“The command to judge not is not a requirement to be blind, but rather a plea to be generous. Jesus does not tell us to cease to be men (by suspending our critical powers which help to distinguish us from animals) but to renounce the presumptuous ambition to be God (by setting ourselves up as judges).” [1]
In part 1, we looked at the being of God, what love truly is according to His Word, and the tangible ways in which God has proven His love for His people. In this second post, we’ll look at discernment and judgment, their similarities and differences, and how we can be faithful to our calling as Christians in both.
Discernment vs. Judgment
This brings us now to an important clarification that must be made between discernment and judgment. It’s true that we are not called to judge others; however, we most certainly are called, indeed commanded by our Lord, to make value-judgments (discernment). In regard to Matthew 7:1 (“Judge not…”) consider the following:
“Judge (krinō) often carries the connotation ‘condemn’, and it is in that sense that it is used here. The use of our critical faculties in making value-judgments is frequently required in the New Testament. There may be a place for verbal rebuke and even stronger measures. This passage (Matthew 7:1), however, is concerned with the fault-finding, condemnatory attitude which is too often combined with a blindness to one’s own failings. The least that such an attitude can expect is to be judged with equal harshness by other men. But the passive [verb tense in Greek], as often in Matthew, probably conceals God himself as the agent. Just as He will forgive those who forgive (6:14–15), He will condemn those who condemn… the hypocrite’s error is not in his diagnosis, but in his failure to apply to himself the criticism he so meticulously applies to his brother.” [2] (emphases mine)
If we look at others and harshly condemn them while simultaneously exalting ourselves, blind to the ways in which we have offended God, then we have crossed the line and are judging others in an unbiblical way. However, if we simply assess a situation or a person’s behavior and rightly discern that we’re seeing things that offend God and point that out, that’s not a violation of Jesus’ command in Matthew 7. That’s exactly what we’re supposed to do as God’s people. Don’t believe me? Read the Old Testament prophets. On God’s behalf they denounced evil behavior both among God’s people and the pagan nations.
Ultimately, look at Jesus. He denounced the hypocritical behavior and covenant-unfaithfulness which characterized the religious leaders of Israel during His ministry. And while He reserved His harshest words for the “insiders,” He was nevertheless pronouncing prophetic judgments against sin and those who practice it. He did not accept everyone unconditionally and look the other way.
A popular refrain in church circles is that “God loves everyone unconditionally.” The problem, however, is that this is stated nowhere in Scripture. The reason? It’s not true. That may be a paradigm-breaking idea for you but hang with me. As one biblical scholar noted, and I fully agree with his assessment, “God’s love is unconditioned, but not unconditional.” In other words, God’s love and acceptance of sinners (and that’s all of us!) is not based upon anything in us, or any good we’ve tried to do. He bestows His love freely and offers His gracious salvation to all based solely on His good will and pleasure. But His love and acceptance are not unconditional—to be in relationship with Him requires repentance from sin and faith in what He has done for us in His Son. Without faith and repentance, we sinful people most certainly will not be accepted by God but will be judged eternally for our sin.
Now, what about discernment vs. judgment? As an example, it is not unloving and “judgmental” (in the bad sense in which that word is usually intended) for me as a Christian to say that homosexual behavior is an abomination to God, sex outside of marriage is immoral, and lying is wrong. He Himself clearly states these things in His Word and promises that He will judge those who choose to engage in those behaviors. As unpopular as this may be in today’s world, it’s the truth. That’s discernment, making biblical value-judgments. However, I would be crossing a line if I were to go on and exalt myself, think of myself as the paragon of virtue, blind to my own sins, and think I’m better than “them,” and that God must be more pleased with me because I’ve earned His love through my morality. That would be a repugnant attitude which God hates and is what “judge” means in Matthew 7:1. Does that make sense?
All of this to say, as Christians, we must “think God’s thoughts after Him.” This means we both believe and declare what He has revealed in His Word. The most unloving thing we could do is to pretend that God won’t judge people for their sin and therefore not offer them His salvation in Christ. While staying silent in the midst of the decadence which increasingly characterizes our Western society may be easier and seem like the loving thing to do (since it’s “nice” to not rock the boat), it is in fact a dereliction of our Christian duty and quite unkind to our neighbors who so desperately need to be reconciled to God through His Son.
And by the way: judging people for judging people still counts as judging people. Don’t forget that when you’re accused of being judgmental simply because you proclaim biblical truth. Those who condemn us for saying what God has said are still practicing the very judgment they claim to despise, which is quite ironic. When it all comes down to it, it’s impossible to live without making judgments. What matters is what kind of judgments one makes.
“The judgmental person by not being forgiving and loving testifies to his own arrogance and impenitence, by which he shuts himself out from God’s forgiveness.” [3]
[1] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 184.
[2] R. T. France, Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 1, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 146–147.
[3] Carson, 184.