The Danger of Passing Judgment
Introduction
We haven’t fully digested it yet, but we love playing God. We have all shaken our fingers at someone in person, or in our heads. We have been self-nominated as “The Judge”. God Himself. When people like/dislike things differently than us, we wear the black robe and pound the gavel. “I don’t know why he/she spent $500 on wine and cheese. They could have bought their children some clothes. And by the way, did you see what their kids had on for school today?”
Danger of Passing Judgment
We judge other people whose sins are different from ours, forgetting that in God’s eyes sin is sin. We stay stuck on the obvious sins of murder, sex, and blasphemy, and we push aside our idolatry of being in debt over poor spending choices, passive parenting, emotionally angry outbursts, codependency, gossip, lying, and racism.
Unfortunately, we have gotten so good at being judge that we take notes, so that we can pour out all of our detective findings to our friends. It is because our lives are perfect. Right? Our kids are perfect. We are perfect. We have never made bad decisions that we will never regret for the rest of our lives. We have never said or thought something racist. As Christians, we are told to love God with our hearts, soul, mine, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves. Satan has blinded us into being legalistic and using two sins to distinguish us from good Christians and bad Christians. When do we hold up the mirror to ourselves, and truly ask God to reveal our broken parts in these areas.
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
2 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?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.- 1 Corinthians 6: 1-12
The key lies in verse 11 that helps : “And such were some of you”, and the words “but ye” are…
It shows how our eyes have been blinded to our own sins. It leads to legalism and self-righteousness.
Until we have judged someone harshly, and that measurement is given back to us.
Remember the story of David and Bathsheba? Remember what David said to Nathan in response to the Rich Man’s behavior for stealing the “ewe lamb” from the poor man. He wanted this man to pay several times over. And guess what? That is exactly what happened to David. The sad background music that played for David was, “You are that man!”
So, what is the antidote for judging?
“Humility and empathy are the antidotes to judging other people and their situations.”
Katina Horton
Let’s remember this when we are tempted to put on our black robes and wave our fingers at others. God is waving his finger at us playing the background music entitled, “YOU ARE THAT MAN!”
