Anyone who’s experienced the pain of being judged by other Christians wishes more of them would heed Jesus’ words, “Judge not, and you will not be judged” (Luke 6:37). But people who seek to put those words into practice are often unclear about what they mean.

Steve Harper tells the story of two friends standing in the rubble of their bombed synagogue. A terrorist had done the deed in an act of antisemitic violence. One of the friends lamented the evil of it. The other replied, “I hesitate to use the word ‘evil’ because I don’t want to sound judgmental.” While intended as a joke, the story says something important about our generation.

We live at a time when people are either painfully judgmental or so afraid of being judgmental that they’re unable to make any kind of moral evaluation. What did Jesus really mean? Is there a time for judgment, or is it always wrong? When you see Jesus’ words in light of the rest of the Bible, several clarifications emerge.

Jesus wants us to stop writing people off

When Jesus said not to judge, He was warning against condemning other people. In fact, that’s the next thing He says in that verse, “condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). The entire message of the Bible is centred on God’s plan to rescue people before the final judgment. When we treat people as if they’re beyond hope, it’s as if we’re taking God’s role and enacting His judgment before it’s time. That’s the sentiment in James 4:12, when he writes, “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”

We’re to focus on our own sins before we can help people with theirs

In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ call to “Judge not” (Matthew 7:1), it’s followed by a description of a person with a log in his eye offering to take the speck out of the eye of another person (Matthew 7:4). Jesus’ words are memorable and searching as they confront our hypocrisy. But He follows them with, “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5). Clearly, Jesus expects us to deal with other people’s sins, but not before we’ve dealt with our own. When we’re honest in dealing with the darkness of our own hearts, it gives us a gentleness and humility in approaching others and reminds us that the goal is restoration, not condemnation.

Everything needs to be evaluated, but some judgment should be kept to ourselves

While just about everyone can quote Jesus’ appeal to not judge, far less known is 1 Corinthians 2:15 which states that “The spiritual person judges all things.” The point isn’t that such a person condemns people left, right, and centre, but rather that they evaluate everything in light of God’s Word. Similarly, 1 John 4:1 says, “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” Clearly, God expects us to exercise discernment and make moral and spiritual judgments about the things around us.

But that doesn’t mean that we should think out loud while we’re making those evaluations. In fact, when it comes to areas where thoughtful Christians disagree, we’re urged to keep our opinions to ourselves. Romans 14:4 puts it like this: “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls.”

Christians are primarily responsible for holding other Christians accountable

If we’re honest, it’s probably our radical independence, rather than a fondness for Jesus that makes “Judge not” our generation’s favourite commandment. We don’t like people interfering with our business. But this is exactly what Christians are called to do to one another. We forget that Jesus said, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). Similarly, 1 Timothy 5:20 warns, “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” The church is protected when believers provide gracious accountability for one another. But this responsibility for accountability rests primarily within the family of God. While there may be a time and a place for addressing the injustices of our world, Christians are to focus on keeping their own house in order, not on trying to get non-Christians to act like Christians. After a discussion of church discipline, Paul put it like this: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?” (1 Corinthians 5:12)

I suspect that many of the claims that Christians are judgmental are warranted. We tend to complain or even rant about the evils of the world. It makes us feel superior and look self-righteous. Instead, we need to embrace the redemptive heart of Jesus. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t judge right from wrong or confront the sins of other believers. We just need to make sure that we check our own hearts first and go to others with a desire to restore rather than condemn. May God give us firm convictions and gentle words.

In awe of Him,

Paul