What are we to do?

What does the Bible teach about the subject of Judging? This topic is one that is misunderstood and misused by many people. Can a Christian judge? What does the Bible mean when it tells us not to judge? What does the Bible mean when it tells us to judge? This article will deal with the Master’s commands on judging.
Last article stressed the importance of understanding the complete picture of topics found in the Bible. The Christian should never pit the Bible against itself to make it contradict direct teachings found within its pages. Taking the sum of all the parts should form the complete picture, without discounting individual parts or opposing one particular part with another part. This is true with the teachings of salvation, and is likewise true in regards to the teachings of judging. The word Judge is used in a variety of ways within the New Testament. The word, depending upon the context, could mean to choose between right and wrong, decide an action to be righteous or unrighteous, to come to a conclusion, or to condemn or bring condemnation by pronouncing a sentence upon an individual. While the first three options are synonymous, the last option is altogether different. Our God uses the word in both ways in his teachings regarding judging.
We, as Christians, are commanded by Jesus himself to judge. The Bibles states, in John 7:24, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” Jesus tells us that we must judge things not according to what they may or may not look like, but judge righteously, in regards to truth, in regards to what the Bible says. Jesus also spoke concerning himself in John 5:30, “I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” This is a principle that we as Christians are obligated to adopt for our own lives as well. We cannot judge according to what we wish, nor can we judge in regards to anything other than God’s will. As we understand the Bible and the teachings found therein, we must judge according to what we hear, judge things as righteous or unrighteous in regards to what the Lord has spoken, not according to appearance or our own desires. We must be able to tell the difference, or come to a conclusion, between actions that are sinful and contrary to the word of God and actions that are righteous.
Many would claim that telling an individual that their actions are sinful is being judgmental and therefore likewise sinful. People claim that ‘judge not’ means ‘do not tell me I am wrong’! This conclusion is wrong and in direct opposition to the teachings of the Bible. We must judge things either sinful or not sinful, according to what God has spoken on the subject, and warn people about the sin in their lives. Consider II Timothy 2:24-26 where Paul states; “And the Lord's servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will.” How can we correct those that oppose themselves if we cannot tell them what they are doing is wrong? How can people recover themselves from the devil’s snare if it is judging, and therefore wrong, to tell someone they are living in sin? Likewise, Christians are told to do the same thing for wayward Christians; Galatians 6:1, “Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” How can we restore the wayward Christian if we cannot tell them that they are wrong? The simple truth is that Christians are obligated to judge according to what God has said, preaching the difference between right and wrong, and warning people who are living wrong and in danger of loosing their souls. (The verses proving that teaching the lost and restoring the fallen are to numerous to list in this article. James 5, I Cor. 5, II Cor. 2, II Thess. 3, Rom. 15, Matt. 28, Mk. 16, II Tim. 2 etc. just to name a very few.)
In contrast to this idea we find the second definition of the word ‘judge’ in the Bible. People, in their quest to defend their evil actions, time and again refer to Matthew 7 and John 8 to make the claim that Christians cannot judge. It is likely that a Christian telling a lost soul, or a wayward Christian, that their actions are sinful will be quoted Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Why people pit the Bible against itself to make it contradict itself is unknown to this author. Please take a moment to read both Matthew 7:1-5 and John 8:3-11. In both contexts the people are scolded and taught that judging another person guilty of the same action that you are doing is a great sin. Hypocrisy is a sinful action that the Lord hates. In John 8:3-11 Jesus condemns the sin of both the people and the woman taken in adultery. Jesus condemns the hypocrites who were trying to trick him. Jesus condemns the adultery. Jesus, not being a witness to the adultery, could not bring the death sentence upon the woman, as Deuteronomy 22 teaches. The parallel to Matthew 7:1-5 is Luke 6:37-44ff. This passage likewise condemns judging people while doing the very actions that you are judging against. This is hypocrisy! This is the key point to Christ’s condemnation of the Pharisees! Not that they were telling the people that they were living in sin, but that they were telling the people they were sinful while they themselves committed the very same actions. Romans 2:1-3, “Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judges another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things. And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that practise such things. And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” The Pharisees also held the common Jew to a higher standard then they themselves were willing to be held to, Matthew 23:2-7. This is exactly why Jesus states that a person will be judged according to their own standards, when those standard exceed or contradict the standards of God himself.
As Christians we must not speak evil of others and count them as enemies. This idea is contrary to the teachings of Christ. No Christian has the right or authority to tell an individual, ‘you are a lousy sinner who is going straight to hell!’. However, we are obligated to say ‘your soul is in jeopardy for living in sin, you need to make it right with God.’ There is a huge difference between condemning someone to hell and meekly teaching them the right ways of the Lord. As Christians we must judge. We must be able to preach the difference between right and wrong. We must kindly, meekly, and humbly correct those in sin by boldly saying that their actions are sinful, hating the sin and loving the sinner. Finally, consider the inspired writer, Jude 1:20-23, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have mercy, who are in doubt; and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”