“John, you jerk!! Why are you writing about judging again???!!!! You’ve written about it a thousand times!!!! Get over it already!!!”
You have a point. When I posted a quote from R.C. Sproul about Christians having no reason to be smug, I wasn’t expecting a lecture about how the ‘vast majority of Christians love to correct other people.’ But I gotta play the hand I was dealt so let me hash through this one more time.
Christians who don’t judge are useless.
“JOHN YOU INSUFFERABLE JERK!!!! Don’t you ever READ THE BIBLE??!!! JESUS said…”
As you’re pasting Matthew 7:1 into the comment section, I’ll gently suggest that you judged me. You discern that I need to be reminded of what the scripture says. You have judged my heart to be lacking some of God’s word. You noticed a log in my eye and I sincerely appreciate your attempt to help me remove it.
“NO, JOHN!!! I’M NOT JUDGING YOUR HEART!!! I’M JUST HELPING YOU!! NICE TRY AT MISREPRESENTING ME!!!”
I’m just helping you. I’m exposing your hypocrisy so you can repent and let God take it away. You should immediately stop pretending that it is NOT a judgment to say, “The vast majority of Christians love to correct other people.” It’s probably a true statement. You were trying to correct me when you said it. What’s wrong with loving to correct people?
Nothing.
One of the reasons God gave us the Bible is so we can correct others. The first step in correcting a person is judging that they need correction. I never take offense when someone judges that I am wrong. Fools despise wisdom and by the grace of God I am not a fool.
So stop treating me like a fool. Stop telling me the Bible forbids Christians exercising judgment. Stop telling me it’s wrong to correct errors. Stop trying to tell me that a person’s words and actions are completely separate from the condition of their heart. I don’t mind when fellow Christians judge me. I mind very much when they deny that they’re doing it.
(2 Timothy 3:16) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Responses
The two scriptures that’s confusing to me are “Do not judge others lest yea to be judged” and “you will know them by there fruits”. Can you explain the difference between those two to me, so I can understand this correctly.
Nekcihctog Cheri
If we want to understand the Bible, we must do the same thing we would do with any other piece of ancient literature. We must consider the context. That includes the context of time and place. Who wrote each book and to whom was each book written? That also includes the context of each verse. What is said in the passage where it belongs? How does it contrast and compare with respect to other verses on the same topic.
In various places the Bible says that unlike men God judges the heart. I cannot know what is in your heart. You cannot know what is in my heart. All we have the capacity to do is consider what we know of each other’s words and deeds, and we are admonished to do that.
Don’t think so? Read the entire passage.
“Matthew 7:1-6 New American Standard Bible
7 “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? 5 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!
6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
How do we recognize dogs and pigs? By their fruits.
If we love someone, then we judge them as we would have other judge us, with mercy and grace. And Jesus calls upon us to love our neighbor as we love our self.