Judge Not? Well, Not So Fast

1Corinthians 5: 12-13 It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove the evil person from among you." (NLT)

We sometimes get things so backwards in western Christianity. The church often seems bent on condemning the world at every turn. Railing against the sin that is so evident in the world is easy. They make an easy target because as Paul teaches us in his first letter to the church at Corinth, the things of God are foolishness to them. We see things such as the recent gay marriage law passage in New York and you can almost hear the church scream sinner! They've taken prayer out of school Godless heathens! A famous television preacher falls from grace judge not lest ye be judged!

What? As our key verses teach us, this is considerably backwards. The world already sits under the judgment of God. Our key verses find Paul writing to the Church at Corinth who apparently was experiencing some of the same judgment issues of the modern western church. In fact, here are the preceding verses to the key verses above:

When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn't talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don't even eat with such people. 1Corinthians 5: 9-11 (NLT)

You would have to leave the world in order to avoid people in sin! The Bible describes them as walking in darkness. What does that mean? That means they have no idea where they are going beloved. What we might see as obvious, they simply do not see! It makes no sense to stand in judgment of someone who is blind for not being able to see!

But perhaps the more disturbing side is the other side. Whenever a legitimate concern is raised about a brother or sister the resounding chorus seems to always be "judge not lest ye be judged;" which comes from the Gospel of Matthew:

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7: 1-2 (NIV)

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood and poorly interpreted verses in the Bible, "judge not" actually deals with the subject of hypocrisy and is not meant to be a "carte blanche" against judging. How can we know this when these verses seem so explicit? The context reveals the truth:

"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? 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. Matthew 7: 3-5 (NIV)

The Bible is written very clearly. Here Jesus gives a vivid example to make His point. There are several points He is making here, none of which condemn judgment per se. First of all, we are to not practice hypocrisy. Jesus actually uses the word hypocrite to describe someone in this scenario. It means that if you are steeped in sexual sin in your life then you should not be advising or judging a brother or sister who is failing in a similar area of their life. Why? Because you have no moral authority! If you actively cheat people in your life you should not be passing judgment on another who does likewise. You should not be a hypocrite! Jesus often spoke against hypocrisy:

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Matthew 23: 23-24 (NIV)

What is the point of adhering to the letter of the law when your entire life violates the spirit of the law? Jesus uses exaggerated comparisons to make the point so evident a gnat and a camel or a plank and a speck. And that brings us to the second point Christ is trying to teach us worry about our own walk before someone else. Jesus understood human nature. We don't want to look at the plank in our own eye. We don't want to take a cold hard look at the areas of sin we need to excise out of our lives. It is always so much easier to see the sin in someone else than ourselves. Because it distracts us from having to examine ourselves. That was the point Jesus was trying to make in His example. How many times have we seen someone being "judgmental" when we all know full well they have not mastered that area in their own lives? What is the number one reason why people leave the church? It is not judgementalism but hypocrisy. The number one complaint even from the unbelievers in the world about Christianity is hypocrisy. Jesus uses the exaggerated language of trying to take a speck out of your brother's eye when you have a plank in your own to also show that our hypocrisy will not be missed. The person you stand in judgment on will clearly be able to see the plank in your own eye! How could he miss it! That is the point Jesus was trying to make.

But how do we know that this still does not mean we should not judge? Look at verse five:

Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. Matthew 7: 5 (NLT)

Jesus does not say take the plank out of your own eye and leave your brother alone! He does not say take the plank out of your own eye and don't judge your brother! No. His instructions are that we are to resolve our own issues and then help our brother out. Jesus acknowledges the speck as well as the plank both are important!

The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment Psalm 37: 30 (KJV)

Yet we shy away from it in the western church for concern about offending people. It is far easier to point to those in the world and shake our fingers than take a hard look in our own eyes or the eyes of our brothers and sisters. Don't judge? The Prophet Malachi says differently:

Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. Malachi 3: 18 (KJV)

Jesus Himself addresses the churches at the start of the Book of Revelation. To the church at Ephesus He is critical of them for forgetting their first love but first He commends them:

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Revelation 2: 1-3 (NIV)

You have tested them and found them false. Other translations say that they tried them. The truth is we are not supposed to turn a blind eye to what is wrong within the body. Cain once asked God "Am I my brother's keeper?" The answer from God has not changed down through the centuries. It is a resounding yes! Remember the words of James:

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. James 5: 20 (NIV)

Now, this does not mean to suggest that we should be running through the church judging everyone. A judgmental spirit can be just as destructive to the body. Paul realized this and when instructing the Church at Ephesus he teaches us:

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4: 15-16 (NIV)

If there is no love in your message of truth then it will fall on deaf ears. There are too many barbed wire preachers these days too. Everything we do is not good enough for God to them. The Christ they preach is wrapped in barbed wire waiting to cut us to pieces. The Christ they preach is devoid of the love we know God embodies. There has to be a balance. The speck is important but removing it with an axe is not the way to go. The Bible is a sword, not a blunt instrument to be used to bludgeon people with. So what are the guidelines? Whenever faced with that question it is always wise to defer to what the Bible says the Lord requires of us:

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God Micah 6: 8 (NIV)

First, is there justice in your judgment? Is your motive about God or yourself; some unseen pettiness or jealousy? Is your concern genuine for the condition of the person's walk with God? Remember that the point Jesus makes about hypocrisy is made because hypocrisy removes justice. There is nothing just about someone who is committing adultery judging another who is doing the same. The Lord loves justice:

For the L ord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die. Psalm 37: 28 (NLT)

Secondly, is there mercy in your judgment? That may sound contradictory until you realize how much mercy God has shown us already in our matters of judgment. Mercy is not making excuses. It is understanding the position the other person is in. remember the oft-misunderstood verses from earlier. Jesus says that in the same manner in which you judge others, so you will be judged as well. If your judgment is filled with unmerciful behavior so it will be visited upon you. It is a reminder that we all have fallen short of the glory of God.

Lastly, and possibly most important, is there humility before God in your judgment? Are you lording the judgment over them? Are you taking some unforeseen pleasure in their position of sin? Are you actively praying with them and for them? Do you refuse the temptation to gossip about the situation, even by using the cover of seeking prayer? If we approach whatever uncomfortable situation we find our brother or sister in with these guidelines, we increase the likelihood of a receptive heart. If we speak to them justly, mercifully, and with complete humility before God then we will be protecting them, the body of Christ and ourselves. Because then in the same manner, when we have someone approaching us about the speck in our own eye, will we be met. Leave the world to God. He will draw those who will come to Him. Those that do not answer His call sit under His judgment already. But your dear brother and sister sitting next you...we are their keeper as they are ours.

Reverend Anthony Wade July 5, 2011