What If We Didn't Judge One Another?

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JUDGMENT. What if no one judged anyone as many today demand? Even church people demand this. Even some church leaders. People today cry out in the wilderness---"Do not judge us!" Or "Don't be judgmental!"

Imagine if we all stopped judging.

What would happen to the world? What would happen to church? It will be exactly as the time Moses went up Sinai for 40 days and the Israelites engaged in idolatrous revelry at the foot of the mountain. Without judgment, people are hellbent on idolatry, even church people.

God's judgment is His love. He judges because He wants to correct our ways. He wants us to stay in straight paths. And in the bible, God did this by sending his servants to pronounce the judgment on people. His servants spoke for Him.

If God is in you in Christ, you also should judge because you love your neighbor as yourself. Prophets were called to pronounce God's judgments. And they were hated for it. Just like today.

And today, God wants prophets in church:

And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets... [1 Corinthians 12.28]

People who love to wallow in their sins hate judgment. Ahab and Jezebel hated Elijah for it. Ahab hated Micaiah for it. Haman hated Mordecai for it. The Jews hated Jeremiah for it. John the baptizer was decapitated by Herod for it.

It's God's way---he will always send his servants to judge. He will send a "prophet" (a Godly friend or relative) to you for direction, encouragement, comfort or judgment.

Right Judgment

Jesus did say, "Do not judge, so you won't be judged." But the whole context says get rid of the plank on your own eyes first before you judge your brother. After clearing your eyes of debris, "then you can get rid of the speck of dust on your brother's eye."

Make sure you're clean first before you try to clean others.

Romans 2 further explains this---make sure you are not guilty of the same sin before you judge your brother. There are judgmental folks who love judging others while being guilty of sin themselves. This is wrong judgment.

Another wrong judgment is judging people based on appearances, not truth.

Jesus said: "Make a right judgment [John 7.24].

He also said: "If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately." [Matthew 18.15]. This means you point out his wrong; you can't do this without judging. After all, "judging" means making sensible conclusions about someone or something.

If you accidentally wear a pair of shoes different in color from each, right judgment tells you it's wrong. Everyday, we need judgment to discern right from wrong. If you're going to Cubao, right judgment tells you to ride a bus going to Cubao, not Baguio.

Thus, you cannot live without making judgments.

Some say rebuking and correcting are good, but judging someone isn't.

You cannot correct or rebuke anyone without making a sensible conclusion that he or she is wrong. A sensible conclusion is right judgment. As simple as that.

Judging Everybody

Well, there are those who like telling people they're wrong or telling them what to do. Sensible judgment means you should have wisdom on how and when to release judgment on people. Here are some tips:

1. Judge when God tells you to. But some folks would abuse this. They'd claim God told them to judge everyone they meet. Here are signs God really talks to you:

• You are deep in God's Word. You live it out everyday.
• You are meek. There's no sign of pride or self conceit or self centeredness.
• You have the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus said you will know them by their fruit.

2. Judge when you're asked your opinion. I often just pray for people who are in the wrong. But once they ask my opinion, I declare God's Word like a prophet---direct, outright and fearless. But if I'm not asked, I just keep mum and pray.

3. Judge when people like to control you. A lot of people love to control other people and tell them what to do or believe. If people try to invade your privacy like this, then judge. Tell them to their faces: "YOU ARE WRONG!"

4. Judge those under you. You have the responsibility to judge your spouse and kids and also people who work for you or who are under your leadership or jurisdiction. Teachers can judge their pupils or students while they're in school, for instance. But outside school, they should wait for their students to ask their help or opinion.

Do not judge or correct other people's kids or other teacher's pupils.

5. Let the Word judge when preaching. Do away with harmless or motivational preaching designed not to hurt people. Preach the Word and the Word will automatically do the judging through the Holy Spirit.

Remember: Don't judge anyone in the street you see doing wrong, unless it's a matter of life or death. You cannot tell everybody what they should do. You are not the Holy Spirit. Often, what God wants you to do is just pray for people. 

GOD's Flesh: And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! [Job 19,26-17]