Judge / Judge Not
There is SO MUCH confusion in the church about judging and we shouldn't judge anyone, ever, because GOD says "Judge not, lest ye be judged." The problem is, GOD says a lot of things about judging others and THIS IS THE ONLY VERSE ANYONE CAN REMEMBER!! AND they don't know where this verse is and can't tell you the context, either. Let's clear ALL OF THAT up right here, right now. Shall we?
What is a judge?
judge: a public official appointed to decide cases in a court of law.
So, you're right. We are not judges... unless you're a judge. Then you ARE a judge, but... not in life. You're a judge over your cases in your courtroom. You are not a judge over other judges cases in other courtrooms... unless you're a higher judge, but then, you're only a judge over certain judges and their cases in a supervisory role. You're not a judge in life. You are not the presiding judge of the elementary school when you drop of your daughter at school. You're "Kevin".
Now, we may not be judges, but does that mean that we cannot judge? Or we should not judge? Let's see.
judge: form an opinion or conclusion about.
Oooohhhh... well now every single one of us do this every day. Don't we? Yes, we do. All of us. AND... if you told someone, "Hey! Don't you form an opinion!! You don't get an opinion about anything!! Ever!!" They are likely to instantly become your enemy. And it's hypocrisy, as you would be equally offended if someone came along and TOOK AWAY your right and ability to have an opinion or allow your voice to be heard, should you choose to speak.
And if you see something happen, who is more sure than you as to what just happened? You know what you saw! You were there and witnessed the whole thing. Do you have an opinion? Yep. Can you tell us what happened? Yes! What is your conclusion? Oh? That man there is guilty? He did what? Oh! You're right. Are you a judge? Yep. Is that wrong? No! Not at all. You have information. You have experience. You have a brain and you can think, so you will form opinions about everything around you as you live life.
Judging.
Wisdom is the use of knowledge and requires judgment. You have to have an opinion about something to take action. All of our lives and everything we do is a result of our judgement on our situation. We judge how to use our time, resources, etc. based on what we see around us or know to be true and we judge the situation. We form opinions and come to conclusions and then go about our day accordingly, or any conversation or engagement with any human or item or electronic device, or whatever.
So... we all judge. Every day. All day. And it's not bad. It doesn't "make us a judge".
But... there's good judgment and bad judgment, right? It can be done the right way and the wrong way. It can bring benefit and help or it can be hurtful and destructive.
Depends on the person doing the judging, huh?
What is in their heart? What is their intention?
Those are hard questions to get answers to as most don't have the guts to ask and most who are asked don't have the guts to be honest about it.
And so we see the difference GOD talks about when HE says that we judge by outward appearance (no investigation), while HE knows the heart and the TRUTH. We can know also, sometimes, if we take the time to inquire and ask questions... seek answers, truth, and evidence. But, that also depends on the person being asked and whether or not they are going to be forthcoming. Sometimes not, and that's what makes a good investigator. Follow the clues, find the facts, and collect the evidence. Why? So we can know the TRUTH!!
Okay, so everyone judges all day, every day, and that's not always a good thing or a bad thing. But life requires judgment and having sound judgment is good. We can agree on that?
So then, now that we have this established in this conversation, let's just practically look at different KINDS of judgment and what GOD has to say on the matter in HIS WORD, shall we? Then, we can just love GOD and be obedient to HIS WORD, exercising good judgment if and when we are supposed to according to the standards that HE sets for judging.
TO JUDGE OR NOT TO JUDGE, that is the question.
DO NOT JUDGE!!
