The Judging Knot: A Lesson on Judging

The Judging Knot

“We are to judge what is right."

Judge Not!

People say,

·         “Don’t judge!”

·         “Judge for yourselves”

·         “Only God can judge!”

How do we reconcile those three opinions?

There are three categories of things that can be judged:

1.      Concepts

2.     Christians

3.     Non-Christians

There are three categories of judgers:

1.      You

2.      God

3.   Church/Civil Government

 Krino:

·         To determine

·         To condemn

Concepts:

            These are things like books, movies, ideas, and philosophies.  They are not expressly connected to any people, although many people have become connected to them.  (In other words, these are the unseen things that we judge that often lead us to judge the people who have them)

Christians:

Grey area (things that are not expressly mentioned in the Bible, but you can find a case for/against them in Scripture)

            Honor other parents’ choices

            Honor other people’s doctrinal positions, as long as they are not core “Jesus saves” issues

White area  (These are amoral issues)

Don’t judge in dumb things, like shoes or clothes or manner of speaking (bar swearing)

“…The average Christian is the most penetratingly critical individual.…The effect of criticism is a dividing up of the one criticized; the Holy Ghost is the only One in the true position to criticize, He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding.  It is impossible to enter into communion with God when you are in a critical temper; it makes you hard and vindictive and cruel, and leaves you with the flattering unction that you are a superior person,  Jesus says, as a disciple, cultivate the uncritical temper.  It is not done once and for all.  Beware of anything that puts you in the superior person’s place. There is no getting away from the penetration of Jesus.…Every wrong thing that I see in you, God locates in me.  Every time I judge, I condemn myself.  Stop having a measuring rod for other people.  There is always one fact more in every man’s case about which we know nothing.  The first thing God does is to give us a spiritual spring-cleaning; there is no possibility of pride left in a man after that.  I have never met the man I could despair of after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God. …

Jesus says – “Judge not, that ye be not judge”; if you do judge, it will be measured to you exactly as you have judged, it will be measured to you exactly as you have judged.  Who of us would dare to stand before God and say – “My God, judge me as I have judged me fellow men?”  We have judged our fellow men as sinners; if God should judge us like that we would be in hell.  God judges us through the marvellous Atonement of Jesus Christ.”

- Oswald Chambers

Black area (These are matters of salvation)

Matthew 7

Matthew 18

            Read Matthew 7:1-5 and Matthew 18:15-17.  This is how you deal with sin in the church.  Pray, self-examine, and then approach in humility and brokenness.

Unbelievers:

You are not to be their judge.  Recognize their need for a Savor and go after them! 

Dealing with being judged

If you feel like someone is judging you, check your heart--is God convicting you of something? Sometimes the person doesn't even mean to judge you, but God uses them to show you an area of weakness. But then, sometimes someone is judging you without cause--if that's the case, remember that God is the only Judge you have to worry about. 

“We are to judge what is right.”

And the verse for next lesson (Other Religions) is 1 Corinthians 8:5-6.  I know it's long...but it's to make up for the short verse this past week.