5 Mistakes When Judging Someone Biblically

5 Mistakes When Judging Someone Biblically

Introduction

Matthew Vander Els from Founded In Truth Fellowship introduces a Bible teaching focused on the complexities of judging others from a biblical perspective. The teaching begins with a personal anecdote about his family getting sick and a reflection on his late grandmother, Cynthia, and her unconventional choice of colorful masks, highlighting how easily we can form assumptions without knowing the full story. The core message of this teaching revolves around the idea that while assessments and evaluations might be necessary in certain contexts, making judgmental assumptions and condemning others is a dangerous habit for believers. The speaker emphasizes that Yeshua (Jesus) had strong words against judgmental people, particularly the religious leaders of his time. This teaching will explore five common mistakes people make when judging others biblically.

The Problem with Judgment

The teaching highlights our human tendency to not only make assumptions about others but also to build entire narratives based on these assumptions, often leading to criticism and judgment. This behavior often stems from a desire to elevate our own status by lowering others. The scripture from Matthew 7:1-5 is central to this discussion, where Yeshua commands, "Judge not, that you be not judged". He uses the powerful imagery of a speck in someone else's eye compared to a log in our own to illustrate the hypocrisy of pointing out others' flaws while ignoring our own significant shortcomings. Our tendency towards judgment echoes the temptation in the Garden of Eden, where humanity sought to discern good and evil autonomously from God, positioning themselves as the ultimate arbiters of right and wrong. This act of judgment devalues others and implies a lack of trust in God's ultimate judgment.

Navigating Judgment Biblically

While we are cautioned against judgmental condemnation, the teaching acknowledges that evaluation and discernment are sometimes necessary. For instance, we need to be able to identify false prophets. Paul also makes stern judgments within the church in situations involving blatant sin. The key distinction lies in the motivation and the spirit behind our assessments. Biblical judgment, when necessary, should be rooted in love, seek reconciliation and healing, and aim for the betterment of others, rather than destruction or condemnation. The love of Yeshua should guide any form of judgment.

Five Mistakes When Judging Someone Biblically

Mistake Number 5: Failing to Realize How Terrible We Are at Judging People

One of the most significant mistakes we make is underestimating our own inability to judge others accurately. We often judge from a place of ignorance, lacking complete information about someone's life, experiences, and motivations. A personal story is shared about the speaker's assumptions about a man he encountered at a Neil deGrasse Tyson event. Based on the man's appearance and the language he was speaking, the speaker quickly fabricated a stereotypical narrative about him being a poor, recent immigrant. However, upon speaking with the man, he discovered he was a highly educated chemical engineer from Ethiopia who had lived in the US for decades. This humbling experience illustrates how easily our assumptions can be wrong and how we tend to project our own biases and perspectives onto others. Even when someone appears to be a "sinner," we still lack the full picture of their struggles, their past, and the reasons behind their actions.

Mistake Number 4: Forgetting That We Don't Have to Have an Opinion About Everything and Everyone

Another common mistake is feeling compelled to form and express an opinion on every matter and every person we encounter. We are not required to have a judgment on every situation or individual. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is quoted, emphasizing that we always have the option of having no opinion and that we shouldn't trouble our souls over things we can't control. We don't need to nitpick and constantly find fault with others. The world, influenced by Satan, often pushes us to take sides and view those who disagree as enemies. However, we don't have to participate in every debate or offer our unsolicited opinions. Random people we see are not asking for our judgment. We are not entitled to have people as an audience for our opinions. Choosing not to judge unnecessarily is a sign of maturity and helps us maintain our own well-being.

Mistake Number 3: Forgetting Who We Are and Who We Are Not

We often forget our own limitations and assume a role that belongs to God alone. James 4:11-12 warns against slandering and judging our brothers and sisters. When we judge others, we speak against the law (likely the Royal Law of loving our neighbor as ourselves) and sit in judgment upon it. There is only one Lawgiver and one Judge, which is God. Who are we to judge our neighbors? When we make negative interpersonal judgments, we are essentially taking the position of God, building a metaphorical Tower of Babel to exalt ourselves. It is not our job to constantly criticize and condemn others in non-destructive situations. Every individual has immeasurable value in the eyes of God, equal to our own. If someone offends us, we should seek safety, but not use revenge as an excuse for wicked judgments, as God will ultimately be the judge.

Mistake Number 2: Ignoring the Rotting Corpses in Our Closets

A harsh but necessary truth is that we often fail to acknowledge our own significant flaws while being quick to judge others. Matthew 7:3-5 vividly portrays this with the image of a log in our own eye compared to a speck in our brother's eye. Yeshua uses exaggerated imagery to highlight the delusional reality we live in when we judge others while being blind to our own sins. The point of this metaphor is to bring us back to reality. While others may indeed have issues ("a speck in their eye"), we must first focus on our own shortcomings ("the log in our own eye"). We cannot genuinely help someone with their flaws if we haven't addressed our own unresolved sins. Proceeding to judge others without dealing with our own "log" makes us hypocrites.

Mistake Number 1: Forgetting We Pull the Cord on Our Own Guillotine

The most critical mistake we make when judging others is that our judgment of others ultimately reflects and determines the judgment we will face ourselves. Romans 2:1-10 is cited to emphasize this point. When we judge others, we condemn ourselves because we, the judges, often do the same things. By judging others harshly, absent of humility, patience, kindness, mercy, grace, and love, we essentially invite the same fate upon ourselves. We are "pulling the cord" on our own guillotine because we have taken God's seat as judge and have despised His kindness, restraint, patience, and mercy towards us, failing to recognize that His kindness is intended to lead us to repentance.

Application for Everyday Life

• Practice self-awareness: Recognize your tendency to make quick judgments and assumptions about others.
• Seek more information: Before forming an opinion, try to understand the full context of a situation and the other person's perspective.
• Grant the freedom of "no opinion": Remind yourself that you are not obligated to have a strong stance on every issue or person.
• Focus on your own growth: Instead of criticizing others, dedicate your energy to addressing your own shortcomings.
• Lead with compassion and love: When you must address an issue, let your motivation be rooted in love.
• Pray for those you are tempted to judge: Use prayer as a litmus test for your true intentions.
• Remember God's role as the ultimate Judge: Trust that God will ultimately bring justice.
• Examine your own heart: Reflect on whether you are extending the same kindness, patience, and grace to others that you desire from God.

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