Let God Be the Judge

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

– Luke 6:37 

Judgment is arguably one of the most misunderstood concepts in the Bible. For example, many people — including some professing Christ-followers — say that no one has the right to judge anyone … or at least call them out for a supposed sinful deed, attitude, or behavior. And they’re also quick to quote Jesus’ words from Matthew’s gospel:

“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? 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.”

With that in mind, Scripture does direct Believers to hold fellow brothers and sisters-in-Christ accountable for living according to God’s high standards. The key is that we must first address our own shortcomings to avoid committing another familiar sin: hypocrisy. But rest assured, we can judge fellow Christ-followers if we do so fairly from pertinent biblical standards. It’s in John 7:24 that Jesus

cautioned: 

“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

And in Matthew 7:18-19 he also made this familiar observation about judging others:

“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.”

Christ-followers have open access to God’s truth through the Bible, prayer, and even wise counsel from fellow Believers. We should therefore have less trouble than others with telling right from wrong and good from evil — and living our lives accordingly. However, when we point our finger at someone else, our hand’s other four fingers point back at us. That’s why we must look closely in the mirror: Are our own words, thoughts, and actions beyond reproach? And we also must consider if the would-be transgressor simply needs guidance. Is he or she already a fellow Christ-follower? Or is the so-called “sinner” someone who never signed up for Jesus’ walk of faith in the first place? 

The answers determine the proper action. But either way, Christ-followers must hold themselves to a higher standard of behavior. And on the flipside, we must let God be the judge of those outside the faith. He knows the whole story, and we’re hardly in the position to condemn anyone. As we read in Romans 14:10:

“For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”

Regardless of what we think or say about judging others, let’s remember that love should be our core value and motivation in whatever we think, say, and do. The apostle John sums up this vast principle in just three small words: God is Love. So, with that in mind, let’s hand over the gavel and let God be the judge.