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Do Not Judge

I recently visited another city and attended several sporting events while there. Immediately before entering the hockey arena, while waiting at the street corner for the signal to change, a person with a portable public address system was advising all able to listen to repent of their ways or they would burn in hell fire. While I am one who will agree to a lake of fire, I cannot find Biblical supports to prove a hell fire that is commonly subscribed to by most Christians. What struck me about this person’s style was that he was speaking to others and not including himself. His style was to say, “You need to repent of your sinful life, or you will burn in hell.” Not once did he say, “We need to repent of our sinful lives, or we will burn in hell.” His approach was accusatory, and I believe it is dangerous to live our lives as an accuser of the brethren, as this is the role of Satan. This encounter made me think of scriptures surrounding the ministry of Jesus, and how Jesus judged no man.

John 8:3-15
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

Jesus teaches us to judge not so that we will not be judged, and to condemn not, so that we will not be condemned. He adds that we are to forgive others so that we may be forgiven. If we judge others as sinful while we consider ourselves to be without sin, we are likely to not consider our own shortcomings. To consider ourselves without sin is to have the attitude of the Laodiceans who see themselves as increased with goods and in need of nothing and not realize that we are indeed in need of spiritual clothing.

Luke 6:37-45
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Instead of being concerned with what others are doing or not doing, it is most important we consider doing the things that Jesus says to do. If we do what Jesus tells us to do, we will be able to weather any storm that life may give us and withstand all of the spiritual trials that may come our way. If we do not do what Jesus tells us to do, we will spiritually collapse.

Luke 6:46-49
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

While it is normal for us to be concerned about others, Jesus tells us to be spiritually concerned about ourselves and to not judge others. When we are concerned about judging others, we develop an attitude that makes us superior to the law of God. And when we believe we are superior to the law of God, then we no longer have to do the law as we are in a position to pass sentence on those who do the law. It is this attitude that James describes in chapter four of his epistle.

James 4:11-12
Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

The Holy Spirit that leads us should lead us to a diligent self-examination of ourselves and give us a desire to have compassion for others. This gift that God has given us is not a license to judge; it is a license to not judge; it is a license to have mercy and compassion on others. As we minister to those who do not know the truth, we must approach them from a basis of mercy and compassion and we need to remember that whenever we approach our gift with an attitude of judgment, we make ourselves superior to the law of God.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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