3 biblical reasons why Christians should judge

From Christian Post.com (Aug. 20, 2022):

How often have you heard it said that “it’s not a Christian’s job to judge?” This widely accepted sentiment within American churches is one that is actually not as biblical as many would lead you to believe. It stems from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7 when Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

When taken out of context, Jesus’ words seem to exhort Christians to ignore the sins of other believers and exhibit acceptance of them anyway, because, after all, Christians don’t have a right to tell other Christians they’re wrong since we are all sinners. However, this message is not at all what Jesus meant, nor is it consistent with a biblical understanding of judgment.

How not to judge

Rightly judging is an integral part of the Christian life. If a brother or sister is living in unrepentant sin, it is actually unloving not to call them to repentance. In Matthew 7:5, Jesus goes on to say,

“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.”

When read in proper context, Jesus in this verse is actually warning against hypocritical judgment. When we point out the sins of others while we are guilty of unrepentantly committing the same sin, we are guilty of hypocrisy. If we repent of our sin and remove the log from our own eye, then we can see clearly to judge our brother and call him to repentance.

A Christian should also be careful not to judge superficially.  In John 7:24, Jesus says, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

This means that Christians should neither judge based on appearance, as Simon the Pharisee did in Luke 7, nor jump to conclusions without considering all of the facts. Proverbs 18:13 says, “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.”

Self-righteous judgment is also forbidden in Scripture. The clearest example of this is the way Jesus rebuked the Pharisees throughout the four Gospels. In the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18, the Pharisee was confident that he was in right standing with God because he was not like the tax collector. Yet God did not forgive the Pharisee’s sin because of his self-righteousness. Right judgment requires us to judge with humility rather than with pride.

Harsh judgment that offers no grace is also wrong. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:2 that, “In the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” When we judge a brother or sister in Christ harshly, showing them no grace, we neglect the grace that has been shown us.

Opposing sin is not wrong; indeed, we are called to hate sin. Calling a brother or sister in Christ to repentance is loving, and in fact, it is needed in the Church. It’s the way in which we judge that we should be careful, humble, and prayerful. [read more]