Is it ever okay to criticize other people?

Is it ever OK to criticise?

“Judge not lest ye be judged” is one of the most often cited passages in the Bible, and not only by Christians (Matthew 7:1). This text is often used to advocate for tolerance of something that the Bible condemns by implying that judgment is always inappropriate. Sometimes it’s used to disprove the arguments of a legalist.

But what does the Bible say about judgment in its real texts?

It’s important for us to know as Christians.

The experience obviously left a lasting impression on the little youngster. In fact, she walked out on the church.

In light of the widespread misunderstanding of this issue and the everlasting stakes involved in getting it wrong, I have just begun a four-part audio series to clarify what the Bible really teaches about judgment.

It’s not possible to answer questions like “if,” “when,” “where,” and “how” unless we establish some clarity.

A knowledge of God’s love is necessary prior to passing judgment.
Believe in Christ is necessary for salvation, but there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor. Even if we don’t want to follow Jesus, his love for us is evident in the fact that he died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).

Several chapters later, Paul lays forth the strict boundaries of God’s love. And then he goes on to say:

Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love, and that is something I am very certain of. Nothing can stop us now, not even the forces of hell, whether it be death or life, angels or demons, the fears of the present or the anxieties of the future. Nothing in all of creation, not even the powers of heaven or earth, will be able to keep us from the love of God that is shown to us in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39, NLT)

Our faith, obedience, or good deeds have nothing to do with God’s unconditional love for us.

Can we expect any repercussions for our actions? Absolutely.

Do the things we believe affect who we become? Absolutely. Forever ones.

Can God’s love for us be altered by what we do or what we think? In no uncertain terms.

Because God’s love for us is stronger than everything, these things have no power to harm us.

Thus, we must first declare with conviction that God loves every person, before we can even begin to discuss the problem of passing judgment on their actions. The love of God is unwavering. Nor should the love we have for one another as Christians.

Once we are secure in God’s love for us, we can deal with any judgements that arise from His perfect love.

Should we, as Christians, pass judgment on the deeds of other Christians?
Jesus cautions his disciples against false prophets only a few lines after he says, “Do not judge, or you too will be condemned” (Matthew 7:1).

You can tell a tree by its fruit. How often do you hear of guys picking grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? However, a poor tree always produces terrible fruit, whereas a healthy tree always produces nice fruit. Both good and bad trees can’t produce the opposite of their intended fruit. No fruit-bearing tree is spared and burned at the stake. So, “You can tell a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7:15-20)

It’s understandable if you have to take a second look at this. Following his warning against passing judgment on others, Jesus instructs his followers to look at the fruit in the lives of other Christians. Therefore, we are to evaluate the deeds of others, as Christ instructs.

That seems to be at odds with itself, yet it doesn’t.

When we examine Jesus’ initial statement on judgment (Matthew 7:1) more closely, we see that he isn’t condemning the act of judging itself but rather the standards by which we do it. Jesus then warns us to apply just and precise measurements while considering the deeds of others, saying, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:2).

If we have a plank in our own eye, Jesus adds, we have no business pointing out the speck in our brother’s eye. Wisdom abounds in these verses (vv. 3-5). Here, too, Jesus confronts hypocrisy.

There is no denying that the Bible teaches us to use extreme caution whenever we pass judgment on the deeds of others. In addition, the Bible warns us not to pass judgment on others too quickly.

Do we, as Christians, have the right to pass judgment on the deeds of others who don’t share our faith?
Apostle Paul addresses this issue head-on and forcefully. Paul had learned of a scandal in the church at Corinth: a man was having an affair with his father’s wife. No words can describe Paul’s expression. “Even the pagans don’t do it,” he adds (1 Corinthians 5:1, NLT)

If “he himself will be saved on the day the Lord comes,” Paul writes, “then it is necessary for the authorities of the church in Corinth to judge this transgression and to remove this individual from the body of Christ” (vs. 5)

The protection of the church body is the primary purpose of this divine judgment (v. 6), yet the sinner’s eventual salvation is more vital than his momentary consolation. This individual will never change his ways if he is permitted to continue attending church services without facing any consequences.

