SHINY4UJESUS
Member
-Judgment: Clarifying Contradiction-
" Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. " + MATTHEW 7:1 +
This single verse is perhaps the most widely misinterpreted and misrepresented scripture in the entire bible. It is quickly and rashly used as a lever by both believers and non-believers alike. When confronted with an issue or issues a believer simply doesn't want to accept regarding sin or inconsistency in their walk of faith; we use this as a tool to disregard the correction that other believers attempt to offer. Rather than take an honest look at where we truly stand on the matter, we proclaim, " Judge not lest ye be judged!" When we attempt to witness to a non-believer, many respond to our witness with the same, " Judge not lest ye be judged!", in an attempt to simply avoid having to be accountable.
However, there are several problems with this tendency on both sides. First, when we blindly respond with this single verse we are taking the principle entirely out of context. The way it is used in these situations negates the entire second half of the verse; as our meaning is simply, "Don't judge me!" Second, we limit the actual intention and context of the verse; ignoring the greater scope and inherent principle it exhorts. Third, we fail to take the entire passage as a whole, focusing on one sentence as opposed to understanding what is truly being implied; and in doing so, we miss the whole point of the verse and passage.
If we wish to quote scripture in regards to judgement in any form; we should first understand ALL of what scripture has to say on the matter of judgement. Otherwise it is not our own understanding alone that is impacted, but we endorse further misrepresentation of God and what He is saying to us. So let us for a moment take a look at the entire passage that we can break it down element by element to grasp the full message.
" Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own. How can you say, ' Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your own eye. “ +MATTHEW 7:1-5 +
If you notice, when you take a look at the entire passage the implication is not "Don't judge,'' at all. There are several aspects of this portion that we will look at individually in order to fully grasp the entire scope and intention of it. Let our ears be attentive to what the Lord would tell us; let our eyes be open to the deeper truths contained within the scriptures; let our minds be ready to receive what God would impart; and let our hearts not be hardened, but as good soil so this seed may take deep root and grow forth one day to fruitful abundance! In Jesus precious name we pray...AMEN!
Let's first look at verses 1 and 2(a): There is a concept here that we receive both in nature and proportion to that which we dole out. There is a parallel here to the concept further illustrated in "The Golden Rule," later in Matt. 7:12, " Do for others what you would like them to do for you...,". The idea is that we should be conscious of how we approach a situation like judgement, because we don't enjoy it when others cast judgement upon us; therefore, we must be aware that it is equally unpleasant for others. If we are quick to judge, we have little right to expect others to be patient and slow to judge in regards to ourselves.
We are more than happy to receive grace, mercy and forgiveness from God in Christ; yet all too often we are also equally happy to pass judgement upon others as we feel their lives and walks of faith don't measure up to what scripture teaches. If we readily accept the message of salvation through faith rather than works, then we should endeavor to also reflect that grace in our actions, attitudes and approach towards others. Let us remember that God has given us an immeasurable gift through Christ that we did not deserve; so if He saw fit to freely offer grace, we do well to emulate that type of character and perspective.
Now let us look at verse 2(b): As mentioned, we do not receive of God a harsh or heavy handed measure of judgement; so we should not be so hasty to respond with that kind of judgement to others. God could well have judged us all harshly and rightfully due to our sins and shortcomings...but He did not. God could just as easily have held us accountable for every single action, thought or intention that is contrary to His Word and will. But He did not. This portion illustrates that we should equally judge by the law of grace, rather than legality. We are given an infinitely great measure of mercy, rather than the rightful consequence for our actions; so it seems prudent that we not hold others to the measure of accountability we don't expect we should have to endure.
Finally let’s take a look at verses 3-5: If one reads through the Gospels of the new testament, we see that Jesus was patient, tender, gentle, and merciful in His approach to all mankind...except the religious leaders of the time. When confronting these believers His correction took on a very stern tone of rebuke. The prevalent issue he repeatedly confronted in these leaders was the tendency towards hypocrisy. He did not fault the things they did in obedience, but rather reproved the inconsistencies in their own lives. To Jesus, they had little right to insist others do what God willed while they ignored key elements of what God expected of them.
