And the same article says this…
- “Scripture says judge not.”
Matthew 7:1 says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” The passage continues, “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” The point seems clear enough on the surface**, but unthinking people have cited this to rebuke anyone trying his/her best to use discernment in decision-making.**
A guy is arrested for child abuse and goes to prison. Upon his release, someone suggests that he should not be allowed to work in the church preschool. The shallow believer replies, “Scripture says we’re not to judge. After all, they paid for their crime.”
A church secretary is arrested for embezzling. She goes to prison for ten years. When she comes out, someone suggests that she should be church treasurer. “After all, she knows what to watch for now. She was always a whiz about finances.” But no, the leadership says. “That would not be wise.” The shallow believer rebukes them and says, “We are not to judge.”
A pastor I know had a man arrested for abusing his (the pastor’s) child. A church member resisted the pastor and paid the man’s bail, insisting the pastor was judging the man too harshly. The molester promptly bought a gun and killed the pastor’s son and his wife, then took his own life.
Now, don’t blame it on Jesus.
Matthew 7:20 says, “Therefore, by their fruits you shall know them.” The Lord is warning against false teachers who appear in sheep’s clothing (v. 15). Inside, “they are ravenous wolves.” So, He says, His people are to pay attention to the product of such teachers and make knowledgeable decisions based on “their fruits.”
The point of Matthew 7:1 is not to condemn. However, nowhere does Scripture encourage God’s people to be blind toward false teachers and wicked con men who would deceive them. We are to be “wise as serpents and as harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
As a prospective employer, I will try to make sound judgments concerning your suitability for employment in my firm. You may feel I am judging you harshly. That is your prerogative. But my job is to make the soundest decisions for this business I possibly can.
Those are four shallow oversimplifications we hear God’s people spouting from time to time. These are not all, of course. The enemy is creating new half-truths even as we speak. Whether to hold the one speaking accountable for what they have said is a question best put to the Holy Spirit. In all things, we should use discernment, act in love, and not sin.
J.