Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and we will not be condemned, forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Luke 6: 37 (NIV)
Scripture: Luke 6: 37-42
Disciples of Jesus have been accused of being judgmental. That is not what Jesus called us to be. This devotion looks at Luke 6: 37 to see how what attitude Jesus has called us to have.
Nuggets
- Jesus commanded His disciplines to love, not judge.
- Unfortunately, we not only judge, but we also condemn.
- Instead, Jesus calls us to forgive.
- While we must concentrate on our own relationships with God, we are called to witness to others.
Society today is quick to label the church as being judgmental. Pastor Chad recently said, “As we have judged the world for their sinfulness, the world judged the church for its unlovingness.”
It is not the church’s job to judge others. Jesus said that in Luke 6: 37. Let’s look at that after we set the stage.
Let's Put It into Context
To begin, let’s see how Merriam-Webster defines the words. I am only going to show the definitions that apply to this discussion.
Judge as “one who makes judgments: such as one who gives an authoritative opinion or critic.” I would probably use who think they have instead of give.
Condemn us then defined as “declared to be reprehensible, wrong, or evil.” Although, I can see the “pronounced guilty and sentenced to punishment” sometimes fits.
Forgiveness, on the other hand, is defined as “the act of forgiving,” which means “to cease to feel resentment against.”
Judge and Jury
Do not judge, and you will not be judged … Luke 6: 37 (NIV)
Jesus’ commandment said to love, not judge. “The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ …” (Mk. 12: 31 CEV).
But we get in a situation where we think we have valid opinions. So, we let that opinion be known.
And things go south from there because it is really a judgment, not just an opinion.
We might rationalize our giving the opinion by saying we are just being honest, not judgmental. Unfortunately, our opinion may or may not be valid. At best, it is based on a partial observation.
Let’s face it. We don’t always know someone. We see their public persona. We don’t know what they are going through. We don’t necessarily know the thought process that got them to that point.
So, here we are judging.
Usually when we are judgmental, it creates a heart of stone. That is one reason why judges can be seen as rigid and uncaring.
They can also be seen as hypocritical. This is especially true if people see the judge as committing a “worse” sin than they are.
When we are judgmental, many times it stems from one of the seven sins. Pride usually rears its head most of the time. Envy probably isn’t too far behind, though.
Satan gives us impulses to judge others. He does this in order to sow discord among us. Unfortunately, Satan tries to get us to build ourselves up at the expense of others.
Only God knows the whole situation and can judge. We see only words and actions that are performed in our presence. God sees the thought process used to determine their stance or actions.
Executioner
… Do not condemn, and we will not be condemned … Luke 6: 37 (NIV)
Unfortunately, we not only judge, but sometimes we also pass sentence. We are very opinionated, and when things don’t go our way, we can be quick to place blame. Relationships can be broken because we stand by our opinion and degrade others that do not share our opinion in some way.
Paul said in Romans 2: 1-2, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things” (ESV). So, instead of them being condemned, we are.
Ideal
… forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6: 37 (NIV)
What we are to be is forgiving. God requires it. “Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others” (Mt. 6: 12 CEV).
We are to “make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Col. 3:13 NLT). Being a forgiving person is the best way to show others God’s love.
Pastor Chad said, “‘I can’t forgive them.’ ‘I love you, but I don’t like you.’ Those sentences shouldn’t be in our vocabulary. There is no limit on our ability to forgive. There is no justifiable reason to not forgive.” Yes, it may take a strong conviction to accomplish it, but God will strengthen us to go beyond what we are able.
When I was looking through my sermon notes, I found this. Pastor Chad didn’t say it; one of my former pastors did. “Genuine faith involves private devotion and public goodness. The tongue is a diagnostic devise that takes stock of the heart. Our compassion is an indication of the grace on our hearts.”
Disciples are not to be judgmental and condemning. We are to be forgiving and compassionate. That requires grace and mercy. Pastor Chad said this in one sermon: “Our job is not judgment, but mercy and grace in expanding the kingdom of God. We must accept them because they are a child of God.”
Why Is Judging Forbidden?
Just like vengeance, God keeps the judging for Himself. James 4: 12 says, “God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” (NLT). It is God’s job.
We will be judged for judging – both by the world and by God. If we are merciful, on the other hand, we will be seen as good.
Making the Connections
Remember, we will be judged as we judge. I get the “judge and be judged,” “give and be given,” “forgive and be forgiven.”
Still, part of me hates saying that. I think it is too easy to get to a “what’s in it for me” stance. It is not about what we gain because we have not judged or have given and forgiven. It is about our relationship with our Sovereign God and Redeemer.
Jesus is really talking about attitude here. He would rather see us full of humility and compassion.
Judging can sometimes be a form of comparison. We are very good at holding ourselves up to someone else — and find ourselves lacking. In a way, it is just a form of coveting. That can make us look for faults in the person. That makes us more judgmental.
Olshausen said, “The way to righteousness lies in finding not other people’s sins, but our own.” That is so true. We need to worry about ourselves.
But What Should We Do When We Encounter Someone Else’s Sin?
We do have to make sure our relationship with God is right. But He also calls us to be witnesses for Him. In order to do that, we have to address sin in the lives of others.
Part of the church’s problem today is it has tried to be culturally relevant. We have been some of the ones rewriting the scriptures. We haven’t been addressing sin – in our lives or the lives of others.
To read Why Do We Try to Rewrite Scripture?, click the button below.
Disciples have to figure out how to do that in a loving, not judgmental, way. We can’t tolerate sin.
We have to help them to admit their sins, believe on His Son Jesus as Redeemer, and confess Him as Sovereign Lord. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55: 7 ESV).
How Do We Apply This?
We should figure out what we really do know and don’t know about the situation. We shouldn’t lead with our opinion.
We should lead with love and mercy. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (I Cor. 13: 7 ESV). We have to put the person above the situation.
Yes, we may have to address the sin aspect of the situation. However, we do not want to sin in trying to lead them to Christ.
I think what we really need to remember is it is about relationships. We have our relationship with God. We want others to have that relationship with Him, too. Plus, we have our relationship with them.
If we focus on the relationship, hopefully, we can work through the situation. We can if we let God lead.
Loving Heavenly Father. We just praise You, Lord. You are Sovereign God but still want a relationship with us. Help us with our relationships with others. May we reflect Your love to them. Help us to resolve any conflicts in a loving manner. Show us where we are judgmental so that we may see how You would rather us be. Help us to be forgiving. But never let us diminish the gospel by trying to be culturally relevant. May we always obey You and Your standards. Amen.
What do you think? In what types of situations do you find yourself most judgmental? What strategies do you need to implement to be more forgiving?
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