Judge Not… But Do Speak Up!
All of us know that Jesus says in Matthew 7:1 “Judge not lest ye be judged”. That is a commandment from Jesus Christ and we are to follow it. A major problem with this though is that many people are not clear on what it means to judge and so the Devil has used that misunderstanding against them. One of the Evil Ones most successful tactics is to take a small amount of the truth and mix it with false interpretation in order to lead the Christian astray. I would like to try and separate the truth from the lie in this case and to shed a little light on the subject. Hopefully this will strengthen our resolve to do the right thing. To exemplify brotherly love as we speak up for what is right and speak out against what is wrong.
It is not judgmental to yell “look out” when a person is about to get struck by something or is walking off a cliff. In fact the bible instructs us over and over again as in 1st Thessalonians 5:14 to warn our brothers.
Suppose you see your friend walking down the sidewalk listening to their iPod and not paying attention to much of anything. They are completely oblivious to the fact that although the crosswalk sign says “walk” there is a car screaming down the street that is going to run the light. Would you find a way to get their attention so that they would not step in front of it? Or would you let them get run over? You would alert them right? I sure hope so anyway. Were you judging that friend by stepping in to help or were you looking out for their welfare? You were looking out for their welfare and trying to help them with no thought of judgment whatsoever. That car was going to kill them and you just wanted to make your friend aware of that so that they could stop before they got run over.
Now suppose another friend is living with their girlfriend and that friend has made it known that they are having sexual relations. Do you say anything to this friend about the fact that the bible clearly says that sex outside of the bonds of marriage is a sin? What about the co-worker who tells crude jokes or your friend who regularly drinks excessively? Do you say anything to these folks? What about the Christian who cheats on his taxes or fails to pay all of his debts? Do you say anything? If you are like most Christians you say nothing. Either because you have been regularly scolded by those who misunderstand the commandment “Judge not lest ye be judged” or because you yourself have not understood it.
When it comes to sin we are all guilty. No one except the Lord Jesus Christ has ever or will ever live a sin free life. I myself have to admit to committing every one of the sins listed in the previous paragraph. I am not proud of it but neither will I hide from it. I have come to know that those things grieved the Holy Spirit; I have vowed to do them no more and have asked God to forgive me in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Lord has forgiven me and remembers those sins no more.
When you see your fellow Christian committing a sin I believe it is your duty as a brother or sister in Christ to speak up. Don’t point your finger at your brother or sister and tell them that they are going to burn in hell for what they are doing, but gently remind them that as Christians we believe that we will be called upon to answer for our actions and lifestyles. Do not judge them for what they are doing because I am sure that if every detail of your life were exposed you would be just as guilty as the one you are seeking to judge. We all are. So don’t be judgmental but do say something. We do have a responsibility to each other, we all forget, we all get careless, we all sometimes stroll down the sidewalk so wrapped up in ourselves that we fail to pay attention.
Do not let your friend get hit by that car. Judge not… But do speak up!
