What Does the Bible Say About Judging?
Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” but what is the context of His words? In this blog, see how Christ explains the difference between judging and being judgmental. How can Christians make a righteous judgment that moves someone toward restoration?
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1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 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.
Does the Bible Say Not to Judge?
When I was a young Christian, less than two years, I overheard a fellow congregant innocently say, “Don’t you know Christians aren’t supposed to judge?” The conversation was about violating a boundary, yet new in my faith; something felt off about that statement as I began processing it.
Her comment was based on what Jesus said in Matthew 7, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
For the previous 24 months, I was reading the New Testament for the first time, and I was confused by what she said. I thought about a few things I had already learned.
I thought about Paul in 1 Corinthians:
“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:1
Isn’t the Apostle Paul making a judgment there? What about two chapters later?
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn?” 1 Corinthians 5:1-2
Isn’t Paul making a judgment here as well? And then I thought about Jesus.
“Beware of false prophets” Matthew 7:15
How will we discern when we encounter a false prophet if we are not going to make a judgment?
Just beyond verse 5 in what we read this morning, Jesus says, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”
Don’t we have to decide who the pigs are if we follow Jesus’ advice?
What about common sense? When a guy shows up to your door to date your 17-year-old daughter, that’s 57 and just got out of prison? Do you make a judgment there?
Either we have a long list of the Apostle Paul and Jesus Himself violating a boundary, or the lady who said, “Christians aren’t supposed to judge,” was missing something about the nature of what Jesus said.
What Does Jesus Say Not To Judge?
So when Jesus says not to judge, how should we interpret that verse?
The answer to that conundrum is reading Matthew 7:1-5 in its context, combined with reading the greater works of Jesus and Paul in their respective context. Is there a type of judgment Jesus has spoken against? Yes!
JESUS: “Stop judging by mere appearances and make a righteous judgment.” John 7:24
Their context here is that Jesus is having a dialogue with the Pharisees, and they are upset because He performed a miracle on the Sabbath. He tells them to stop judging by appearances and make a righteous judgment. This runs parallel to what He says in Matthew 7.
We can judge someone by the clothes they wear, whether they’re a sharp dresser or they wear new clothes, or if they buy their clothes at a thrift shop. We can judge someone based on their weight, whether they’re physically fit or not. We can judge appearances by the type of car someone dry es.
As believers, we must possess a Christ-centered worldview that humans are souls, and every soul is valuable to God. We have to be wise and discerning about others. But it can’t be based on assumptions, appearances, or our personal preferences.
We’re also taught in the New Testament not to value people based on appearance or wealth.
“For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” James 2:3-6
Do you see how James is correlating judging others with evil? Jesus declares that this kind of judgment will be brought back upon you with devastating force. Our God cannot exaggerate or lie, so you’re sowing pain into your life by judging others on appearances.
However, what Jesus did say was to “make a righteous judgment.” Notice Jesus did not say a “self-righteous judgment.” He condemns being judgmental, and there is a big difference between judging and being judgmental.
We’re being taught that there is a wrong type of judgment, but He’s showing that there is also a right type.
Addressing the Log In Your Eye
“Why do you see 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,’ when there is the log in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3-4
Let’s examine the words “log” and “splinter.” The importance of recognizing log and splinter is that they are of the same substance. Sin in me, sin in the other.
LOG: My sin should be more glaring to me because it is mine and appears bigger.
SPLINTER: Your sin should be less glaring to me because it is not mine, and it cannot appear as big.
What is Jesus condemning here? One thing: To see your sin as bigger than mine.
A judgmental person under judges themselves and judges everyone else. They are deceived. Therefore, they don’t see it within themselves. Your sin should confront you more than the sin of anyone else! That’s why it’s a log and not a splinter.
Do you know how Jesus describes a person who won’t deal with the log in their own life? A hypocrite.
JESUS: “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.” Matthew 7:5
So, if Jesus said, “Make a righteous judgment,” how do we do that?
How to Make a Righteous Judgement?
1) Guard Your Heart Against Indifference
Our verse is not about correcting someone who aggravates you; that’s not the context. It’s about caring enough to watch over the souls of one another. Scripture tells us that we belong to one another.
When a believer becomes entangled in a pattern of sin that is bringing harm to their life, we’re not called to be indifferent. It’s far too easy in our Western society to view others’ problems as “Well, that’s not a problem; that’s on them.”
Sin damages and destroys relationships because it suppresses the truth. Romans 1 tells us that indifference to sin dampens our own sensitivity to sin, which can lead to other sins.
If you saw a toddler playing in the middle of a busy street, would you do something to intervene? Of course, you would! Why? Because you want to remove that life from danger, and we value life. That’s the broader picture of this passage; Jesus is not enabling indifference but affirming loving one another.
2) Make the Right Judgement With the Right Heart
We need to validate that we are all fallen humans, so everyone struggles with something, regardless of the front they put on. What log awareness is Jesus calling in your life?
But once we’ve sought forgiveness for our life, our obligation, as brothers and sisters in Christ, is to help one another escape from sin. However, we need to carry out this duty very carefully and lovingly.
Think of this approach as if performing eye surgery with no anesthesia, gentle and filled with humility. Imagine approaching a stranger on the street, opening their eye, and reaching in to pull out a splinter.
Hopefully, you will not do that because there must be an atmosphere of trust.
This approach can only occur with a brother or sister in Christ and within community, love, and trust. Galatians 6 instructs us to restore them gently, speak truthfully, and do so lovingly with our own log awareness.
We’re also reminded in that verse to “watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” Paul is discouraging superiority. “I’m not like that. I could never do what they did. How could they make such poor choices?”
I lovingly remind you that you, too, have an Achilles heel; everyone does. The log and the splinter are the same substance, so we should remain in the light of log awareness.
3) Make Right Judgements for the Right Purposes
When the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to the temple for punishment, what did Jesus tell them? “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
The purpose is never to shame someone but to restore them in Christ. The Pharisees brought this woman in to humiliate her, proclaim their own superiority, and trap Jesus. However, Jesus tells her, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on, sin no more.”
When we read between the lines, we see that Jesus forgave and freed her. The point is always restoration. We have the opportunity to move with God in restoring the broken, and we do that by dealing with the log in our eyes.
However, where others may have shamed you for your sins, you don’t have to be fearful of your Heavenly Father. His nature is trustworthy. He won’t shame you; instead, He wants to save you. Scripture tells us that His grace is sufficient through Christ’s blood to forgive and cleanse from the inside out. Redemption is awaiting.
TL;DR
"Judge not, that you be not judged" Matthew 7:1-2 is often misinterpreted as a call not to judge.
Scripture shows that Jesus condemns judgment based on appearances, wealth, or with evil.
Jesus tells us to make a “righteous judgment,” which involves recognizing our own sins before addressing others.
It should be without indifference and through love, humility, community, and trust when addressing others.
The goal of righteous judgment is to seek restoration rather than shame.
Related Reading
Qualities of a Convicted Heart by Bro. Chris Carter
What Did Jesus Say About Spiritual Blindness by Rev. Jacky Gatliff
How Does God’s Word Transform Us? by Rev. Paul Lawler
