Judging Others

We are going to cover 10-12 different sins in this series on “tolerable sins.” These are sins that we may tend overlook (blind spots), underestimate their consequences or we have redefined them to the point that we do not consider them to be a sin at all.

The first one that we are going to tackle is judgmentalism. This is one of the most subtle sins of all because it is often practiced under the guise of being passionate for what is right. We are not in sin because we are able to recognize what is right vs. sinful, but we are when we have a self-righteous and critical spirit toward the sinner. So, our sin really comes down to our attitude toward the sinner - not the sin itself.

There is no shortage of judgment in our culture these days. This can be true outside the church (i.e. cancel culture) as well as within the church. Self-righteousness and critical spirits have and will always exist. The advent of social media and the 24 hour news cycle just make it more visible.

It is a very slippery slope to go down the road of judging someone else. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus specifically addresses the perils:

Matt; 7:1-6 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under your feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

There are three different attitudes and actions Jesus speaks of in these verses—judgment, discernment, and discretion. A clear understanding of each will help us properly apply what Jesus is teaching.

The word “judgment” conveys the idea of condemnation. We are cautioned against condemning the sinner along with the sin. We will be held accountable in the same way that we judge others. Jesus explains the hypocrisy of this by using the illustration of the “speck and the plank”

The “speck” in the eye of the person we judge is very small in comparison to the “plank” in our own eye. We need to deal with our own sin, shortcomings and blind spots before pointing out such things in the lives of others.

The solution for being judgmental is to examine our hearts and lives in the eyes of God and not in comparison to others.

Discernment has a similar root meaning as judgment but offers a key difference. It enables us to recognize holy from what is unholy; however, we are able to make the distinction without passing judgment on the sinner. This key distinction effectively allows us to separate the sin from the sinner without condemning them. Proper discernment will lead us away from the unholy and, when necessary, away from the sinner.

Discretion is what Jesus was referring to in the last two verses when he said, “ do not give what is holy to dogs and swine.” He is instructing us to carefully select the instances when we would confront a sinner with their sin. We should always have a crystal clear understanding of our “motives” before we go down that road because it can be unclear even to ourselves what our true motives are. Godly discretion with pure motives must be our guide.

Stay hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6