Selie Visa
"Who are you to judge me? Only God can judge me." Does this sound familiar? There are several meanings of judging. The term must be interpreted according to where, why, or how it is used.
Judging in scripture refers to bearing false witness, discriminating, condemning, or demeaning someone out of jealousy or hatred. Judging is also about forming a personal opinion or conclusion about someone without knowing any facts about him or her.
To judge or not to judge? Take a look at some scripture passages.
1) Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (Matthew 7:21)
2) Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)
3) Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? (Luke 12:57)
4) Stop judging by mere appearances, and make the right judgment. (John 7:24)
5) Do you not know that the saints 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! (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)
6) Open your mouth and judge judiciously. (Proverbs 31:9)
The Levites were Judges. They judged many things among the people. Parents watch and judge their children. They appreciate and encourage them when they do something good. But when their children are wrong, they correct, discipline them, and teach them the right thing to do. Teaching is judgmental since the teacher must show the wrong-doings of the learners or students. All methods of preaching are also forms of judging. It is impossible to preach a sermon without elements of judging.
• Ezekiel 22:2 "Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her detestable practices."
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
• 2 Timothy 4:1-5 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and given his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and discharge all the duties of your ministry.
"You shall not judge" is one of the most misunderstood and misused phrases in the Bible. We must teach, rebuke, correct, encourage, and instruct one another and we must not assume these things as judging. It is important to understand the motive behind what a person is telling you.
A person can be accused of “judging” or intolerance when they speak out against something like abortion. Pro-choice goes with the slogan "My body, my choice". This infers that nobody should try to teach, correct, or oppose them. But if opposing sin is wrong, then the roles of pastors and preachers will be limited to flattery.
a) Untrue judgment is wrong. We are to speak the truth.
b) Hypocritical judgment is wrong. When we point out the sin of others while we commit the same sin, we condemn ourselves.
c) Superficial judgment is wrong. Passing judgment on someone based solely on appearances is sinful. “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly” (John 7:24).
To call adultery, sexual immorality, or idol worship a sin is not condemnation or judgmental because they fully agree with God's word. When Jesus said not to judge others, he did not mean that no one can identify sin. What we say should be based on God’s definition of what is wrong and what is right as revealed to us through his word.
John the Baptist was preaching repentance in the wilderness, and proclaiming the coming Messiah. His dress was like the ones worn by the Old Testament prophets. His diet was locusts and wild honey. By any standard, his lifestyle was strange and unusual. But he was a unique person. He didn't go about looking for an audience. People from Jerusalem, Judea, and the entire region of Jordan flocked in to hear him in the deserts. The Pharisees and the Sadducees came to listen to him even though John the Baptist called them a brood of vipers. John the Baptist was not afraid of the high and mighty worldly powers. He boldly condemned the immoral act of King Herod. King Herod married his brother Philip's wife and she was his half-sister too. What can we learn from John the Baptist?
Believers are warned against judging others unfairly, but Jesus commands us to give the “right judgment”. Jesus has given us permission to tell right from wrong, to teach and correct with patience and love. Therefore, do not be hasty in saying, "Who are you to judge me?"
Sometimes some of us take up a general statement and turn it into a personal issue. We are all wired differently. Some people don't harbor criticism for long. The sensitive types become agitated and will continue the same debate for days. One of the toughest problems we have to deal with is our ego. We may realize that we have been wrong about certain things. But our ego would neither let us admit it nor change ourselves.
We are not to please men and gain their approval. God's approval matters above all. We must be bold in declaring the truth while not forgetting how to present it. For believers, it is imperative to have a learning spirit because it is necessary for spiritual growth. And a learning spirit can dwell only in someone with humility.
We are always in the process of transformation. But the change for the better can happen only if we dig deeper into the treasures of the word of God with prayers and praises and by surrendering ourselves to Him.
