Practical:- 1

The Right Form of Judgment
“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.” Luke 6:37

 Bro. John Lee, Andhra Pradesh

Many people who are ignorant of the rest of the Bible know this verse and use it as a club to silence any criticism or correction. If we study the rest of the Bible, we will learn that there are times when we must Judge as well as times when we must not.

 “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24 While we are to “judge not” as in belittle, punish, or condemn, we are to use sound judgment as in being discerning, evaluating, and shrewd.

 The context of Matthew 5 to 7 chapters is the demand for the superior righteousness of the kingdom.

1. In fulfillment of the Old Testament (Mt 5:17-20).
2. It has called forth warnings against hypocrisy (6:1-18) and
3. The formulation of kingdom perspectives (6:19-34).

But there are other dangers.

1. Demands for perfection can breed judgmentalism (7:1-5)
2. While demands for love can cause a chronic shortage of discernment (7:6).

Now let us see what must be judged and what is not.

 We must judge
1. We must judge teachers and their doctrine by the Word (1 Cor. 14:29). Titus 1:10
2.  We must judge whether others are true believers; otherwise we cannot obey the prohibition against entering into an unequal yoke (2 Cor. 6:14).
3. We must judge disputes between believers (1 Cor. 6:1-6).
4. We must judge sin in our own lives (1 Cor. 11:31).
5.   The local church must judge extreme forms of sin (1 Cor. 5:12).
6.   The local church must judge whether men are qualified to be elders and deacons (1 Tim. 3:1-13).

We must not judge
1. We must not judge the motives of other people because only God knows what is going on in their minds.
2.  We must not judge the service of the Lord's servants (1 Cor. 4:5). There is only One who knows whether they are building with gold, silver, precious stones, or with wood, hay, and straw (1 Cor. 3:12).
3. We must not judge those who differ with us in matters that are morally indifferent or non-essential (Rom. 14:3-4, 13),
4. Finally, we must not judge by outward appearances (Jn, 7:24), or show partiality of persons (Jas, 2:1-4).
 While the Bible denounces fault finding, it applauds fruit inspecting (Matthew 7:15-20). “By their fruit, you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:17). If a person has a pattern of wrong or hurtful behaviour, that information helps us make sound decisions. “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).  This teaching calls for humility, self-awareness, and compassion in how we treat others. G&P

 

Grace & Peace e-periodical
Vol. 19 No. 11 November 2024

In this issue: -

Editorial: Judgment and Judgmentalism

Perspective: To Judge or Not To…...

Anecdote:- Failed discernment

Outline:- 'The Measure you use will be measured to you'

Study:-1 A Call to Avoid Judgment

Study:-2 Spiritual Discernment

Practical:- 1 The Right Form of Judgment

Practical:- 2 Criticism: Right and wrong

Meditation: - Judge your Judgment

Doctrine: Three Aspects of God’s Sovereignty

Gospel:    Divine Judgment