Paul then delivers similarly strong instructions not to judge people outside the faith, after his clear admonition of the Christian obligation to assess the behavior of other believers in a true manner. And then he goes on to say:

I am not responsible for passing judgment on individuals who are not members of the church, but you are. It’s true that God will judge the world outside, yet the Bible adds, “You must eliminate the bad person from among you” (vs. 12-13)

It is now very evident what the Bible says about making judgments. According to Scripture, Christians are responsible for passing judgment on the behavior of other Christians but are exempt from such responsibility with respect to non-Christians. This is out out of our league.

With the biblical guidelines for judging in place, it is prudent to reflect on the difficulties we face while passing judgment (which I explore in Episode 41) and how to react when we are judged (which I discuss in Episode 42). The former is what I’ll discuss now, while the latter is something I’ll write about in the future (so stay tuned!).

The act of passing judgment on another person is laden with danger. When one person seeks to pass judgment on another believer, the following issues may arise:

There are five issues that arise when we pass judgment on others:

• The first issue is that we tend to evaluate people based on their intentions rather than their actions.

Our limited human perspective prevents us from accurately assessing another person’s inner motivations. There is no way for us to know the inner motivations of another individual. Only the actions of others may be judged by ourselves.

And yet, this is a common error in both secular society and religious communities.

Someone of this faith attends that particular church. Name it, she’s it.

That individual proudly displays so-and-yard so’s sign in their front yard. In a nutshell, he is a.

While it is appropriate to pass judgment on the results of other Christians’ labors, we should avoid the cultural trap of passing final judgment on a whole person and then rejecting them. As Christians, we must avoid going too far in that direction.

If we must pass judgment, then it should be based on the behavior in question. The reason behind it, no. God alone, who sees the heart, can judge a person justly, therefore we must leave the question of intent to Him.

• A second issue is when people judge others not by God’s standard, but by their own standards.

This is, in essence, a matter of subjective evaluation. Someone else said that, but it was added to the Bible as canon, so today people think God said it.

The Pharisees elevated this technique to a fine art. They started with one ideal, such as respecting the Sabbath, then piled on hundreds of restrictions on top of it. Once everyone had finished contributing, they evaluated one another.

In other words, we shouldn’t use our own arbitrary standards to judge other individuals. What God has stated is final, and we must not add to it by imposing our own standards of right and wrong on others. That’s never a good idea.

• Thirdly, judging without love is a problem.

The Pharisees also excelled at this. They applied God’s standard in an attitude of superiority and hate, passing judgment without love. Doing that never ends well. God’s standard, when wielded without love, may do serious harm.

In Luke 19, Jesus narrates a parable about a religious leader who was full of self-righteousness and judgment without love. A Pharisee once prayed, “Oh God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax guy. I give 10% of my gross salary to the church as tithes and I fast twice a week (Verses 11 & 12)

Everyone has probably met someone who uses the Bible as a weapon. Ultimately, it serves no useful purpose. It was the kind of judge who received Jesus’ toughest comments. Any evaluation must be based on love.

• Fourthly, there is the misconception that setting standards is judgmental.

People frequently mistakenly believe that bringing up God’s standard is a kind of judgment. The reality, however, is different.

Consider this analogy, which illustrates the point beautifully:

When I say, “Hey, the speed limit is 35 miles per hour,” and you’re already going 55, I’m not trying to judge you. I don’t work for the police force. You won’t get a ticket from me. Nor am I a judge. I can’t strike a gavel and issue a fine or revoke your license. I don’t have the authority to do that. I can tell you what the law is, but I can’t judge you for breaking it.

Likewise, If I tell you what the Bible says about a particular issue, I am not issuing a judgment. That is well above my pay grade. Only God can do that. I can tell you what God’s law is, but I cannot judge you for breaking it.

• Not judging at all.

There is a whole movement in Christianity today that says anything goes. You can say what you want, do what you want, be what you want, believe what you want and still call yourself a follower of Christ.

That simply isn’t true according to the Bible.

There is a standard in Scripture given for our own protection, and we are admonished to follow that standard within the body of Christ. Jesus never denied the standard. Not once. Rather, he offered grace and power to rise above our struggle with sin so that we can meet the standard.

As Christians, we must judge what is and is not sin in the lives of fellow believers. And other Christians must do this in our lives as well. But like Jesus, we must judge righteously in love with the hopes of helping others become like Christ.