The devo commented that there are two types of judgements we should not make. The first is judging a person’s motives. The reason why someone did what they did, or said what the said. Unless we ask them “why”, we don’t know why. Only God knows their heart.
The second judgement is based on appearances. I’m not thinking of skin colour, but the house they live in, the car they drive, or the job they have. If they live in a big house then we think they must make a lot of money. If it’s more than we make, it must be too much!
I’ve heard the saying, “you are the car you drive.” That’s a guy thing. How do we know that the car they have wasn’t a gift? Or maybe the result of an insurance claim or the blessing of an inheritance? Do we have all the facts? And - is it really any of our business?
The most serious judgement is whether or not someone is a Christian. I think this is a really dangerous conversation. “Is so-and-so really a Christian? They don’t act like it.” Act like what? Like, if they aren't gentle, kind, self-controlled or patient then their faith is fake? LOL - in my case, I flounder on all of those characteristics - but I do know who my Lord is. I’m trying to work on the list - and it ain’t easy. Gimme a break, ok? Tomorrow I get another chance.
“Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others , you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2)
I take it quite hard when people who are wiser than me, more learned than me or (gasp) have been to Bible College (!) make judgemental comments. I’ve confronted them, only to have them cleverly say, “I’m not judging”. But they are. And if these people are in a leadership position, they seem to think that they have the license to always be right. Why do I look up to people who are looking down on others?
All of us who profess our faith are working out our faith. Sometimes we get it right. Other times we mess it up. But we’re working it out as best we can.
Only God can judge. Everyone else needs to take a chill pill.
A lot of people find confusion between passages that say "do not judge lest ye shall be judged," and others that say "expel the immoral brother," or show Jesus tearing someone a new one for being a giant douche. As Christians are we called to judge people? Scripture seems to imply it, but it also says we shouldn't? What's up with that?
ReplyDeleteThe balance that I've found comes in understanding the difference between a constructive judgment and a coercive judgement. A constructive judgement seeks to hold someone accountable to the standards that they profess to hold, while a coercive judgment tries to hold them to YOUR standard. Whenever Jesus is getting judgy, he's always holding someone up to the standard they've set for themselves. With the Pharisees, that comes off as scathing. With the Samaritan woman at the well it was gently corrective. With the tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners, it was a call to take up a standard, not condemnation for failing to live up to something they never claimed to.
You're right, unlike Jesus we don't have the license to always be right, but we do have the responsibility to call into question actions that don't line up with the faith we profess, if only to "keep the name of God from being blasphemed among the Gentiles". I'd expect (and regularly receive) the same correction, whether I'm happy to hear it or not.
I'm not, however, happy to hear someone judging my understanding of the Gospel and the outworkings of my faith against their understanding of the Gospel. There is definitely some Black and White in the Christian faith, but in between is the Greyce we live most of our in.
Thanks for the reminder, Scott.
The Bible say don not Judge, but also BUT WHEN YOU JUDGE.... The difference is the Bible says not to Judge someone in the sense of Heaven or Hell. So say someone lied, you shouldn't BE their judge and say "you lied therefore you're going to hell",, but we should judge right from wrong and say "that action was wrong". the Bible says if we don't inform a brother he is sinning when we notice he is WE ARE SINNING and HIS BLOOD WILL BE ON OUR HANDS.
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