I have noticed non-believers love to use "Judge not, that ye be not judged" Matthew 7:1 when they're told about their wrong. I can only assume they haven't also read John 7:24 where Jesus states: "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement."
2007-03-17 15:35:21 · 22 answers · asked by Heaven's Messenger 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Dude, thats what I've been saying. It kinda gets annoying when I'm doing open air preaching and a christian comes up and tells me that i shouldn't be judging people because of their sins. truthfully though, I just ask them questions and let them make their own judgment. I just provide them with the information that the Bible gives us.
2007-03-17 15:41:05 · answer #1 · answered by Jason M 5 · 4⤊ 3⤋
I think it's usually a case of a person rejecting that there is a standard of right and wrong. When they say not to judge, isn't it usually in the context of a dispute over whether some behavior is good or not? So they play the "judge not" card. Then no one can say anything anybody does is wrong. When they quote the Bible though, they are deferring to the authority of scripture, which probably has something to say about whatever activity they want to justify. So you could say, "Ah! You believe the scriptures! Good! Let's look within them to find the answer to our dilemma!" Usually we aren't judging a person, i.e., condemning them to hell, but rather stating our position on a particular matter. When two people are sincerely seeking the truth on a subject, it's not likely for either to claim they're being judged. On the other hand, there are those who might call others a liar or a hypocrite. Rarely do those who use such language impress me as people of discernment.
2007-03-17 15:53:37 · answer #2 · answered by celebduath 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes!
It drives me crazy how many reduce everything down to "do not judge...", and it shows how infected people are with moral relativism!
Truly, God alone...as Judge, will make the final judgement of whether someone goes to heaven or goes to hell. For only God knows the heart of that person...and "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
But yet, that does not mean a Christian cannot make a judgement!
We warn of sin...and declare to other what sin is...and what the results of sin is...and even proclaim the Gospel of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ so that they may hear and repent and believe, and so be saved!
Along the same lines as what you speak about, is how we are often accused of "threatening" sinners. How ridiculously absurd this is, as well!
We do not threat (for we have no power over the final judgment), but we do WARN...making a right judgement about their sin...
i.e. All non-believers reading this, hear ye, hear ye: Not only is your fornication and adultery sinful...but even your very lustful thoughts are sinful. You are, therefore, a sinner...and unless you repent, when you die, you will go to hell for all eternity. This hell being infinitely worse than you can imagine...and infintinely more real than you currently believe...and you will spend infinintely more time there than on this small planet for your extremely short life.
The above is the truth...and contains no wrongful accusation and nor does it contain a threat from me. It IS a right judgement and truthful consequence of such sinfulness...and a warning.
Repent...or you, too, will likewise perish...
2007-03-17 19:29:02 · answer #3 · answered by yachadhoo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is a different between judging someone and being an accountablity partner for someone. Now if you are watching people walk down the street, and point at a girl in a mini-skirt saying that she is going to hell, or hear someone curse and start telling them they are a sinner and are going to hell, that is judging, and is NOT ok.
However, if one of your Christian friends is straying from their path and starts to drink and party every night, do drugs, etc, and you say "hey i've noticed you have been doing this or that, and i just think you are straying from the straight path you have been on and i am worried about you" that is completely different. some people may see that as judging, but really you are trying to help them...
same with sharing the good news of Jesus...if you shove it down someone's throat and judge them and say they are going to hell, I doubt they will take you seriously, and you will probably turn them away completely from all religion.
2007-03-17 15:50:07 · answer #4 · answered by ashleyrt1 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think the spirit of Matthew 7 is that we should not judge unless we are pure ourselves. That doesn't mean perfect, just that if we point out something is wrong and we ourselves are engaging in the same thing, then we've got a problem. In other words, if you've got your life in order it's appropriate for you to be able to point out that something is wrong.
I think where people get confused is that they think "condemn" and "judge" are the same thing. Judging is simply showing that some act is wrong. Condemning is saying that someone is "going to hell" or that a person cannot ever be forgiven. Condemning is way out of our league as humans and we do not have the right to make that kind of decision.
Interestingly, Paul points out in Romans that we will judge angels one day, so we should realize that are capable of judging the situations that we deal with amongst ourselves.
2007-03-17 15:44:35 · answer #5 · answered by Justyn 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋
If they would look just one verse father they'd find out how to judge. Not a simple thing;
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
This is from mathew 7:2 So I say judge with love and you will be a very good judge. And so judged.
2007-03-17 16:25:32 · answer #6 · answered by skip1960 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
There is different kinds of judgment.
We are to judge common sense in your face things that disrupt our fellowship and discipleship within the body of Christ. Outside of the body of Christ it is none of our business at all. We do not even judge ourselves. GOD's law judges us and the Holy Spirit convicts us.
You can not possibly judge anything without all the facts. Only GOD can see clearly enough to do that.
If you would of met me 5 minutes before I got saved you would of rightfully condemned me to hell.
That's the facts Jack.
2007-03-18 01:37:35 · answer #7 · answered by Bye Bye 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Heaven's Messenger, I think that you are misreading the verses. First of all, we are to judge ourselve first before we judge others. And secondly, we are to look at their actions and their words. If a person says that they are a christian, but acts and speaks other wise, and it doesn't live up to the scriptures then those of us who do live up to the scriptures have every right to judge by those standards.
2007-03-17 16:03:07 · answer #8 · answered by robin rmsclvr25 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well...they sure don't NEED to be TOLD to judge, because they do enough of that. Maybe they should just start to worry a little more about their own sin and not so much the sin of others. And "righteous" judgment is something that YOU are not capable or worthy of doing. In order to make a "righteous" judgment, you would need to know EVERY SINGLE THING about the person you are judging. Every action, every thought, every experience, every word the person has ever had or said in their entire lives. YOU do not have that capability, therefore, you can NOT make "righteous" judgment. People who claim "righteous judgment" don't use it properly. They just use "righteous judgment" as an excuse to spread hate.
2007-03-17 15:50:38 · answer #9 · answered by Jess H 7 · 1⤊ 4⤋
You are correct. We also should judge ourselves.
For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged." 1 Corinthians 11:31
2007-03-17 15:58:11 · answer #10 · answered by bonsai bobby 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