Judging

Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis had this great teaching on judging that I wanted to share with you.

 Because of our stand @AiG on a literal Genesis, and our stand against compromise, both Christians and non-Christians have told me that I shouldn’t judge others and that I need to stop being judgmental. (Interestingly, they are very judgmental against me when they accuse me of being judgmental.)

I’ve often replied to Christians that when we tell someone they are a sinner, we are judging them. In making this statement about sin, we are using God’s Word that tells us we are all sinners and in need of salvation (Romans 3:23). So yes, we are judging people using the Words of the only truly righteous judge.

As Christians, we must point out that which is sin, or we are not being loving. We must tell people that all sexual conduct outside of marriage is sin. That abortion is sin. And so on.

So yes, Christians can and need to judge, but don’t judge hypocritically, judge using righteous judgment! And judge with both gentleness and meekness, and with boldness and courage.

I’ve had many Christians (and even non-Christians) who will claim that the Bible states we are to “judge not.” But when they do this, they are actually taking those words in the Bible way out of context.

Let’s look at the passage where people quote “judge not” from and look at all the verses that put this in context:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 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? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the 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” (Matthew 7:1–5).

Here, Christ is warning believers against making judgments in a hypocritical or condemning manner. He is not saying we are not to judge! A person can’t just take the first two words “judge not” and claim this means Christians shouldn’t judge! However, even when they say this, they are judging Christians themselves with verses taken completely out of context.

This hypocritical type of judging is a characteristic often associated with the Pharisees during the ministry of Jesus. Many people who quote “judge not” from Matthew 7:1 fail to notice the command to judge in verse 5 of this passage, where it says, “Then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

The point Jesus emphasizes here is to judge yourself first before you make judgments about others. 

So this passage is definitely not saying a person can’t judge. 

Think about this verse: “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24).

Should we make judgments about other believers, especially as it relates to their erroneous teachings on Genesis?

Answers in Genesis points out that there are many Christians/Christian leaders who add evolution and/or millions of years to Scripture. We expose this compromise not to make harsh judgments about the person or his spiritual walk but to show the inconsistency of a Christian leader toward Genesis—and the negative implications that it can have on the rest of Scripture and on the people they teach.

Now, the ministry of AiG is dedicated to upholding the authority of the Bible and giving answers to point out that such compromise positions are really undermining God’s Word and its authority. When I do that, I’m often told that I’m unloving and that we should not be making judgments about others by pointing out errors in their teaching regarding Genesis.

Some people take offense and say that as believers, we should focus on loving others and not be divisive. We are, however, divisive if we do not correct error. Are we working toward the “unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:13), or are we compromising God’s Word by allowing for the world’s “wisdom”? Remember, as believers we are all part of “one faith” (Ephesians 4:5). We must establish our foundation in the truth of God’s Word and not our own philosophies, making God the authority over our life. Having the right foundation will help us to know the difference between truth and lies as well as right and wrong. Paul explained the need for truth and the divisive nature of lies in the following passage:

“That we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:14–16).

We need unity on the truth of God’s infallible Word, not unity on man’s fallible word! As I’ve said many times, the truth is divisive in a world where “men loved darkness rather than light.” There can never be total unity in this world. And there will never be unity in the church because of man’s sinful hearts. We must always judge people’s beliefs against Scripture and this by necessity will create division, but division for the right reasons.

I say it’s unloving to tell people not to take God at His Word in Genesis and accept man’s fallible ideas of evolution/millions. It’s unloving because this can negatively impact people’s view of Scripture and lead people away from the truth.