Only God truly knows the condition of someone’s heart. People get mighty upset if a person’s professed Christianity is questioned. Some of that is justified, but they miss a larger point: Many people will insist that someone is saved and not realize they are being just as judgmental.
Think about it: Claiming that someone isn’t saved implies that you know their heart. But claiming someone is saved implies the same thing. So a little consistency should be in order.
By the way, despite myths to the contrary, Jesus never said not to judge. He said not to judge hypocritically.
Matthew 7:1-5 “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. “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 7:16-20 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
He tells us to judge, but it isn’t easy or perfectly accurate.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
Christians are in a constant process of maturing, so we should not expect people to all be at the same stage. But if they claim to be Christ-followers yet deny his teachings, have no interest in viewing the world and the Bible as He does, pick and choose the parts of the Bible they like, ignore correction and teach the opposite of what the Bible does on many issues, then what conclusions should you draw?
There really is no way around making judgments. The questions are whether they are well informed and what we do with them.
Filed under: Bible, Favorites | Tagged: Bible, Heaven, Hell, judge, religion
I have studied the topic of judging, again and again, Thanks for the supporting verses and the clarification that we are to judge, but in humility, not pridefully or hypocritically. I agree.
From my POV, people often resort to the “do not judge” argument simply because they don’t like to be told when they’re wrong. At the same time, such a person would not usually have a problem “judging” Christians when they fall.
Lastly, we can’t take everyone’s word for it when they profess to be a Christian.
Excellent post and ditto to what your previous commenters have said. I just posted those verses on my blog last night in response to a gay man ending one of his comments to me by saying “judge not let ye be judged.”
After coming across this post, I’ve added your link here to my comment to him. But like LorMarie said in her comment, he’s just a person throwing out that scripture because he doesn’t want his lifestyle to be considered a sin.
My first visit here and this blog is great with a WEALTH of information! Great work!
Hi all – thanks, and good points. The irony of judging others for judging is usually lost on those folks.
Carlotta – welcome, and thanks! I added you to my blogroll and Google reader.
Typically, the “Don’t judge” statement is put out to shut down the Gospel.
Neil,
This is a good post to bookmark (refer to) when we write our Hell Series…
We humans, whether we believe it or not, all judge others all the time. It’s part of the human condition. We couldn’t leave our house if we didn’t. Making judgements is natural, but it’s a tricky business.
If you’re walking down the street and what is obviously some loud and hostile-sounding males walking toward you, if you’re wise you will “judge” them to be dangerous and get away from them as quickly as possible. If you hear someone hollering, cussing and shouting in public you will judge them to have a bad temper and a lousy vocabulary.
In the first instance, you are probably right. The men are more than likely extremely dangerous. In the second instance you could be wrong. You don’t know why the person has lost his/her composure, and it’s possible under the same circumstances you just might act the same way.
You might see a tall, well-dressed woman who carries her head high and judge her to be stuck-up. I have been told more than once that upon first seeing me the person thought I was stuck up. Nothing could be further from the truth, so judging people on appearance alone can lead one astray.
There’s an expression: “There’s no one as hypocritical as an old whore.” Sorry, but that’s the expression, and it is because many women who have aged and learned the error of their ways judge those who are doing the same thing as they did, and they judge them harshly. Because they themselves erred in the same way when they were young and knew no better, they should have more compassion. I believe that to be one example of the sort of judgement Jesus is referring to.
Wow! I got a bit carrried away with this comment.
1 Corinthians 2:10-16
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
Neil,
You said “Think about it: Claiming that someone isn’t saved implies that you know their heart. But claiming someone is saved implies the same thing. So a little consistency should be in order. ”
Good way to look at it. I think a lot of it comes down to that splinter/log thing. Do we judge others like we would judge ourselves? If we could have an out-of-body experience, how would we judge our own actions?
Also, there is something, that says we ARE supposed to judge fellow Christians. I hope that if I have sin in my life, one of my brothers/sisters will love me enough to point it out. At that time, I can compare the actions/feelings to the Truth and correct my ways.
“Good way to look at it. I think a lot of it comes down to that splinter/log thing. Do we judge others like we would judge ourselves? If we could have an out-of-body experience, how would we judge our own actions?”
Good point, Randy. Do you ever find yourself mentally criticizing someone and then realize that you do the very same thing! Someone put me on hold once and I was pridefully thinking how I didn’t like it, then realized I had just done the same thing to someone else. That’s just a little example. It happens fairly often . . .
If we don’t judge, who will? How are people to improve themselves without the help of others judgement?
Elisa, I have no idea where your statement comes from! In my experience, the don’t judge statement is comming from religious people – not the other way around.
great post. we are judging people, in a way, when we introduce them to Christ.
The old guy is wrong, its time to change to the new guy.
this is a judgment.
i have messed up my life, i need to change it .
this is a judgment.
without judgment on ones life, conversion and repentance will not happen.
I very much enjoyed this post. “Think about it: Claiming that someone isn’t saved implies that you know their heart. But claiming someone is saved implies the same thing” Excellent insight. Thanks for sharing…
Thanks, CC.