East Gippsland Gospel

Wow! it’s been over a year since adding a post. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing. Some of it is too long for here, and some is just incidental musings. But today I have an offering for consideration.

Judge Not, That You Be Not Judged

Matthew 7:1 – “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

This is an often quoted text by people who object to correction, or exhortation to change.

But I want to say that it is often loving to judge; when judged rightly.

To pass judgement, or to condemn is not the place of the individual Christian. However in relation to Church disciplinary action, for the purpose of (hopefully) change and restoration, judgement is sometimes necessary by the corporate gathering of the local Church.

As individuals we can judge rightly. Let’s substitute the word “assess” here instead of judgement. Doctors, teachers, employers all assess those with whom they are engaged, they judge the person’s condition or suitability.

So we are to rightly, and humbly, judge in the following ways:

• We judge teaching to see if it’s false or true.

• We judge dubious behaviour to decide whether or not we need to warn a brother or sister.

• But most of all, and it’s often the most contentious; we are to judge (not “pass judgement” upon) someone’s spiritual condition.

Paul teaches that leadership must be judged against qualifications (Timothy and Titus) for the sake of the local church.

A believer’s maturity needs to be judged in order to best help them to continue in discipleship.

Someone’s spiritual condition needs to be judged as to the fruit of salvation, otherwise if presumed to be a Christian wrongly, they will not be evangelised but left in delusion. How unkind is that?

So let’s stop with the supposedly pious “Thou shall not Judge” routine and acknowledge that we all need to judge at times.

But that judgement needs to be with grace, humility and love, lest we be judged accordingly.

For someone who is deliberately and consistently sinning; for false teaching; for putting into places of responsibility; and for those who display no indication of a changed life after “salvation”, the most loving thing to do is to judge their spiritual condition.