The final three verses here are illustrating a simple but often overlooked concept: that before we seek to "fix," what is wrong in the lives of others, we should first be sure our own lives reflect what is right and proper. This principle alone is multi-faceted. For one thing; it obstructs the impact and fruitfulness of our witness when those we witness to see the same inconsistencies in our walks of faith. Why would they want to listen to our high minded preaching when we don't follow our own advice? For another thing; while we yet live in sin, we compromise the ability to hear and see God as we should. It creates a type of veil, or wall that affects our ability to sense things of the Spirit and discern the true nature of what we encounter. Lastly; is the unwritten and hidden truth between the lines here, which is the effect it has. If we cannot ''see," properly, we risk doing far more damage than good. Who among us wishes to have a blinded heart surgeon operate on us? Would we not prefer one who could see clearly to properly operate, so that the procedure does not kill us? This same concept applies in the spiritual sense and is implied in the passage's context as a whole.
+ Judgment: Is it right? or Not? +
" Don't you know that someday we Christians are going to judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can't you decide these little things amongst yourselves? Don't you realize that we Christians will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disagreements here on earth." + 1 CORINTH. 6:2&3 +
Not only is it "right," to make judgments, it is literally "Our right," to do so; given of God, by the power of the Spirit, in Christ. Some believers and non-believers would tell us otherwise, but this is not the only scripture that gives confirmation of our freedom...even duty to pass certain judgments. Often we hear it said that we have no right to pass judgement, but that idea is actually never stated anywhere in the scriptures. It’s odd how many times a believer will speak worldly words and somehow confuse them with the Word of God; unwittingly promoting deception without even realizing that the particular concept is not actually God breathed direction.
I would like to clarify a bit however, lest this principle become misinterpreted or misunderstood. Our right to judge does not stem from our standing as man or woman, but as children of God and ambassadors of light. In these judgments there are certain standards and perspectives we must follow, else our judgement is not directed of God's will but of man's heart. This is a concept that is difficult to accept and even more difficult to fully comprehend. It is a serious undertaking with which we must approach in an air of caution and a complete knowledge of the nature of the judgement we are considering.
In this passage there are a few things we do well to note before we employ our right to judge. First, let's look closer at the nature of the judgments the verses allude to. The object of our judgement is critical, please note that the judgments here which are approved are regarding the world, angels and earthly matters.
Nowhere in the passage does it give license to judge the soul, to judge the heart, or to judge the legitimacy of a believer's faith. While we are permitted to make judgments, there are some things that are within our authority and some things that are simply to be left to God. In order to validate the truth of this concept let us look at some scriptures that further solidify the principle being delivered here:
" Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. " + MATTHEW 7:1 +
This single verse is perhaps the most widely misinterpreted and misrepresented scripture in the entire bible. It is quickly and rashly used as a lever by both believers and non-believers alike. When confronted with an issue or issues a believer simply doesn't want to accept regarding sin or inconsistency in their walk of faith; we use this as a tool to disregard the correction that other believers attempt to offer. Rather than take an honest look at where we truly stand on the matter, we proclaim, " Judge not lest ye be judged!" When we attempt to witness to a non-believer, many respond to our witness with the same, " Judge not lest ye be judged!", in an attempt to simply avoid having to be accountable.
However, there are several problems with this tendency on both sides. First, when we blindly respond with this single verse we are taking the principle entirely out of context. The way it is used in these situations negates the entire second half of the verse; as our meaning is simply, "Don't judge me!" Second, we limit the actual intention and context of the verse; ignoring the greater scope and inherent principle it exhorts. Third, we fail to take the entire passage as a whole, focusing on one sentence as opposed to understanding what is truly being implied; and in doing so, we miss the whole point of the verse and passage.
If we wish to quote scripture in regards to judgement in any form; we should first understand ALL of what scripture has to say on the matter of judgement. Otherwise it is not our own understanding alone that is impacted, but we endorse further misrepresentation of God and what He is saying to us. So let us for a moment take a look at the entire passage that we can break it down element by element to grasp the full message.
" Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own. How can you say, ' Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your own eye. “ +MATTHEW 7:1-5 +
If you notice, when you take a look at the entire passage the implication is not "Don't judge,'' at all. There are several aspects of this portion that we will look at individually in order to fully grasp the entire scope and intention of it. Let our ears be attentive to what the Lord would tell us; let our eyes be open to the deeper truths contained within the scriptures; let our minds be ready to receive what God would impart; and let our hearts not be hardened, but as good soil so this seed may take deep root and grow forth one day to fruitful abundance! In Jesus precious name we pray...AMEN!
