Read: Romans 14
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’”
12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. Romans 14:10-13
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his followers, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Followers of Jesus are often known more for what they don’t believe than what they do. They are often known more for what they’re against than what they’re for. Ask an unbeliever what he/she dislikes about Christians one of the top answers will probably be something along the lines of: “Christians are so judgmental.”
In the world in which we live, there are clearly things that are diametrically opposed to God’s will and God’s ways. But, before we run out and blast unbelievers for doing things unbelievers do (they are, after all, slaves to sin apart from Christ – as were we at one time!), perhaps we need to ask ourselves how many people were ever judged or blasted into the kingdom of heaven. I don’t know of any. Maybe you do.
Judgment often brings with it a lack of love. Love, Paul told us, is the greatest of virtues (1 Corinthians 13:13). Jesus came into this world to die because God loved it (John 3:16). He didn’t wait until we got ourselves together, but died for us while we were all still sinners (Romans 5:8). How then do we live rightly and judge correctly in a loving manner?
The passage above from Romans 14 brings the issue of judgment into the church. Judgment starts in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17), right? And yet, that sort of judgment is reserved for situations of sin. What about issues that aren’t clearly addressed in Scripture? What about things like:
Are Christians allowed to dance?
Is baptism to be believers only or for infants too?
Will Jesus return before, during, or after a tribulation?
Was the earth created in six literal days? Is the earth young or old?
Is it acceptable for Christians to drink alcohol?
Is speaking in tongues a gift that is available to Christians today?
There are well-intentioned, Jesus-believing men and women who disagree on these issues. How do we approach those who disagree with us? Perhaps the real issue is not judging but being judgmental. Do I, in my judgment express myself lovingly or am I harsh and condemning?
First, we should seek the truth in love. We should focus on the issue, not the person, and we should seek to understand what Scripture says or points toward. “Primary” issues are things we must agree on. They include things like Christ’s death and resurrection; Christ’s full deity and full humanity; the Trinity; salvation by grace through faith. These and other issues are essential and we need to agree on them.
Second, there are many issues (like those listed above), that are not explicit in Scripture. We might call them “secondary” issues. It isn’t that they are unimportant, but they are not essential for salvation and/or Scripture is not clear about them. When we have an issue like this, we seek truth, but we do so lovingly and humbly knowing we cannot know for certain that we are right. On these things, we let love cover our differences. We agree to disagree.
I think Paul, and Jesus, are making the point that:
1) We need humility to see ourselves rightly. We need to examine our hearts to see our weaknesses and sin and to surrender ourselves completely to Jesus. When we know our own hearts and our own struggles; when we realize how much grace and mercy we’ve experienced from Jesus; we are better able to speak truth lovingly to another person.
2) In all judgment, we must deal with others lovingly. We need to examine our hearts to see check our attitude toward the other person. Do I want their best or do I just want to be right? Do I long for a stronger friendship or do I hope the other person will fall and fall hard?
Our desire needs to be to love the other person. Our purpose needs to be to build up and bring life. It shouldn’t be to tear down or win points. We shouldn’t be looking to get revenge, but to help a friend or a sibling grow closer to Jesus and understand truth and how to live it. We might have to say hard things, but we should try to do so in a manner that shows we love and care for the person.
We become judgmental and our judgments become sin when we put ourselves in the place of God. If we forget the grace and the mercy we’ve been shown, it’s easy to sit in judgment of others. It’s easier to take a holier-than-thou attitude that communicates judgment, arrogance, superiority, pride, and not love.
Can you think of times Jesus confronted sin gently? Times when he confronted son boldly?
Are you able to judge situations without becoming judgmental? Why is that difficult for many people?
Invite the Holy Spirit to show you any areas where you may have a judgmental spirit. Ask for grace and humility to let love cover those areas.