Judging Others... Part 1

What are the problems that come with judging others?

First, one would have to honestly ask… am I really “abiding” in Christ?

Have I perhaps overlooked the beam in my own eye in order to clear the speck out of my brother or sisters eye?

1 Thessalonians 5:22 tells us to “abstain from every form of evil”. What part of every includes an offensive, uncalled for, put down and destroy kind of judgment?

Have I perhaps forgotten, or somehow failed to realize, that the person I am judging is in Christ?

Romans 14:1 tells us to “accept the one who is weak in faith”. What kind of acceptance do I offer that goes hand in hand with harsh criticism and ridicule? Perhaps the person “weak in faith” is far greater along spiritually than the mudslinger.

Romans 15:7 says to “accept one another”… so, just how accepting am I of another when they are on the receiving end of the heaviest vituperations I can level at them?

John 3:30 tells us “He must increase, but I must decrease”. The finger of accusation extended to the brothers sounds more like a high-on-the-horse, self-centered puffing up kind of vanity, than it does in building up the Kingdom of God. It sounds more like; “I’m going to increase no matter what, as long as I keep others from increasing.” This is about Christ Himself increasing, and the old, “self” nature decreasing.

Suppose you’re the one getting the sharp end of the stick thrown at you. Further suppose that 1 Corinthians 16:18 comes to mind to “acknowledge those that refresh your spirit”.
What do you say? How do you respond? I’m so much the better for having been in your company. I had no idea the San Andreas was my fault. I truly appreciate your guns-a-blazing approach to communication. That’s a real conversation killer.

God has really gifted you with tremendous “incite”. It could be enough to incite a riot.

Thanks for being on the front lines with me in my struggles. Now my rut is almost deep enough to be a grave. Look… there’s almost enough of my spirit left to heap fresh dirt on.

I’ve really got to hand it to you… you truly have a polishing effect on my character.
It takes a huge leap of faith to get from the gutter to the curb. That’s why I always find your visits so uplifting.

What other problems present themselves in the unnecessary judgment of others?

Perhaps James 1:5 has been overlooked. James tells us to “ask God for wisdom”?
Only spiritual judgment (which seeks to truly edify, uplift, strengthen, encourage and fortify) bears the signature of God’s wisdom. No amount of human wisdom, improperly applied to a situation, can right a wrong. Compared to God’s omniscience, finite comprehension is but a minuscule fraction of understanding.

If God has been left out of the equation altogether, then maybe it’s actually an air of superiority or one of self-righteousness (I would never do that) being communicated.
We may even pretend to know, when in fact, we know nothing at all. Jesus said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7).

We are to “be blameless”, as we find recorded in 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:7.
To what degree are we blameless when we erroneously judge one of God’s created?
Three Zees. Zip, Zero and Zilch.

Mark 9:50 tells us to “be at peace with one another”…
What kind of peace are we promoting? Our own brand of double standard, superficial peace? One that says I’m willing to overlook your faults… you’ve got a lot of faults, I think I’ll just overlook you altogether.

What’s wrong with this picture? “God so loved the world…” but you’ve taken it upon yourself to disrespect what God has made for His pleasure.
How often have you heard…“let’s just agree to disagree”? That is not unity.

The biggest problem with being judgmental is that it crushes ones’ spirit, destroys hope, kills relationships and steals any possibility of peace. Sounds an awful lot like the work of the Enemy. Being judgmental causes others to shut down, rather than open up.
Certainly, there is no sense of peace one obtains from “loving one another deeply”.
How can we be mirroring the love of Christ Himself to others if we are being judgmental?

1 Timothy 5:17 says to “be considered worthy of double honor”. How much of a fraction less than anything honorable might it be when we are unduly judgmental of others?

1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us to “do all to the glory of God”. Do we suppose God is glorified when we mount our proverbial Pegasus, with wings as seagulls, and all He hears is squawking and screeching at one another? Not a chance!

Ephesians 5:18 says, “Be filled with the Spirit”. Of course that means the Holy Spirit.
Let’s take a further look at what being judgmental means. What spirit do we communicate with that seeks to put another down? Could it be the “spirit of jealousy”?… the “spirit of animosity”?… or perhaps it is the “spirit of hostility”… or a “spirit of unforgiveness”… It could be any or all of these, but the one thing it can’t be is “the spirit of humility” (Isaiah 57:15) or the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17). Proverbs 18:14 (AMP) says… “The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spirit who can raise up or bear?”
We find in 2 Timothy 2:24 that we are to “be gentle unto all men”. Are we gentle with some and not others? Do we pretend to be gentle on one hand, but harsh on the other?

What gives us the right to judge anyone else? Isn’t that God’s job? Won’t that be done at the end of time?

How do we imitate those who are examples of a “true Christian” (1 Corinthians 4:16 & 11:1) when we are busy being judgmental? How then are we to be imitators of Christ Himself (Ephesians 5:1) if we squander our time in frivolous judgment of others?
We could also certainly ask, do we really bear the stamp and seal of the Holy Spirit, when we castigate others?

Does the Bible tell us not to bear false witness against a neighbor? Isn’t that exactly what we’re doing when we heap a mountain of blame upon someone’s shoulders? What honor is there in performing this monumental act? (1 Timothy 3:8) Have you heard that those who sling mud seldom gain any ground?

Ephesians 4:32 tells us to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to one another. Kindness is a sacred duty we owe to one another. You’d pretty well have to rewrite the definition of “kind” to include “it’s really for your good that I’m telling you this”. Since when did the “milk of human kindness” go stale?

Let’s remember that “tender-hearted” not only means displaying warmth or affection, but also means being susceptible to physical or emotional injury.

How do we handle the explicit instructions in Zechariah 7:9 to “be merciful and compassionate”? Do we just ignore them altogether? Can we really afford to be so rash and uncharitable?

Colossians 3:20 reminds us to “be obedient”. Who are we being obedient to? Ourselves?
What level of patience is 1 Thessalonians 5:14 referring to when it says we are to “be patient with all men”? I’m sorry, but you’ve stepped over my threshold of tolerance!
Excuse me? Truth told… there is no excuse for ignorance. If we willingly choose to ignore God’s word, it is certainly we who are to be judged.

Replace every self-centered reaction with a Christ-centered, Christ Himself response.
When we are obedient to God’s word and actively apply His principles for living, then we show Christ Himself to others. When we treat others in God-honoring ways, then we treat people the same way we will treat Christ Himself. And that with the utmost love a human heart is able to muster.