JUDGING OTHERS - "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."
Self-defense is essential for those who feel their rights are being violated. When people threaten the personal doctrine we live by, we either react by retaliating in anger or respond in love according to what we believe is true. In most cases, our reactions manifest themselves in one central theme: "DON'T JUDGE ME!" That phrase has been used throughout the generations, especially for those who do not believe God's Word is inerrant and true. It carries with it the sentiment, "Who are YOU to judge me?" Therefore, "DON'T JUDGE ME!" has become the battle cry against accountability, used to silence those who oppose and/or deflect attention onto the accuser's intent rather than the recipient. But what does, "DON'T JUDGE ME!" truly mean? If we delve beneath surface layers, we begin to discover that being held accountable for our thoughts and actions is uncomfortable to most people. It requires us to not only be transparent with who we are, but vulnerable enough to willingly be held accountable. Vulnerability is risky though, because we cannot know for certain how others will react or respond when our intimate thoughts and opinions are revealed. For example, a man may be comfortable enough to talk in general about his opinions regarding money, but if pressed, would he be comfortable enough to provide his banking and credit card statements, and share every detail of his financial portfolio in the spirit of accountability? Would he be afraid of how others might react if they knew how much he made, what he spent his money on, or how he managed his finances? Keep in mind, "DON'T JUDGE ME!" could easily manifest itself as a defense mechanism against unrighteous jealousy of others or a counterattack for violating a man's privacy, or it could be used to deflect attention from unwise personal decisions. In any case, the message is clear to those who cast judgment: "BACK OFF!"
What makes Jesus' teaching on judging others so compelling is that He does NOT rebuke or condemn judging. Many people mistake, "Judge not, that you be not judged," as Jesus admonishing His followers to never make a judgment call on the behavior of those around them, but to accept and endorse everyone they meet, every choice they make, and every opinion they utter. That is partially true. Jesus does affirm us to love and respect our neighbor, but the attitude and motivation we convey cannot be the same for those who profess themselves as Christians and those who do not. In other words, accountability works most effectively if we share the same doctrine of truth and obey its teachings. Case in point: Those who reject Christ as Savior will typically feel judged by Christians when their thoughts and behavior contradict Scriptural teaching. Reason being, "The LORD has not given you (them) a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear" (Deuteronomy 29:4) what we trust is absolute truth to live by, so of course non-Christians will label us as judgmental when we attempt to hold them accountable to Biblical standards. Does that mean we should never share the truth of Scripture with those who reject its authority? Absolutely not, but our focus needs to shift from wrath and judgment of sin to grace and mercy, allowing the Lord to pursue His children without us quenching or stifling His ultimate will of salvation. Scripture teaches, "Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight" (Proverbs 9:7-10). Therefore, it is wise for us to discern who we are rebuking in the moment to ensure our intent is not lost in translation with those who do not share the same theological doctrine or ideology as we do.
It goes without saying that those outside the Christian faith (i.e. those who either do not identify themselves as born-again believers, or those who profess themselves as Christians but do not fully submit to the authority of God's Word in their lives) use, "DON'T JUDGE ME!" as ammunition against Bible-believing Christians. Therefore, how should we as the church respond to such accusations? In some cases, we indeed may be legitimately and sinfully judging others, to which we should repent and seek forgiveness. However, when we are innocent of the crime accused, what is our response? The most important thing to remember is not to be offended and react in anger. Jesus said, "The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me" (Luke 10:16), so we are wise to remember WHO is truly being rejected when truth in love is spoken. That helps us resist taking persecution personally by diffusing the temptation to lash out in retribution, because the offense is ultimately directed at God, not us. In addition, we must acknowledge we will never see eye to eye on the topic of absolute truth until the validity and authority of the Bible is resolved. As Christians, we believe the Bible is the ultimate standard of right and wrong, which dictates how we are called to live. "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:12-13). Therefore, those who reject the Bible as their ultimate authority will struggle to accept why our ideology differs and why we are unrelenting in our position, especially on hot-button cultural issues (i.e. LGTBQ rights, gay marriage, transgender bathroom laws, abortion, etc.) Perspective is key though, and God's Word reminds us to focus our attention on holding our brethren of faith accountable rather than those outside the church who reject our doctrine altogether. "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside" (1 Corinthians 5:12-13a).
