What exactly does it mean to judge somebody?

Question

How is it different from just plain having an opinion about them.

Answer 1

To my way of thinking it means to say whether or not that person is going to hell or heaven. Which is why it is wrong. Only God can know that.

Of course everybody has opinions. When somebody ASKS for mine, I'll give it as respectfully as I can. Where some Christians (some fundamentalists) get into trouble is when they start confusion their opinions with God's truth.

That's nothing but pride and arrogance in God's face. When they start to believe that their mental image of God is actually God, then it's just a short hop to going around telling people that they are "saved" and everybody else is not.

Saying you think somebody's actions are right or wrong is natural. Opinions are like navels or other body orifices: everybody gots one. Saying you know that somebody is going to heaven or hell is judging: that's setting yourself up as a god, which is also idolatry.

Answer 2

Well, it depends on your attitude towards the person you judge. There are different types of judgment. There is condemnation when your attitude is one of bitterness, hatred and loathing. This is clearly not the way to be towards others because as soon as you condemn someone for anything, you condemn yourself because at some point you are guilty of the same things. If for lying to you, have you told any lies. For stealing, have you stolen anything...and so forth.

Discernment however is seeing how a person really is. It is important to point out to a person who is harming themself or others. You can even confront them as long as you understand that you can not cross the line into condemnation which is kind of tricky because you will be accused of it if the person denies a problem. Alcoholics for example will say they don't have a problem and say that You are the one with a problem.

So, condemnation and discernment may look similar at first but the difference is your intention and attitude. If you were an alcoholic and I said, "You are a worthless stinking drunk" then that would be condemning. If however I were to say, "Can you see how your drinking is hurting you and your family? I really want to help you stop drinking" that would be discernment employed to help solve a problem.

Answer 3

To judge someone is to say, in effect, "you are garbage, and not a fellow brother or sister. I give up on you. May nothing good come to you ever again, especially not from me."

To not judge someone who is doing wrong is to say, in effect, "some of the choices you have made up to this point have been unworthy of you, of the "you" God intended you to be. But this is true of me, as well. I grieve that you are hurting yourself and others with your behavior, but I rejoice at the thought that it's not too late to turn this around. My hope and prayer for you is that you will become the person God envisioned when He created you. No matter what you do, or have done, I refuse to stop trying to see you as the person you could ultimately become."

Isn't this the typical approach of a devoted Mom? Her son has just had his 12th conviction for armed robbery. His Mom knows he did wrong. "I raised you better than that," she weeps as she sits across from him in the visitors' room at the penitentiary. The convict is unwrapping the lemon pie she baked for him. "I know, Ma," he replies.

She knows he did wrong. It breaks her heart. But she never, never, never gives up on her baby.

Answer 4

KNOW WHO YOU ARE !!!
In this world of gross darkness we shine as bright lights in the midst of perversions , hostility , ignorance , cults , and false Christianity. I want to encourage you, dear saints, to hold on to what God has gave you , keeping the faith , exercising the gifts the Holy Spirit has freely gave. We are NOT weaklings ! We are STRONG in the Lord, and in the POWER of His might !!! We are BOLD soldiers , anointed with Light, and Power, and AUTHORITY !!!

Hebrews 7 : 26 For such an high priest became US , who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and MADE HIGHER than the heavens.

I st Corinthians 6 : 1 - 3 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, to go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints ? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world ??????? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters ? Know ye not that we shall judge angels ?????? How much more things that pertain to this life ?!

I Peter 2 : 5, 9 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light.

John 7 : 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

I Corinthians 2 : 15, 16 But he that is spiritual judge all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him ? But we have the mind of Christ.

Isaiah 54 : 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness of of Me , saith the Lord .


One of the first things out of a heretic, agnostic, or atheists mouth is " you are judging ". Well , we have that authority. BUT ! Make sure the judgment is according to the WORD ! Because of what judgment you put out, you will also be judged with. All things we do, must be done in the Love of Jesus.

WE are KINGS and PRIESTS,, NOW !!! KNOW WHO YOU ARE .........

St.Luke 11 :52 Woe unto you, lawyers ! For ye have taken away the KEY of knowledge: Ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered..

Revelations 1 : 18 I am He that liveth, and was dead; and , behold, I Am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

St. Matthew 16 : 19 And I will give unto thee the KEYS of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth SHALL be bound in heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt LOOSE on earth SHALL be loosed in heaven.

Answer 5

What you judge will one day judge you, and what you condemn you will one day become.

Answer 6

"Evil" judging is overlooking your own faults and condemning others as if you had the right to do it.