Let's first look at verses 1 and 2(a): There is a concept here that we receive both in nature and proportion to that which we dole out. There is a parallel here to the concept further illustrated in "The Golden Rule," later in Matt. 7:12, " Do for others what you would like them to do for you...,". The idea is that we should be conscious of how we approach a situation like judgement, because we don't enjoy it when others cast judgement upon us; therefore, we must be aware that it is equally unpleasant for others. If we are quick to judge, we have little right to expect others to be patient and slow to judge in regards to ourselves.
We are more than happy to receive grace, mercy and forgiveness from God in Christ; yet all too often we are also equally happy to pass judgement upon others as we feel their lives and walks of faith don't measure up to what scripture teaches. If we readily accept the message of salvation through faith rather than works, then we should endeavor to also reflect that grace in our actions, attitudes and approach towards others. Let us remember that God has given us an immeasurable gift through Christ that we did not deserve; so if He saw fit to freely offer grace, we do well to emulate that type of character and perspective.
Now let us look at verse 2(b): As mentioned, we do not receive of God a harsh or heavy handed measure of judgement; so we should not be so hasty to respond with that kind of judgement to others. God could well have judged us all harshly and rightfully due to our sins and shortcomings...but He did not. God could just as easily have held us accountable for every single action, thought or intention that is contrary to His Word and will. But He did not. This portion illustrates that we should equally judge by the law of grace, rather than legality. We are given an infinitely great measure of mercy, rather than the rightful consequence for our actions; so it seems prudent that we not hold others to the measure of accountability we don't expect we should have to endure.
Finally let’s take a look at verses 3-5: If one reads through the Gospels of the new testament, we see that Jesus was patient, tender, gentle, and merciful in His approach to all mankind...except the religious leaders of the time. When confronting these believers His correction took on a very stern tone of rebuke. The prevalent issue he repeatedly confronted in these leaders was the tendency towards hypocrisy. He did not fault the things they did in obedience, but rather reproved the inconsistencies in their own lives. To Jesus, they had little right to insist others do what God willed while they ignored key elements of what God expected of them.
The final three verses here are illustrating a simple but often overlooked concept: that before we seek to "fix," what is wrong in the lives of others, we should first be sure our own lives reflect what is right and proper. This principle alone is multi-faceted. For one thing; it obstructs the impact and fruitfulness of our witness when those we witness to see the same inconsistencies in our walks of faith. Why would they want to listen to our high minded preaching when we don't follow our own advice? For another thing; while we yet live in sin, we compromise the ability to hear and see God as we should. It creates a type of veil, or wall that affects our ability to sense things of the Spirit and discern the true nature of what we encounter. Lastly; is the unwritten and hidden truth between the lines here, which is the effect it has. If we cannot ''see," properly, we risk doing far more damage than good. Who among us wishes to have a blinded heart surgeon operate on us? Would we not prefer one who could see clearly to properly operate, so that the procedure does not kill us? This same concept applies in the spiritual sense and is implied in the passage's context as a whole.
+ Judgment: Is it right? or Not? +
" Don't you know that someday we Christians are going to judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can't you decide these little things amongst yourselves? Don't you realize that we Christians will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disagreements here on earth." + 1 CORINTH. 6:2&3 +
Not only is it "right," to make judgments, it is literally "Our right," to do so; given of God, by the power of the Spirit, in Christ. Some believers and non-believers would tell us otherwise, but this is not the only scripture that gives confirmation of our freedom...even duty to pass certain judgments. Often we hear it said that we have no right to pass judgement, but that idea is actually never stated anywhere in the scriptures. It’s odd how many times a believer will speak worldly words and somehow confuse them with the Word of God; unwittingly promoting deception without even realizing that the particular concept is not actually God breathed direction.
I would like to clarify a bit however, lest this principle become misinterpreted or misunderstood. Our right to judge does not stem from our standing as man or woman, but as children of God and ambassadors of light. In these judgments there are certain standards and perspectives we must follow, else our judgement is not directed of God's will but of man's heart. This is a concept that is difficult to accept and even more difficult to fully comprehend. It is a serious undertaking with which we must approach in an air of caution and a complete knowledge of the nature of the judgement we are considering.
In this passage there are a few things we do well to note before we employ our right to judge. First, let's look closer at the nature of the judgments the verses allude to. The object of our judgement is critical, please note that the judgments here which are approved are regarding the world, angels and earthly matters.
Nowhere in the passage does it give license to judge the soul, to judge the heart, or to judge the legitimacy of a believer's faith. While we are permitted to make judgments, there are some things that are within our authority and some things that are simply to be left to God. In order to validate the truth of this concept let us look at some scriptures that further solidify the principle being delivered here: