Do Not Judge Series

Verse 1-2: Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

(1) This is perhaps one of, if not, the most misused verse in the Bible. It is often used by people to excuse their own way of life.

(2) The Pharisees have instituted a way of life for leadership within Israel to worship God in this manner: prove your worth to others first. They cared way more about their own appearances than being humble. Additionally, the Pharisees searched for opportunities to look down on and judge others who were not living up to “their standards.”

(3) Here is what I have found to be true in my life:

o First, I have way more sympathy for people who struggle with the same sins that I have or continue to struggle with as opposed to those who struggle with sins that I don’t identify with.

o Second, I give myself way more grace and justify my shortcomings more than I give grace towards others.

(4) Judging others should only occur if our judgement is just and fair and we are using the same standard for judgment against the other person that we ourselves would want to be judged by.

Verse 3: Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

(1) Notice Jesus is talking about the same thing here? A plank in someone else’s eye and a log in your own.

(2) What Jesus is saying here is we are more tolerant of our own sin than we are of others. 53hb

Verse 4-5: How can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye, when there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

(1) Am I qualified to address a sin you are dealing with if I am dealing with it as well?

a. Yes but first: There is a difference between secret sin and habitual sin.

b. Secret sin: Engaging in the same sin, again and again. The mindset here is – this is who I am. I am defined by sin.

c. Habitual Sin: Engaging in the same sin, again and again and confessing. The mindset here is – I don’t want to sin. I want victory but I keep falling down, I keep coming up short; but I will continue to pursue Christ.

d. Secret sin occurs when we are comfortable with sinning and struggling with sin is fighting sin.

e. For me to support you in this area, I need to have a habitual sin and preferably I have overcome it.

f. What Jesus is getting at here is that I need to be able to function fully (clearly see

(2) Am I qualified to address a sin you are dealing with if I have not dealt with it?

a. Yes! I can share what the Word of God says about the sin.

b. I may have insight into how to deal with the issue as I may have dealt with / struggled with something similar.

Verse 6: Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they tremble them underfoot and attack you.

(1) The question we are faced with, considering these verses, is this: should we judge others?

(2) Yes! But we judge other believers, not unbelievers!

(3) When we begin to judge unbelievers, we are taking the place of God and we are impeding on the work of the Spirit – which is to convict unbelievers of sin. Yes, the Spirit can use us! We can call sin out for what it is – disobedience to God but judgement is another thing altogether!

(4) When we judge other (believers) we should be judging them by their fruit! This is how we know who a believer and those is who simply are masquerading as Christians.