Judge, but Don’t Condemn

When someone says that a Christian should never judge, that’s incorrect.

But didn’t Jesus say, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1 NKJV)?

Yes, and He went on to say, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (verse 15 NKJV).

Unless we make some kind of judgment, how will we determine who a false prophet is? There is a place for judgment. The Bible even says, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17 NKJV).

Also, 1 Corinthians 6:2 tells us, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?” (NKJV).

There are many verses that actually teach us as Christians to judge, make evaluations, and exercise discernment.

So yes, we are to make evaluations in judgment. It’s very important. But having said that, what did Jesus actually mean when He said, “Judge not, that you be not judged”?

A better way to translate this statement of Christ in Matthew 7:1 is, “Condemn not, that you be not condemned.” There’s a big difference between the two.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to make judgments, make evaluations, and use our discernment. However, we are not to condemn others. We judge for identification, not for condemnation.

We need to refrain from hypercritical, condemning judgment. As the late J. Vernon McGee pointed out, “The only exercise some Christians get is jumping to conclusions and running down others.”

While we should make evaluations in judgment, we should not condemn other people.