To Judge or Not to Judge?

[Christsfreeservant]

“But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,​

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‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,​

And every tongue shall give praise to God.’​

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“So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.​

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“Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.” (Romans 14:10-13 NASB1995)​

Taken out of context, such passages of Scripture as this, are often used to teach that all judging of other humans is wrong. But is it? No, it isn’t!

But first of all let me state that the context here has to do with Christian brothers and sisters in the Lord, some of whom had accepted the freedom given to them, by faith in Jesus Christ, to no longer have to adhere to the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, dietary, and Sabbath laws, and some who were still holding to dietary restrictions and to regarding one day more sacred than others. And they were casting judgment on one another.

And, in this context, they were being instructed that they were not to judge the other, because neither were committing any sin, but both were doing what they believed was right in the eyes of the Lord, and in what they did, they still worshiped God and served the Lord with their lives. So both sides were living for God and worshiping the Lord in truth in what they did and/or in what they chose not to do. And this was acceptable to God.

But the problem we are being faced with today is that so many people are redefining the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they are altering the gospel message to make it more acceptable to human flesh. And so they are redesigning God’s word to fit with their selfish natures and sinful lifestyles, and to give themselves carte blanche to live however they want while still claiming Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives. We are to judge this!

We are to judge willful, deliberate, and habitual sin in the lives of others who call themselves our sisters and brothers in Christ, but not to condemn them and then to just write them off, but in order to assist them in getting their lives going in the right direction. But this can’t be just a matter of suspicion or of opinion, but we have to have factual information before we accuse anyone of doing wrong in the eyes of God and according to the Scriptures.

For there is judging that is wrong. We are not to judge others hypocritically, judging the speck in their eye while we have a log in our own. First we are to take the log out of our own eye, then we will see clearly to take the speck out of our brother’s eye. Nor should we judge by outward appearances only, but with a right judgment. And we should not judge others without first giving them a hearing and learning what they are doing.

We are not to judge according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, and according to the teachings of the Scriptures, taught in their appropriate context. And we are not to judge others for doing what we are doing, in practice, ourselves, if what we are doing is wrong. And we are not to judge others by our own personal opinions or prejudices or culture, comparing them to ourselves, thinking that they are just like us in heart and mind.

But we are to judge obvious and blatant and habitual sin in the life of one who calls himself a Christian. And we are to be those who should be speaking the truth to one another, in love, and who are helping to restore a fellow Christian who has fallen back into sin back to a right relationship with the Lord. And we are to judge blatant and immoral and unchecked sin within the church in order to keep the rest of the church from following suit.

And we should make judgements with regard to false teaching of false gospels and false doctrines which are leading many people to follow after a false god and a false gospel which will land them in hell while promising them heaven as their eternal reward. And we should be exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are, and we should be proclaiming the truth of God’s word in hopes to save some out of the pit of destruction.

So, not all judging is wrong. But some people would have you to believe that it is. What is wrong is judging that is hypocritical, false, unjust, in hate, by human standards, by comparing others to ourselves, and based on our own culture, with the wrong motives, prejudicially, and for evil and nefarious purposes. For all of us one day will have to stand before the judgment seat of God and we will have to give an account for what we did in this life.

And the Scriptures teach the indication of those who are true followers of Christ are those who have left their lives of sin behind them, and who are now following Jesus Christ with their lives in obedience to his commands, in holy living, in practice, by the Spirit, in the power of God. So if sin is what you practice, and not obedience to our Lord’s commands, then you will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what your lips profess.

Verses on Judging: [Matthew 7:1-6; John 7:24,51; John 8:15-16; Romans 2:3; Galatians 6:1-5; 1 Corinthians 2:15-16; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 1 Corinthians 6:2-5; 1 Corinthians 14:29; 2 Corinthians 10:12; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4; Ephesians 5:11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 5:19-20; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 John 2:18-20; 1 John 4:1; Jude 1:22-23; Revelation 2:2]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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To Judge or Not to Judge
An Original Work / April 23, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love