To Judge or Not to Judge, That is the Question

We know how to take a man to space and get him back safely to earth. We can cure diseases and build a phone/computer/t.v. that fits in our pocket.  But we still don't know how to apply biblical judgment or even if we have any business judging at all.  And why not?  I submit to you its because we don't really know our Bible and because of that we do not really know our God.

We have been created by God in his image.  He has gifted us with many glorious things including the ability to reason - to examine, test, ask questions, discern, and judge.  This gift functions, in part, as a protective device.  Just as our nose above our mouth prevents us from putting spoiled food into our bodies and our sense of touch keeps us from leaving our hand on a hot stove, the ability to reason is there to help us make godly decisions.  The ability to reason is unlike our reflexes or senses; Not only must it be developed, God holds us personally responsible for how we use it.

We don't know how long the world was without sin, but when the story was penned the first couple didn't make it past the 3rd chapter of Genesis.    Eve had the gift of reason, as did Adam. Eve was "reasoning" why it would be beneficial to do as she pleased in spite of whatever warning God gave her through Adam.  She reasoned poorly.(Gen 3:6)  Adam was also a poor steward of his ability to reason, as he not only did not stop his wife, he joined her in the crime.  God let his will be known and they chose to defy him. In turn, God justly and rightly held them both accountable. 

Read Isaiah 1. In it, God lists in great detail the deprivation and guilt of his people.  He tells them to "stop doing wrong, learn to do right!  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed...".  Then he pleads, "Come now, let us reason together".  Throughout the Old and New Testaments God tells us what is wicked and what is righteous.  In order to be able to comply with his commands, I must make it my business to know one from the other. Enter, the exercise of reasoning.

We are called to reason and yes, make judgments with the mind of Christ.

Our God tells those who are spiritual to "make judgments about all things" (1Cor 2:15) and to "pay careful attention...to what we have heard" (Heb 2:1) and to "test the spirits".  Paul says in 1 Cor 5:3 of the brother committing sexual immorality that "I have already passed judgment on the one who did this.."  Much of the New Testament teaches us how to judge rightly.  Often, it is focused on judging the church itself.
  
But what about, "judge not lest ye be judged" or "let the one who hasn't sinned cast the first stone"?

Does this prove that Scripture contradicts itself?  Absolutely not. What it does prove is that one needs to have a solid understanding of the Author.

God calls us to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  It takes all four to love him well.  I am responsible before God to know the difference between wickedness and righteousness and act accordingly.  Part of what it means to mature in the faith is to constantly train myself to distinguish good from evil and (Hebrews 5:14)  to "get rid of all moral filth and.. evil." (James 1:21)  To do so, I must know what God considers moral filth and evil and then use good judgment so I can get rid of it.

I am obligated to rightly proclaim God's standard to a lost world.

I am NOT called to hold people in contempt or condemn them. 

This, God will not tolerate.  Just check out the parable of the unforgiving debtor in Matt 18:22-35.  That should be enough incentive to make a correction- and fast!

The world says Christians are judgmental.  (I find this kind of funny, because in order to make the statement, they have with condemnation, judged us.)  But some Christians think so, too.  Some within the church body say that we need to stop being judgmental in order to draw people back in.  Look, Christians have done some mean things with their Bibles held up high ready to strike a sinner on the head. We've spoken truth without love.  Guilty as charged.  But that does not in any way mean we should prove we are loving by denying God's call to be righteous as he defines it. 

We cannot lower the standard that God sets.  We cannot preach only part of the message.  To do so, is to create another false gospel.  What we can do is repent and ask forgiveness when we've spoken with contempt or condemnation. We need to judge things rightly and be as sure as possible that we are walking in the Spirit before we open our mouths.  None of us  knows how any individual's story is going to end.  I'm sure there are a few people you can find who thought I was a hopeless case.  Some probably still do.

The task before us is this:  know God's Word, know the character of our God, stay true to the whole counsel of the Word so that we can rightly judge good from evil to keep ourselves and each other from sin and to persuade others of the blessings of doing the same. 

This is our calling.



Scripture references from Life Application Study Bible, New International Version, Tyndale and Zondervan Publishing, 1989.