Many have taken the words "Judge not," from Matthew 7:1 out of context. The world has used it in an attempt to silence Christians who would speak the truth. From the surrounding context in Matthew, it is clearly seen that Jesus is not teaching that we shouldn't judge, since in later verses, He gives three calls to judge. The passage also gives instruction on what Jesus is teaching about making judgments. We should judge, but we should not judge wrongly. In vv. 2-5, Jesus shows that when we make judgments, we should not do that hypocritically and also exhorts that we need to remember that we also will be judged. We will want to receive mercy and kindness, so we should give that to others as well. Ephesians 4:15 gives further clarity, as Paul urges believers to speak the truth in love. In conclusion, we should not back away from speaking the truth. God has give us His Word to use in our judgments. We need to ask God to search and know our hearts so we can first repent, and then our hearts can be filled with love and compassion for the people we are dealing with in order to be helpful, constructive, and edifying. This will help us to judge with righteous judgement. |
