SIX REASONS WE MUST NOT JUDGE OTHERS (Romans 2:1-5):
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. -Romans 2:1-5 (NIV)
1. When we judge others, we cause God to be harder on us.
“At whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself” (v. 1). We invite the discipline of our Heavenly Father.
2. We do many of the same things we condemn in others (see v. 1).
For example, we are quick to judge sexual sin; yet few of us have not transgressed in at least some area of sexual sin. If not physically, mentally. We often sit on the judgment seat as if to determine and compare degrees of sin. Judgment bears hypocrisy.
3. We do not know the whole truth.
“God’s judgment…is based on truth” (v. 2). We may think we have “all the facts,” but we are incapable of reading minds or judging hearts.
4. We are mere humans.
“So when you, a mere man” (v. 3). I [Beth Moore] love the way Isaiah 29:16 expounds upon the temptation to switch roles with God: “You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!” We must withstand all temptation to assume God’s job!
5. When we judge others, we are judging God.
Our judgment reveals contempt for the riches of God’s patience. (see v. 4). To judge why God won’t bring a speedy punishment to those who mock or despise Him is not our responsibility. To all of us, His long-suffering has been our salvation. Eternity is a long time; the effects are irreversible… I once heard Dr. Adrian Rogers say, “Time is not nearly as important to God as timing.”
6. God’s judgment is always righteous. Ours is tainted by the flesh.
“When his righteous judgment will be revealed” (v. 5). Our judgment of others is colored by our attitudes, our pasts, our personalities, and our positions. Only God is the perfectly righteous Judge.
MORE REASONS NOT TO JUDGE OTHERS (Matthew 7:1-5):
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye..." -Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV)
7. We risk application of the same type of judgment to ourselves (see vv. 1-2).
When I recall times I have been quick to judge, my reaction has often been tainted by my own personality and past. The same lack of mercy I’ve dispensed could, in turn, be dispensed to me!
8. We cannot judge the speck of sawdust in another’s eye because of the planks in our own (see vv. 3-4).
We can’t judge righteously because our sight is hindered by our own sin. Consider the following illustration. A precious little preschool boy was picked up by Child Protective Services after a church nursery worker discovered multiple marks and bruises on his body. After some investigation, his guardians were found picketing the rights of the unborn at an area abortions clinic. What is wrong with this picture? Why not protect the child entrusted to you first?
LET’S SEE WHAT WE LEARNED FROM JAMES 4:11-12:
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? -James 4:11-12 (NIV)
9. “There is only one lawgiver and judge” (Jas. 4:12).
There’s simply no room on the bench! God wrote the commands. Only He has the right to judge the infractions and punish the offender.
10. Only God has noble purpose in His judgment.
We judge to make ourselves feel righteous in comparison. Whether or not the thought is conscious, most judgments boil down to this justification: “At least I don’t do that!” God’s judgment is not based on His “ego.” It is a practical action by which He determines the fate of all humanity.
THE FINAL REASON NOT TO JUDGE (John 8:14-18):
Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me." -John 8:14-18 (NIV)
11. Just like Christ’s, our judgment would have to be completely consistent with God’s. He must agree with us for our judgment to be valid.
We judge by “human standards” (v. 15) and, therefore, possess little heavenly perspective. To make a valid judgment, the second testimony cannot be our best friend or neighbor…it must be God.
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