What does God say about judging others?
Does God tell us to judge others? Matt 7:1-4, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?” Is God telling us we have plenty of our own sins to work on? Or, maybe, we do not have enough information to judge others correctly. As an example, we would have condemned Saul for his persecution of the early Christian church. However, when Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus he was transformed into Paul. How many people did the transformed Paul lead to Christ? How many of them would not have been able to find Christ without Paul? Since, we do not see the bigger picture, God tells us to let Him do the judging.
Rather than judging others, does God not call us to have mercy on them? Jesus told us in Matt 9:13, “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Does God not call us to treat others the way we want to be treated? Matt 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Is Jesus not telling us we would fulfill all of the law if we just did this one thing? Jesus is teaching us a lesson in Jn 8:7, “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” He knows we are all sinners, so He uses this lesson to tell us we should have mercy on others, because we want Him to have mercy on us.
Jesus wants us to learn from the sins of the Pharisees, Matt 23:27, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.” Their self-righteousness turned them into hypocrites, wanting God to forgive their sins, while they forgave not the sins others.
What justice then do the oppressed have for their injuries? God has made two provisions; first He has placed leaders in every nation who are responsible to deliver justice to all they serve. That failing, He plans on returning at the end of time to deliver justice to all. This is why He asks us to pray for our leaders, 1 Tim 2:1-2, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” and to patiently wait for His return, Rev 20:13, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” God has told us and He will do all that He says He will do, Numb 23:19, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
What has God been telling us about judging others these past three thousand years? Deut 16:20, “That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”; Ps 106:3, “Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.”; Eccl 3:17, “I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”; Is 1:17, “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”; Micah 6:8, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”; Zech 7:9, “Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:”; Lk 6:27, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”; Heb 10:30, “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.”
Comments, opposing opinions and suggestions for future topics are all welcome at: bill@reasoningwithgod.com.
