The prophets asked, "Who will judge thy people?," and they raised a standard toward Zion (Jeremiah 4:6). No one has the right or privilege to take the place of God's Word and make himself a judge over a brother or any person in the world.
Jesus speaks clearly on this point. "Do not judge," (Matt 7:1). He said even the Father does not judge anyone, but that He has committed all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). Later, He lets it be known that He Himself does not judge. It is the words He speaks that will judge in the last day (John 12:47-48).
Judgment must be left to the Word of God. If Jesus did not come to judge the world but to save it, then we have no authority or right to judge.
In the Church, however, there are many who say they are letting the Word judge but are using it improperly. Nothing could be more heartbreaking. To those who are judged in this way, the consequences can be devastating. They can be crippled emotionally and psychologically for life. Many are turned off to the Church and never know the love of God because of it. Others are kept in cruel bondage under the law, works, guilt and traditions of men.
JUDGMENT REBOUNDS
But the devastation of judgmentalism does not stop with those who are judged. It rebounds against those who pass judgment, heaping misery and destruction upon them, too.
"Do not judge, lest you be judged yourselves," Jesus said. Then He went on to elaborate on the phrase, "LEST YOU BE JUDGED:" for in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it shall be measured to you" (Matt 7:2).
When you pass judgment upon another, that same judgment comes back upon you. By judging, you speak wrath, condemnation and death upon your own head.
PRACTICED FOR YEARS
For generations, the Church of Jesus Christ has been trained in judgmentalism. The enemy, whom God identifies as the accuser of the brethren, has taught God's people to be accusers of their brethren. Consequently, the Church does not know how to enjoy the fellowship of believers. It does not know the meaning of harmony or unity of the kind Jesus prayed for the Church - the kind displayed between Him and the Father. I believe that He is purging His Church of this spiritual plague.
HIGHEST FORM OF IDOLATRY
Many who judge do not recognize the fact, but they are engaging in one of the highest forms of idolatry. When you judge your fellow man, you are placing yourself on the throne of God. Ezekiel 34 speaks of this problem. It chastises "shepherds" who have failed to do their jobs of feeding the sheep and have, instead, dominated them, pushing the weak with side and shoulder and thrusting at them with their horns (vv 4, 21).
In the Church today, some pastors are dominating their people. They are so afraid their people might hear something wrong that they won't release them to hear God. The fact is, they are hearing much error where they are. They have set aside God's Word, "Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men" (Mark 7:7) "Lies and not truth prevail in the land" (Jeremiah 9:3). Because of this, people are so hungry for the truth they will look for it anywhere they might find it. They are weary of having the thoughts and opinions of men taught them as the Word of God.
ONLY ONE TRUE TEACHER
The Church has one teacher, and He says, "I have to lead." Jesus told us who that teacher is. He said it was expedient for Him to leave, because He was going to send the Holy Spirit, who would be with His disciples at all times. He would guide them into all truth (Jn 14:16-17; 16:13). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:19). How could you have a better teacher than Jesus?
With the Spirit of Christ as your teacher, life becomes a guided tour, a holy pilgrimage. But the moment you think you have found it all, you are in danger of falling into the idolatry of judgmentalism.
YOU DIG IN AND BECOME A SETTLER, RATHER THAN A PILGRIM. THEN YOU TURN YOUR DITCH INTO A FORTRESS TO DEFEND YOUR PET TRUTHS. YOU START FIRING YOUR VERBAL MORTARS AT ALL WHO DISAGREE WITH YOU. BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOUR FORTRESS HAS BECOME A PRISON. YOU HAVE PLACED PEOPLE IN BONDAGE.
They no longer know the true expression of the love of God. They don't know how to forgive their brothers when they are wrong, or even how to love them when they are right. All they know how to do is judge, condemn and ostracize.
