“Don’t judge me!” is not just a common saying, it is a philosophy of life for those controlled by the sinful nature. “Let me do whatever makes me feel good as long as it doesn’t hurt other people, and don’t criticize me for it.” Even unbelievers pull out Matthew 7:1 to show Christians how lacking their Bible knowlege is and say, “See, Jesus tells you not to judge!” But is that what Jesus is saying? There is no question that Jesus calls us to judge, but the question is how should we judge? That’s where Christians sometimes fall into temptation, by looking down on others whose lives are not as sanctified as theirs, and judging them in a self-righteous way. Let’s let Jesus teach us what he means by examining the context of this oft-quoted saying, and then we will be ready to judge correctly.
July 21, 2024