I once received a gift from a friends mom who, at the time, was quite inebriated. It was a picture, and on the back, she signed it, "Never Judge. This is what I know..." I turned the picture around and on the front of the picture was the Lord's Prayer! This got me thinking about judgment (for the next several decades). What did she mean? Do not judge her character because she was very drunk?
Ultimately, I feel like this article is fighting against what the world calls "tolerance." As in, we are supposed to tolerate everyone, for everything, and never be intolerant. But the problem is, God made us to be "rulers" (Genesis 1:26), which requires making judgments. Not only that, but not tolerating people who come across as judgmental is being intolerant of those who are "judgmental." That sounds redundant to say, but when people are pressing their views of tolerance, the truth is, they themselves are being intolerant.
The following is taken from a former post, which seems to deserve its own spot in the world today. People believe that judging another person is the wrong thing to do, as in, it is sinful. But on the contrary, Jesus tells us to judge others, as you will discover below.
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I think this now brings us to a question of judgment. The world often tells us that it is wrong to judge, but that itself is a judgment. I have heard it said that Matthew 7:1 is the most popular Bible verse in the world, but nothing beyond the first few words. The problem with this is that Jesus tells us How to Make Judgments in the beginning of Matthew chapter seven:
“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? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
First of all, “Judge not” is a judgment. Granted it is coming from the Judge of the world, but this command is not all there is to this passage. Jesus tells us to take things that block our vision out of our eyes to make correct judgments. In other words, He is telling us how to judge correctly. There are several other places in the Bible where we are taught to make good judgments, even about other people. For instance, in order to keep it easy to remember, we will go from Matthew chapter 7 to John chapter 7. Jesus says to those trying to kill him that they should not judge by mere appearances, but that they should make correct judgments (John 7:24). Jesus is telling us to make judgments, even about other people.
Let’s also quickly look at Galatians 6:1-2: “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
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From the title: Not never, but forever:
In the passage below, Paul shows us that we should be making good judgments now, because in eternity, we will also be making judgments. Heaven is not playing a harp, sitting on a cloud, my friends... Read below.
"If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!"
~Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:1-6
Put into practice making "right judgments." How do you think you have been doing in this task that God has set before you? If you are one who has said that it is wrong to judge others, then it is clear that you have not only judged incorrectly, but are disobedient to the Word of God. The good news is that this is easily resolved. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we (Christians) confess our sins, He is faithful and Just to forgive us for our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Confess your moral failures to Him who is the Judge, and know that He forgives you, and makes you clean.
"Do not judge by mere appearances, but make a right judgment." ~Jesus
Written by Nace Howell through the grace of the Lord Jesus
© Nace Howell, 2020
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