Jesus said “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1). Some have concluded from this that we are never justified in telling anyone they are wrong about any religious matter. Is this really so?
THE COMMAND NOT TO JUDGE
If we take time to read more than one verse, the context of Matthew 7:1 would make it clear that what Jesus was condemning was hypocritical judgment. It is unfair and wrong to apply standards to others which we refuse to apply to ourselves. No man is above or exempt from God’s law. So before we tell someone else they are wrong, we must first apply the standard to ourselves to see if we are doing what God expects of us (Galatians 6:1).
THE COMMAND TO JUDGE
It seems like everyone knows about the verse that says judge not. Did you know there is a verse that commands us to judge? John 7:24 — Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Jesus expects us to restore those who are wrong (Galatians 6:1), rebuke those who sin (1 Timothy 5:20), and save some “out of the fire” (Jude 23). How can we fulfill these commands if we never take the time to evaluate what others are doing in the light of God’s word? One of the reasons we have such confusion in the religious world is that people have not evaluated the teachings and the practices of their own and other religions in the light of God’s word. We urge all men to seek and accept only The Bible Answer.
JUDGE NOT (don’t be hypocritical); BUT JUDGE!
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