I was listening to a lecture from D. A. Carson once, and something he said stuck out to me. He said something along the lines of this: it used to be that the verse *everyone* knew was John 3:16 - for God so love the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should have eternal life - but nowadays, the verse everyone knows is this:
Matthew 7:1 - "Judge not, that you be not judged."
Why does everyone know this? What makes this one of the best known verses - even among people who have limited to no contact with Christians, people who rarely (if ever) pick up a Bible?
What is it about being judged that nobody likes? ...That's a stupid question, isn't it? Being judged isn't the best of things. It's certainly not something I enjoy.
It might not be too much of a stretch to liken it to the slave market. People are lined up on a stage and studied by other people. Is this one strong enough? Big enough? Pretty enough?
Are you good enough?
Judgment isn't nice.
But I don't want to spend this post talking about how bad it is to judge others. The Bible talks enough about judging others for us to know for certain that we shouldn't do it. However, there is something else I want to highlight. Bear with me in this, because it's probably going to be confusing.
I believe that there is a sharp, distinct difference between judgment and accountability. As Christians, we are to hold others accountable. We are also to be held accountable. Look at the definitions of the two words here:
- Judging: "To pass sentence on; condemn." (This is not the only definition, but it is the one I will be using for this post, because this is the type of judging the Bible is referring to in such verses as Matthew 7:1. Another definition of judging is "To form an opinion or estimation of after careful consideration", which would also be called discernment, but I'm not going into that right now.)
- Accountability: "Liable to being called to account; answerable."
In Leviticus 19, part of the structure for a loving, stable community is righteous judgment.
Leviticus 19:15 - “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor."
A loving community is not one that looks the other way when one of its people goes wrong. As a community of believers, Christians should have enough love for their neighbour that they seek to point out the sin and help lead the sinner to repentance and restoration.
Look at this verse:
1 Corinthians 5:12 - "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?"
Here's what I take from this. As a body of believers, we are called to holiness. (1 Peter 1:15) We are supposed to follow the example of Christ, in obedience and love for God. There is a place for judgment within the Church.
Christians know the higher standard. They know that they ought to live righteous lives before the Most High God. So, because of this, if there is a believer who is unrepentantly sinning within the body, we, as Christians, should judge him and actually excommunicate him. This is harsh stuff, but it is necessary. It's not my opinion, it's what the Bible says. (1 Corinthians 5:13)
I think it's a mistake to think that all judgment is wrong. It's not, and Christians should know better. Now, that's not to say we should go around judging everyone for all the small details of their life. But we are a holy priesthood, as it says in 1 Peter 2:5,9, and as such we are called to holiness in all our being. We are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
1 Corinthians 4:1-5 - "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God."
Am I a trustworthy steward of the mysteries of God? Do I live the gospel? I'm giving you permission: you can judge me, and see; if anything I say or do is contrary to Scripture, tell me so, so I can change.
Christians should not have the "You can't judge me" attitude. I think that sort of attitude stems from pride. We ought to be ready and willing to receive any questions or criticisms that can be thrown at us.
On the flip side, we shouldn't pronounce judgment "before the Lord comes", because we don't know the purposes of the heart. God does. It is before the Lord, our Master, that believers stand or fall. (I'll probably have more on that at a later date.)
