I have no doubt that you are familiar with the words of our Lord Jesus, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" (Mt 7:1). These words are often misunderstood, or at least misapplied, as though Jesus is telling us never to make judgments about anything. It is obviously necessary for us to make judgments and sort things out (krino). We have to be able to determine and distinguish right from wrong and truth from error. And, since moral actions do not exist apart from persons, judgments about right and wrong actions necessarily attach to people. In Romans 14, Paul is concerned about wrongly or harshly judging other believers concerning "disputable matters", matters where we as believers may honestly and in good conscience arrive at differing conclusions. This was evidently a problem in the early church, and it is no different in the church today. Judgmentalism is an attitude of heart that we must recognize and reject within ourselves. It is a blight upon the church that causes spiritual brothers and sisters who ought to be united in Christ to quarrel and separate from one another with a smug self-righteousness that betrays the gospel of grace...
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Pastor Bruce Ray has been senior pastor of Juanita Community Church in Kirkland, Washington since 1976. He also serves as a Police, Fire & EMS chaplain. Books include Withhold Not Correction and Celebrating the Sabbath (both published by P&R Publishing). He is a member of the...