those who are classified as unbelievers, and those who are living in intentional sin and rejection against God stand under God’s judgment and wrath, which is why we need to pray without ceasing and pray that God will open doors for believers to witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a sense of urgency knowing that eternity is on the line! If anything, believers should be constantly praying that the Holy Spirit will continue to convict the hearts of mankind about sin and about righteousness so that they will be compelled to repent and return to the Shephard and Overseer of their souls. Believers need not to turn a blind eye to the sin of their brother and sister and judge them correctly and gently. If a believer cannot handle correct judgment by their own brothers and sisters in this life, they certainly will not be prepared to handle the gavel that’s going to be hammered down at the consummation of all things!
#MisconceptionsClarified #Episode XIX #JudgeUnlessYouBeJudgedByChrist