Since this it the overwhelming majority of what we hear regarding the subject of judgment, let's start with "DO NOT JUDGE!!" Lots of people like to yell this. In the moment, it serves their purpose. It aligns with them. But make no mistake. These people have formed conclusions and opinions and have judged others their whole life. They are hypocrites. All of us are. They don't know it. The whole idea escapes them, and their OPINION (lol) is that they are above it, and you are below it. They are beyond judgment and have ascended passed it, while you are still a prisoner to it or a supporter of it. Really, it's delusion. They do not accept reality. They twist their reality with their imaginations and accept the world they create in their minds. They are god. They rule their world with their opinions and conclusions and then exercise their judgment onto others... while yelling, "Do not judge! Who made you a judge?" Many call this type of behavior "mental illness" and in the past have had some of these people committed for treatment and therapy; counseling. Now days, they run free on the streets, living life; getting on the news and spreading their sickness to the masses. So they are multiplying. A judgmentacolypse. Just like Satan to cause so much confusion leading to hate and violence, no? That sounds like just his bag. And it works, and it's proof that GOD is right. Satan is the god of this world. Look at the proliferation of this mind-set.
HOWEVER... just because they are crazy doesn't mean they are 100% wrong. Satan comes as an angel of light, and most often , he starts with a truth to build trust.
Some judgment is bad and destructive. GOD speaks against it, and so it is sin if a human does it. Let's look at the viability of the "don't judge" argument, because there is some truth here and here at FreeDiscipleship, we acknowledge TRUTH wherever we find it because JESUS tells us HE IS THE TRUTH.
DO NOT JUDGE
BIBLICALLY, how should we not judge?
This may not be the fastest method to do this, but I want to set the standard easy and simple. Repeatable. Pick up your BIBLE. Let's go through it from beginning to end and see what we see.
Before we do that... let's pray. We are going into GOD'S WORD, so let's ask HIM for wisdom, discernment, knowledge, insight, and understanding; that our FATHER would have HIS way with us by the power of HIS WORD, changing us; giving and taking away; molding and shaping us into who HE wants us to be for HIS Kingdom and HIS power and HIS glory. Amen? Amen.
Okay, starting at the beginning of GOD'S WORD we come to...
BIBLICALLY, how should we judge?
We've gone through how we are not supposed to judge, but let us also be very clear here...
GOD tells us to judge.
If you do not desire to be disobedient to GOD (like Satan)... you need to know what GOD says in HIS WORD, yeah? We all do. Let us be doers of HIS WORD and not just hearers only. Let us not be deceived by the world and their god. Let us love GOD and prove it by being obedient to HIM and HIS WORD. Let us, like Abraham, take HIM at HIS WORD, believe, and walk that out.
Once again, let's just start at the beginning of GOD'S WORD and see how we are to judge.
Remember, everything is trash without love
To him who knows what is right (and now you do) and does not do it, to him it is sin. (or her) You're accountable now. All confusion has been dispersed and now you know the TRUTH. What will you do with it? Nothing? I don't think so. That would be sinful. Something? Yes. You will. I'm confident. I pray that you will pray and seek THE LORD and HIS Kingdom, first. Seek HIS will and HIS plan for HIS glory. Be a slave. Be a son. Be a priest. Be an ambassador. HE says you are those things if you are genuinely saved and born again. If you are a disciple of JESUS. I pray you will be those things. I pray you want to. I pray you ask to be them. I pray you "identify" as these. JESUS' disciples did. And GOD tells us through them that they are setting an example for us to follow. (check FreeDiscipleship > Disciples and > Who Am I?)
If you did not know, a "Christian" is a disciple of JESUS, and... our FATHER says the world will know (see the evidence) that we are disciples of JESUS if we love one another. Love is paramount. Everything else is irritation if there is no love. So, love people. JESUS really, really loved people. Even the really sinful people. HE loved them so much. We see much less love towards the puffed-up religious leaders and "authorities" in what we would call the church. HE loved people. HE said HE was setting an example for us to follow. That's also what makes us a disciple of JESUS. We follow HIS examples. We follow the examples set by the disciples, because, once again, HE tells us to in HIS WORD.
If we say that we do not sin, we make HIM a liar, and HIS WORD is not in us.
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