JUDGMENTALISM DIVIDES THE BODY
Modern-day judges condemn their brothers up the street because they perceive them to be wrong. The Church needs to get straight this matter of who is right and who is wrong. God is right! The Word of God is right! Everyone else is wrong. If we were not wrong, why would the Spirit let us know we need to have our minds renewed (Rom 12:2)?
IF ALL WERE NOT TO SOME EXTENT IN ERROR, WHY WOULD WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE US INTO ALL TRUTH? AND, IF WE WERE ALL WRONG IN SOME DEGREE, WHAT RIGHT HAVE WE TO JUDGE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, EVEN WHEN WE KNOW THEY ARE WRONG IN SOME OF THEIR BELIEFS AND PRACTICES?
DANGER OF PASSING JUDGMENT
Immediately following His model prayer, Jesus delivered a devastating pronouncement on the subject of judging. Expanding on one of the themes of the prayer - "and forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors: - He said: "For if you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you".
"But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions" (Matt 6:14-15)
To refuse to forgive simply means to continue to judge. If you continue to judge others, Jesus is saying, God will continue to judge you. Every believer should ponder those words carefully. They say that, when you judge someone else, you are refusing to extend the grace of God to them. And when you you refuse to extend the grace of God to others you do not receive His grace for yourself. Rather, you receive the full impact of the law of God.
THE DANGER ILLUSTRATED
In Matthew 18, Jesus takes up the theme of forgiveness again. Peter has asked Him how often one should forgive his brother. Jesus has answered that one should forgive seventy times seven. Then, to illustrate, He tells a parable of a man who was forgiven debts, but refused to forgive someone who owed him money.
WHEN THIS WAS REPORTED TO THE MASTER, HE ORDERED THE WICKED MAN SEIZED AND COMMANDED HIM TO BE TURNED OVER TO TORTURERS.
Jesus closes with this chilling statement: "So shall my heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your your heart (v 35).
Some in the Church wonder why they are so overrun, downtrodden, defeated and bound. It is because they have been taught all their Christian life to judge and condemn others. In following that practice, they have brought judgment upon themselves. The "torturers" in Jesus' parable are the demonic forces of the kingdom of darkness. With their judging, many Christians have unleashed the forces of hell against themselves. To be set free from the power and harassment of the enemy, you must forgive others.
Much of the judging that goes on in the Church is never worth the trouble it causes. People are judged for the clothes they wear, for the way they do their hair, for their appearance.
Such judgmentalism is patterned after the Pharisees. They knew the truths and defended them with great zeal.
BUT THEIR NIT-PICKING LEGALISM SO BLINDED THEM TO THE SPIRIT OF THE TRUTH THEY COULDN'T REJOICE OVER THE HEALING OF THE LAME, THE SICK AND THE LEPROUS BECAUSE IT WAS DONE ON THE SABBATH DAY.
FORGIVENESS NECESSARY
People caught up in judgmentalism try to make forgiving sound impossible. But Jesus gives us both the ability to forgive and a demonstration of how to do it. "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained," (Jn 20:23). Clearly, Jesus is placing the power to forgive in the hands of the believer.
"But," some ask, "when should you forgive?" The answer, based on Jesus' demonstration of forgiveness: The moment you have been offended.
"But what if they did it on purpose?" some ask. The answer: Forgive them on purpose! "But what if they haven't repented?" Answer: Forgive them anyway.
What is the demonstration of forgiveness that provides all these answers? Jesus' forgiveness of those who were crucifying Him. In the midst of that terrible offense, He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Lk 23:34). Were they doing their foul deed on purpose? Of course. Had they repented? Certainly not. Yet, Jesus pleaded for their forgiveness.
The Lord was teaching us something of vital importance with that illustration. He was demonstrating the fact that,
WHILE GRACE CAN'T BE RECEIVED UNTIL THERE IS REPENTANCE, NEITHER CAN GRACE BE RECEIVED BEFORE IT IS OFFERED.
Let's lift a standard toward Zion and love one another, leaving judgment to almighty God. Love is all the law fulfilled in a word (Galatians 5:14).