Judging Others: Right or Wrong?

  

1 Samuel 2; Psalms 15–16; Jeremiah 40; Romans 2

A few proverbs that come from the Bible have made their way into ordinary speech and are repeated without realizing that they are biblical statements. One of them is: “Pride goes before a fall.” This is often said by someone who observes another person boasting or proud of an accomplishment and they have become envious. They might say it as a put-down or hopefully a prediction.

As a Christian, I realize how this verse works in my life: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) It isn’t just about the results of pride but what it signifies; I have either given myself credit for something God or someone else did, or I am boasting that I am better than others. Both signify that I’ve stopped abiding in Christ and am running in my own strength. God keeps proving that my sinful self is insufficient to do His will and that when I step outside of His will, whatever I am doing will not succeed. Destruction and fall are strong words, but they are also avoidable.

That said, I’m back in Romans and startled by realizing the system of chapters and verses added to Scripture to help us find things can also be a barrier to seeing startling relationships. In this case, Romans 1 tells of the power of the Gospel and what happens to those who deny God at a very basic level: His existence and that He is worthy of honor and thanksgiving. Once a person rejects Him in those areas, they are on a slippery slope. The rest of the chapter describes the decline from failure to be thankful to “a debased mind” and “all manner of unrighteousness” and not only doing evil but “giving approval” to others who do evil.

Those thoughts end chapter 1 but here is the startling connection — chapter 2 starts with this:

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.” (Romans 2:1)

How easy it is for those not on that slippery slope to judge and condemn those who are! Of course these words come to mind: “We are not supposed to judge!” Yet there are two ways to look at this word. One is how it is used in this verse: “to evaluate, to form a critical opinion of something (either positive or negative) by examination or scrutiny.”

The other is to recognize sin for what it is, both in myself and others, and then do what God commands to do about it. I’m to acknowledge and confess it as sin, to God and if necessary, to others. If it is sin in others, I’m to take care that my heart is right and then do what I can to help that other person do the same. This use of “judge” is about evaluation — not to criticize but restore. Such restoration only happens when I can see or discern that it is needed.

But not to be critical. That puts me in the arena of pride. Critical judgment is a proud way of saying, “You should be like me and not doing those things.” But not only that, Romans 2:1 says that if I am judging in that way, I’m doing the same things as the person I’m judging — running my life in my own strength, relying on my sinful self for choices and actions. My actions may not be exactly the same as the person who has fallen to a debased mind, but the root of the problem is the same: I’m not right with God, not honoring God, do not have a thankful heart, and I’m not abiding in Christ. Sins big or small fall into the same pit.

A following verse says this: “Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

Do I not realize that if God’s kindness, forbearance and patience are to lead me to repentance, perhaps my kindness, forbearance and patience could have the same effect on the people that I tend to condemn and to speak critically about because of my pride?

APPLY: I abhor a critical spirit in others. It is time to abhor it in myself and be more like Jesus in the way I respond to those lost in sin.