The Commands of Christ, Part Fifteen

Command 15 is a doozie. Not so much because it’s weighty or hard to follow but because it gets taken out of context quite often by those on the receiving end of Godly correction. Matthew 7:1-2 in the NASB20 reads:

Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

Back in Command 6, we talked about dealing with our own sin and taking accountability. It was here we discussed the verses that come after this command where Jesus talks about tending to the plank in our own eye before trying to deal with speck in our brother’s. That context is important when we look at what Jesus is saying here. It’s also important to understand the difference between judging someone and correcting someone.

Jesus isn’t telling us not to evaluate an action as right or wrong. He’s not telling us not to evaluate a person’s lifestyle as sinful or not sinful: He is telling us not to have a heart of judgment that only looks at the flaws in others. The context that follows in verses 3-5 make it clear that Jesus wants us to have a heart that evaluates ourselves first.

It’s also worth pointing out that this isn’t the first time Jesus told us that what we do to others is what we will receive. Remember in Command 12, we discussed Matthew 6:14-15, which reads:

For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.

Now, that’s being reinforced from the point of judging others. It’s incredibly easy to find flaws in other people. It’s also incredibly easy to be grateful we don’t have those specific flaws in ourselves. How many times I have you said a sentence that begins something like: “I know I’m not perfect but at least I’m not…” That is what Jesus is telling us not to do.

When Christ tells us that the measure which we use will also be the measure by which we’re judged, sometimes we overlook the deeper message. We think, “Well, I’m only judgmental about these one or two specific sins, and since I don’t do those sins, I’m clearly better than the folks who do.” But measures don’t work that way. 10 pounds of feathers might look like a lot more than 10 pounds of bricks, but 10 pounds is 10 pounds. Let’s revisit verses 3-5:

Why do you look at 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,” and look, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the spec out of your brother’s eye!

Jesus teaches us to judge ourselves first. If we can truly find ourselves without sin, then, and only then, are we allowed to judge others for theirs. If you think you’re without sin, you may want to do some biblical research on pride. The story of the adulterous woman in John 8 reinforces this. John 8: 6-9 reads

Now they were saying this to test Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stopped down and with His finger wrong on the ground. When they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And again, He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Now when they heard this, they began leaving, one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman where she was in the center of the courtyard.

Now, admittedly, this is pure speculation, but I firmly believe that the first thing Jesus wrote was a title, something along the lines of “Sins Punishable by Death” and then, when he started writing the second time, he was writing the sins the men accusing the woman had committed. The Bible doesn’t come out and tell us what was written, but knowing what I know of pride, it’s what makes sense in my head and heart.

At this point, the question on your heart might be something along the lines of: “How am I supposed to show people their sin if I’m not supposed to judge them?” It seems like a point of conflict, but it’s not. Let me walk you through it with a few verses:

John 7:24

Do not judge by the outward appearance, but with righteous judgment.

Romans 3:9-10

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written: There is no righteous person, not even one;“

Psalms 14:3

They have all turned aside, together they are corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.

We, and especially me, are not “good.” All too often, we want to think of ourselves as disciples while acting like pharisees. So, how can we who are not good have righteous judgment? Jesus Christ. I often credit this to my grandfather because he had a bunch of great witticisms, but I may have heard it elsewhere: “Be aware of the grace you need, because the minimum amount of grace you need to give to others.” I am so far from being like Christ that even though I plan to spend the rest of my life getting closer to Him and becoming more like Him, I’ll die being farther away than I want to be. Because I am acutely aware of the grace I need from my savior, I am abundantly willing to give others as much grace as they need.

Does giving others grace for their behaviors mean not calling them out for saying and doing things that go against the commands of Christ? No. It means doing it from a heart of love and not a heart of judgment. And here’s the thing: if my brother or sister in Christ can feel the love in my words, if they know I am someone who will treat them with grace and kindness when they are already beating themselves up over a sin they’re struggling with they are far more inclined to listen to whatever message God has given me to give them.

There will be a time and a place where God calls you to bring someone’s attention to their sin. That is when you will know it’s coming from a place of righteous judgment. How will you know it’s God calling you to say something? Evaluate the urge like this:

1. Ask yourself, “Does this sin make me angry because it reminds me of a sin in my life?” If that answer is yes, you need to get your own sin rectified with God and then see if you still feel He is calling you to call out the sin in someone else.
2. Find scripture that supports that it’s a sin. Be careful here, because if you use the Law of Moses to judge someone, you need to make sure you are also following the Law of Moses (“by the same measure…”). As Christians, we are bound to the commands of Christ and while He does give many instructions that are echoes of teachings in the Old Testament, He came to fulfill the Law of Moses because humanity couldn’t do it on our own. I recommend finding at least 3 scriptures. Make sure at least 1 is in the Old Testament and at least 1 is in the New Testament. Also make sure you’re taking the whole context of the scripture into account and not just cherry picking a verse to twist to your needs.
3. Ask yourself, “Do these scriptures highlight any sins in my own life?” If that answer is yes, you need to get your own sin rectified with God and then see if you still feel He is calling you to call out the sin in someone else.
4. Pray and ask God to confirm that he is leading you to speak up and wait for Him to give you a sense of peace about doing so.
5. When you’ve done steps 1-4, approach your fellow Christian in a spirit of love and follow the instructions from Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17

Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Righteous judgement doesn’t feel like judgement to a fellow Christian, it feels like correction. Correction isn’t necessarily painless. It may sting no matter how softly you approach the topic, but we are called to hold our brothers and sisters in Christ accountable (Matthew 18:15-7, Galatians 6:1, Proverbs 27:17, James 5:19-20). If a fellow Christian won’t submit to correction from even the church, Jesus tells us to remove them from our lives.

So remember: judge yourself first, using Christ as your reference point, not other sinners (you aren’t trying to be like them). Get guidance from scripture and prayer before taking action. Always approach a moment of accountability with a heart of love.

But what about non-believers? So far, I’ve only talked about how to approach fellow Christians. That’s intentional. The accountability verses referenced above; Matthew 18:5-7, Galatians 6:1, Proverbs 27:17, James 5:19-20, all reference holding our brothers and sisters in Christ accountable with one exception: Galatians 6:1.

Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well.

Paul had a lot of love for the early churches and he expresses it in every letter, but also in every letter he gives loving notes of correction. Here, Paul isn’t just talking about fellow Christians, he typically makes it clear when he is doing so. He is, however, talking to an entire early church about how to deal with those caught doing something wrong.

When speaking to the lost, always remember: most of them aren’t scared of hell and God did not send Jesus just to save us from condemnation. He sent Jesus so that we could have a relationship with him. When approaching non-believers, I believe, the right approach isn’t to try to scare them into believing, it’s to show them how our belief has made our lives better and made us as individuals better people. When we let Christ shine through us it draws those seeking a better way to us, giving us an opportunity to witness. When we focus on shining lights on the sins and shames of non-believers, it makes them want to scurry away for fear of being seen and being judged.