To judge or not to judge . . .

"Don't judge me!" How many times do we hear that today . . . even from believers? What did Jesus say about judging? To judge or not to judge . . . .

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)

You see, believers are to judge one another, but in the context of love. We must correct one another in the Body, but the sinful world we must simply share the love of Christ until they come to know Him. (1 Corinthians 5). We have to be careful to correct (judge) our fellow believers in love, knowing we too are sinful and not perfect. Our goal is not to embarrass or belittle anyone, but to encourage each other to live righteously before God.

It is also clear that if the believer refuses to listen, then we are to avoid that person and pray for him to change. Leave that person for God to deal with him.

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)