103. Me, Judge?

Matthew 7:1-6, Luke 6:37-42, James 4:11-12 & 5:19-20, Romans 2:1-5

Key Verse: There is only one lawgiver and judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

James 4:12

Wow! "Do not judge!" Isn't that just the catch-all phrase of the day? Author, Josh McDowall, reports that this passage of scripture has become better known in today's generation, than John 3:16 was in our parents' day. We're not supposed to judge. We're not supposed to find fault with others. We're supposed to keep our opinions to ourselves, right? No!! Not at all!! How dare we leave a fellow Christian in their sin! If we do not help a fellow Christian from going astray, we may be risking their life. Is your silence worth that?

No, in today's society, the truth is more like this. When we say, "don't judge," we are really saying, "Don't judge me." We don't want our sins pointed out. We want to stay comfortable in our attitudes and opinions about ourselves. This, however, is not what these five passages teach us.

First of all, we must all acknowledge that we are sinners. Secondly, as Christians, we should be striving to become more like Christ.  Christ was sinless. If we are to become more like Christ, we need to be willing to weed the sin out of our lives, or the plank out of our eyes, as Jesus says here.

We wish that we could keep this culling process between God, and ourselves, but that is not always the way that it works. We need the constructive criticism of others to be able to see ourselves more objectively. We need the help and suggestions of others to see solutions that we may not have otherwise realized. This is part of how we function as the body of Christ.

What we can never be is self-righteous. We must always keep before us the realization that we have our own weaknesses that we must deal with. Just because another person's struggle is not our own, that doesn't mean that we don't have other struggles, or any struggles. We are not really better than anybody else. However, it may be that your strength in one area is meant to help out another in their weakness, just as their strength may help you in your weakness. In this way, we gain a healthy dependence upon one another and we maintain a humble attitude of just who we are in the body of Christ.

It is important to keep in mind Jesus' admonition in Matthew 7:12 which states, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets." How would you like to be addressed concerning your weaknesses? Would you like it to be pointed out and condemned or lovingly addressed? Remember, Paul reminds us in 1 Cor. 13:1, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."

Love makes all the difference in our approach to our fellow Christian brother or sister. Love will make the difference between raw truth, which can be cruel, and constructive criticism, which can be meant to make us more like Christ. Do not look for opportunities to criticize. Instead, be on the lookout for whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable. If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about and seek such things in others. (Phil. 4:8.) 

Only speak about the negatives when that really needs to be said to save a Christian brother or sister from sin, but never pronounce a condemning judgment over them. Your job is to warn, but not to condemn and sentence. That right belongs exclusively to God alone, the giver of the law and the lover of justice and mercy. Remember, you are the one with the plank in your eye. It needs tending to first.

Song: “Word of God Speak” –Mercy Me