Judge not lest thy be judged (Matthew 7:1)
In the middle of an interesting Biblical conversation with my mother, she laughingly interjected, “judge not lest thy be judged, Jennifer Dawn.” You know when scripture (and your full name) are thrown by your mama into a conversation, things are getting serious.
Mind you, we weren’t even talking about others. We were actually talking about church attendance and the lack thereof in small-town Oklahoma. How we got to a conversation about judging others, I’ll probably never remember but the topic stayed on my heart for days afterwards.
Have you guys noticed a shift in America? What I mean is that growing up I believed most, if not all, of my friends were Christians. That we shared the same beliefs about right and wrong. I certainly never envisioned an America where Christians would be silenced for Biblical beliefs!
But, things have changed. Cities are outlawing religious freedoms of Christians while supporting religious or political beliefs of others. Cases are being litigated before the Supreme Court where Christians are asking that their 1st Amendment rights be protected. It’s crazy out there!
Matthew 7:1 ~ Judge not, that ye be not judged
Often, non-believers are able to stop a political conversation simply by misquoting Jesus. “Hey, don’t judge or God is gonna judge you.” Well, my reply is always, “Yes, yes He is.” Jesus would never have advised us not to LOVINGLY correct our brothers, leading them from sin. Walking around all holy and above reproach is obviously silly and we must certainly repent and be as free from sin as we can be (mighty hard work for sinning humans) BUT we must also help others in their walk with the Lord.
2 Timothy 3:14-4:1-5
Paul certainly advised that we are called to be preaching the Word all the time; “reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” According to the website Blue Letter Bible, reprove and rebuke are both defined as “finding fault with.” “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
If we are to “find fault” with our neighbors and are called to correct their behavior, how can we do that in a loving way? First, like I said before, we dang well better have our own lives in order. We can’t be living in our own sin and expect to help others right their ship. Hypocritical, right?
So, how might we best aid others in their walk?
- Get on your knees and pray that the Holy Spirit guides your actions and your heart
- Have a humble heart; we’re all sinners and we’ll need correction too
- Make sure you’ve repented for your sins and that you’re striving for a sin-free life with Christ
- Be Biblically ready to explain why you see their behavior as sinful
- Meet one-on-one so as to avoid a feeling of being attacked
- Remember all words must be chosen from a loving-heart (your actions are to be done in love not pride)
- Your job is NOT to change their behavior but to inform them of what the Bible says about sinful behavior
- Ultimately, we are NOT God and can not change their behavior. Guiding another to Christ is all we’re called to do. Then leave it to God to work on their heart.
- Do not get angry and do not let the conversation turn into a “I’m more Christian than you are” conversation. Both parties should walk away at that point (and then repent for their behavior!).
Consider the words Jesus chose
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)
Jesus is clearly explaining that how we judge (condemning, hypocritical, unloving) is important BUT that we are called to judge. “…first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
People, we’re living in a time where tolerance is demanded but not often given. Christians are being silenced. To best counter hateful attitudes and rhetoric, know God’s Word well and continue to spread the Gospel in a loving manner. If you can’t help a person because they refuse to see the Truth, wipe the sand from your shoes and move on. It’s not your job to convert everyone. You are called to share the Gospel. That’s it.
I often imagine myself standing before God and talking to Him as a good friend. I lay before Him the struggle I’m facing (talking to my son about why I don’t believe Pete Buttigieg is a Christian, for example ~ and this is only an example for the purpose of this post). I’ve never met Mayor Pete and really it isn’t my place to determine his status as a Christian but I am able to Biblically point out to my son how Mayor Pete’s behavior and words are not fundamentally Christian. I need God’s help in lovingly showing my son how Mayor Pete twists the Bible to fit his own beliefs and lifestyle.
Am I condemning and judging Mayor Pete?
You bet I am. My Biblical beliefs tell me that Mayor Pete is living in sin. He is openly talking scripture and doing so in an incorrect way. False teachers come to mind. He also considers himself “married” to a man. My Christian beliefs say that God defined marriage differently than Mayor Pete views it. If I personally knew Mayor Pete, I would read the Bible with him and try my best to represent God so as to help Pete get closer to God. But, ultimately, I can’t fix another person’s relationship with God. We’re all alone on that journey.
Ultimately, God loves all of us. We’re all sinners. We’re called to repent from our sin and do our best to not sin. God is way smarter than we are and He knows that we’re all sinners – and He still loves us! We’re called to help each other and love each other, as we are loved by God. Sometimes, loving someone requires that we correct their behavior. Even if they choose to ignore our assistance, we are to continue loving them and praying for them.
The rest is up to them.