Knowing who we are advised to judge forces us to consider what we are judging, how we are communicating our examination, and for what purpose? In ALL cases, we must ensure that love is our supreme motivation when judgment is called into action. Paul reminds us, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load" (Galatians 6:1-5). No man who sees his brother in Christ living in sin should feel content to remain silent so as not to be perceived as "judging." Jesus did not shy away from rebuking the sinful thoughts and behavior of His disciples, but admonished them in a spirit of gentleness because He loved them as a trusted brother. "A new commandment I (Jesus) give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). Therefore, how can we say we love one another and not be willing to bear one another's burdens? However, we must be wise to ensure we are not led astray under the disguise of accountability either. For example, any recovering addict who has remained sober for any length of time can attest that immersing himself in a tempestuous environment in order to help a friend can result in an unexpected relapse of his own. Consequently, we can never assume that under the right circumstances, at the right time, and in the right environment, we will not be persuaded to sin and enticed to obey our fleshly desires like anyone else.
Just as important as our purpose are the words we use to communicate accountability. No man, woman or child will receive righteous judgment if it is packaged and delivered as vulgar, demeaning or manipulative (to name a few). In other words, we must guard against leaving the recipient angry, jaded and seeking retribution when we proclaim judgment, for "why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God" (Romans 14:10). Conversely, we must not plant seeds of hopelessness that those whom we judge can indeed change. For example, we as parents must resist the urge to judge our children's actions so severely that we crush their spirits when we correct their behavior and discipline them accordingly. Similarly, we must avoid judging current sins by filtering them through past failures. Like a scarlet letter, many of us bear the wrath of poor decisions once made and reap the consequences of our actions regardless of whether they are warranted. Therefore, why would we cast judgment on others based on the knowledge of who they once were? If they have truly changed but still struggle with temptation (like we all do), why are we so eager to forget we once forgave them? Why hold them bound and captive to our preconceived judgments? Perhaps it is because we regard ourselves more highly than we ought or have forgotten what it was like to live unashamed in sin when we rejected God. In any case, Scripture reminds us, "Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9b-11).
Jesus said, "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). This truth magnifies the fact that judgment flows inward first and then outward in accountability. We cannot in any way, shape or form judge others on any issue without willingly applying the same standard of righteousness to our own hearts. That is why Jesus emphasizes in Matthew 7:1-5 the importance of self-examination before judging others for their thoughts and actions. It is hypocritical to live under the premise, "Do as I say, not as I do." But more often than not, we pick apart what we see in others without taking into consideration whether we are scrutinizing ourselves according to the same standard. Scripture promises, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil" (2 Corinthians 5:10). Therefore, we ought to be far more concerned about the log in our own eye as opposed to the speck in our brothers and sisters of faith, because our spiritual maturity is measured by how we apply God's Word in our own lives first and foremost. That does not mean we ignore, rationalize or justify the speck in others, but we hold one another accountable based on personal experience and empathy rather than pride, remembering what it once felt like (and to this day still feels like) to struggle with sin. In other words, we filter our judgment of others through a recognition of brokenness in our hearts over sins we have committed, in order to come alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ through love and humility. It is a perspective shift where judgment is no longer a cross to bear but an opportunity for sanctification, because "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). Moreover, it provides credibility when we step out in faith and judge others that our counsel/accountability will be welcomed and received because it is genuine and trustworthy.
The simple truth is this: "The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:35-37). "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds" (Jeremiah 17:10). Knowing our place in the grand scheme of eternity is critical to remember when the urge to judge others wells up within us. We are not our brother's ultimate judge, jury or executioner, for only God has the authority and power to condemn and sentence mankind. However, we are our brother's keeper in the sense that we are called to speak truth in love from humble and pure hearts, motivated by compassion and empathy in order to "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Judgment is only evil when it is void of love and filled with vengeance and retribution. Therefore, when the Spirit urges us to speak we must obey, because "better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy" (Proverbs 27:5-6). Accountability is never easy because people are incredibly passionate about not being judged. But the more we embrace judgment as love personified, we will be more willing to be held accountable by others and more compassionate in how we communicate truth in love to those who need gentle reproof and wise counsel. "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
