Matt. 7:1-3 (ESV) “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
We hear this passage quoted more often by non-believers than by fellow Christians. It’s usually shared with us when we point to some sort of sin or evil deed, some behavior the Bible speaks against. So, are we really not supposed to judge? Is that what Jesus is saying here? Are there times when judging is allowed or even commanded? Let’s see.
Matt. 7: 15-16a (ESV) 5 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits.
This is interesting. Within just a few verses, Jesus tells us not to judge then gives us the criteria for judging false prophets. Can there be differences in how we are to judge?
In verse one, Jesus is speaking against judging people as unworthy because of sin in their lives. That is God’s job, not ours. We are to love them and point them toward the gospel with our words and deeds.
However, there are practices and beliefs that can damage the Christian or the church as a whole. False prophets are attractive to some but can do damage to Christians who are distracted by them and may even fall and become followers. The majority of new cult members are previous church attenders. Someone came to their door or at work and convinced them of a lie. Jesus tells us to watch out for these folks and tells us how to spot them: we’ll know them by their fruit.
What fruit will help us identify these folks? Jesus continues in Matthew chapter seven to say a good tree produces good fruit, a bad tree produces bad fruit. What fruit is He talking about? I think He’s talking about the fruit of the Spirit. That fruit is love, and that love brings joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-conrol (Gal5:22-23). If we don’t see this in the people claiming to be God’s servants, we need to watch out for them.
We also need to watch ourselves. We ar not immune from false teachings.
2 Cor 13:5 (ESV) Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
We are also to keep an eye out at our own churches for people who might mislead some. The entire book of Jude tells us there will be people who will come into the church and corrupt the body. Some of these folks can even gain leadership roles before they show themselves as corrupt.
Why is this important?
While we should not judge people for their way of life, shun them rather than tell them of Jesus, we are to watch for those who might mislead us and others. There is no one we must exclude from hearing the gospel. The people living in sin are exactly the people God wants to hear the gospel. For us to snub them because we think them unworthy is to exclude the truth from those who need it most.
Luke 5:31,32 (ESV) And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
With all you and I have been forgiven of, we have no right to hold the sins of others against them.
No, the judgment we are instructed to make does not concern the sin of others. We are to seek to rescue those folks. The judgment we are to make is to watch for those who would corrupt the body or the individual believer, and even they should be introduced to the gospel.
One last note: We mustn’t start seeing false prophets under every bush, false teachers in every classroom or pulpit. Our job is to allow time for the false gospel to reveal himself. When it does, make it known to an elder or pastor. Then it is the church leadership’s job to deal with it. Leave it to them and them alone.
So, we need to be careful. Judging others can be destructive. Love is our response for all people. As Jude ends his letter, he shows his love even for those disrupting and dividing the church and their followers:
Jude 22, 23 (ESV) And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh
Believers Armed and Dangerous 