Do Not Judge. Love!

1.  Do Not Judge

Jesus tells us, “Do not judge.” To judge in this context means that based on our limited observations, limited knowledge, and assumptions, we jump to conclusions, and make an unfavorable judgment on others. We pronounce them as guilty. We condemn them with an unloving and unfair spirit. We are harsh and overly critical so that we actively seek and find fault. We reject them. We exclude them. Judgment is to attack and demean the dignity and worth of the other person, someone who is created by God in God’s image, and who is loved by God. 

“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.”

We cannot judge others because we are not God. When we judge others we claim the competence and authority to sit in judgment upon our fellow human beings. No human being is qualified to be the judge of others because we cannot know what is really going on in each other’s hearts. We cannot assess each other’s motives. When we try to do so, we try to play God. We arrogantly anticipate the day of judgment. We usurp the prerogative of the divine Judge. Only God is perfectly just and righteous. God alone can perform righteous judgment because God alone knows the true nature of humankind, the true heart and true motives of people.

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” (1 Co 4:5) (Jam 4:11-12)

Romans 2:1-11 — ‘You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” (Read at home also Rom 14)

We cannot judge others because we are all sinners, and we are all under God’s judgment. When we judge others we will be judged in the same way with the same judgment and measure we used to judge others. When we judge we claim to know the law. Thereby we set the standard of our own judgment. Have we obeyed and fulfilled the law? No, we are equally sinners and sinful.

The problem is that we judge others so easily because of self-righteousness. We develop a superior, holier-than-thou, attitude towards unbelievers and even other believers. We think that because we are followers of Jesus, a child of God, we are better than others. Judging others makes us blind to our own evil and sin. We forget and we blind ourselves to the grace we have received. We are saved by grace alone. Jesus Christ saved us and gave us this new life. We have done nothing. Therefore, do not judge, but love them unconditionally with the love of Christ.

2. What About Sin?

But what about sin? This passage has been misunderstood and misused to turn a blind eye to sin, to practice cheap grace. Sinners have used this passage to claim cheap grace, asking that their sins be overlooked, and so actually asking for permission to continue with their sin.

The fact that judging and hypocrisy are forbidden here, does not relieve us of our brotherly responsibility towards one another. We should not confuse judging people and rebuking sin in people’s lives. Judgment is when you say, “You are evil. You are bad.” Admonishing a person about sin in their lives say, “What you are doing is bad. Your actions are evil.”

Jesus commands us to rebuke and correct one another. Matthew 18 teaches that if a brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, then Jesus tells us how the church should deal with someone who persists in sin and does not repent. There are many other passages teaching us to correct, rebuke, warn, and admonish—Titus 3:10-11; 1 Timothy 5:19-21. 

Let’s look at Galatians 6:1-4 — “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions.”

Even here in Matthew 7, verses 3-5 indicate that there is something that needs to be dealt with in the brother’s life. How should we go about correcting and rebuking sin?

“You who live by the Spirit,” or “you who are spiritual,” (Gal 6:1), should restore the person. We must first deal with the sin in our own lives, take out the log in our own eyes. We must remember and be aware that we are equally sinners. Therefore, we ask the Holy Spirit to convict us and show us our sin, then we confess and repent. Only those who are poor in the spirit and who mourn, those who know they are sinners and that only Jesus saves them, those who repent and confess their own sins, only they can go and help their others. It’s only then that we can see clearly. We are no longer blinded by our judgment, our self-righteousness, and hypocrisy. 

Verses 3-5 encourage self-examination, self-discipline, and mutual discipline. When we are aware of our own sins and faults we will be more loving, gentle, and encouraging, have more grace when helping, addressing sin in another.

We speak the truth in love. We restore others gently. We are patient and encouraging. (1 Tim 5:1-2; 1 Thess 5:14-15) We do this with gentleness and respect (1 Pet 3:16). Correcting and rebuking are not to punish them or to straighten them out. It is a matter of restoration and repentance. We want to bring them back on the path of Jesus, to help them to grow in and continue to live the kingdom life. We do so with humility remembering that we are sinners also.  

We do so with empathy — we endeavor to feel the weight, the burden of the one being restored; feel with them. Remember how you felt and what you experienced when you were living in sin, or when you sin. Carry each other’s burdens. Correcting one another gives us an opportunity for forgiveness, grace, and unconditional love, not a chance to judge them. 

3. Do Not Force, Be Wise

What should we do with the unrepentant sinner who intentionally, willfully persists in sin and disobedience? What should we do with the unbeliever who keeps on rejecting the truth of Jesus Christ? Some people accept the truth and believe in Jesus Christ. Others reject God. Their hearts are hardened, and the doors are closed to God’s Word. Verse 6 tells us to be wise, practice discernment, and not to force God’s truth onto them.

The holy things and the pearls refer to the gospel truth and God’s kingdom. In Jesus’ time dogs and pigs were ritually unclean. Here they are in contrast to the holy truth and the kingdom. When people persistently reject the truth, they put themselves in the place of dogs and pigs. They place themselves outside, exclude themselves from the kingdom.

We must share, teach, and preach the truth of God’s Word. We must admonish, rebuke and correct where necessary. But when they stubbornly persist in rejecting Christ, we should follow Jesus’ instructions in Mt 10:14-15: “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”  When we persist and force the gospel on them, they may turn on us, and reject Jesus with contempt, hatred, and blasphemy.

I sometimes wonder if the severe backlash against Christianity, the attacks, criticisms, and condemnation we are experiencing, is not perhaps partly due to the fact that we have been trying to force the Christian faith unto people. And we were doing that while having huge logs in our own eyes, while we are hypocrites, while not living the kingdom life before the world so that they can see the truth of Jesus Christ. 

We have no rights or powers over others to force them into faith, into following Jesus, or into the church. Only the Holy Spirit can change hearts and open doors. Therefore, we must pray to God. Judgment, grace, and forgiveness are in his hands. Our love and concern for others should drive us to intercession, praying for others.

Of course, we can never give up on people. Their souls, eternal life is at stake. Therefore, when we can no longer speak the truth to them, we will continue to pray for them. We will continue to love them unconditionally. We will continue to live the kingdom life before and with them, praying that one day the Holy Spirit will convict them and bring them to repentance, and into the kingdom.

4. Love Others as We Love Ourselves

So this brings us back to love. Do not judge others, love them as we love ourselves. Verse 12 sums up the Sermon on the Mount — “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” This is another way of expressing the great commandment of love — Love God with your whole being, and love others as you love yourself. To love others is to do to them what you would have them do to you. 

Judging, condemning others flows out of anger, contempt, name-calling, greed, and lust. All prideful and self-centered heart-attitudes. In contrast to these Jesus calls us to have the heart attitudes of the kingdom. Blessed are the merciful, blessed are the peacemakers. Forgive other people when they sin against you. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. Love others unconditionally as our Father loves them. When we love, when we give up anger, contempt, and name-calling then half the battle is won against judgment.

Discriminating against people because of the kind of person they are, their identity, or what they have done, is hateful and destructive. The gospel of the kingdom has such amazing transforming power in human life. For that gospel, the salvation in Jesus Christ and the new life in Him through the Holy Spirit, opens the kingdom to everyone, no matter their classification, no matter their race or nationality, no matter their identity, no matter what they have done. Salvation is available to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. The power of God’s kingdom enables us really to become a different kind of person in Christ, beyond all condemnation, blame, and shame. We can know and experience this because this is truth. Those who mourn when they step into the kingdom of heaven are comforted. They are given beauty in place of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of grief, and garments of praise in place of a spirit of despair. (Is 61:3)  (see Willard, 222)