I know you’ve heard the phrase, “Judge not lest ye be judged!” It’s from Scripture. Matthew 7:1 is arguably one of the most misinterpreted in the entire Bible. Why? Ironically, when people say, “You can’t judge me,” they’re actually judging you. They are making a call about your motives, and they have already made a determination about your beliefs.
The Bible teaches that Christians should not judge and condemn. Instead, we should judge and discern. What is the difference? When you judge and condemn, you place yourself in a position of being the one who sends someone to heaven or hell. God makes this determination, not us. The root of this sin is making yourself look better by making others look worse. It is the sin of judgementalism, and Jesus clearly speaks against such evil.
But Jesus also calls us to judge and discern. When you exercise discernment, you use God’s Word to make wise decisions about the world. In this way, you evaluate and analyze someone’s life without condemnation. People make these judgment calls all the time. Teachers and referees, police officers and other public servants, pastors and lawyers—all make judgments about people. Our role is not to condemn, but we are to discern. Here is the bottom line: It’s ok to say something is wrong!
Discernment is a critical spiritual discipline because Satan’s attacks are real. Sometimes Satan is overt. He attacks with ferocity. Sometimes Satan is covert. He attacks with distractions. Spiritual attacks will occur, and we need biblical discernment and Christ’s strength to endure them. Though many different types of people do good (or bad) to varying degrees, there are ultimately only two ways: A pathway leading to God or one leading to condemnation. On Sunday, we will learn more about the differences between judgmentalism, Christ’s judgment, and discernment. Onward!