Christians Must Judge Correctly

With God*s help they can. Without His help that is impossible. Good judgment comes from God. Pastor Kent McBay taught the truth that Christians must judge some things but not hypocritically. Some he had tried to share the gospel with quoted Matthew 7:1. He noted that the passage seems to be the one that is best known and most quoted by unbelievers.

Matthew 7:1: Judge not, that ye be not judged.

My Scofield Bible notes say this judgment is not in the sense of condemnation. Judgment is necessary to find and share truth. In the same chapter the Bible twice says we shall know them (judge them) by their fruits.

Matthew 7:16a: Ye shall know them by their fruits. . . . 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

We need to know people without condemning them. We need to know who we should have fellowship with and encourage and who we should share the gospel with and pray for. We need to know who we should emulate and learn from. We should try not to offend others, even though the gospel might.

Before I was saved I sometimes got angry with those who tried to share the gospel with me. Since I have been saved when someone tries to share the gospel with me I appreciate their concern for my spiritual well-being. If someone becomes angry when we try to share the gospel with them it is one clue that they may be unsaved. We do need to remember that we cannot look upon their hearts and know with certainty their spiritual condition. We should rightly judge ourselves first and then others.

1 Peter 4:17: For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

1 Corinthians 11:31: For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

John 7:24: Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

1 Corinthians 2:15: But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

It might be resented by unbelievers but believers will know some things unbelievers do not. Believers have repented of their sins and been forgiven and they know that believers need to repent and be forgiven too. A believer who does not try to share the gospel with an unbeliever would be like a doctor who does not tell a patient with cancer that he needs an operation. God begins to give needed wisdom and knowledge (good judgment) to His children that are out of reach for unbelievers.

Psalms 111:10: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Good judgment from God does not travel alone and will not be applied without kindness and charity (love) and some other things.

2 Peter 1:3: According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

If you are a believer you should have better judgment (based on the Bible) than you had before you were saved. You should know that others need to hear Bible truth more than they need our opinions of them.

Care to discuss Christians Must Judge Correctly with Ron?

He'd also like to hear your prayer requests